Piece o'cake!!

Knitting the Baby Cable Vest from the Vittadini Book No 30 was a piece of cake. I finished quite a while ago, but took the pictures only today.

I used Artful Yarn "Jazz" from my stash instead of the recommended yarn, so I had to fudge the numbers a bit.


Lara complained that it is too big on her, but I convinced her anyhow to pose with it.


Preparing this was not easy as pie. It took quite some time, but I did in honour of Rolf's birthday which was yesterday.


Frankfurter Kranz - his favourite.

And now we're going to have a piece of it with a nice cup of coffee, just like all Germans do on a Saturday afternoon. (Kaffee und Kuchen is a big thing, believe me.)

Today is tomorrow, and tomorrow is just another day

I'm so glad of my self-deprecating sense of humor. Otherwise I'd be thoroughly humiliated. As it is I couldn't care (much) less.



Why, yes, we are silly like that. ("We" as in Veronik and I, I haven't gone that daft yet.)



Detail of front.

Pictures taken in natural light by Veronik who probably agrees that modeling is not a job I should do. (No, she cannot be blamed for the late appearance of these on my blog, they were actually taken March 19th.)


Something here and there

Ever have a question that could be answered with "yes" or "no" but have no one to ask? Here's the solution.

I have the German version, and while I don't believe it's accurate, it's fun. Sometimes with surprising matches.


Finally, there's this:


It started snowing yesterday and just wouldn't stop before there was actually A LOT of snow on the ground. Slushy wet snow that won't last long, but still snow. My fifth April in Montreal and I am still not comfortable with it.

Bonsai - but not small, really

Thanks for the comments and compliments on the vest and my design in Lace Style. It is exciting to be published in a book with all the talented designers and I hope I will be able to do it again.

Today I finished a project from the latest IK - Norah Gaughan's Bonsai Tunic. It is kinda blue, so I am really doing well this year with Project Spectrum. I decided to change it a bit, to not emphasize that particular part of my body with ribbing. Contrary to the widespread believe, ribbing is not always flattering, especially not there on me. Since I used stash yarn my gauge turned out slightly larger than the given one and the fabric I got from the wool/alpaca mix is slightly stiffer than I would have liked. Unfortunately this produces unwanted horizontal lines in the pattern.




With this design as with the "Shetland Shawl turned Vest" it is imperative to have negative ease in the bust area. I used the numbers for the 46" for the lower part and fudged the 42" numbers for the bust. Fortunately I ditched the increases on the bust as intended in the pattern, with my larger gauge I would have ended up with quite the potato sack.


As I have been told, taking pictures in natural light is much more flattering. I might be able to convince Rolf to take some more tomorrow. Maybe one in which a) I look smashing, b) you won't see that I suck in my stomach, c) the play of light and shadow will hide those darn horizontal lines.

We'll see. What do you think so far?


Something Saturday

Here's a gratuitous shot of the top of the "Peek-a-boo Cloche". I don't know if there's one in the book because I haven't received my copy yet (there was a mix-up with the address, and apparently it sold like hot cakes, so I might have to wait for the second printing). It also might be, just maybe, that I am a teensy bit proud of how I worked out the decreases to look that pretty.



I had to write this post twice. My first and really good version got lost because apparently I have put an "!" where it doesn't belong. I am trying to be good and not be too upset about it, but just you ask Rolf how that played out...

Show and Tell

Remember this?
Now I can show you the real thing and tell what it is because Lace Style is out!


It's the "Shetland shawl turned vest" by Véronik. She has a blog now, go check it out.



Right after uploading the pic I uttered a sound of disbelief. Look at the circle! The seam is COMING APART. Eeeek! I have a couple of theories regarding that:

1. I must have done a really crappy job of seaming to begin with. (Can't really believe that since I hate crappy jobs of seaming...)
2. I love the vest so much that I just have been wearing the seam out. (Yup, I have been wearing this vest a lot.)
3. The yarn is not as shetlandy tough as I expected. (Maybe that's it. I guess I just have to fix it.)

And, even more exciting, I do have design in the book, too. Here you can find a picture of my "Peek-a-boo cloche".


Something anyday

Proof of my loving my vest - and my friend Nicole. This picture was taken a couple of days after Christmas, it was her daughter's birthday party, hence the unusual face decoration. I cannot be held responsible for her facial expression either, she's just goofy like that.


I have another theory: Nik might be mortified by having a picture like this posted. I am not sure.

One person's junk...

A few weeks ago I had one of these "I cannot believe my luck" experiences. Rolf would disagree if asked now, but when I told him then that I found a perfect two-seater on sale for our living room and that it was Danish Modern Design and even drew a sketch how it looked he didn't want to go and check it out because we had the cold spell then and so he just said that I can buy it.

Which I did.

When we went to pick it up, I knew he hated it. He not only said so but his face told me all. I believe there are a lot of people out there who would agree, especially since the upholstery is your favourite 70's brown-orange-goldenyellow-mix (BTW, the fabric may be vintage, but it was put on only about a year ago and it goes so well together) and, truth to be told, a lot of us grew up with furniture like this so there might be some unhappy memory or some or other repressed anger which now is directed onto - let's face it - fabulous design. My sofa doesn't have one screw to hold it together, it's all done in wood. The lines are sleek, it's made of teak and hell, even if there's no famous designer name on it, I do love it.


