mama-of-purl

My goodness, I just realized I completely spaced out on my blogiversary!

Well, today it's been 13 months exactly. Wow. I would've never thought this would turn out to be such a great experience. 

My knitting skills and knowledge have improved a lot since I've discovered the online knitting community, not only because there are so many exciting and fun patterns and tutorials out there that many of you provide for free (!), but also because of the incredible encouragement and sweet comments from you all. I thoroughly enjoy the spirit of sharing knowledge and ideas with other like-minded knitters, and I'm so happy there are people out there who can get as excited about a certain colorway of a yarn as me.

It wouldn't be the same without you. Thanks for a truly enriching year, knit sibs!

Hey everyone,

yes, I'm still here, just quiet. Unfortunately not because I'm having too much fun. I feel like such a fool. Some things really are too good to be true. 

So there you have it, the knitting world has me back. And I guess it's time to fess up what's on the needles. The sidebar with all the WIPs was way too short-  I've been camouflaging my cast-on addiction. It's pathetic. That's when you know you're addicted- you're hiding new projects from others! 

I secretly cast on for another Wavy in Noro Silk Garden. Those three balls in amazing fall colors(colorway 230) that I got on sale were just calling me...

Alright, I'm going to post a true account of what's on my needles, go and check out the sidebar (in case you're reading this in Bloglines...) Oh NO! I've just counted- EIGHT WIPs. How many do you have?

I'm pretty pleased with the name for those reddish Meilenweit Mega Boots Stretch socks that I've started as a mindless stockinette project when I first started *mumble* falling in love. "The Thrill Is Gone Socks". Great song.  

In other news, I'm such a loser knitalonger- both the Trek-Along as well as the Bitchin' Mittens just ended and I haven't finished either of my projects. At least I've been working on the Pretty 'Spring' (haha) Petals socks, so I can at least finish those for the Sock-A-Month KAL. 

One item I've continuously been working on this month was the cabled sweater for Johanna. I'm in love with that yarn, it's wonderfully soft and those colors are just beautiful. I've picked up the stitches for the hood a little too tightly, so I'm going to have to frog back. I could've just done a crew neck, but Johanna insists on the hood:-D 

I have a real personalized banner, hooray!

Well, HELLO! Today's a little anniversary- my 100th post:-) How much fun this is. I love how this blogging thing turned out for me. It's an amazing and uplifting community and I'm so inspired by all of you!

I spent the last days learning some new techniques, namely knitting 2 socks on 2 circs. I've put off trying it because I never have 2 balls of yarn that I knit with, but the Fun Nation comes in 50g balls. Then the 2 Addi circs I had ordered at Bastel&Hobbykiste (only 4,75 € a pair, btw) arrived, so I went ahead and prepared the second toe, which turned out really well, I think the striping is only about half a row off, so they're going to be twins:-) and put both of the toes on 2 circs. After having figured out how to knit with 2 circs, working two socks at the same time isn't very hard to do, but I'm still kind of slow at it. I'm sure I'll get used to it soon and I will hence break any singleitis spells in the future!

 Oh, and I managed to weave all the ends of the Star Sweater, which is now absolutely completed and you can see a picture of the finished piece in the gallery! WOOOO-HOOO!!

Okay now, check this out: last week, I left a little comment on Anna's blog who showed a picture of her sock yarn stash and she seemed shocked to hear that I'd never knit with Lorna's Laces before;-) She sent me an e-mail asking me for my mailing address and rushed this envelope with this gorgeous sock yarn to me. A stranger. Lorna's Laces. Can you believe it? That's so amazing and Anna: THANK YOU SO MUCH!! I LOVE THE YARN!! You're so generous! BIIIG HUGGGGS!

There won't be any complaints or pouting from me again concerning eventual disappointments;-) Aaahh, I can't wait to cast on:-)))

Hey everyone,

first of all I must say how much I appreciated all of your get well soon comments! That was so sweet of you! Johanna's ear are still a little affected, but she's been a complete angel the last few days! She's been such a pleasure to be with lately, which has immensely lifted my mood and I'm doing much better now. And I'm treating her with a visit to the zoo this afternoon!:-)

Another thing that's kept me from blogging last week was a blogging-related disappointment I had. I've been debating whether to complain about it here, but I'm fairly certain the person in question is not reading my blog anyway.

Okay, here it goes: I offered a woman whose blog I'd stumbled upon to do a translation of an English sweater pattern she'd wanted to make for her son. Maybe I shouldn't have offered to do this in the first place, regarding all the other tasks I'm struggling to master, like writing 4 papers in a ridiculously short period of time, but I wanted to be a nice supportive blogger and add to the community, blabla.

I started with the translation and since you can't really just write it all down, but you have to actually understand the pattern, which is usually a hassle anyway, it took a while. Mind you, a mere of work really focussing on what I'm doing is a HUGE effort for me these days... and she said she wasn't in a hurry, either. I sent her the bits I'd finished so she could at least start with the sweater and told her I'd do the rest whenever I got a chance to do it. Every couple of weeks she'd send me these reminder e-mails which really started bugging me up to the point where I got a little upset.

Anyway, I finally completed the translation which took something like a total of 5 hours to finish. We never clearly talked about what I expected in return, but of, course, she sent me a little package. So formally, I probably shouldn't complain and I'm feeling a little bad about my utter disappointment with what I got.

The package held some of the regular bits and pieces, tea, a little candle, printed napkins, and then- sockyarn. Good quality sock yarn, I might add, but in a hideous pastel pink and baby blue and white and purplish colorway I would have never chosen and nobody who'd put any thought into it would have chosen to give me. First I thought I'd make something for Johanna with it, but I didn't even want to make her wear anything in these colors. Sigh.

