InterKNITional

Finished My Rowan "Moustiers" Sweater

2009-10-17T13:10:00.000-07:00

I finished knitting this sweater months ago... just needed to sew it up. Decided I better get it together as fall has officially hit London. My Sunday mornings are taken up with a long commute and sitting around while my daughter is at field hockey training--three and a half hours--so that gave me plenty of time. You know this is my least favorite part of the job, but each time I finish, I say, "That wasn't so bad!" But I never seem to remember that...

It was the first time that I bought the exact yarn and color for a pattern I found in a book. When the yarn finally arrived I had a "yuck" moment. Loved the texture, but the colors just didn't seem to go together at all. Decided to go for it anyway. Ended up liking the fit, but made a few changes along the way. Made the arms a little longer and took away the fullness around the hips. Nice to have it done. My husband said it's his favorite.

Have a baby vest that needs to be finished. Maybe I'll work on that tomorrow on my long tube ride to field hockey.

Just Needed a Break... It Was Weird

2009-06-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

I have been knitting quite a bit for a few years now and it has become therapy for me... relaxing, enjoyable, productive. However, I went through a two-week period a little while ago where I just didn't knit a thing. Not one thing. Couldn't find the time... couldn't be bothered... didn't feel like it... nothing interested me... not sure what it was, but I just did NOT knit for two whole weeks. Normally I knit a little something pretty much every day so it was a weird feeling. Wondered at one point if that was it. I was done, had lost interest and would never pick up the needles again. Kaput. But almost as suddenly as it had started, it ended and the joy of knitting returned and I am at it again.

Of course this time of year is crazy. Just had the people from my department over for a BBQ this afternoon. Sunny, warm, perfect weather. They've been gone about an hour and it's just started to thunder and lightning and hail. What luck! Great way to end a great school year! One more day at work tomorrow and then off for the summer.

Have tons of knitting plans for vacation. Just hope I can get some things done. I've been working on finishing up projects instead of starting anything new, but there's so much pretty summer yarn that I have that I might have to make something summery and ditch the fall sweater that I'm currently working on, the Moustiers from Rowan 45 (see March 17th post). Still haven't gotten far as I've been knitting baby items and Duduza dolls for charity. This little organic chicken below is one of two that I've made. it's really quite easy and although I never thought I'd be the type of person to knit a stuffed animal (whatever that means--just not my thing), here I am thinking this is the cutest little guy ever. He's from the Rowan Organic Cotton Kids Collection book. Many of the stuffed animals in that book are really cute. Also finished some ankles socks for my daughter made from some fun Crystal Palace Panda Soy yarn. Feels great to the touch. We'll see how it holds up.

Glad the year is over. It's been a good one, but now I'm bushed. Have had tons of interesting adventures this year, our first year in London. Saw many musicals and plays... most recently saw the Shakespeare's All's Well that Ends Well at the National Theatre and Jude Law as Hamlet. Spent a rainy Saturday morning watching the Colonel's Review of Trooping the Colour. It's an impressive ceremony that takes place on the Queen's birthday. We just saw the practice so no queen, but still fascinating to watch with the marching band, bagpipes, horses and foot guards.

Hopefully now that summer is here I will find more time to write.

Joy! Joy!

2009-04-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

It's done! It's done! I finally finished the "Bookworm Tunic" from Hip Knits that has traveled with me from the States to Prague and then made the move to London. I told myself that I needed to get this sweater sewed up before the vacation was over so of course I put it off until Sunday evening and had stay up until 11:00 p.m. finishing it. It only took a couple of hours, but I just kept procrastinating. Wasn't difficult... actually sort of fun. Why did I wait for nearly two years to do it? Really... two years!

I'm not the only one though. A woman who organized the Prague knitting group had a bedspread that she'd started in the States, took with her to Africa and then to Prague. She kept dragging it out during knitting group, but she never actually worked on it. I think that project was going on ten years.

Also just wanted to post a couple of felted ditties that I made. Hubby started wearing those dime store reading glasses this past summer and he needed a little something to hold them in. Someone gave me some nice yarn, but there wasn't much, so I had to come up with a small project. Also decided to make him a cover for his iPod. There is no creative knitting here... felted them and they work. However, when we were in Switzerland visiting his sister, he loaned her his phone and now his phone case is M.I.A., so he's using the iPod cover for his phone (probably fits better).

Waiting for some Rowan yarn that is back-ordered to come in. I think the package is waiting for me at the Post, but when I walked down to collect it, I found that they closed at 1 p.m. and I didn't make it there until 1:30p.m. Drag. What closes at 1 p.m.? At least it was a sunny day and a pleasant walk; however, I really want to work more on this sweater, but there is nothing I can do until I get this yarn. Even went down to the John Lewis on Oxford Street where they have a pretty good selection of Rowan yarn. They had tons of the Calmer yarn, but of course nothing in the color that I needed. Will have to make another trip to the Post tomorrow, but not sure that's possible as I have meeting after meeting.

Just back from Switzerland

2009-04-17T01:34:00.000-07:00

Returned two days ago from Basel, Switzerland where we visited my husband's sister and her family. We had warmth and sun every day... it was beautiful. Took the kids to EuropaPark one day, visited the Tinguely Museum and the Kunstmuseum. Took beautiful walks along the Rhine and ran in the hills by their house in the village of Gelterkinden. Also took a gondola up one of the local ski hills and scootered down. Super fun, but what is it about that jarring of your arms that makes them so itchy? It was nuts.

Visited a number of yarn stores while there. Some in Germany but one in their village of Gelterkinden. Bought a few things... mostly for gifts. Wish I didn't have so much sock yarn at home waiting to be knitted because there is so much cool stuff out there, and what's nice about these shops is that they seemed to always include sample socks in each of the yarns. So helpful to see how it will knit up.

My sister-in-law has been trying to knit for a couple of summers now... gets into it while we are together (and with her mother who knits), but then we all leave and she never finishes her projects. My kids made her children monsters (see the pictures of their monsters). She decided that if the girls could knit a monster, so could she. Just before we left for the train to go to the airport, she finished her monster... the first project she ever finished. Not sure I remember the first project I ever completed, but I'm sure it was a scarf, but I'm sure the feeling was the same... great!

I have way too many projects going at the moment. You can see the socks that I knitted for a friend's birthday. I have to admit that it's the first pair of socks that I ever knitted. I've done one, but never the second. Finally got smart and knitted two at once. They are nothing special, but at least there are two. Had my daughter model them as my feet are much too big.

Off to try and finish some things. Wish me luck!

Frogging at The Pitmen Painters

2009-03-21T00:16:00.000-07:00

My brother is in town visiting so we went to see The Pitmen Painters at the National Theatre last night. Great play based on a true story. About a group of miners (pitmen) who start an art appreciation group in the 1930s through the WEA (Workers' Educational Association). They are uneducated and most have never seen a real painting before, and although they want to understand art and be able to know the meaning of a painting, they lack any sort of real experience. Their tutor decides to have them start painting to understand art (not technique, but the feeling you get when creating). There were so many times I thought about knitting and the act of creating something. One of the characters talks about what it feels like to actually create something, even if it isn't technically good, it's that he made it himself and he put himself into it. He describes how he worked a full shift in the mines, came home to paint and before he knew it, he was finished... just as the sun was coming up. He'd painted through the night and was exhilarated. Sound familiar? This is based on a true story and they have some of the Pitmen Painters' pieces in the Tate, among other places, and they had an exhibit at the National Theatre, mostly of Oliver Kilbourn, the main character in the play.

Took my knitting. Noticed a little blip about five rows down that no one, not even a good knitter would notice from more than two inches away, but I knew it was there. Tried to just fix it, but made a mess of things and had to frog down to that point. Should have left well enough alone. Really, had I made a certain side the inside, there wasn't even a mistake. What was I thinking? Spent the intermission putting stitches back on the needle.

Finally Over the Hump

2009-03-17T15:27:00.001-07:00

I'm working on a Rowan sweater, Moustiers by Marie Wallin. Started with the large, but then realized that the back itself was a sweater and a half. I never know what size I am. Frogged it, started again, this time with the medium, but I didn't like the flair around the waist so I started with the number of stitches that you get to midway up. Seems like it will still be plenty big. I frogged a couple of times... always seemed just a little wrong... a missed stitch, whatever... just want it to be perfect. I'm about two inches into the sweater now, and after about five false starts, it feels good to finally feel like I've gotten over the hump.

Did something that I almost never do. I bought the exact yarn and in the exact color as the picture in the book for this sweater. Funny how the shade of the "red" is so different. You can see the difference in these two pictures.

After swimming today, talked to a little girl whom I see a lot at the pool. She is so intrigued with my knitting and is super outgoing and very sweet. She was wondering if I might knit her something very colorful after I'm done with my sweater. I'll have to find some bits of leftover yarn that's pretty and colorful and make her a little hat or something. I told her I'd only knit for her if she promised it wear it. She said, "I always wear what people make me... I love when people make me things!" I believe her.

2009-03-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

Pictures Will Prove What I've Been Up To

2009-03-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

I mentioned the other day that I was interested in making yarn out of old t-shirts. My biggest problem was that I didn't have scissors that were sharp enough. I remember as a kid my mother had a pair of scissors that were off limits. You didn't want to get in her way if she caught you cutting paper with her sewing scissors... now I can see why. Had to go out and buy a pair of scissors and I've read my family the riot act. Here are a few of the balls that I've made, but just noticed that one of the patterns I have for a rug says 18-26 adult t-shirts. My six measly balls are looking pretty wimpy. This may take longer than I'd hoped.

Finally finished the scarf for J at work. Just as Spring arrives... but it is called a spring scarf and it isn't a heavy wool so probably will be good for this time of year. M took the scarf home and did the last little crochet edge. I need to learn to crochet because that nice little edge made all the difference in the pattern. It's a pattern free on Ravelry by Ann Budd. M made a copy of the pattern to make for herself... it is nice.

Finally finished up the baby blanket and hat for B&M. Just frogged a pair of socks that I'm working on for them. Will try a different pattern. Not sure that I have enough yarn, but we'll give it a try. The blanket is a Stitch 'N Bitch pattern: Big Bad Baby Blanket. I didn't double the yarn because the yarn was a gift and I didn't think I could get more, but it seems like it will be fine.

The End Is Near

2009-03-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night my husband won two free tickets to a preview show of a new musical opening in London called "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (you probably remember the movie). So we thought, "Great, free tickets!" Saved us a bundle... special thanks to the St. John's Wood Women's Club for giving away their leftover tickets to teachers... as we didn't have to pay the £40/ticket price, but we still aren't at the place where we can leave the kids by themselves late at night. So those free tickets cost us £45. I'm not complaining... sure could have cost a heck of a lot more, but I see now why we tend to go out in turns and not together. But the end is near... I can almost see it. In another year or two, we'll be able to leave them at home alone and a free ticket will really be a free ticket.

Started the baby hat that will go with the baby blanket that I should be sending off to Japan any day so that it gets to B & M on time. Simple hat, so it shouldn't take too long, but then I'll need to do booties because there will be leftover yarn. Just hoping I'll get it sent before the due date in April.

Also contemplating cutting up some old t-shirts for yarn and making a bath mat for my en-suite bathroom. I donate tons of clothes to charity, but sometimes I worry that no one, no matter how destitute, should be subjected to my horrible, pit-stained t-shirts (what is it with white t-shirts and antiperspirant?). I found this wonderful blog with pictures that gives a great tutorial in how to cut the t-shirts and as you can see... the pits aren't included, so the pit-stains can go in the trash. Here's the link to Polka Dot Pineapple. As the economy worsens, I feel more and more like my mom... starting to use every little thing and save stuff because maybe it can be used later. You should see the little back of yarn I've got started with pieces only two-inches long... is that excessive?

Off to fold clothes, nurse a sick kid and figure out how to celebrate hubby's birthday tonight. Wish me luck!

The Endless Hat Saga

2009-03-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

Feel like I've been doing nothing but knitting hats lately. There have been the usual baby hats as there have been lots of babies born recently and more on the way. But it was the Instant Glamour beret from Wendy Bernard's Custom Knits that was nearly the death of me. I've been trying to knit a little something for the women at work when it's their birthday. A couple of scarves... but how about a jaunty little beret to shake things up?! I had some yarn that I'd been given that I thought might be nice as the beret, and I paired it with a plain green yarn and another fancy green speckled and slightly fuzzy yarn. As you can see... the hat just never was big enough and I didn't have enough yarn to go back and add stitches so my daughter ended up with a beenie that you see on her head. I tried a thicker yarn for the next attempt... the purple and red combo. I tried to add rows to make the beret slightly slouchier, but once again, it didn't really work. My older daughter quickly snatched that one up. Finally, I tried again and really went to town on adding rows, but as you can see, I ran out of yarn and had to switch to an off-white. Played with the pattern a little, and liked the hat. Seemed like it might be just right. The big day came and I gave the gift and the hat just didn't look good on J. What do you say? That hat really looks horrible? Anyway, I was saved by the woman whose birthday was the next week... I'd been knitting a scarf for her, but the hat actually looked good on her so they agreed to switch. Saved!

Still working on a hat for my husband. Frogged the top about a month again and haven't gotten back to it. Need to finish as it looks like winter just isn't ready to leave London. Temps plunged again today.

I'm back? That's still to be seen

2009-03-07T00:07:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big resolution person because I find I end up breaking them, but I did resolved at the New Year to write more on this blog. I'd gotten out of the habit. With the move and the new job, I sort of faded at the end of the year. Well it's March 7th and it seems that I've successfully broken my New Year's resolution. However, spring is on the way and that means a new beginning, so I'll try again.

Part of my problem is our computer situation. One would think with six laptops in the house I would be able to find a computer to use... but two are older than dirt, by laptop time, that is (8 years), and the one that has all my photos on it and the one that's best to use for blogging is the one that seems to overheat and shut down. Very frustrating. And it's one of the two Mac PowerBooks (also old) that have broken/damaged power cords and no battery life left so only one of them can be used at any given time. It's just a big excuse, but I do feel like I don't use my laptop half what I used to because it isn't fun at the moment. But I'm feeling like I need to get back to this so I will.

I have been knitting a lot, however. When I'm on my own computer I'll get some pictures up.