Guess what. I am going to love it even more. Yesterday I went to Fabricville because I needed some ribbon and on a whim I looked at their upholstery fabric. I found the perfect one to replace the 70's mess and it's on sale for 40% off and then on top of this 40% more (the sales lady had to explain it, I didn't get it, they have confusing signs put up). Can you believe my luck?


Something Saturday

If you are anything like me then you are always on the lookout for the perfect storage solution for all things knitty. If it is unexpected - in form and function - then so much the better!

I found something sitting quite neglected on top of an armoire at my Mom's apartment. You know, one of these things you don't really want but you just cannot make yourself throw out, be it for sentimental reasons or just because "sometime I might need it".

Shortly before travelling to Germany I had acquired a lot of 15 sets of 12" double pointed needles on eBay (yes, dangerous territory, but they already have come in very handy) and they were one more thing just laying around because I didn't know where to put them. Not anymore.

Tadaa!!


It came with a wine bottle when my Mom got it. I guess I'd never buy it, but after having a good look and a go with the measuring tape (I had to put it into my suitcase, after all, so I better make sure of the fit) I decided this is the perfect storage for my new, very long dpn's.


As if it was made for them, no? (Again. I am thrilled.)

I think I have BADD*

*Blogger Attention Deficit Disorder

Every time I turn around a week has gone by. Honestly, no Time Machine necessary, time flies anyhow.

Today I knit a sock, a size 9 sock. That's not all I did, just mostly. It was knit on 3.75 mm needles and no pattern but plain stockinette stitch.

Otherwise there's this:

Something Saturday

This is for K. - who I am sure can appreciate it for what it is.


Penny is for scale.

Furthermore, as Jack O'Neill aptly states: "I got nothing."

In the Spirit of Project Spectrum

Oh yeah, I have been knitting. Actually, I have been knitting a lot. Mostly things for work. There are even grey, white and blue things.



This I started in honour of Project Spectrum. It's a merino/alpaca mixture, very soft and off white.



I knit a pair of socks for my brother with this Opal Bamboo yarn. I would have taken a picture but I couldn't find them.



A work project. Socks. Sometime to be found published.


Another work project. I do like the yarn. Very light and fluffy. It's a sweater.


More work. A lovely blue vest. (I only knit the ribs for neck and armhole, not the whole thing.)



Something Saturday

I know, it's Tuesday. But with all the knitting and not blogging I have to catch up somehow.

In 1993 I went to London on vacation. There was one of those Cartoonists making money of drawing silly pictures of people. There even were silly people who wanted a cartoon of themselves.


One of them would be me. The drawing hangs in my Mom's office and by the life of me I don't know why she keeps it. It's not particularly flattering, after all.

Pump it up

A few years ago the ever present Swedish furniture chain had something I found intriguingly ingenious. Especially when one is the only person drinking coffee in the house.




Just heat a little milk in a mug (I find 2% works best, it has the perfect ratio of protein vs. milk fat that makes great foam), put the foamer in and pump for about 15 to 20 seconds.



See? It totally works. Calisson is optional. (I wanted to add the more classy link to Aix-en-Provence tourism, but it wouldn't work.)



Are there other people out there who think that coffee tastes totally different when consumed with foamed milk? I certainly do!

Something Saturday

Tag is me

Back then I was pronounced 50% weird. Now Karine wants to know if that's correct, I guess, because she tagged me with "6 weird things about me". I am pretty sure there are such things, but how the heck am I supposed to know what's really weird about me?

Weird, after all, means: (informal use) unusual and not sensible or acceptable. Maybe I should stick to the other meaning: strange, unnatural. Unnatural? Doesn't sound that much better to me.

1. I have the urge to collect things. Things in a row (magazines, books), things I think I need (dpns), things I like (yarn, books, coloring pencils, fountain pens). There is no intention of collecting when I acquire things, it just so happens.

2. I'm German and I don't drink beer. I don't think that's weird, but apparently there are a lot of people out there who seem to think so.

3. I can't watch any series in German when I have seen the original. I will annoy people with remarks like "oh, the dubbing is soo bad" or "he/she sounds just silly in German". Another favourite is: "man, their English pronounciation is really crappy!". (Of course they don't dub names, titles like "detective" or even "mister".)

4. I either finish knitting a sweater in record time or it'll take me forever - forever as in more than one, two years. (Sweaters for personal use. Work knitting is something totally different.)

5. When I was twelve I had hemiplegia in my face. Usually only stroke sufferers get that. Apparently I caught a virus. You have to have EST (electro shock therapy) to help the nerves function again. Of course they are only small localized shocks, slightly more painful than getting a very strong shock from static.

6. I like to be tagged, but I don't like to tag. Please forgive this spoilsport - or just do it anyways if you feel so inclined.



Something Saturday

I've decided to show you something on each Saturday I find useful, delightful or maybe plain silly.

A thing I find delightful and useful at the same time is what I bought at the museum shop of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It doesn't only look cool but serves to store certain tools certain people cannot live without.






As if it was made for them, no?


New Blogger

The New Blogger does neither like accents nor umlauts. I'll have to fix that.