Rueckblick auf den Herbst 2014

Diesen Herbst war es mir besonders wichtig meiner Kinderverwandtschaft in Deutschland Weihnachtsgeschenke zu machen. Es war nur so eine Idee, am Anfang. Ich Weiss nicht genau warum, aber ich muss ja nicht alles so genau wissen, oder?

 Nun schaut Euch doch mal das Ergebnis an. Sehen die Meadels nicht toll aus mit ihren neuen Muetzen.

 

Folgende Prachtstuecke einzeln vorgestellt:



Tuerkis fuer Charlotte

Gelb fuer Marlene

Dunkelblau fuer Sophie

Blau fuer Marietta

Natuerlich musste ich auch fuer die Trischinger Kinder Muetzen machen. Dass waere ja nicht schoen wenn die Tante aus Amerika nicht alle beschenken wuerde. Undenkbar!
Wenn ich demnaechst Bilder become werden ich die auch hier einfuegen.

Die rote Muetze ist fuer Pia

Diese extra weiche lila Muetze ist fuer Paula

Die gruene Muetze ist fuer Roman.
Und weil er der einzige Bube ist
habe ich diese einzige Muetze gehaekelt. Alle anderen sind gestrickt.

 Jetzt muss ich mich aber wieder mit meinen anderen Sachen beschaeftigen und mich wieder meinen Anleitungen widmen.
Bis zum naechsten mal, Ihr Lieben.
Eure Tante wird sich schon mal wieder etwas einfallen lassen.
Bis dann, ein schones Neues Jahr 2015 wuensche ich Euch allen.



San Diego Yarn Crawl 2014

Talk about yarn intertwined with life! here is one of those 'perfect examples'!

Saturday 10:00AM, right after breakfast, we took a ride to Chula Vista. The store was my chosen starting point for the yarn crawl that day. I had never been there before.

They have plenty of parking in the back of the store

The sign in front is big enough, you can't miss it

I was really surprised and impressed with the enormous selection of well-known yarns. Now I know to go to Border Leather and Yarns when I need something unusual and don't want to wait until an on-line purchased package arrives.

We stayed for one raffle drawing, purchased a nice light green ball of wool and went on to the next store on the crawl schedule. The grove at Juniper $ 30th.
I had visited that store many times before. It is located close to my home and 'shop local' is one of my mottos. We found a decorated 'YARNBOMBED' bike stand in front of the store and many people inside. The yarn selection is much smaller there, but I have learned that a local yarn company, Ewe ewe yarn, is carried there.

So if you ever want to get wool for a child project, try http://www.eweewe.com/welcome/

It was still before Lunch - so we went on the next store on my list, Yarn and Thread expressions in
La Mesa.

This is the store I find what I am looking for the most. They have the regular, and the rare yarn. I also like the little poodle that is guarding the cash register. Very sweet little girl.

 

My life is about yarn, intertwined with life. So a visit to my very young friend in Escondido fit right in at lunch time. My little friend Allison is always happy to see me.

 

Parents and Grandparents are all taking a break from packing. Allison's dad is called up to the reserves and I will miss them. At least for a year.

 

Luckily I had the good fortune to spend a little time with the new baby, Adelle.

 

Ruben is a natural

 

La Dolce Vita Alpaca, enjoy the Alpacas. I did!

I even got to touch one, sooooooo soft.

Other's liked it here too.

 

All together that farm has 45 animals. A lot of yarn, I'd say.

 

The guard was on a break, apparently.

This was the day one result. Future socks and hats.

Sunday morning we went to have breakfast on the beach. There is an IHOP very close to the Needlepoint Cottage.

 

Here you will find a large selection of really inexpensive and really expensive yarn. She carries both. She also has a large selection of needle point kits and accessories. This one is always worth a visit when you are just looking for the next project.

 

You never know what you are going to find. I found a book about beading, knitted or crochet beading. Hmm, I wonder if my next project is going to have beads!