Did get a Wordle picture of my blog to share with you. It's off to the left. If you click on this you can see a bigger version. I'll update the picture every so often to see if there are changes. Wordle fascinates me...

Started a Rowan sweater called Moustiers by Marie Wallin. I actually bought the yarn as seen in the pattern (I rarely do that). Have cast on a couple of times. Just can't seem to count the stitches so see if I have the right number on. Frogged once already... bad start. I have no right to be working on this at the moment. I have so many things to finish, but that's for another post.

It's good to be back... Eric, I'm BAAAAAAACK!

M.I.A.

2008-11-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

I have been knitting, but haven't found time to post anything on my blog for a month now. Could be that we've had a lot of visitors this past month (which we love and I'm not complaining about). Just means that I don't get much written. Currently have friends here, but they're out and about, so I thought I'd take a moment to write a few words.

So happy the election is over and happy about the results, but now I'm nervous. Just hope that things will go well... not sure they can with the current economic crisis and everything else that's being handed to Obama, but he's a smart guy, and I'm hoping that he'll surround himself with other smart people and maybe some brainpower can get us out of this mess.

Took a group of seventh graders to Canterbury a couple of days ago. Great kids and good tour... it's a rush to get through everything and still make it back at a reasonable hour, but well-worth the time. We get bused there, but my husband was saying if we took public transportation it would probably take half the time... the traffic is SO bad.

Started helping with a lunch-time knitting group at school. It's mostly fifth and sixth graders and they're new knitters. They are knitting scarves and hats for the homeless. Sewed one of the hats up and knitted another to add to the stash. Don't have a picture, but it was nothing special. Glad to be helping. Take my knitting each time, but never get to it. There are three of us helping, but we spend most of the time casting on, casting off, fixing mistakes, showing someone how to pearl, helping them switch colors... but the girls are getting better each time and it's really fun.

Have too many projects going at the moment and now I just bought Wendy Bernard's new book Custom Knits, so I have more things that I'm tempted to start. It's taking all my self control not to do it. Wish me luck.

Up, Up and Away!

2008-10-14T13:49:00.000-07:00

Mr. Incredible wanted a cape, but we know from Edna Mode what happens to superheroes in capes, but I couldn't resist making this little superhero getup. There's sort of a little Harry Potter lightning bolt thing going on as "Super E" is a super big Harry Potter fan. There was a pattern online, but I'm too cheap to buy something like this so I just winged it. Think it turned out fine.

Our visitors left late Monday, but we had a lot of fun and Saturday and Sunday the weather couldn't have been nicer. Nothing we wanted to do seemed to be open on Sunday, but we still had a great time wandering around the parks and streets of London. Here you can see the kids writing on the wall outside Abbey Road Studios. Getting pretty filled up so should be painted over any day. Also got to see the guards' horses and had fun just walking along a wall across from the Thames on our way to see Westminster Abbey.

Knitting and Stitching Show 2008

2008-10-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

My husband told me that a woman at work had a knitter friend in town who had gone to a knitting show on Thursday and really enjoyed it. As he was looking for things to do with his sister and her family who were visiting for the weekend, he ran across the Knitting and Stitching Show that she was talking about. I thought it sounded fun, but I wasn't seriously thinking about going. Hubby insisted as they were all going to the Tower of London, which I've seen already a few times. I'm glad he did.

The venue was lovely--Alexandra Palace--surrounded by lovely parks and with a beautiful view of the city. There was lots to do and see at the show. Three rooms filled with vendors and groups... displays and learning areas. I had a go at knitting with some of those über-sized needles and large balls of stripped wool. I almost bought a pair to make this curtain I've been thinking about, but I decided against it.

The top two pictures are of the Hyperbolic Coral Reef (my pictures aren't doing it justice), but it's a crocheted reef that looks pretty darn real and is meant to bring awareness to the plight of our coral reefs while teaching people the art of crochet. Part of it is dedicated to recycled materials as well. It was a great centerpiece to the entrance of this show.

Although I primarily knit now, I am also pretty good at sewing and enjoy other crafts as well, so it was fun to see all of these arts under one roof. I bought a few little things... some specialty yarns (bamboo, corn silk, soy). A couple balls of each to make socks just to try it out. Bought a kit for a tunic sweater thing that came with the hemp and pattern. Have always wanted to use hemp, but it isn't always easy to find in the stores that are closest to me. Bought some material (which is more beautiful and probably better quality than necessary) to make a pair of hippie bell-bottoms for my daughter's Halloween costume. Found some half-price Rowan and Debbie Bliss for half price as well. Picked them up for baby gifts. But best of all, got lots of great ideas and inspiration.

The Wash Never Ends

2008-10-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

Really. It doesn't. I feel like I just get one load done and there's another two waiting for the washer. Then there's the heaping basket of folding that needs to be done. Let's not talk about the piles of dog hair that collect behind the door and under the stairs. Last night I finally got to the inch of dust on the book shelf. Never mind the dishes and scrubbing the lime off the shower glass, taking out the recycling, making beds, mopping the floor and vacuuming... the list goes on and on. I have a husband who does a lot of work, so I can't complain about working a full day and then coming home and working another full day with no help because that's not the case; however, it is disconcerting to have to spend so much of the weekend cleaning, especially when I'd rather be out enjoying London and hanging my family, knitting or reading... whatever. I get stressed by the mess, but I sometimes get paralyzed by it as well. Help! Hand me the sticks. I'll knit the stress away!

Gearing Up for Visitors

2008-09-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying having a friend visit who taught with us in Taiwan. She's my youngest daughter's Godmother and although we've talked on the phone, we haven't seen her since she visited us in Brazil... so it's been a long time. She was married this summer, so I'm trying to get used to a new last name. I never changed mine, so it always seems to throw me off when I have call my friends by a different name. I still look my friend Nancy up under her old name, and my friend Laurie, and my friend Liz... the list goes on.

This past weekend was great to have visitors. The weather was terrific and we were able to visit the South Bank, watch buskers, and just people watch in general. It's always fairly crowded on a nice day, but I've certainly seen it worse. I really enjoyed the painting that you see on the left. The woman has been painting it for the past three weeks. I don't think my back could handle sitting that way for three weeks... Even caught the last performance of the National Theatre's Watch This Space season. I'll definitely look for it again in next summer.

October is filled with guests... three families booked so far. Family and friends. No overlap, but we will have one group leave and the next group come later the same day. I'm just worried about getting the sheets washed :)

So my knitting... I started a cape for the pillow girl's little brother. It's out of the same blue wool my mother-in-law gave me. It was given it by their next door neighbor when his wife died. It's old (can tell from the label), but it's certainly knitting up some nice projects. I have cape boy's initial ("E") on the back and I'm trying to knit a big Harry Potter lightning bolt through it. I botched it up a bit at the tip, but think it should work out eventually. I am proud of the way the back looks. I've been diligent about my stranded color work so it's not a horrid mess in the back. I've done the horrid mess thing in the past, but it didn't seem to matter because I was felting and lining the bag that I did it on. I'll provide a picture later.

Here's me knitting in an over-priced pub along the Thames. You know it's over priced when you order tap water and only one entrée for three to share :)

Is This a Weird Gift for an 11 Year Old?

2008-09-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

The pillow is finished. It's sort of cute... smaller than I thought it might be, but that's okay. I started today with just the front sewn together as you can see in these pictures (and that was after staying up until almost midnight sewing on the flowers and completing the first seams). Sewed the rest up today and stuffed it. The kids really wanted to help with the stuffing, but they needed to get to bed and I wasn't close enough at that point to have them stay up to help. I may have mentioned that we were supposed to go to dinner at the "birthday" girl's house tonight, but they had to cancel, so that gave me an extra day to finish. We'll go tomorrow night and now I'll have her gift (only a month late).

The question I have is... is this a weird gift for a kid? Seems like a little old lady gift (perfect for me!) The girl knows I'm knitting her gift, and in a panic today I corned the mom and told her that she might want to tell her daughter I'm not making a sweater or anything like that. I started to think about it and realized she might be really disappointed if she has in her head she's getting a garment of some sort and I show up with a tiny pillow.

Just want to point out that those little spots on the pillow are clumps of beads... as I was looking at the picture, I couldn't tell what they were and I was the one who made the darn thing. Thought it was some lint on the pillow or a mark on my lens.

In case anyone wants to know, this pattern is a mixture of two patterns in the book Knit It! Felt It!

Finally, I just want to show you the card my daughter made for her teacher (the one who has had visa problems and is just arriving for the school year tomorrow). She used one of the flowers that I didn't use and made a pin for her teacher.

Wicked Knitting

2008-09-21T07:10:00.000-07:00

Felting in a front loader is frustrating. Could be that I'm just not good at it or don't know the tricks. However, I'm sending the pillow squares for that gift I've been knitting through another cycle in hopes that there will be a little more felting going on the second time around. If anyone has felted using the front loader, let me know what to do. It's so easy to continue agitating the pieces in a top loader... as long as you're paying attention to the time.

So I haven't been around much recently. It's always busy with a new job at a new school. Also hard when you're trying to figure out the routine with the kids. My knitting has been boring (squares), so I haven't had much to talk about. The weather has also been nice, so I've been trying to be outside as much as possible. Once the rain starts and the weather gets cooler, I'm sure I'll be doing a lot of knitting.

Did meet up with some friends from Prague who were here on a school trip with a group of students. Went to see Wicked with them. Knitted a square in the dark... the nice thing about felting is that it's not soooo important that the piece looks perfect (although I must say, it wasn't too bad). The show was big and spectacular. One friend who came with has seen the show several times and felt this was the best she'd seen. Think I'll take my children next time.

I'm off to watch my squares spin. Wish me luck.

Four Hours Sitting in the Rain... at Least I got Knitting Done

2008-09-06T09:41:00.000-07:00

The girls are signed up for soccer, but of course they are in different age groups so our Saturday starts at 9 a.m and gets done at 1 p.m. Public transport takes almost an hour so it's an early morning. Many events this weekend were canceled because the forecast was so bad. Soccer (football), of course, was not. It wasn't so bad the first two hours. Met some nice moms and knitted another pillow square, but it was windy, cold and gray. The second session, however, was rainy and miserable. Couldn't wait to get home to a hot cup of tea. Almost finished my last blue pillow square but ran out of yarn, so I started frogging a sweater that I was knitting for my sister-in-law's daughter. It looked great except something was weird along the neckline. I never had the patience to go back and find out what I did wrong, so I'm getting rid of it so it can be used for this pillow. Here it is in pieces. Was frogging on the tube. Would have paid to read the mind of the guy across from me... what a look on his face as he watched me.

Knitting as an Ice-Breaker

2008-09-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

I took my youngest daughter to the park down the street after work today. She met a little girl there that she wanted to see again. That little girl wasn't there, but there was another group that were close to her age. She kept trying to get in there and make friends, but they were really into a game and she's a little shy. I sent her back over one last time and she made friends and got into the game and had a great time. So proud of her... although a little quiet, she's always good at making friends... has a sweet manner and other kids respond to her.

So what does that have to do with anything? Well, as she was making friends, I was sitting on a bench knitting and was thinking that I should probably be making friends as well. Looked to my left and there were two grandmotherly women talking to each other (not in English). They seemed to know each other well. Other moms were paired up with the moms of children the same age as their own. Since my kid should have grown out of the playground two years ago, I was sort of out of the loop. Lots of cute kids came up and gave me big grins and shy waves, but no moms in sight. Finally, a woman with two very young children stopped by to get a snack out of her stroller and she made a comment about my knitting and how she loves to knit but the last sweater she knit for her toddler took her months. The baby had on one of her creations, which was beautiful. Wish I had knit when my kids were younger. She was from Slovakia, and when she talked to her kids in Slovak, it all sounded sort of familiar even though I never learned much Czech. So my point being... knitting is often a nice way to open conversations, even if it's someone just asking what you're knitting or saying they wished they knit. It's a nice way to break the ice.

Still working on the felted pillow as a gift. Finished another square today at the park. Only six more to go.

Connected to the Outside World!

2008-08-28T12:25:00.000-07:00

Got hooked up to Internet in our new apartment yesterday, so I can finally write (pretty sure that adding to my personal blog at a new job would be a stupid move, so I've been noticeably silent). Anyway, we've gotten moved in and the shipment came and we're slowly getting settled.

The school's welcoming committee has been great about setting up little excursions for all the new faculty. They took us to the London Eye, which I'd already been on, but much nicer when its free! Also took us to Kenilworth Castle and Stratford with other new faculty. Very beautiful and nice to get out the city for the day. Years ago I spent a lot of time in Stratford, which I love. Quite a bit of construction going on at the moment, but still beautiful. Tried to find this little fish 'n chips shop that I went to years ago. There was a bit of a big deal surrounding the shop at that time because they were still using real newsprint to wrap the food in. It was a health concern, but even so, people were reluctant to give up that tradition. Couldn't remember the location, so I went into a shop and asked the sales people if they knew of it. I think I described it as "a local favorite" and "small hole-in-the wall that's been around forever." Sure enough, they immediately came up with the name--Kingfisher. The young woman said that it's her family's favorite and the only place they get their fish 'n chips. It's away from all the tourist shops so the prices are much better. The only trouble... they're closed on Sundays. We'll just have to go back when it's open. Walked along the river in Stratford and took the foot ferry (the girls are on it in the picture to the left) and on to Trinity Church to see Shakespeare's tomb. I've seen all the other Shakespeare properties and would love for my family to see them too, but it's an all-day thing and cheaper to do when you can buy the combo ticket (at least if it's the same as in the past). We'll definitely need to go back.

On to knitting news... all that yarn that I boxed up and shipped has been unpacked but is still a big mess. Have too many projects going at the moment and nothing close to being finished... to the point where I've been frogging and re-knitting pieces, which is never fun so those things have been set aside for a little while. You can see the vest that I've been working on (Leftovers). Have the next done now, but will probably frog it as I think the stitches need to be closer together. Also have the arm trim started, but I'm stalled. I do this every time with things. I just can't finish. Did finish a tunic top for my daughter. That thing had been sitting around for six months or more, but now it's finally done. I'll get her to pose soon so I can post a picture.

