The Tunic

No tunic! Ever! And I DON’T want to talk about it!

haekelmonster.com

Well …, in fact I do.

Is there a pattern you would recommend – preferably crochet – maybe with granny squares (or the like) at the bottom hem? Something airy and light, casual but stylish?

I unraveled my first and second (knitted) attempt as both of them would not work out and slowly I am loosing interest … Crochet may be my escape to make something beautiful out of the champagne colored cotton I have.

Do you think that maybe you can help?

World Wide Knit in Public Day

Usually, I have no problem (anymore) to knit or crochet in public. Actually, I love to keep my hands busy in cafes or when using public transportation. So when M suggested we’d go to Hoppegarten (the racecourse outside Berlin) on World Wide Knit in Public Day I did not mind at all. I would even announce it on Facebook …

my knitting - double protected (orange sack, hiding in green bag).
my knitting – double protected (orange sack, hiding in green bag).

Well, that became a full-blown failure … Even though I had taken my knitting with me I did not even unpack it.

Lebensglück = Joy of Life. Isn't that the nicest name ever!?
Lebensglück = Joy of Life. Isn’t that the nicest name ever!?

First, because the pre-race inspection of the horses, the filling out of betting slips, and finally the sight of those magnificent horses dashing across the track (while following the basketball play-offs on my cell phone) kept me busy – there was no time to actually concentrate on stitches.

Hoppegarten haekelmonster.com

Second, people (ladies) around us were dressed to kill, in silk and with huge hats – believe it or not, I was too intimidated to unpack my knitting.

Third (and last) it was the German Mongolian horse races: there were Mongolian costumes to look at (very colorful), Mongolian life music to listen to (just like Rammstein, if you’re familiar with the band), and Mongolian food to taste (delicious but spicy).

However, what inspired me the most (surprise …) were garments and accessories made from either cashmere or yak fibers. Mostly undyed and in all shades of brown and grey they were unbelievably soft and beautiful. There was quite a bit of knitting but felting as well. I should have taken more pictures for you to see.

Hoppegarten haekelmonster.com Hoppegarten haekelmonster.comDid you do better than me? Where did you go?

Work in Progress

Last year, I bought three of those bags at an appartment shopping, hosted by a young designer. Two of the bags are made from fabric Sara has bought in Africa. Originally, each of them had only one string but that turned out to be unfunctional. Luckily, the pink lace was long enough to cut into halves (which is what I did). The green and silber bag has shoe laces now 🙂

The turqouis bag has been with me for almost 10 years now. It was given to us when J was born (it came with a bib if I remember right).

haekelmonster.comThe blue and pink sack is my favorite. It has tiny little white dots. At present, it holds the “less loved” WIP though. A black lace wrap made of a thread thin as surgical silk (…) that I may never finish …

I much rather knit the green merino wrap in the green and silver bag. However, somehow the orange sack gets to come along with me more often than its silblings. Right now, it is keeping the white Elise shawl.

How do you store your WIP’s?

Summer Crochet: Elise & I

It’s a fake. But I could not resist when getting off the train this morning.

shawl Elise haekelmonster.comNot the Bahamas, no vacation – Berlin Wannsee, journey to work. And I would only stay long enough for a few pictures (thank you gentle breeze, for your help).

Thereafter, I would stuff the (half way) finished lovely Elise shawl back into my backpack and hurry to work, trying to make up for the quick time-out at the lake.

Filing and bookkeeping are on my desk for today … (ugh!).

Unfortunately, swapping job with the duck was not an option 🙂

wannsee haekelmonster.comWhatever you’re up to: enjoy!

Stitch Markers

In need of stitch markers I have made my own.

handmade stitch markersSo far, they’re only prototypes: some are too long, the two on the very right may be too sharp-edged (depending on the yarn), and the little ring is too small on all of them (whereas the top loop is too big … sigh …).

I found these beads in the streets of Chicago when walking along. 17 beads all in. So I would pick them up, wondering what to do with them whenever I saw them again in my purse. Stitch markers were (and still are) the perfect solution. And guess what – they do the trick: they mark stitches 🙂