 

My new stash.

 

Red Hats, can you see it.

Green hats, just yummy.

Down-time

It does seem like a long time since I have written in my blog. Much has been happening.
I was not feeling well for a while and it was determined that removing an un-needed organ will alleviate my constant nausea. They were right. My successful operation on July 2nd lead into a successful recovery. My doctor even ask if he could take a picture of my belly button, since it looked to well healed.

I did read a lot while I was waiting to heal....Ken Follett's Saeulen der Erde (Pillars of the Earth). It is more then 1200 pages, really heavy to hold, and it is written in German. What a treat!
When I was done with the entire book, it was time to slowly go back to work.

Before I decided to do the surgery I took on a project I call 'Debbie'. I was planning on crocheting while recovering, but that was not possible. No inspiration at all.

It has been a few weeks now though and the 'Debbie' has been taking shape:

The pentagons are just right to make this little summer jacket look luxurious!

I am glad it is weekend again and I can work on it some more. My sleeves idea needs to be made a reality, and the pentagons still need a small strip of something to be able to attache it to the side seams. The main body work is done, and I am proud of it.
Thank you god for all the inspiration!

A litle sweet heart

I hope everyone can see the love that went into creating this Jacket/Dress for Miss Allison. The colors were selected to complement her gorgeous red hair. Since my red hair is just a slightly lighter shade I have had already 60-more years of experience selecting colors that suit a red-head.
I think the final 'April-April' design turned out fabulous. Now it is time to write-up the pattern so other mothers and grandmothers can create this for their sweet hearts.

 

 

April, April, der macht was er will

We used to say that all the time when we where kids...April, April, der macht was er will (april, april, he does what he wants). It happened very often in April that the weather turned and outdoor plans to play had to be changed. I remember many Easter Sundays with cold fingers, from holding the umbrella without gloves. It was supposed to be April, Springtime!

Now April is synonymous with Springtime Knitting. Preplanned knitting.
My little friend Allison is 2. I can't wait to have her try on the new jacket I am making for her. We are supposed to visit the Etsy Guild Market this coming Saturday together.

I am sure I can get the other arm finished and the collar added today and tomorrow. Being on vacation this week in April is the thing to do for me.
I always enjoy April. It smells different, the wind feels different, everything is NEW.

There is one more really important thing to do and that is the buttons. I think I have found the perfect choice for this April, April jacket (Maentelchen). It is called Smiley Flower from as cute as a button.

As cute as a button

Sometime this week the woman that owns this online store and I will meet. Lucky me get's to rummage through her buttons. There is another project I was working on which needs special Antler buttons. But that project will have to wait until miss Allison has her April, April Jacket.

Fuer Brigitte

Deine Frage nach dem kleinen Hut kann ich schon beantworten. Es hat nur ein bischen gedauert bis ich meine handgeschrieben Notizen wieder gefunden habe. Ich schreib mir immer alles auf was ich mit der Stricknadel oder Haekelnadel herzaubere.

Also hier ist das Bild erstmal:

Maschenprobe mit Haekelnadel Nummer 4.25mm.
19 stb x 9 Reihen ergibt 10cm x 10cm

Der Hut wird in Runden gehaekelt, mit der Rechten Seite immer aussen, bis zur letzten Reihe.