The first days I was in quite a shock about this and didn't know how to react or what to write to the person in question. I still can't stand even looking at the yarn and maybe I'm just going to put it up on ebay and buy something I actually like.

I hope you understand where I'm coming from- I just felt like I'd deserved better than that- the whole package gave off the impression that the person simply collected some stuff she still had at home and wanted to get rid of.

Deep sigh- I needed to get this off my chest...

Now to the surprise: I've been thinking about what kept me from finishing the Star Sweater- it's been lying around with only one sleeve for so long now. The reason were the 40 cm long circulars I was working with, which are just too tiny for my big hands. It was so uncomfortable to work with them! THen I had a little technique epiphany- if socks can be worked on two circs, my sleeves can, too! And man, sleeves, too, soar on two circulars! It was relatively easy to get the technique after seeing the knitting help videos on this topic and ta-daaaa!!! I finished the sweater at midnight last night. I'm so proud!!! My first sweater!! Finished!! I designed to whole thing from start to finish! And it fits! (click to enlarge pic)

There are a few things I still want/need to do on it- weave in the ends;-) for one thing, and I also want to make the bottom hem a little longer. No big deal, as it's a top-down sweater.

HEy there,

today's the first day i've turned on the computer in days. that felt weird, it's usually the first thing I do in the morning. Johanna was really sick last week and I caught a cold this weekend. It was so bad, I couldn't even knit!! last night I started feeling a little better and worked on two of my sweaters... I'll post more about later and I'll upload some pix, but I've got SO much housework to do now- there's a huge pile of dirty dishes waiting right now, ech! I hate doing the dishes.

until soon, Julia

Well, I'm glad nessienoodle and Carola commented on my non-participation and the button- I was getting nervous about the silence after that post!

It's definitely cool to hear that the Knitting Olympics have more participants than the actual Olympics and I'm going to be an online spectator- hopefully you're all going to have a spectacular casting-on parade as well. I want cheesy music & emotions!

Now the hard part: have you all found patterns for your sockapaloooza socks yet? I've had a few nights where I - kid you not- lay awake in the middle of night contemplating which pattern would be perfect for my pal, whom I know faaaar too little about. No blog, no further personal info besides foot measurements and color preferences. Deeeeep sigh!! So far, I've somewhat settled on Steph's Mata Hari Socks in a variegated teal yarn. I tried a folded picot edge for the first time last night and was very pleased with it, but I should've known better than to knit it with the same needle size I intended to use on the rest of the sock. Even after only a few rows of the cuff, I know the edge will be too bulky and loose and it will lean towards the outside... I'll try it again tomorrow (pix later & links later, okay?)

Aaah, what a beautiful sunny and chilly day we had today! I spent most of the morning outside, meeting an old friend, drinking coffee outside and enjoying the sunshine. I just had to take the day off:-)

Heading back home, I found this in the mail:
The Paton's pattern for the Savary Shores Sweater Ande knit. I'd seen it months ago and fell in love with it!! She also wore it a lot on the pictures she posted, so my mouth just kept watering:-) I actually picked up yarn back in November with this sweater in mind! So I couldn't help but asking her if she could somehow make the pattern available to me as I couldn't find an online store that'd ship it to Germany. She kindly agreed to send me the Paton's book:-) There's even another sweater in there that looks awesome! Uh, and I found out 'Savary Shores' is not the sweater's real name, it's only called 'Peruvian Yoke Pullover'... Ande's name for it is so much cooler:-)

Anyway, I was so excited about getting the pattern, I'd barely taken off my coat when I busted out the needles to knit a swatch!! My gauge is a little off, but I may simply knit the sweater in a size smaller (does that sound familiar, Ande?;-))

Well, this week I've been distracted from my projects by two little bunnies- the Professor's student I met on Monday asked me if I could help him modify some stuffed pets who will be starring in a movie they are going to make at his school. I added some lead weights to one bunny's paws and behind so Bertrand (the student) could make a string puppet out of if, and turned the other one into a hand puppet (I know, that is one KINKY weird picture!). Wasn't as big a deal as I thought, and he's paying $$ as well! That Monday was so fortunate, I should try to find out what my horoscope said that day;-)

I also finished one of the Jaywalker socks Monday night and did the cuff of Mr. Leftie. Grafting with the Kitchener Stitch is such a pain in the butt, ahhggrrrr! Didn't turn out that well... the sock fits perfectly, tho. 

4 jobs you have had in your life

• selling yarn at my mother's store
• translator for a company who wanted to convert old Russian military helicopters for civilian uses
• sales clerk at an outdoor gear store, yay!
• driver/maintenance person for a rental car company

4 movies you could watch over & over

• Clerks
• Before Sunrise
• Whale Rider (only with an extra box of Kleenex)
• Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel (Czech Christmas classic)

4 places you have lived

• Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein
• Jork, Niedersachsen
• Dillingen/Donau, Bayern
• Trier, Rheinland Pfalz

• BBC documentaries
• Sex and the City (still can't get enough of it)
• most cooking shows, that's soo relaxing!
• I need good new series, seriously!

4 places you have been on vacation

• most of Canada
• like, 25-30 States including Alaska
• most Western European countries
• my favourite place probably was Nelson, BC

4 websites you visit daily

• Bloglines
• craftster.org
• amazon.de
• mmmhh, another thing I do daily is downloading my favorite podcasts!

4 of your favorite foods

• anything with pumpkin
• chocolate
• pasta
• spicy stuff

4 places you would rather be right now

• Canada
• somewhere where I can see the sky (I have to go close to the window and look straight up to catch a glimpse here:-()
• on the road
• at a cosy coffee place chatting with other regulars

4 bloggers you are tagging

• If you are reading this and haven't already done this meme - consider yourself tagged!