Right now I'm in the middle knitting a birthday gift for a friend's daughter. Her birthday was yesterday and I'm probably at least a week away from finishing even in a perfect world, so I need to put other things aside for the moment. I'm making her a pillow for her room. Felted blue and white with flowers sewed on (at least that's what it looks like in my head). Wish me luck.

Moving Day... Sort of

2008-08-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

We took possession of the keys today for our London flat (have to get the lingo right!) We moved a few bags over today, but will stay in the hotel one more night so we can sleep on real beds. Our shipment won't arrive for another week, so we bought a couple of air beds to avoid the hard floor. Decided that with guests and sleepovers we'll need them anyway. We'll take the bins over tomorrow and I'll finally get some wash done... four people x one week = a lot of wash.

When people leave the school, many donate items to the incoming teachers. Someone left some yarn. Didn't take too much, although I did grab some went to a friend of mine. I did take some nice 100% merino wool. There wasn't a lot, but I'm making two cases--one for an iPod and one for my husband's reading glasses. I'll try to felt it. Doesn't always work well in the front loading machine, but then again, my former cleaning lady did shrink my daughter's expensive Norwegian sweater without too much trouble. Once again, I'll have photos shortly.

I'm also still working on my leftover vest, but it's gotten too big to walk around with in my knitting bag so that's why I started the smaller projects mentioned above. I'm making it up the back of the vest at this point. It's going fine. Just hope it looks good when it's finished... a little rough at the moment. One of the yarns isn't the same quality as the others and it shows (puckers, not laying as nicely as the rest). Just hoping I'm not disappointed.

Last of the Bubble

2008-08-06T13:36:00.000-07:00

We've made it to London and found a flat. If all goes well, we'll have the keys Friday or Saturday... just in time (we're only in the hotel until Sunday). Now if the shipment comes, we'll be set to start the year.
I wanted to get the last pictures of the Bubbly Curtain up since the project is now finished. You can see the beaver sticks and the two panels. Also given a close up of how I've attached the sections (Martha Stewart ribbon). I used little sticks to keep the curtains from folding in.
Had planned to next start chair socks, but the flat that we've just taken has a carpet in the part of the house that will house the dining table. So much for that idea. Some day I WILL make chair socks. I guess I could still make them if I wanted and might, but will wait to see.
Currently knitting the Leftover sweater and about 13 inches done so far. I'll start the arm holes in about two inches. It's been a good project for this stressful time of hunting for apartments... doesn't take much thought. I'll get pictures up soon.
My friend who lives here has been learning to knit. She just finished a scarf for a friend and now I'm helping her knit something in the round for the first time. It may turn into an infant sweater for her brother's new baby or a purse for her daughter or a pillow cover for her son's bed. The beauty of knitting something in the round... it can turn into so many different things.
Not sure when we're get our own Internet connection so postings may be more sporadic, but I'll try.

Bubble Curtain

2008-07-28T14:46:00.000-07:00

I have a few more rows of knitting to do on the last panel of the Bubble Curtain, but I thought I'd include pictures of the side that I have hanging. I noticed it doesn't look great in the pictures, but you get the idea. I used medium starch on these, but think that with the length I should have used a heavier starch (which I have on the other side).
You can see that the curtains want to curl in on the sides. I have remedied this by threading some little sticks and twigs in the holes--looks like I need another stick on the purple panel.
The sun comes through this nicely in the morning. There's enough shade to keep from getting the direct sunlight, but it doesn't make the room dark. You can see the lake out the window in one of the pictures. I didn't want to totally give up that view, but I wanted something to give a little protection from the sun.
In this last picture, you see the infamous beaver stick. That guy swam by our dock last night and I was ready to wrestle a stick away from him, but he wasn't carrying anything... just heading home from work, I guess.

Chair Sox

2008-07-24T14:57:00.000-07:00

I'm thinking, depending on the apartment we find in London and the type of flooring it has, that I may make chair socks next. I first saw chair socks at the house of some friends--they had gotten them in Japan where they are common. I've been looking for a pattern, but I guess that isn't really necessary. A small tube sock would do. I've been looking for ideas and found a place that sells them here and some free patterns here and here.

I love the colorful sock yarn that's out there... something brown with a splash of color. Before we left Prague, a friend gave us a table that she had made when she lived in China. There are eight chairs (32 socks) so that's another never-ending project, but might be worth it. Will see what yarn I have in my stash that was sent in our shipment. I don't want to buy anything new unless I really need it.

Anyone out there have a nice chair sock pattern that they've seen?

Knitting Lowers Blood Pressure

2008-07-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

So I read this once and heard that doctors were prescribing knitting to patients with high blood pressure; however, I had never actually met anyone who was knitting on a doctor's recommendation... until last week. I was buying a knitting magazine and the man behind the counter, probably in his 60s, told me that he was knitting his first sweater. I said something about how it was supposed to lower blood pressure and he said that's why he was doing it. He'd had five heart attacks, something about losing an artery (is that possible?) and blood pressure that was difficult to treat with medication. His doctor was at a loss, so told him to knit. He said so far so good. My blood pressure is so low I'm barely alive, but I don't know if it has anything to do with knitting. Hope the doctor doesn't tell me to quit knitting :)

M.I.A.

2008-07-21T19:05:00.001-07:00

It's been weeks since I had time to write. We've had lots of visitors, I went to a conference in Memphis and then more visitors, so I haven't written and haven't even knitted much.

The first group of visitors were families that we knew from when we taught in Brazil. We've gotten together every year or two since the first of us left Brazil. It's so fun to get together with all of them, see how much the kids have grown and pick up where we left off like no time has passed at all. Here are the kids at the local ice cream store. We had ten kids and eight adults and lots of fun in the lake.

I then went to Oxford, Mississippi for a couple of days to visit a friend whom I've taught with in Prague. Visited Rowan Oak (Faulkner's home) and Ole Miss, saw where the first presidential debates will take place between Obama and McCain, attended a reading at a local bookstore by John Grisham's Writer in Residence for 2007-2008, Jack Pendarvis, met an actress who doesn't seem to remember many of the locals' names despite having lived there two years, saw the movie, "We are Wizards," which desperately needed to be edited more, and ate some great Southern cooking. Attended the Laptop Institute in Memphis, Tennessee where I heard lots of great speakers and did a little hour-long presentation on research and laptops. My friend always calls it the "Lap-dance Institute," but I won't go into the one wild night we had at the end of the conference.

Got home and then had my husband's family up at the lake the next day. They stayed several days and we enjoyed tubing, skiing, fishing, and toasting marshmallows. My in-laws even took the kids one night and the three couples got to go out to eat and have normal conversation, although even that is getting easier now that the kids are older and better able to entertain themselves. Everyone gives my mother-in-law a hard time about her family photos, which she insists on each year. There's only one photogenic family in the bunch (and we're not the one), so the rest of us sort of suffer through and end up looking like the poor relations when the Christmas card comes out, but it is fun to have the photos in the end. Here is the annual "self-timer" photo so everyone is there.

Knitting note: I'm on my last little panel for the curtain (at least with the yarn I have). I think I will need to buy more. Not sure I'll have this done before we leave as that is less than two weeks away. My husband was relaxing out at the dock last night when the beaver cruised by. He said that that brazen beaver came within feet of him, sort of gave him the triple stink eye and kept going. Asked if he was carrying a beaver stick for my second curtain rod, but hubby said no. Thought maybe hubby could have wrestled the beaver for it.
At the laptop institute I didn't knit. Saw two knitters, though. One woman was knitting a blue baby something but didn't have time to ask about it as my friend, who was presenting next, couldn't find the right sized dongle for her computer and needed my help. There was also a man knitting. My friend remembers him from when she attended two years ago.

Sad Day

2008-07-05T18:05:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know that we live this very transient life, moving around the world and working in different countries. The second country I worked in was Norway and there I met this great couple, Mike and Terri Hunziker. At that time they didn't have children, but they came in with me and I remember thinking how upbeat and positive they always were. I only stayed in Norway one year because I got married and the school didn't have a science opening for my husband, so we moved to Taiwan. Anyway, this is a very long way of saying, I moved and other than one visit to Washington where I hooked up with Mike and Terri, I hadn't seen them in years. However, Terri always kept in touch, so I got news from time to time. Our eldest children were born around the same time and I remember sharing new baby stories with her. After my father was diagnosed with lung cancer I got word that Terri, who had never smoked a day in her life nor had ever been around smokers, was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer just like my father. It was shocking not only because she had never smoked, but also because she was younger than I and had just given birth to her second son.

She was really an inspiration to me because she fought to get treatment and was a real advocate for herself and others in her situation. She lived with Stage 4 lung cancer for five years and despite setbacks, she didn't give up. It was very recently that an email came that said the doctors had told her she should meet with hospice workers to discuss her care. Yesterday there came word that Terri had died, July 4th. She was 45. I'm including Terri's website and an article about her because I think she can be an inspiration to others. Please send your thoughts and prayers to Terri's two young sons and her husband.

I guess my earlier point about my transient life was that it is comforting to see how despite not having seen Terri for years, we still managed to keep in touch and that she still had so many friends from her time in Norway.

Finished the Everlasting Bagstopper, again

2008-07-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

My eldest wanted an Everlasting Bastopper bag in purple. I'd finished the bag two weeks ago, but didn't have the ribbon for the straps. Purple is not easy to match... I made this pattern for my other daughter before, but had knitted straps. I can see why the pattern does not call for knitted straps... they stretched out and now the bag is practically on the floor for her. I may go back and sew some ribbon on that bag as well. What is so funny about this bag that you see here is that because I sewed the ribbons on the outside of the bag (not hidden on the inside) I sewed an "X" through the square that I'd sewn to make it look a little more finished. When she saw it, my daughter kept screaming, "It's so professional! It's looks like a professional did it!" Takes so little to impress the naive.

Thought I'd show you the boat and boat lift that has been taking so much of my husband's time lately. He's very proud of his boat, which is quite funny because he's not like some guys with their toys. I think he's so impressed with it because it was a "deal" AND has a big motor. A big motor in and of itself wouldn't impress him. This monster boat lift (all steel, not aluminum, so you can guess the weight) is also his pride and joy. Again, it's all about the fact that he didn't pay much and could just fix it up to meet our needs. He's currently working on a swim raft for the kids. Took me weeks to track down empty barrels, but I finally found them and for a deal as well. When it's done I'll let you take a peek.

When I was on the lake today, there were all sorts of Blue Flag Irises in bloom. Not a great picture, but they were lovely.

Have a happy and safe July 4th, everyone!

Digging Through Years of Stuff

2008-07-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

We're here for so little time over the summer... it would be fun just to play the entire time, but that never really happens. Yesterday I spent a few hours digging through all sorts of papers and stuff we've saved over the years with the idea that maybe we'd use it, need it, appreciate it sometime in the future. Sometime never came so we're packing it up for the church garage sale, for recycling and for the trash if all else fails. For many years I saved all the girls' school stuff (it was all so precious back then) and put it in bins to look at later. Later was yesterday and needless to say, we had a big bonfire yesterday and will recycle the rest. Saved a couple of the best things from each year. I'm sure in a year or two I'll throw more out. I've been much better the last two years ditching things as the kids bring them home. Anyway, still have too much stuff in those bins in the basement, but will continue to reduce. Finally feeling like we're making progress.

Followed a beaver for a quarter mile or so today with my youngest in the kayak. The wind was blowing so he couldn't smell us so we went undetected (or at least he didn't seem to care we were there).

Got the boat lift in yesterday and the boat will go in today. Wish us luck. My husband and his father spent hours trying to get this old boat lift to fit the boat--lots of welding, cutting of metal, pounding, painting... I only have to help when it comes to putting the thing in the water (which isn't really fun), but it did help that I picked up a wetsuit that fits. Much more comfortable.

Northland Knitting

2008-06-30T17:39:00.000-07:00

The kids let me stop at two knitting stores on the way to St. Cloud. I enjoyed both, but they were both quite different. The first stop was in Pequot Lakes at a place called Unraveled (31069 Country Road 112). The owner seemed super friendly, but I didn't really take time to ask questions. She had a great selection of interesting yarns from different fibers--bamboo and corn, for example. She had a nice selection of magazines and the old magazines came buy 1, get 1 free, which is great for me because I'm never around during the year to get the magazines from fall and winter.

The second shop is in Baxter and after pulling into the parking lot, I almost didn't get out because it says, "Clothing" in large letters on the window, and "& yarn" sort of as an after thought. I figured they wouldn't really have much. Boy was I wrong. Sue, the owner, has a nice little store called Among the Pines (15670 Edgewood Dr.) Lots of great wool (she does a lot of felting) and lots of knitted and felted examples all over the store. Also lots of books and magazines for sale. The woman who helped me couldn't have been nicer and Sue, who was helping another customer, kept coming over and helping me decide how much yarn to buy. She was great in that she showed me how to combine yarns, so I wasn't buying just the expensive stuff, which was nice. (You can see my purchase being wound into balls--for felting a pillow for downstairs.) They said they have Tuesday night knitting club where people just stop in and knit. There were a couple of afghans that two women from the knitting night had finished (they were sharing yarn). Absolutely beautiful. Among the Pines didn't sell much of the specialty fibers that Unraveled had, but they certainly had a beautiful selection of fine wool. I'd highly recommend both stores--depending on your needs.

Finished another panel for my curtain fiasco. Bought some ribbon in St. Cloud. Started putting the pieces together, but ran out of the ribbon. Now I need to go back to St. Cloud and pick up more. That's the problem with living out in the middle of nowhere... I think it's looking okay. The panels aren't lining up as well as I'd like, but it should be fine. The point is to block out some of the direct sunlight in the morning so we can sleep past 5:30 a.m.

Guess what I found!

2008-06-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

Yup... you guessed it... the directions to the Bubbly Curtain. Once I got through the mess in the bedroom upstairs, I found the lost photocopy. Here's my start.

I've been doing a little research for a road trip. We're heading down to the in-laws where my husband will meet us after his canoe trip. The weather is overcast and cool, so I thought we might leave early and take a little different route home and hit a series of yarn stores I've had my eye on for a few years now. If I can get the kids to cooperate... won't resort to bribery just yet, but we'll see what the day brings.