Eine Kette mit 4 Lm haekeln.
Reihe 1: 11 stb in die 4. Lm haekeln und dann , die Runde mit einer km in 3. Lm schliessen. Du hast jetzt 12 stb. und die Runde geschlossen.
Reihe 2: 3 Lm, 1 stb in die km der Vorrunde, *2 stb in das naechste stb*, von * bis * noch 11 mal  wiederholden, die Runde mit einer km in 3. Lm schliessen. Das ergibt 24 stb (die 3 lm zaehlen as 1stb) und die Runde ist geschlossen.
Reihe 3: 3 Lm, *2 stb in das stb der Vorrunde 1 stb ins naechste stb*, von * bis * 11 mal wederholden, die Runde mit einer km in 3. Lm schliessen. Das ergibt 36 stb und die Runde ist geschlossen.
Reihe 4: 3 Lm, 1 stb in das stb der Vorrunde, *2 stb in das naechste stb, 1 stb in die naechsten 2 stb*, von * bis * 11 mal wiederholen, die Runde mit einer km in 3. Lm schliessen. Das ergibt 48 stb und die Runde ist geschlossen.
Reihe 5: 3 Lm, 1 stb in jedes der naechsten 2 stb haekeln, *2 stb in das naechste stb und 1 stb in jedes der naechsten 3 stb*, von * bis * noch 11 mal  wiederholden, die Runde mit 2 stb ins letzte stb der Vorreihen und einer km in 3. Lm schliessen. Das ergibt 60 stb und die Runde ist geschlossen.

Reihe 6: 3 Lm, 1 stb in jedes stb der Vorreihe, die Runde mit einer km in 3. Lm schliessen.

Diese Runde nun 5 bis 7 mal wiederholen. Das kommt auf die Groesse des Kindes an. Man kann auch die Runde 6 bis zu 10 mal wiederholen und dann den Rand umgeschlagen tragen.

Letzte Reihe: Den Hut nach der letzten Reihe umdrehen, sodass die Innenseite nun aussen ist. Den hut mit einer Reihe Krebsmaschen beenden. Das heist nun entgegengesetzt von links nach rechts haekeln, 1 lm, 1 fm in jedes stb der Vorreihe, die Reihe mit einer km schliessen. 

Die Blume: 3 lm, 11 fm in die 1. lm haekeln und die Runde mit ein km in 3. lm schliessen.
Reihe 2: 2 lm, 2 hstb in jede fm der Vorreihe haekeln, 1 hstb in dieselbe Masche wo die 3 lm herausgehaekelt wurden, Runde mit 1 km schliessen. Das ergibt 26 hstb., die 2 lm vom Reihen begin zaehlen als 1 hstb.
Reihe 3: 1 lm, 1 hstb in das neachste stb der Vorreihe, "jedoch von hinten einstechen: mit der Nadel ueber das stb wieder nach hinten durchstechen um den Faden von hinten zu holen und durchziehen". Dann 3 stb in das naechste stb haekeln, aber auch hier von hinten nach vorne ueber das stb wieder nach hinten durchstechen um den Faden zu holen. Das Blumenlatt dann noch mit einem hstb in das naechste stb und einer fm um das naechste stb der vorreihe beenden. Alle Maschen werden von hinten ueber das stb der Vorreihe gehaekelt. Jedes Blumenblatt hat 1 hstb, 3 stb, 1 hstb, mit einer fm dazwischen. Es ergibt 7 Bluetenblaetter. Mann kann auch die Bluetenblaetter enger zusammenheakeln, wenn man die fm zwischen den Blaettern nicht haekelt, damit 9, oder 10 Bluetenblaetter entstehen koennen.

Abkuerzungen:
stb = Staebchen
km = Kettenmasche
Lm = Lunftmasche
fm = Feste Masche
hstb = Halbes Staebchen

 Fertig, und viel Spass!

More knitting - more rewards

Rewards as in smiling faces. Friendly thank yous and returned favors.
I just came from my mother-in-law with three pairs of pants on my arm, I had knitted her a hat.
She was mentioning a few weeks ago that it was time for her, now in her middle 80ies, to give up driving. It was important to her to keep up her daily walks though. She goes early in the morning, but San Diego is cold now. I showed her some yarn in a color she liked and last weekend I started knitting a hat. It was finished today and I had the pleasure to deliver it.

It is made out of yarn from Zen Yarn Garden, named Serenity Silk+, 75% superwash merino / 25% cashmere / 10% silk. What a combo! It is soft, warm and silky. And with all the Zen and serenity words in the name of the yarn, her walks should be just like that.