Life: I am a fan girl - Doctor Who Experience, London

We went to London for a long weekend, to celebrate my brother-in-law's 50th birthday.

While we were there we took the opportunity to go and see the Doctor Who Experience.
You see, my husband is already a fan of this series since about 500BC - no, seriously, since the early 70s. His favourite Doctor is the Fourth Doctor. You do the math ;-)

I only got in with the Tenth Doctor. I tried the Ninth, but it was not meant to be.
Now, the Tenth Doctor, that was a completely different story. A geek with glasses and a suit, travelling in a box that is bigger on the inside - yes, I could get addicted to that.
The Eleventh Doctor sealed my fate! Serious fan girl stuff! Bow ties are cool!

So, we flew the Tardis, fought off Daleks, got the Doctor out and on his way again. All in between shopping ;-)

So, here are some snapshots:

Scarf Action, part 1:



How to dress to impress:









Idris - and the details of the make-shift Tardis are amazing! A shaving mirror, a shower head, a cassette tape recorder...



More scarf action:



Daleks!!!







Do they really work in offices like this? If yes, why did I always get told off for my desk????





I leave you with Silence:

Knitting: posting again already?

I know, I know, it was only yesterday I blogged. Posted. Wrote to you.

But a lot can happen in one day and one night.

Knitty released their Deep Fall patterns and I'm in lust.

I think I need to explain...

My knitting has changed over the years. Not only in colours and experience, but also in style. While I started with the usual scarves and then turned to bulky sweaters I used to knit a lot of intarsia and ajour with cables. Or just cables.

It then turned simple. Straight plain sweaters. Nothing wrong with plain sweaters, but it seems now that I didn't want to put the effort into my knitting.
It had to do with me gaining weight and always thinking that I don't want to knit an intricate design because, you know, I was going to loose this weight.
Guess what?
I haven't. And I won't ever go down to the weight I was when I was 18 - and I finally accepted that. I have lost some weight and my lifestyle has turned a lot more healthy, but the weight will remain an issue (medically mainly, the medication I take for my missing liver enzyme makes it difficult to loose weight, if I stop taking the medication I will die in the long run. Guess what is more important to me ;-) But with all the swimming and healthy eating I'm feeling better than I have in years. And not having IT-project related stress helps, too).

And when that happened I started looking into more intricate patterns.

Plus size patterns! Intarsia and cables, oh my!

Friendly Grey, while not that intricate is an instant favourite! I love the colours, I love the texture - done deal!

Ogiku, while not a sweater or cardigan it is a gem! The colours and the style of this beret are just amazing and I'm looking forward to spin and card. I have lots of left over merino tops, so I don't need to dye (much).

Memories in lichen is going to be a winter project for me. Isn't that just gorgeous? I have some Fyberspates Sparkly Lace yarn as well as a purple lace yarn and will dye some sockyarn to go with it. A-line designs suit me and my ample bosom very well, so it's a match made in knitter's heaven.

I'm also working on several patterns I plan to release.
A cowl - the one I sneak peeked in the previous post as well as a shawlette you haven't seen yet.
So, here is a preview:

Whole lotta love!



Yes, cables :-)
Used one skein of Chasing Clouds sock yarn - this one was a happy dyeing accident that I didn't put into the shop. It came out wonderfully, even if I do say so myself.
But pattern writing is a fiddly thing to do, let me tell you that!
I still have more ideas that I need to knit, write up and share...scarves and shawls mainly, I just love to top up my outfits with something hand-knitted on a daily basis.

And now, my little munchkins, I'm off to crochet. For myself. An existing pattern. In commercial yarn. I know, the mere thought of it. But it's my travel project, because I will be travelling for a couple of days and I need to learn the pattern by heart. And then it's London calling!

Knitting: a lot of progress, just on different items

Well, it's not news that Christmas is almost around the corner. If it is - HEY, CHRISTMAS IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. Get your knitting on :-) Christmas starts early in this country. From end of August on you can get the typical sweets in the shops. I skip these, thank you all the same, I wait until the weather is more suitable to eat those lovely cookies. You mean the weather is already suitable enough since June? You have a point, but it is still to warm, despite the storms and the rain. But, it's never too early to get your knitting groove on for Christmas. Now, have you discovered these wonderful young men from Norway called Arne and Carlos?