Home Alone

2008-06-26T07:31:00.000-07:00

This is going to sound very weird, but I stayed in our lake home for the first time ever by myself. Hubby went on his annual canoe trip with a group of high school buddies, and the girls stayed at the neighbor's. I was home working on a presentation I'll give in a couple of weeks at the Laptop Institute in Memphis. Anyway, it was very strange being alone. Even if my husband has been away in the past, I've always had the kids around. I never slept well until I was married. Didn't sleep well last night. God forbid anything happens to my husband, I'll never have a good night of sleep again.

The other night, my husband was getting things ready for his trip, so he buzzed his hair and more. He came back with a totally clean-shaven face. I haven't seen him without a beard for fourteen years and the kids have NEVER seen him without it. Wish I had been there to see their reactions when they woke up in the morning (I was out kayaking). I guess they just freaked. He looks like a twelve-year-old boy (with Fred Flintstone five o'clock shadow). He went back to his parents' yesterday where he met up with his friends and when I talked to his mother that evening, she said she hadn't even noticed! I guess maybe she saw him for so many years without the beard, it wasn't strange for her. I'm secretly hoping he grows it back, but will let him make that decision.

Besides getting ready for the presentation, I'm also trying to get things put away. But found time this morning to go out kayaking again. I try to do it as many mornings as I can. I love how quiet it is during the week (rarely see another boat) and I get to see a lot of wildlife. Each summer I come back I worry that all the birds and animals will be gone and sometimes it takes me a day or two to see anything, but I'm never disappointed. Seems the deer population is down (which is good for my hostas), but in the past they've sort of hung out like the neighbor's dog and now they aren't to be found; however, I did scare one up today as I paddled over to see if the lady's slipper (Minnesota state flower) I know of had already bloomed for the summer. Saw a bald eagle diving into the water yesterday to catch a fish. The loons are out. And had a possible otter sighting this morning, but won't put it on my list until I get a better sighting. Water was like glass as you can see from the picture.

Went to the library in a neighboring town where I went for my annual boob-smashing, picture-taking session better known as a mammogram. Went in to see if they had Mason-Dixon Knitting so I could photocopy the lost page, but no luck. Have nothing to knit at the moment. May have to go into the LYS here in town. The women who work there are nice enough, but they smoke like chimneys and everything you buy smells like smoke. But I'm getting pretty desperate. If I can hold off another day, I'll make it to the big city with a better, less smoky selection.

Home Sweet Home

2008-06-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

We made it back to the States and despite a summer cold that keeps hanging on, I'm getting over jet lag pretty quickly (thank goodness for melatonin) and getting things unpacked and organized... slowly, but it's all happening. The weather was sunny and warm today (80s, which is how I like it... or even hotter), so we were in the lake and despite a cold spring, the water wasn't too bad (and I'm pretty wimpy about cold water). Even managed to get a little color.

But before all that, I did get a little knitting done. Finished another Bubble Curtain from Mason*Dixon Knitting. Found the other panels that I finished last summer so I could gauge the size of the finished piece, then got out the starch, my trusty blocking board and my tacks and went to work. It's stretched to the hilt, but it ends up looking nice and the starch gives it a crisp look that I like. When we go back to town, I need to look for something to lace through the holes to join the panels. Not sure whether I'll look for a ribbon or something more rustic like a soft leather. I'll have to wait to see what I find. I've been trying to decide what to use as a curtain rod. In the book there's a stick and I like the look. It's not like there aren't tons of sticks here, but then it hit me... a beaver stick! I have one here already, and we have enough beaver on the lake, I'm sure I'll find another one the right size. I like them because they're so light and the texture is pretty cool and beaver sticks have been collected by the kids for years so it reminds me of them.

I started to cast on the next color for the next curtain and realized that I don't know how many to cast on. I photocopied two pages out of the book and sent it in the shipment to London. Now I've lost one of the pages... so if anyone knows how many stitches I cast on, I'd appreciate getting the word.

Ever have one of those days?

2008-06-18T13:30:00.000-07:00

My day started horribly... really I should start with the day before. That day started horribly as well. Yesterday was my 13th wedding anniversary, which became only a passing mention (you'll see why later). Woke up with a sore throat. Everyone at work told me how sexy I sounded, but I sure didn't feel sexy. But the big stress was the kid's birthday party. My youngest had an early B-day/going away party. What was I thinking having a party the day before the movers come? On purpose we only made it an hour and a half so we would have time to pack, but I think the last kid left at least three, three and a half hours later. Needless to say, our whole family was tired and cranky as we desperately tried to separate the stuff to be shipped from the stuff that needs to go to the States. Kids had fun at the party, and it is important for closure for our daughter, but it was just too crazy.

Woke up at 4 a.m. this morning feeling really punk. I even resorted to taking cold medication, which I just don't do... ever. I then proceeded to feel the effects of some sort of stomach virus. The dog left at 7 a.m. for the kennel for the summer (so he doesn't have to be quarantined in the UK). That was sad. I was doing some last minute dishes before the movers came and water started pouring out onto the floor, flooding everything. My husband went to have a look and broke one of three Polish vases I bought for the women at work for going-away gifts. All day the packers were here. Packed my vacuum right off the bat so not sure how I'm supposed to clean the house. Now the oldest can't find something she set aside to bring to the States (sentimental jewelry), so we've had a tearful night and my husband spent half an hour looking through all the trash bags to see if it had been tossed. The little box will turn up, but once again, it's something to cry about.

Finished the little beige hat to match the booties that I knit for my colleague who's having a baby. Gave the blue booties and hat to the guy who's wife is due in July, and handed off the booties for hire. Couldn't come up with a price, so I told her to ask the teacher on staff who has sold stuff before what she thought was fair. I think my things aren't worth anything... I was willing to sell it for cost, but she looked me in the eyes and said, "You have to get used to doing this..." Made me feel good because maybe that means others think what I'm knitting has some value. All my must-finish projects are done so after working on the hat during the eighth grade moving up ceremony, I haven't been in the mood to knit quite yet. I'll try to remember to take a picture of the hat tomorrow.

Knitty.com's Everlasting Bagstopper

2008-06-15T04:34:00.000-07:00

Finished the two sets of baby booties, gave them a wash and now they're drying. Cast on the baby hat. Decided on a different pattern... a little square number with double pompoms.

Also finished an Everlasting Bagstopper for my youngest daughter. She's not happy about the move and has taken to whining over everything. She wanted me to knit her a bag for the plane, so I let her pick the colors and pattern and made the thing. Of course, I love it and am very happy with the pattern, etc., however, she's whiny and is looking for things to complain about... it stretches too much, things might fall out of the holes, the strap isn't right... I know that it has nothing to do with the bag... that's just the easy target and she can articulate her displeasure about the bag, not about the move. If past experience serves, I know that once we're gone and she's at the lake, she will be fine.

Now the oldest wants a bag. I've started one in purples (her favorite color). Going between the bag and the hat while trying to get everything packed for the movers on Wednesday. Can't wait until that day's done.

Goodbye to Prague Knitters

2008-06-09T10:35:00.000-07:00

My last day at the Prague Stitch & Bitch was this past Saturday. I will certainly miss this group of women. Wish I had found them earlier. I'm not the only one moving, but fear not, new and great people seem to come each week. Here's the lovely card I left with on Saturday. Can't seem to get a closeup that isn't blurry, but I wanted you to see the cute pin that Kamila made. Those are tiny little knitting needles there... so cute, and I know exactly the coat I'm going to wear it on.

Worked on my curtains the other day while we were at a science and math department BBQ. My daughter, designated photographer for the day, took a picture. Finally made it downtown to get some circular needles for the plane (which you can see in the picture). So much easier to knit with than the old metal straight needles I was using, which were just too long for this project and should have come with a warning label attached: Danger, don't sit too close to knitter using these needles... may cause puncture wounds or take out an eye.

Any knitter knows the danger of going to his/her LYS just to pick up a set of needles... of course I had to buy a few balls of yarn because they were on sale. They had more of the alpaca wool that I've used for baby things and some other great baby wool in super colors.

Last little note: the baby that I made the green and blue sweater and hat for was born on Sunday. Heard he's a cutie.

Surprise Trip... to Karlstejn Castle

2008-06-07T01:50:00.000-07:00

There are three of us leaving work this year. One's going to Japan, one's going to have a baby, and of course, I'm going to London. So the three remaining colleagues got together and planned a surprise trip for us to Karlsteijn Castle.

They were great. They had tickets already purchased for the tour of the castle (the one that only happens during the summer months). The train doesn't say anything about Karlstejn and my sense of geography is a joke so they had me fooled until we stepped off the train. I really had no idea where we were going.

It was a great day and I realized how fortunate I am to work with such great people. Always so thoughtful. It was funny that they chose this place, because a few days earlier I was thinking to myself, "How lame are you? Three years in the Czech Republic and you haven't even made it to Karlstejn Castle!" They saved me! Many thanks to Linda, Sandra and Mirjana for planning everything.

I took the Hoover blanket on the trip. It was on this trip that I realized that I needed to start some summer knitting. It was soooo hot and the Hoover blanket is getting big enough that I was sweating with it on my lap. Decided to get out a smaller project and one out of cotton.

Hubby: "You haven't been knitting much lately!"

2008-06-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

That's an understatement. I think the end-of-the-year chaos plus getting ready to move, all the kids' parties and concerts and our parties and obligations have kept me from getting much knitting done. I won't even go into the horrible nightmares I've had lately... (usually getting stuck somewhere like an elevator or having trouble getting off an escalator).

Started working on the Bubbly Curtains from Mason-Dixon Knitting. Started these last summer for a double-paned glass door in our upstairs bedroom that overlooks the lake. I have four squares finished in different colors that match the rug (Rowan Wool Cotton). Four more squares remaining for the other side of the door. Haven't figured out how I'll put them all together or what I'll hang them on, but I'm sure something will inspire me. Can't show you a picture of the finished product yet as those that are finished are in the States. The one I've started isn't complete and they look so different once they are heavily starched and blocked that they are pretty unrecognizable at the moment.

Still have one baby booty left. I've put it aside for a few days, but need to get back to it soon. Need to have those done before I go.

Wanted to get downtown today to get some needles that I can use on the plane home--my only US5s are straight, which I'm not going to risk taking, but needed to take care of a friend's daughter. She's moving as well and is feeling the pressure too. She has the added pressure of having her husband out of the country already as he's already started the new job. Seemed that going downtown wasn't an option--needed to help out (she's always great about helping us so time to pay her back). Might try to hit the needles tonight. Wish me luck. (Snuck in about 10 minutes at a meeting today!)

Pictures from Refugee Center

2008-05-31T02:47:00.000-07:00

I'm posting some of Joanna's photos from the refugee center visit a month ago. Of course no one's faces can be used in the photos for their safety, but you can see some of the knitting going on. All credit for the photos goes to Joanna Stewart, knitter and organizer of great events.

In case you missed the post in April, click here to read about the trip.

Groundhog Day

2008-05-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling a little like it's Groundhog Day here. I knit and knit and knit and each day when I wake up I start all over again. I've been knitting the same hat for what feels like weeks. I keep frogging the darn thing. Each time it gets a little better (just like Bill Murray's life), but I don't know if I can go on... Maybe I need another project, but I feel like I have to get this done so I'll just have to keep going until I get it right. It's not even hard.

Started this little hat in the round on dpn and found I didn't like the purling sections. Remedied this on the next try, and spent our knitting group getting a lot of it done, but that night was watching EuroVision with a group of friends and the Latvian back-up singers/knitters must has distracted me too much and I ended up knitting too many rows in one section so the pattern is off (and only halfway around otherwise I might have been able to justify leaving it).

Need to redo or I won't be happy. The story of my life.

Saw Czech President at the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra Concert

2008-05-25T05:31:00.000-07:00

Totally cool thing happened last night... A friend suggested we go see the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra because they were playing in a beautiful venue--the Spanish Hall in the Prague Castle (Pražský hrad). From what I've heard, this room is normally opened only twice a year to the public, so a concert there is a special event. The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra was invited to Prague by Czech President Klaus, who requested that they perform pieces by Thad Jones. However, none of us knew that when we bought tickets. Once there, I knew something big was up because we saw the American Ambassador and his wife and about half the seats were reserved for important people... The "big" was that Klaus showed up. He spoke to the audience and graciously translated for the band members (and the rest of us in the audience who haven't mastered Czech). It was totally cool to be so close to a Head of State (and with what seemed like so little security). Although they had metal detectors close to the entrance, they were in plastic wrap and not used at all. Can you imagine that ever happening in the States?

However, I have to tell you that I'm having a major shoe dilemma at the moment. I don't have the shoes that I really need for this sort of event and I'm not about to buy them before the move so I threw on all that I had. It was really hot that day so I wore a pair of slip-on sandals (leather, but slip-on). I had no idea that the President would be there... all I could think about when he showed up were those college volleyball girls who met President Bush in their flip flops. Eeek!

Anyway, a great experience to have before leaving Prague... now if I can only meet the Queen of England next :)

Ego Boost

2008-05-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

I was at this great BBQ on Sunday to celebrate the fact that a friend's husband who has been finishing up work in Africa all year, has finally been able to move to the Czech Republic for good to be with his family. Despite not such great weather, there was great food and great company and a great reason to celebrate. Whenever there's conversation I like to pull out the knitting. I actually think it helps me to be a better listener because I don't feel compelled to talk :) I was knitting these little Christine Baby Booties for a woman at work. They're super soft Alpaca wool (Austermann Inka) and really cute. A teacher friend asked what I was knitting--I told her. One thing led to another and she said she'd pay me to knit an identical pair for her brother's baby due in July. No one has ever asked me to knit anything for money before. Feel a little weird taking money other than for the cost of the wool, but it sure is flattering to have someone actually want something I knit and say they'll pay me. If you remember, not too long ago I wasn't sure I'd give a knitted gift again because I hadn't actually seen anyone wear what I'd given them--now I'm getting requests. Thought I'd get started on my curtains for our summer home after I finished the booties in the picture, but now it looks like that will be put off a little while longer.

Boy or Girl?