I have! And I have the book! I still would like the house and the chicken, but right now I settle for the kuler :-)



I've also been working on a secret project, a pattern I'm designing:


And I've knitted a funny hat for Ankh-Morpork. Actually, it's more Lancre, and a lot more jester than royal. But warm!


And perfect for an IT guy to wear while making important decisions with huge impacts! There has been spinning going on as well and some teaching, but I'm mainly knitting right now!

Life: not surprising

Ich bin ein
Kaffee-Profi

Du bist ein absoluter Kaffee-Feinschmecker. Allerweltskaffee kommt dir nicht in die Tasse. Eigentlich wäre es an der Zeit, endlich mit Deinem Haus- und Hof-Röster Deine eigene Sorte zu kreieren.

Welcher Kaffeetyp bist du?

For the non-German speakers amongst you - it's telling me something I already knew: I'm a connoisseur when it comes to coffee and I should het my own coffee mix created :-) I actually like the idea!

Life: more presents

Before I sit down in the next couple of days to tell you about my recent adventures in the fiber world I have to show you this: My loot from the Viking Fair at Archeon We were extremely lucky with the weather - having started off here during a thunderstorm and heavy rains, arriving about 90 minutes later still in the rain and once we were on location it stopped. And stayed dry for the rest of the day! We even had our picnic outside, on a bench, surrounded by chicken.

Bronze Age/Neolithic Weaving:


Medieval Weaving:

See those yarns in the back? All plant-dyed...sigh...

Medieval Spinning:


And - my loot:


A replica of a Viking drop spindle, the whorl is made out of glass! And a pair fo Viking ship earrings, which I'm basically attached to by...the ear ;-) I really love them. Many nice conversations in German, Dutch and English were had with Vikings from all over Europe. Naalbinding is still something I have to try, I guess. Saw some very nice items worn by the ladies and gentlemen :-)

Life: I love my family

We live far apart.
There is a border between us, but an easy one as far as borders go.
We don't have a car and neither do my parents, so when we meet it is usually Troll and I taking the train up to them. My sister and her husband live in the same small town, so it's easier we make the 6 hour trip than four of them making their way to us.

So, we talk on the phone.
We email.
We see each other not often enough.
Birthdays are one of the occasions I miss them. We try to be there for my parent's anniversaries - my Dad's is close to Christmas, so that always makes for a nice week off.
My birthday is celebrated in two countries. The phone rings off the hook, because they call and we chat and chat.

But - they send the best parcels and presents.
Friday and Saturday the parcel and the envelop arrived.



I don't know how I managed to not open them immediately.
My husband had hidden his present in a spot I couldn't reach - literally ;-)

We woke up at 5:15 this morning, hungry cats and nature calling.
Tried to go back to sleep, but failed due to sick cat.
So we gave up and got up.
And I got to open my presents!



I feel lots of love for my crazy familytree full of nuts <3 And then there are your friends, who do something like this to you:

I love my circle of crazy friends!

Knitting: I surely love a good mystery

pattern that is!

Summer is still not really playing along. Though yesterday and today we can actually enjoy a dry and sometimes even sunny intermission.

So I mystery-knitted-along.
A shawl.

Pattern is still and will always be by MiA.

Yarn: Chasing Clouds Sockyarn, 420m, Colour "Donnerwetter" (Thundery Weather) Perfect for a pattern that starts with the Norse translation of Kiss Me :-)
Needle: 4mm
Started 05.08. and finished 15.08.
I could have blocked it harder, but for now it's perfect as it is :-)
Will be worn to the Viking Fair I'm attending later this month.

Here it is:

Still a hank:



After the second clue:



Finished:





On the wheel right now are several things:

An unwashed fleece I got gifted. The sheep haven't been shorn for two years and most of the fleeces are totally felted and seriously dry. If you try to seperate it it tears like paper - including the sound. But - I don't give up that easily and so far I have managed to get the first 90 meters spun:



Also on the wheel:



No idea yet what it is going to become. I'm thinking part of a cropped cardigan.

Emma is holding the Gotland still. I'm almost done with it, one more bobbin, me thinks. Then I need to set the twist, ball it up and start working.

I have also finished Kermit & Miss Piggy:

Cowl, knitted in the round.
Pattern: my own
Needles: 5,5mm




I'm also designing a shawl pattern right now. This is where I spend most of my time right now. Nothing overly complicated, but a fun design. And I have the feeling I got bitten by the design bug :-) I already have two more ideas.