2008-05-16T23:26:00.000-07:00

I never found out the sex of my two girls before they were born. I wanted a surprise. I wanted the doctor to say, "It's a...!" and I'd be surprised and elated. Funny story about our first daughter... when she was born, my husband (a biology teacher) immediately looked at the genitals and said, "It's a boy!?" The doctor quickly corrected him, reminding him that the genitals are often quite swollen at birth. Anyway, for a brief moment he had a son. We also sort of winged it when it came to preparing for the babies beforehand. A few things in neutral colors... pieced together changing table made out of abandoned school desks (while living in Taiwan). We kept it pretty low key, so it didn't seem important to know the gender.

So what's my point? My point is, now that I knit, I'm torn. I want to encourage people to have the fun of the surprise, but the reality is, I really want to know if it's a boy or girl because it's easier for me.

Here's my solution...

It's a BOY!

It's a GIRL!So does this work... ribbon vs. cord? a little bow on a blue hat? Hmmmm.

Bloggers Unite Tackle Human Rights Abuse

2008-05-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

Bloggers Unite is tackling the problem of human rights by bringing awareness to human rights abuses around the world. Bloggers are asked to post information about a human rights topic on May 15th. I decided since this is a knitting/travel bloggy thingy to try to find something that had to do with wool or knitting--so I did a little research.

I was hoping that human rights weren't being violated in the making of wool because I really don't want to be made to feel guilty about my addiction. What I did find was information about the chemicals and pesticides that are used to kill the various vermin that take up residence in a sheep's wool. Farm workers are then exposed to these chemicals. Chemical solvents are used in the production of the wool as well, which can be harmful to humans. Cotton didn't fair much better, maybe even worse. The article from Green Guide said that cotton crops make up for about 25 percent of all insecticides used worldwide and that many of the pesticides used on cotton can cause cancer in humans. So what do we do? Buy organic cotton and wool... or hemp, which is supposed to be some of the strongest fiber out there and not treated with chemicals (too hardy to need them).
Source: Green Guide

But I wanted to unearth something more dramatic. Not to downplay the importance of keeping all farm workers and knitters healthy, but I wanted a news story. The eighth graders in our school just did a big human rights project and their reports on sweatshops and slave labor inspired me. In Herat, fur and wool factory workers, who work six-day weeks for US$6/week, are being put at risk of lung disease due to poor conditions. They are given no protective gear and the fur and wool can be contaminated with microbes that attack the respiratory system. Women are dying in these factories and although the government asks that employers who hire people for hazardous work provide health insurance, that isn't happening.
Source: IRIN

Bottom line: Consumers want cheap prices, companies want big profits and the people who suffer are those who are too poor to argue. Do your homework and try to buy as many FairTrade products as you can. Look for the logo and get information from The FairTrade Foundation.

Prague Stitch 'n Bitch Always Fun

2008-05-11T01:10:00.000-07:00

I took my daughter to Stitch 'n Bitch yesterday. She took some knitting and a couple books thinking it was going to be boring and she might need to read to escape the conversation. On the contrary, when we left she said, "That was fun! I see why you want to go to knitting group. They are all so interesting and nice." My sentiments exactly. I don't know what she thought we talked about... and of course we talk some about knitting, but it's mostly about everything else. It was fun to see some new members come as well.

Started the Christine's Baby Booties for another work baby (due July). I was a bit stuck on the pattern, but waited until I saw Danielle from the group. She's knit a gazillion of these (my daughter says that must be an exaggeration, but I don't think so) and I knew she'd help. And sure enough she did, so I got the first booty done and have started on the second. Not sure if it's a boy or girl so will get some ribbon in purple for a girl and will make an I-cord if it's a boy. Will probably also make a matching hat.

I've also posted the matching hat that I made for the Baby's First Tattoo Sweater that I finished. Not sure I posted a picture of it so here it is.

Road Trip to Boleslawiec, Poland

2008-05-08T20:41:00.000-07:00

Went on a road trip with my friend Tracy yesterday to buy Polish pottery. Wanted to pick up some gifts and a few items for myself before we move. Without traffic, Boleslawiec is about a three-hour drive from Prague, and with the border now open that cuts time off the trip. Because it was a Czech holiday yesterday and we didn't have to work, we were able to spend the whole day in Poland and didn't have to brave busy weekend shoppers once there. The stores were virtually empty and they also stay open longer during the week so there wasn't the rush we often feel on the weekend.

Tracy's directions from the Internet mentioned the town of Luban, so when we saw that on a sign, we turned. We were off the main highway this way, but it was a beautiful sunny Spring day and all the fruit trees were in bloom--it was the best mistake we could have made. The driving is slower because you're on small country roads, but the scenery was beautiful. There are old farm houses and barns. People still had May poles up from last weekend. It was lovely. Not sure I'd take that route under other circumstances, but we loved it.

When driving into town from Prague, there are several great shops on the right side of the road just after the roundabout (and near the Carrefour), and there are some great shops under the railroad trellis to the left of the roundabout, but you really do miss something if you don't take a quick side trip into the center of town. There aren't pottery shops there so many pottery hunters don't even know it exists. We walked through the town square and ate at my favorite pizza place, Sawanna. It's a bit of a cave in the winter, but we ate outside in the sunshine under umbrellas so it was beautiful. I've been there twice and in my opinion it's the best pizza in Europe.

If you have never been to Boleslawiec and are planning to go, I'll let you know that it took me two trips before I bought anything. The problem for me and many people I know is just how overwhelming it is. There are just too many choices and everything is so pretty that making a decision can be a problem. Then I know people who have waited to buy something, thinking they will get it another time, only to find that it's no longer being made. There are differences in quality from store to store so make sure to look around a little before spending everything in one place (unless you're sure you're getting quality). There are lots of great shops, and I don't remember all the names, but some of my favorites are: Henry's (ul. Maasarska 1), Vena, Ceramika Keramik Cer-Far (ul. Kosciuszki 17), and the strip of stores behind the fence on the right of the roundabout before Carrefour. There are many more that I like, but I usually find something I like in these places.

With six hours in the car, I should have gotten more knitting done. I finished a hat to go with the Baby's First Tattoo Sweater. The gauge is right and the age is right, so I don't know why it looks too big to me. Up against the sweater it looks like the child would need a freakishly large head to wear both at the same time. Looked head circumference up on a chart. Says that a boys' head is 46 cm at 12 months (50th percentile). That means it should fit. Guess I've just forgotten that they're all head at that stage of development.

Finally made it to MarLen

2008-05-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, I've lived here long enough that I should have been to MarLen before, but I haven't. Part of the trouble... their hours... not open on Saturday (only Monday-Friday 9.00 to 18.00). It's just tough for me to get downtown during the week before closing. But if you're looking for a cool experience and some Czech brand yarns, this is the place to go. It is quite different, and probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I thought the stuff was fabulous and I went for yarns that were colorful and different from what I could get elsewhere. The women in the knitting group mentioned that much of the stuff is various strands wound together--often different widths and textures. Some have felt that it can be difficult to knit with, others have loved it. I'll have to give it a try and let you know.

The place is packed floor to ceiling with yarn, fabric, buttons, beads, etc. There are three walls of yarns and they are all packed (see picture). There is also stock on the floor and in a standing cabinet as well. I liked that you could stand and look through the yarn--touch it, smell it... whatever. There are many small yarn places in Prague where you have to ask to see what they have because it's behind the counter. The newer places, like the one in the Palladium, display their stock openly, but this is not the case in some of the older neighborhood stores.

Bought several things to make something for the girls. I'm thinking that it will be a nice way to remember their time in Prague. One has sequins sewn in (for the little one), another has a gold metallic thing going for it (for the older one). You buy the yarn by weight. Seemed like a good deal despite the exchange rate. I also picked up some interesting buttons. Matched the yarns and thought I could use them for the kids. I was going to pass by the buttons, but after a quick glance, I noticed there were some really interesting pieces. Worth a look. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the beautiful fabric. Wish I had come here when we first arrived... I might have had fabulous throw pillows! Instead I'm stuck with Ikea.

My recommendation is that MarLen at Karolíny Světlé 12, Praha 1 is worth a trip.

Very Sad News

2008-05-05T11:57:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my posts for awhile, you will remember that there have been quite a few babies at work recently. I knitted a bib and hat for a baby boy born to our school's computer network manager and his wife. The very sad news today is that Petr and his infant son were killed in a car crash this Saturday evening. His wife was hurt as well, but is out of the hospital and their eldest son was at home with grandparents so was not involved. We all just found out today. It was sad and tragic and beyond words.

The little hat and bib were meant to bring joy... now they are just a grim reminder of loss. Please send your thoughts and prayers to this family.

Reminder: The Czech Republic has a very high death toll on its roads, so if you're planning to visit, consider public transportation or be very careful if renting or driving a car.

Green Line Marathon... and it has nothing to do with running

2008-05-04T01:23:00.000-07:00

Participated in my first Green Line Marathon (GLM) yesterday. In case you don't know, this is a long-standing tradition with the teachers at the school and involves taking the green line of the Prague metro (also known as the A line) to various stops throughout the day. At each stop, the group gathers for a pivo. Several of the stops are outdoor beer gardens, which were nice when the sun was out. There are games and everyone has a job... cheerleaders, nurses, an archeologist, a shaman, sweepers, the Tsar of Transportation... the list goes on. It all ends at a Greek restaurant for a wonderful meal.

I guess in years past there were many more stops so you can imagine the state of people by the end, but this year's was fun and friendly and no pressure if you didn't want to drink. I went because some of the people who have been here a very long time will be leaving the school and it seemed like something I should do once before we leave as well.

There are some sort of funny traditions... Twenty-four cans of Spam were used to make sandwiches to nourish people throughout the day, and this year the Spam hat was passed onto the person taking over Spam responsibilities next year. My Spam sandwich, the "vegetarian" (just meant it was on wheat bread instead of white) gave me a bit of a stomach ache, so I passed on any more. There was a Wheel of Entertainment and I had to do a tap dance (really pathetic), but others were quite talented at their tasks.

I was warned that I wouldn't be allowed to knit, but when I got there with my knitting and it was green, I was given permission to proceed by the event organizers. :)

I now realize I'm not really going to have enough yarn to finish this thing and have now found out that the yarn has been discontinued. Looked on eBay, and although they had the same brand, they did not have the same color. I will have to keep looking. I've tried a few places, but I'm not sure what's the best way to go about finding discontinued yarn. I could go with a different color, but not sure how that will look. Hummm...

Juggling Work and a Knitting Obsession

2008-05-01T09:20:00.000-07:00

This is nothing new. Many knitters work. It's just sometimes hard to juggle both. As a librarian, much of my free time really needs to be spent reading. Just finished The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick this morning. But I can't seem to hold needles and a book at the same time--while reading and knitting that is. I was fascinated to read today on Ravelry of a knitter who can read and knit at the same time as long as the book is hardback. Oh how I wish. I instead must rely on audio books to allow me to enjoy my two favorite pastimes. Just finished Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian and am currently listening to Amsterdam by Ian McEwan. My trusty iPod Shuffle keeps me in books while knitting.

Here's a picture of my progress on the Hoover blanket.

What to do with those projects you don't know what to do with

2008-05-01T06:45:00.000-07:00

Isn't it tragic when you spend hours and hours on a project only to realize that it isn't quite right or not what you expected? So what do you do this these things? Two of my tragedies are in a give-away bag for a local charity. Two others, I'm not sure I'm ready to part with, but I don't know why.

Last summer while I recovered from a little surgery on my foot, I worked on this felted bag. It was the first time I'd used charts to knit patterns with different colors of yarn. I actually did the patterns okay, but when I first started, I was pulling the yarn too tightly, so there was a little puckering. I briefly toyed with the idea of cutting the backside to loosen the stitches since it would be felted anyway, but decided against it. I thought maybe once I felted it, things would lie flat... oh was I wrong. The bottom patterns are bulgy and horrible. I've had people say it looks fine, but they're just being polite. The strap is also too wide, but I think I'll fold it in half and sew it together to make it half the size... that should help, but I'm just not sure I'll ever use it. What do you do with something like this? It wasn't cheap either, so that complicates things... the trash bin is out of the question.

Another lovely flub is this tunic thing that I made for my daughter. She didn't want one of the colorful skirts that I made for the little one, but I had all this purple and green yarn to use up and I liked the colors together. The yarns were slightly different sizes so the edges of the neck and arm openings are a mess. If I could crochet, I could add an edging. As it is, I'm thinking of frogging the top and just making a skirt. But it's a project that's now been sitting around the house for almost six months and I'm not sure when it will ever get done.

What to do with these things... When is something salvageable and when is it not? Am I the only person who ends up with this stuff? Anyone willing to give a big felted bag a home?

Knitting at Refugee Center in Liberec

2008-04-28T10:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a full day traveling to and from Liberec (north of Prague) where a group of us from the Prague Stitch 'n Bitch got together with women at the refugee center to knit. We were accompanied by people from a local church who played with the children to give their mothers time to knit.

Joanna, who leads our Stitch 'n Bitch and hosts us at her apartment, was the one who organized this trip. I was in her car so we organized gift bags for all the kids from the donations people put together, and then we organized bags of yarn and needles. Two of us in the back had to keep taking little breaks because we kept getting carsick (it was worse than reading, I swear), but the job got done. Once there, the yarn bags went quickly despite having 30 bags of the stuff.

There was an Iraqi woman who had been at the refugee center for almost two years who was really an expert knitter. She taught me a different way to cast on and showed me a neat way to knit a baby blanket. She started a sample blanket to show me how the stitch was done and watched as I tried to do what she did. She indicated that it was nice and thick like the Hoover Blanket I was working on but took a lot less time. I'll definitely try it next time. Joanna, in a letter to us, said of this woman: "A woman from Iraq saw Danielle teaching Heather how to knit, grabbed the needles from Danielle's hand, sat next to Heather and spent the next hour teaching Heather how to knit. It was great because it took away any pretense we had about 'condescending to serve' and reminded us all that we were there to sit and knit together."

It was fun to meet the women and despite some language barriers, we seemed to be able to communicate. I don't know how long most of the people have been there, but one said she had been there five years with her family, another three years. From what I understand, the Czech Republic allows people to come to these refugee centers as asylum seekers. A new law now requires that schools allow the children to enroll in schools, but my understanding is that these families are often waiting in these centers until another country agrees to give them citizenship. I certainly could be wrong on this, but this is the information as I understand it.

I really enjoyed my time, but I do have to say, I always leave these visits (whether an orphanage, a nursing home, a refugee center) wondering what the people we are visiting feel.
I guess the cynic in me wonders if they can't wait until we leave, but the better part of me hopes that they feel like it was a fun time with people who want to meet interesting people and provide needed resources. Any comments?

Just Washed All Four Passports!

2008-04-20T05:05:00.000-07:00

Isn't that just the BEST way to end a trip... sending four passports through the washing machine? I do have to say, I thought the U.S. passport would be more durable. This stuff happens, but the timing really couldn't be worse. Hubby just received his British work permit under the water-logged passport number. Ugh!

We did have a great trip to Amsterdam and I'm not going to let this ruin it. We had a late flight so we spent the day wandering the city. The Central Train Station still has lockers available, so we dumped our backpacks there in the morning and took a walk. Because of security, I haven't seen lockers like this for a long time, but I'm not complaining. Walked out to the zoo. We thought we might want to go to the aquarium or the zoo, but it was quite expensive and it didn't seem like there was enough time left to make it worth the money so we just stopped at the Rembrandt House Museum. Kids learned how Rembrandt (or at least his students) used to make paint (a man was standing in his paint studio giving demonstrations). There was also a person showing how prints were made. Well worth it.

Kids had a great time. Of course, we are still answering questions about the women in the windows and "coffee shops." The eldest, when she gets tired, can't stop asking questions. Holy cow! Go to sleep already! At least she's still asking and not hiding...

A quick note about a big bead store that I happened upon. Wish I could tell you more, but the woman was closing up and had already stayed open late for a buying customer and didn't want to hang out anymore. Got one picture and an address: Coppenhagen Kralen/Beads, Rozengracht 54. If anyone knows this bead shop or visits, you'll have to leave a comment and let me know how it was.

Have been working on the Tattoo Sweater today--sewing it together. Have also been working on the Hoover Blanket. Got together some more yarn for our visit to the refugee center outside of Prague. Off to see what else I can send through the washer!

Tortured Artist Tour

2008-04-19T00:08:00.000-07:00

Spent several hours at the van Gogh Museum. I didn't realize he'd been so prolific... creating more than 850 paintings in his short life, and Amsterdam's van Gogh Museum has the largest collection. The museum also had a traveling exhibit of John Everett Millais pieces from the Tate Museum. I love his Ophelia painting so that was a treat to see.

The rest of the day we wandered around... ate at a great Indonesian restaurant... sat at an outdoor cafe for a drink, enjoying the sun.

Finding Nemo

2008-04-17T10:51:00.000-07:00

Spent the morning at NEMO, the biggest science center in the Netherlands... us and every school child in Amsterdam. It's four floors of hands-on science experiments. Kids loved it. I briefly lost interest on the second floor and found a chair on which to sit and knit for about 15 minutes until the kids were ready to head up to the next floor. Have to say that the Dutch are much more progressive than Americans when it comes to sex education. My eldest was mostly interested in the interactive puberty display that talked about how to manage pimples (she's 11), but there was so much more to see. The time-line video about the rates that boys and girls mature was hilarious. Ti's eyes were popping out of her head as the cartoon boy kept looking down his tidy whities to see the progress. She didn't go into the peep show (you had to be 12), but as we walked by, she could see the video playing. I think her quote was, "So that's how sea horses do it!" The gorillas were next, which might have been interesting to her had her parents not been standing there. The "peep show" had those wooden figures (see picture to the right) in sexual positions. I was learning something! Not sure you would see displays like that aimed at kids 12 and up in the States, but I could be wrong--haven't lived full time or worked in U.S. schools for almost 20 years and am sort of out of touch. Kids had a great time at NEMO.

We then bought tickets for the Canal Bus, which will also be good tomorrow. Nice way to get around. It stops at many of the big sites, and you can get on and off for a 24-hour period. Beautiful sunny day so it was perfect. It dropped us off at the Anne Frank house and so we did that museum as well. I was there 20 years ago and it has changed a lot since then. It's always packed so we tried to go late in the day as we heard if you can go late in the afternoon or early evening, you can avoid the crowds. We didn't have to wait in line more than five minutes, and only had to wait that long because the ticket sellers had a shift change. It is still a powerful experience, but I think I was more moved 20 years ago, probably because it was my first time.

Keukenhof Gardens

2008-04-16T09:34:00.000-07:00

Spent the day visiting Keukenhof gardens. Shouldn't take more than 30 minutes to get there, but the traffic to this village was crazy, and we stood on the bus for well over and hour. Despite that, the weather held for us and the sun was out most of the day, so we had a great time walking the trails lined with flowers. If you aren't familiar with the Keukenhof gardens, this is a huge area (I think I read bigger than the land the airport sits on), that is covered in spring flowers. If you enjoy fresh air and colors only found in nature, you'll love this place. I'm including a few pictures so you can see some of what we saw. Once again, the Dutch seem pretty good at making things kid friendly. There was a maze, lily pads you could walk on (see picture) and playground equipment.

Including a picture of my Hoover blanket to this point. I don't mind standing on a bus, but I do mind not being able to do anything (like knit) for an hour. Seemed like a waste of time. I did get some knitting done on the way home. Still not much progress. Check out that tacky shag carpet in the apartment we're staying!

Day in The Hague

2008-04-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

Took the train to The Hague today. Worked on the Hoover blanket on the way there and back. As Eve mentioned in her comments, it's slow going. You get into a rhythm, but it's still a lot of knitting.

When we got to The Hague, we went to the Panorama Mesdag museum on the recommendation of a Dutch friend of mine. It's basically a huge cylindrical painting (14 meters high by 120 meters around) from 1881. They've restored it and there's a narrative in Dutch and English that walks you through the history of the painting as well as the story in the painting. It's pretty cool, mostly because it's so different from other things I've seen.

We then walked over to visit the site my eldest daughter has been waiting for, the M.C. Escher museum: Escher in the Palace. Loved it. The top floor has some hands-on activities for grown-ups and kids alike. Super cool. The palace is a beautiful building to house this collection, but you have to check out the chandeliers in the place. Designed by Dutch sculptor Hans van Benthem, these strange chandeliers fit with Escher's art despite their unconventional shapes (a spider, an umbrella, a skull and crossbones, a bomb...). Interesting note about these pieces: they were made in the Czech Republic!

Did not make it to the yarn store as we were meeting our friend Lynn again. But it seems there is one there: Woool, Westeinde 61, Den Haag.

De Afstap Wool Shop, Amsterdam

2008-04-14T10:08:00.000-07:00

We started the day at the Our Lord in the Attic museum. Our youngest liked the story of this hidden church from the 17th century that she heard about on our walking tour and wanted to go back. I think it was the idea that you entered the church through the fireplace (maybe that's true, but I didn't see evidence of it). They had a great tour for the kids (lots of hands-on activities).

We then walked by the wool shop that we'd been by a couple of days ago. It was closed until 1:00, so we went to lunch. When we got back, I got to browse for about fifteen minutes. De Afstap had a great selection of books, yarns, needles, embroidery thread and some fabric. There was a big selection books from the US, the UK and Europe, but I wasn't about to buy the US titles in Euros when I can get them cheaper over the summer. They also had a lot of Rowan yarns. Nice selection, but again, I wasn't looking to buy Rowan since we'll be moving to England come summer. I asked if they had any "local" wool, but she said they didn't. Not sure there is anything local made in the Netherlands, but I thought I would ask. The women there seemed friendly and helpful and they had a nice presentation. They had quite a few hand-knit sweaters on display and for sale. It was fun. There were a couple of Rowan sweaters knit up--I'd seen them in the books, but never finished. Kids and husband came back--time to go.

Then went to the Rijksmuseum -- houses such Dutch painters as Rembrandt (The Night Watch) and Vermeer (The Kitchen Maid). Great collection. We've done this enough with the kids that we're finally starting to get our acts together. We bring two audio jack splitters, extra ear buds and then rent two audio guides at the museum and share. Our kids have always really gotten into these guides. They love hearing about the paintings and it gives us time to take a good look at collections.

Visiting Leiden

2008-04-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

Leiden is a beautiful university town about a 35-minute train ride from Amsterdam. If you're from the States, it's the place from where the Pilgrims came (Mayflower). John Robinson (he didn't actually make the voyage) and his group of Pilgrims bought a piece of land near the Pieterskerk (St. Peter's church) in Leiden. Actually, our friend Lynn owns a fantastic apartment that is on Pilgrim property so when she was buying the place, she had to sit through several hours of reading of a legal document that she had to sign that stated that she understood that this property was Pilgrim "owned." Not that anyone will reclaim it... but by law she had to hear the entire document.

We also visited the Botanical Gardens, which were very nice. Statues are great and it winds along the canals. Weather was unpredictable... pouring rain to sunny blue skies.

As mentioned in the last post, it was Sunday, and although big stores like H&M were open, the smaller shops were closed. My friend Lynn said that the last Sunday of the month all the stores are open... I have horrible timing. I did find the store as you can see from the pictures, but could only window shop. That's probably better for my pocketbook, but I would have liked to get my hands on something. The store is called Ribbels and is located just behind Pieterskerk (the church).

Suppose I should tell you what I'm knitting. I'm making a baby blanket for a friend. It's called the Hoover Blanket and it's the first time I've tried double knitting. It's actually going very well, just hope I'll have enough yarn. More on that later.

Gotta Love a Free Tour

2008-04-13T00:53:00.000-07:00

We're great lovers of free stuff, so went on our third free walking tour in Europe. If you get a chance, I highly recommend these walks. We've done the Berlin, London and Amsterdam tours and haven't been disappointed yet. If you don't like the tours, you can leave at any time. If you like them, you can give a tip. Of course, we always give a tip, so it isn't really free, but you can give what you feel you can afford so great for students. Visit the Sandemans New Europe website.

The reason I bring up the tour is because toward the last 20 minutes of the 3-hour walk, you pass right by the wool shop in town: De Afstap on Oude Leliestraat Centrum. I so wanted to stop, but the tour must go on, so I'll have to make my way back there later.

Today we're off to Leiden to see our friend Lynn who we taught with in Brazil. There's a wool shop there as well and although it's Sunday, I'm hoping it will be open. Hear the conservative government would like to halt Sunday shopping in The Netherlands, but my Dutch friend says the Dutch like to shop too much to ever go back to "shopless Sundays." I'm hoping!

Planning for Amsterdam

2008-04-08T12:06:00.000-07:00

So I asked on the discussion board of the Crafty ExPats group on Ravelry about yarn shops in Amsterdam. There may be only one because I only got one response. I did look online at a site that I really like: Wool Works. I use it mostly to find yarn stores in places that I'll be traveling. Looks like Amsterdam itself has one yarn store listed, but there are others in places we will travel in the Netherlands like the Hague (Den Haag), so I'll try to make a side trip if possible. Here's the listing of yarn shops in the Netherlands.

As you know, my biggest packing dilemma never has anything to do with clothes or accessories, only knitting projects. I need to have enough to do so I don't get bored, but the projects also can't be so complicated that I can't do them on public transportation. I also like to make sure to have something on circular needles for the plane. We leave on Saturday, so I better get going now because this is a three-day job for sure.

Exploring Ravelry

2008-04-07T10:56:00.001-07:00

I've been knitting, but still working on the same baby sweater. Good news... I'm on the last sleeve and I think it's all looking pretty good now that I frogged and started over. So my knitting is sort of boring to talk about at the moment.

This past weekend I did see the baby I gave the off-white hat and bib to. She looked so cute in the hat. Wish I'd had my camera to take her picture. Big blue eyes. Very sweet. I got to hold her for a little while until she needed the b**b. They are precious at that age (the baby, not the b**bs)... smell so baby... still, I'm glad mine are out of that stage--so much work. I'll wait for grandchildren.

I've been spending time trying to update my Ravelry page (kfield). Great community, great way to network. It's fun to see other people's takes on the same patterns. Does suck a lot of time if you let it--so much to read and browse through.

Afternoon Tea at Bethany's

2008-03-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

Had afternoon tea and gave the tea cozy to Bethany. It seemed to be a big hit. Here it is in action. As I said before, two of my co-workers looked all over town for a tea cozy without luck and Bethany, who hosted the party, said she looked as well. So if you want to start a tea cozy business in Prague... there seems to be a dearth.

Have to say that Bethany initially got really excited when she opened this because she thought it was a HAT! I'm definitely going to make a strawberry hat for someone at some point.

Tea Cozy Insanity

2008-03-29T02:48:00.001-07:00

If you told me I would live to knit a tea cozy, I would have said you were insane... yet I've just finished one. And if you said it would look like a strawberry, I would have had you committed, yet here it is.

My friend Bethany just got her British citizenship, so she's having afternoon tea with some friends to celebrate. The women from work looked all over town to buy her a tea cozy, but couldn't find one, so I said I'd knit one. After I said it, there was no turning back, but in the back of my mind, I kept thinking, "I'm so not a tea cozy person." Maybe it's our impending move to London that put me in the mood... Anyway, Mirjana, another colleague, got out of Bethany what her tea set looked like. It's a beautiful Wedgwood Wild Strawberry pattern. Although the strawberry tea cozy wasn't initially high on my list of options, it seemed perfect for this occasion. The pattern is from MagKnits. It's actually pretty cute and I'm thinking of modifying it for a baby hat. Wouldn't that be cute? A pumpkin for Halloween, maybe!

Bundle of Ukrainian Wool

2008-03-26T12:07:00.000-07:00

The poor woman who cleans and irons for me once a week doesn't hold my messy house against me. She again brought me a huge bundle of wool from the Ukraine. You can't see the size in the pictures, but this is a huge chunk of wool. Wanted to get a picture before I roll it into balls. It's a beautiful color of brownish gray. Lovely.

I've been working on the baby sweater and now have redone the two side pieces. They look great and I'm very glad that I frogged the thing and started over. It certainly took some extra time, but it was worth it. Now onto the sleeves. I'd like to get this done soon. Even if I don't sew it together until later, it would be nice to at least finish the pieces.

Little Girls Knitting

2008-03-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

Always fun to teach kids to knit. The cousins are in town this Easter weekend and the weather is bad so the kids wanted to knit.

Big needles and fluffy yarn make for a great scarf -- all the sins are hidden. CO 8 stitches, which made it up to 24 stitches or so at one point. Got it back down to 8, which it stayed (more or less), but the scarf looks great nonetheless and she's so proud of it.

The Benefits of Knitting with Those in the Know

2008-03-23T04:36:00.000-07:00

In the last post, you got a chance to see the sweater I'm making for a friend's baby. I was almost done with the second side when I went to my knitting group. I asked them to help me read the pattern because I was really missing something... and that something was intarsia. I was totally forgetting to weave the two colors around each other. I had two different colors that were not connected and I just sewed them together after the fact. Once they showed me what to do, I just felt so stupid for not figuring it out for myself. Of course everyone was too nice to actually say so, but they could have and I would have agreed. I've used the technique with other patterns, but just didn't make the connection on this one.

Then I needed to decide whether to start the whole thing over again or just fix it from that point on. "Are they knitters?" one asked... "if not, they'll never know the difference."
"Start over, you'll never be happy with it if you don't" said another.
"It's hardly noticeable. Just keep going" said the last.
I haven't touched the sweater for more than a week and today, when I finally got back to it, I frogged the side that wasn't complete and started over and will do another left-hand side as well. I realized that I wouldn't be happy with the sweater and would be embarrassed to give it to friends even though they would never know the difference.

Babies, Babies Everywhere

2008-03-12T13:18:00.000-07:00

This is what I have so far for the Baby's First Tattoo sweater from Stitch 'n Bitch Nation. You can see that I have no tattoo on the piece. I may add something on the side that I'm currently knitting. I haven't done any blocking, so it looks like a dried leaf, but I'm hoping it will be nice once it's done.

However... just when I thought this might be the last baby gift I would be knitting before the move, a woman I work with in the library came in and said she's due in October. That means I'll have to finish something before mid-June for her, and another middle school teacher's wife is pregnant, so that's a second gift. Not sure yet what I'll do.

I've been calculating the age and relationship status of the rest of the faculty to see what the chances are for more babies before I leave. I could be in big trouble.

Back from Warsaw

2008-03-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

Just got back from a girls' basketball tournament in Warsaw. So 8 1/2 hours each way on the train = 17 hours of knitting (or close to it anyway). Currently knitting a sweater for a friend's impending baby (is that the right word or too doom-filled?) Started using a cotton yarn to knit a blanket, but decided the texture of the pattern didn't work with the cotton, so I switched and used the yarn to knit a sweater from Stitch 'n Bitch Nation called "Baby's First Tattoo." Not sure yet if I'll put a "tattoo" on the sweater, but need to decide soon as I'm on the last front piece.

The last night in Warsaw the girls wanted to go to a mall, so we went to Galeria Mokotow ul. Woloska 12. Nice mall, but a mall's a mall. However, I did run into a little yarn and sewing shop there. I believe it was on the second floor. Anyway, I didn't buy anything, but they had some nice stuff that was quite cheap. Some of the other wool was pretty expensive, however, so not sure was up with that. Otherwise, absolutely no time to hunt for wool.

Good to be home and I'll try to post some pictures of the sweater soon.

Knitting Shops in Berlin

2008-03-03T12:42:00.000-08:00

I just returned from a librarians' conference in Berlin where I had very little time to search out wool shops, but that does not mean I was without success. There was a website that listed shops in a variety of German cities, with several listed in Berlin, but I was only able to get to one and barely...

The conference was way on the eastern side of Berlin, so I had a heck of a trip to the yarn store. I also am not the type of person who can skip anything, especially if my school is funding me, so I waited until after the last session to hightail it out of there and onto the S-Baun...

The shop, La Laine, is located close to the Savignyplatz station off the S-Baun. If you follow the signs to Kantstrasse, you will come out of the station and from where I was, it was a right and another right. I have to take a moment here to explain just how big Berlin is compared to Prague (or at least the places I go on public transportation here are maybe 20 minutes at the most, so I really misjudged the time). With connections, the ride itself took me almost an hour and a half from where I was. I could tell that I was going to be cutting it short. I practically ran down the street and made it into the door of the place at 6:59 p.m. on a Friday evening.

The woman who was working in the store, and I believe possibly the owner, could not have been nicer. She was super helpful and stayed open as long as I needed. I would have loved to have really browsed, but I knew I was keeping her from her Friday night. She had a beautiful store with lots of types of wool and cotton yarn. The displays were nicely done. I would highly recommend a visit if you're in the neighborhood.

La Laine, Kantstrasse 145, Berlin, Germany. Monday-Friday 10:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 15:00. www.lalaineberlin.de

Back in Prague and It's Spring

2008-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Left Austria yesterday morning and made it back to Prague where spring has arrived. Opened the back door and noticed that a lot of our flowers are up. This happened last year too--everything bloomed very early. Today was so warm that the neighbor was out washing his car in what looked like his boxer shorts (I won't include a picture--it wasn't pretty).

Made it back yesterday for our 2 o'clock Stitch 'n Bitch meeting. It was fun to see people, but I was so tired I mostly just listened and knitted squares for the charity blanket.

Joanna, the host of the Prague Stitch 'n Bitch, was talking about all her unfinished projects. I'm feeling a little bit the same way; although the unfinished blanket she's carried around with her for the past twelve years (to Africa and Prague no less) has me beat by a mile. There are a few new projects I need to get going on (one baby gift in particular). But I really want to finish the things that I've started. Maybe it's the idea of the move. I don't want unfinished pieces hanging over my head. I've also been trying to organize my yarn, and the charity blanket is great for getting rid of all the bits and pieces. Although I only finished three squares yesterday, it is easy knitting and a nice way to tidy up the stash.

Lyra Hat in Action

2008-02-20T12:31:00.000-08:00

So the Lyra hat came in handy when having a quick beverage on the top of the mountain... that's the Alps for those of you who care. Although it is HOT for skiing weather, a hat is still nice when you're just sitting there.

Also including a picture of me knitting on the top of the mountain. I'd had it for the day, but a few others were still wanting to ski another run, so I took a little knitting break. Check out that bird at the right of the picture. Took me forever to realize that there's glass behind me and that is a bird sticker on the window :) I kept thinking how cool it was to catch a bird like that in the picture... There is a parasailer by my head, but I think the picture's too small to see it. So many parasailers out this year.

Forever Frogging

2008-02-19T12:27:00.000-08:00

Finally finished a very simple hat I have been knitting for myself. I think I started a week ago and frogged it twice. Once because I didn't like the style and the second time because it just didn't feel long enough. I hate it when my earlobes aren't entirely covered and with about a half inch more on top of that. Something about that part of my neck just gets sooooo cold! Seems silly to be knitting hats since we're now all skiing in helmets, but when you stop for a gluhwein or a glass of Almdudler and take off your helmet, your head does get cold, so I carry everyone's hat in my backpack. Besides, I needed something that matches my new jacket.

The little one also begged to have a hat like her sister's (Lyra hat), so I whipped one up tonight. It's the leftover yarn from the hats I made for the ski trip. There's still enough for something, but I'm getting so sick of the yarn, I'm not sure I'll do much with it for awhile. Here they are reading in bed with their hats on. Kinda cute.

We're skiing in Schladming, Austria at the moment and I hope to get downtown sometime to see if they have any good wool shops. I know I'm not supposed to buy anything, but I would like to look.

Back from the Ski Trip & Off to Austria to Ski Some More

2008-02-15T13:22:00.000-08:00

Made it back from the 6th grade ski trip in one piece, but rather the worse for wear. Got wiped out by some young guy on the slopes (not one of ours) and have two horrible bruises on my leg. Have one unaccounted for bruise on left elbow (black as black can be) and a nasty blood blister on the tip of my left thumb obtained by pinching it in the tripod setting up to film the little dance the kids had last night. There are other scrapes and scratches, but nothing worth mentioning.

The trip, although fun, was hard on the teachers. Almost all the advisers were sick, which meant there were few who were up for skiing at all. I was the only person who skied all four days. The ski hats, therefore, sat in the rooms and weren't really used much. I didn't even get a group picture to show for all the work as we were never all together and well enough to get one. One of the teachers even went home mid-way through the week. I did get Mr. Mohawk to ski the last day, and we had a blast. And Petr, my Czech friend with the long braid hat (to the left) skied with me several days and loved his hat. In total, I made one Mohawk, three braid hats and five regular ones. It was fun and I'm glad I did it. The teachers are promising to wear them next year even though I won't be there. That would be nice. They did serve their purpose--teachers were easy to spot. Although they weren't worn much, one consolation was that the kids kept asking me to make them hats. The Mohawk was the most popular, but will NEVER be done again (by me, anyway). It was a great trip despite there being NO SNOW. You can see the brown hills in the background. Here's me on the right as the sun slips behind the mountain.

Tomorrow we go to Austria, which is supposed to have a lot more snow and much colder weather. I'm trying to get my knitting projects together to take. While away, I knitted several hats. One was for myself, but I'm going to frog part of it and change the pattern. I'm not happy with it. Wish me luck on packing. I'm the world's biggest procrastinator when it comes to that. I'll have my computer this time so will keep everyone posted on what, if anything, I've completed.

Always Find Something Better to Do When I Should Be Packing

2008-02-10T06:31:00.001-08:00

I was starting to pack my knitting after the last post and my daughter wondered if I could just start the Lyra hat to see how it would look. An hour later it was done... my packing was not. I used the wool that my friends brought from Germany. I had been working on a hat for myself out of it, but then had to frog it because it seemed like it was going to be too big. It matches Ti's coat better than anything else I had in stock and I've made a vow not to buy more wool until after we move.

I used the pattern from Froggie Meanie's site. The hat she made for her daughter is adorable. Not so taken with the adult version, but maybe it looks better in person.

Now the younger daughter is begging for a hat, but she'll have to wait. I'm off to pack.

Mohawk FINALLY Finished!

2008-02-10T03:39:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to say I'm super happy with this hat, but it is finished. Went to my knitting group yesterday and powered through the pattern. Watched a movie last night and put all the "hair" on. You can see the big problem is that the cheap acrylic yarn that I used is too floppy to stay up. I could trim it more and maybe that would help, but thought I should ask Marcus how he feels about the length because once it's cut, there's no going back. I even interspersed real wool between the acrylic to try to give the mohawk some body, but it didn't really work. I might be able to put a little more hair in, but most of the stitches are full. The picture here is of my husband who has a smaller head than the guy who will be wearing it, so the hat looks a little funny, but at least you can see it. The piece was pretty lumpy, but I steamed it and I actually like what it did to the yarn. It sort of flattened it out and looks a bit like felted fabric. It hides all the sins. I'll post another picture when it's with its rightful owner.

As you can see, I have the hats ready for tomorrow and the big trip. Too bad the snow conditions are so poor. Hoping the trip goes. I've spent too much time, energy and money on these hats for the trip to be canceled :(

I'm trying to get packed and one of the things I need to make sure to pack is knitting for the week. Last year I thought I took way too much, but ran out. I hate that feeling. We watched The Golden Compass the other night and my daughter wants a Lyra hat, so I will get the pattern from the Internet and take yarn for that. I also want to knit a chunky white ski hat to go with my new ski jacket. Neither will take long so I need to think of something else. Maybe one of those projects already on the needles.

Still Knitting for Home-bound Friend

2008-02-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

Even though I vowed not to knit anything until the Mohawk is done, I had to knit for my friend home sick. I decided to knit this hat, and almost finished yesterday, only to frog it because it was not the right size and I have so little yarn that with the style I chose, I knew I would never have enough to finish. Finished the hat tonight. It took a tiny bit of another yarn of another color to finish, but I think it looks nice. I just hope it fits. Again, the color doesn't show well with the flash, but it's a greenish, blackish, reddish yarn that is quite nice.

So now I promise... no more knitting other projects until the Mohawk is done. My fingers aren't crossed--I swear!

Finishing Weekend

2008-02-03T02:47:00.000-08:00

I vowed not to start anything new until I finished a few projects. There are some deadlines coming up, so I need to get things off the needles.

A friend from work has been out sick for a week or so and will be out another week as her doctor doesn't want her in school while she's on her medication. She's bored and sick of being sick, so Linda came up with the great idea of sending home a little gift for her to open each day to let her know we're thinking about her. I decided that my contribution would be something knitted. I may still knit a hat, but with all these other projects needing to get done, I decided to start by finishing up a scarf that I've had sitting in my knitting basket for almost two years. Only needed to put on the pompoms. I told you I'm hopeless at finishing things. It's a cute little pattern from Simple Chic by Jil Eaton, but I didn't look at it again before I started to put the pompoms on. It wasn't until I opened the book to take the picture that I realized I was supposed to alternate colors. Serves me right. Anyway, hope she likes it.

The other thing I've been working on are the ski hats for the trip a week from Monday. Here are five of the suckers. Still a few more to go. I knitted one yesterday as I was getting my hair done. One of the parents at work flies her hairdresser in from New York City to do her hair, so she sets up appointments for people who want them. The price charged by the hairdresser I use here has gone up substantially and the dollar has gone down so much that it was actually cheaper to go to Steven from NYC and he did a better job. Anyway, one of the hats was done while I waited.

The long braids came in the post late last week. I'll take them off the hats they came on and will put them in those I made. They're actually pretty funny looking and should be great in the hats.

The last thing I need to work on is that darn Mohawk hat. I've vowed that I can't touch another piece of knitting until that thing is done. I had to pick up another big ball of yarn for the ski hats on Friday and found some pretty cotton that would make great baby bibs and I'm really itching to knit one up, but I have enough baby gifts... they can wait.

Prague Knitting Groups Merge -- New "Official" Prague Stitch 'n Bitch is Born

2008-01-27T10:33:00.000-08:00

Went to my knitting group yesterday. Haven't been able to go since the December holiday, but it appears that the old knitting group and a new knitting group have joined forces. I had a blast and knitters moving to Prague who want to meet a fun group of women, should hook up with this crew. I'm definitely the oldest in the group, so it's a young, spunky group with all sorts of interests and backgrounds. We were meeting at The Noodle Bar, a restaurant along the river in downtown Prague: Plavecka 4, Praha 2, Nove Mesto (http://www.noodle.cz/). It had great food and no smoking and they didn't mind if we sat. But we met late during the week and it took me an hour to an hour and a half to get home on public transport. That's fine because it was fun, but this group is currently meeting at someone's house a short bus ride from my house on Saturday afternoons. We'll see if that continues, but it's much more convenient for me. There is also talk of knitting for some local charities, which I like as well.

I have finished a few baby things. I'm on another bib from Mason*Dixon Knitting that's out of great colors. The baby these may be for isn't here yet, but should be any day now.

There's something in the water!

2008-01-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

There must be something in the water here in Prague (or at least at our school) because there are babies coming out of the woodwork. Decided I better get going on a few things so I have a stash of baby gifts to give away. Have some cotton that I've used to make the bib/burp cloth from Mason*Dixon Knitting. Here you can see the start of one. I have some pretty green yarn that is soft enough for baby hat and mitts, and will make that next as there is a couple expecting any day and they don't know if it's a boy or girl. We never wanted to find out the gender of our babies beforehand either, but it sure does make knitting something difficult. My husband is sure that this pink-yellow-orange bib would be fine for this couple even if it's a boy, and I know that anything colorful should be considered for any sex baby, but it's hard when it's a gift. My girls were always in boys' clothes and traditionally boys' colors and that seemed fine, but when it's a gift, and it's not actually your baby... not sure it's for me to decide that pink is okay for a boy. Isn't that horrible? Why am I even thinking about this? A color is a color.

I'm Being Too Negative

2008-01-17T13:12:00.001-08:00

I am going to confess something to you... I'm really being too negative about the wool selection here in Prague, and partly that has to do with my own insecurities. The first month we were here, three years ago, we walked into a store (I was trying to come up with an adjective before "store" but didn't know what to call it... yarn, woman's clothing, notions, accessories. It had it all). One of those places that is probably a holdover from the Communist era. Anyway, the yarn was behind the counter so you had to ask to see it. I tried, but didn't speak Czech, so we struggled. The place was packed and the woman just didn't have the time or patience to deal with some stupid foreigner (I can see her point). That experience scared me off of going out to find nice wool in a hole-in-the-wall place.

I think the first nice wool shop I visited was on the street of the American Embassy, Trziste 6 in Prague 1. The store is called Textilni Galanterie. What I liked about the shop was that all the wool is displayed on the wall in front of the counter. I just needed to point at what I wanted and tell them I wanted enough for a man's sweater. The woman there was obviously a knitter and knew what I needed. She didn't really speak much English, but she was certainly helpful. There was quite a bit of wool here and every time I've stopped in, there have been great sale bins.

I have shopped at Kotva, a huge department store quite a number of times. They have a large selection, but like many other places, you find mostly synthetic or wool mixed with synthetic. However, if you just need to knit, visit the top floor of Kotva at Namesti Republiky 8, Old Town, Prague 1.

Across the street from Kotva is the new mall called The Palladium. It's a gorgeous building and just as you go into the mall from the metro (Náměstí Republiky on the B line), you will see a yarn and sewing store. Nice sales people and a similar yarn selection to Kotva. They love the bulky wool (synthetic version) so that's what you find a lot of.

Other great knitting stores in Prague:
Marlen : Beautiful place, but not open long hours so for those of us who work, sometimes hard to get to.
Dalin : This place will give lessons on how to spin wool. Check out the pictures of the outing where these women and men sheer sheep, spin wool and knit a sweater all in one day. I've contacted the woman there and would like to sign up for a class. I'll let you know if I ever do it.

These are the ones I know. If I find more, I'll let you know. I've walked by others that look good but don't have long Saturday hours so were closed. There's always Tesco downtown, which has a small selection. And I'm sure if I had more free time (no kids, no husband, no dog, no work...) I'd have found more hole-in-the-wall places. I'll keep you posted.

Wool from the Ukraine

2008-01-17T11:59:00.000-08:00

The woman who cleans for me has a son who is a medical doctor and he was going back to the Ukraine (where she is from), and I guess that each time he goes back, he buys wool for his mother. She brought some for me and it's really quite lovely--a stiffer wool, but a beautiful color. I just need to decide what to make with it now. I guess she's well aware of how difficult it is to get nice wool here.

The other day she was wearing a gorgeous sweater that she had knit. The work was fantastic and the pattern really showed off the beautiful yarn nicely. I'll have to find a pattern for something similar. (Sorry, the flash doesn't really do the color justice.)

Mother-in-Law is a Saint

2008-01-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

At one point last year, I read about a charity that needed hats for premature babies in third-world countries (is that politically incorrect?), so I knitted a bunch of tiny hats to use up some of my yarn scraps. I never got them sent off, so they now reside with my mother-in-law and I've been waiting to find a charity to send them to.

Just saw on one of my favorite blogs (Knit and Tonic) that there is a charity called The Preemie Project and it just happens to benefit babies at the medical hospital of my alma mater (University of Iowa).

I wrote to the M-i-L and knowing her, they'll be off in the mail tomorrow (or today -- I forgot that it's morning for her with the time difference). It's great to have someone so responsible around to keep me from being so lame :)

Ski Hats and the Mohawk

2008-01-05T01:15:00.000-08:00

Our school takes the entire sixth grade skiing in the Czech mountains in February. Last year I could never find my colleagues on the slopes as they seemed to blend in with all the other skiers, so this year I decided to remedy that by knitting everyone hats out of the same yarn--something bright and colorful, I thought. Of course I needed to go to one of the big department stores here that has a fairly large selection of yarns (Kotva). I couldn't decide on the color, so I bought two completely different types of yarn. I figured I'd eventually use it for something, if not for the hats.

I started with the green/purple worsted yarn. Knitted two hats that took me way too long, considering I have six or so to make. The needle size was just too small. Gave those hats away at Christmas to some friends in London. They aren't going to be super warm hats, but that seems fine for London winters.

The other yarn was really quite pretty--and wool! I realized that I was going to be short by one hat if I used that wool, and I had bought every ball the store had at the time. I returned to see if they had restocked, but they hadn't, so instead I made a hat for my daughter, and a hat and scarf for my husband.

So I was back at square one. I went back to the store and bought several "big balls" of that super bulky yarn. I made five hats on the trains to and from Germany. For two of the men, I've ordered long braids that I will put in the hats. Looked for that kind of thing here, but everything was so expensive, that I ended up ordering two very cheaps wigs from the States. My mother-in-law is waiting to send them when they arrive.

The last hat that I must complete is a Mohawk hat for another of the men. The only pattern that I could find (and I searched extensively online) was the one I saw in Jennifer Stafford's DomiKnitrix. You guessed it, I didn't have the book, so I ordered it and had my mother-in-law send it. She really is my savior. Anyway, I've started. It's painstaking and fun at the same time. I had the guy send me his head measurement, which indicates he needs a large, but everything I've read seems to say the pattern is large. Some who have used wool, have just felted the hat slightly to make it fit, but there isn't any wool in this stuff, so I'm sort of stuck. I guess I'll go for the medium and do just one side and before I start the second I'll have him try it on. The other option is to go large -- he can always wear a skull cap under for extra warmth... I hate this!

Posting Will Make It Happen

2008-01-03T03:56:00.000-08:00

The perils of living overseas became apparent with this sweater that I started during summer vacation. I invested in some nice Rowan yarn (Wool Cotton 941) and bought what the pattern called for. The size above called for the same amount, so I was convinced I was safe. However, when I started to measure the sleeves, I decided to go a little longer as I have freakishly long arms and hate sweaters that ride up to three-quarter length. Anyway, finished with JUST enough, but not enough to sew it together. I tried a similar color of a different yarn, but it didn't work, and then I tried another color in the same Rowan yarn, but that was a disaster as well.

I haven't found Rowan yarn here, so I called my mother-in-law to see if she could pick up one more ball for me and send it. She tried, but the store that sells in St. Cloud was out of the color I needed. I thought of ordering it and having it sent to her house so she could send it to me, but the added shipping was going to be expensive. Decided to wait until we went to London in December. I found the yarn easily, but paying in pounds didn't make it much cheaper.

Felt great to have the yarn I needed, but the sweater still hasn't gotten done. I'm such a procrastinator when it comes to sewing things together. Thought if I posted this picture, it would force me to get it finished or face cyber-embarrassment.

By the way, the pattern is really quite beautiful and fun to do. It's called Bookworm Tunic and is from Better Homes and Gardens' Hip Knits: 65 Easy Projects from Hot Designers.

Friends Come from Germany Bearing Gifts

2008-01-02T10:51:00.000-08:00

Friends came to visit from Passau, Germany, and knowing how much trouble I have finding nice wool here, they brought me three balls of this beautiful gray Italian wool (52% virgin wool -- that's 52% more wool than I usually find).

I've started a hat from Catherine Ham's Knitting: 20 Simple & Stylish Wearable for Beginners. For the first time, I'm using the felted join when starting a new ball of wool. It worked like a charm. If you visit KnittingHelp.com you'll see a great little video that explains the felted join. Why didn't I know about this before now?

We've been sightseeing through Prague, and knitting along the way. Should have the hat done any moment.

Knitting in Prague

2008-01-01T11:53:00.000-08:00

When I first moved to Prague, I attended a workshop on how to adjust to life in the Czech Republic. I was knitting and during a break, one of the women who was running the workshop came up and talked to me. She said when she was a young girl, her mother knitted all the time. She said her mother was a great knitter and always came up with interesting patterns. Whenever she wore a new sweater to school, all the teachers would gather around her with paper and pen and take notes on the pattern and then come to school soon after in sweaters that looked just like hers. Back in the day, no one was buying patterns, they were sharing and copying when possible.

Turkey

2008-01-01T05:43:00.000-08:00

In October, we took a family trip to Istanbul, Turkey, so of course, I took my knitting. Earlier in October, I had finished a cute little skirt for my youngest based on a pattern I found in Suzan Mischer's Greetings from Knit Cafe, and wanted to do something similar for my eldest. She thought the skirt was simply too frilly for her, so I decided to make her a long tunic that she could wear with jeans instead. Here I am working on it on the Ido ferry up the Bosphorus.

That was one of the few days I got much knitting in while traveling through Istanbul. Most public transport was so crowded we were forced to stand, or we walked. We did A LOT of walking.

Didn't have much success finding wool in Istanbul, but can't say that I tried very hard. We were traveling with another family with a total of four children and yarn shops weren't high on anyone's list but mine. We did find the textile areas of the Grand Bazaar (Kapali Carsi) and in the area around the Egyptian Bazaar (Misir Carsisi). Although I was able to find a couple of shops, the selection wasn't extensive. They did have some great felted hats and fez caps, very artistic. You can see there picture to the right.

Of course, we did have a long lesson on Turkish rugs and kilims. The kids were great -- entertained themselves, drank cup after cup of apple tea and listened to each lesson about what makes rugs, carpets and kilims different. Two places were recommended by the International schools in Turkey as being aboveboard with quality items and good deals. Adnan & Husan in the Grand Bazaar by the Fez Cafe and the Crazy Lady's shop was a great place, and there was also a place in the Cavalry Bazaar (first series of stores as you walk down the stairs). I even received a Christmas card from them this year. Just tell them the teachers from the International School of Prague sent you.:)

Knitting through Europe

2007-12-31T09:34:00.000-08:00

This is my third year knitting through Europe, where I'm a bit of an oddity.

We take a lot of public transportation, which means that I always carry around my knitting bag and latest project. We recently spent a weekend in London and it was the first time in three years that I didn't have people staring at me as I knit and that's because I was finally in a place that knits just like I do -- English style.

Several years ago, an elderly woman on a bus in Lisbon watched me intently, grin on her face, shaking her head. Luckily my Portuguese was good enough from my years in Brazil that I understood her as she explained that she was dumbfounded by my knitting style. She complimented me on my nice even stitches, but wasn't sure about all the movement of my hands. This was the first time I really thought to be aware of the difference.

Most recently I was knitting a hat on four double-pointed needles and a German woman on a train literally ripped the knitting from my hands and showed me the faster and much more efficient Continental style (or German style as it is known). Totally with a smile on her face she showed me, in mach speed, her style of knitting. I thanked her, gave it a few feeble attempts and went back to my old way of doing it. I really am trying to learn as I think it will be faster in the long run, but I'm still clumsy at it.

Needless to say, I have become used to the staring. I have become used to the offers of help. But I think regardless of where you are and how you knit, when you knit in public, you always have people who will watch because it's relaxing. On a two-hour bus trip with a group of sixth graders last year, the most hyper kid in the class sat quietly for an hour and watched me knit. When I put it away to do something else, he said, "That's really cool!"

In the beginning...

2007-12-31T03:03:00.000-08:00

Although I learned the basic knit and purl from my mother when I was a child, I would describe myself as a self-taught knitter. My mom was a sewer, not a real knitter, so I spent most of my early years learning to sew instead. My early knitting included tiny scarves for Barbie--that was about the extent.

My next foray into knitting came when I was in my mid-twenties. I took a year off work to hitchhike around Australia and New Zealand and ended up working briefly on a sheep farm. I mostly put up fences and herded sheep, probably doing more harm than good when it came right down to it. The husband and wife were wonderful, however, and at night, the woman (of course I can't remember her name off the top of my head) taught me how to spin wool. I spun enough to knit a large scarf for my mother (garter stitch, because that was all I knew how to do). It was a lovely dark wool, and now that my mother is gone, I have the scarf back at our house in the States. This summer when we return, I may frog it and try to make something more interesting.

Before I left New Zealand, I bought some wool and a pattern and tried probably twenty times to knit that vest, but could never get it to work. I still have the wool. I've carried it to two of the countries I've lived in and and will probably carry it to a third. I have since tried the pattern again and now realize there's an error. I WILL be successful on my next attempt!

After the New Zealand trip, I did not knit again for almost twenty years. My mother had passed away and less than two years later my father was on his deathbed. I could not concentrate on reading anything as I sat for hours by his bed, so I decided to try to knit something. I bought some cheap Lion Brand yarn and some big needles and started knitting scarves. I found knitting relaxing and therapeutic. And as I watched my father slowly die, I produced something. That somehow seemed comforting.

Not long after that, the Stitch 'n Bitch phenomenon began. I wasn't in the States to really be a part of it, but I bought the book and enjoyed the humor and fun that it brought to knitting -- I was hooked. I decided with each new pattern I picked I would learn one new skill. And that's where I am today. Still not greatly skilled but having fun and learning along the way.