European Knitting

Tags

Cologne, friends, Germany, gift, knitting, Ravelry, shawls, Stitch 'n' Bitch, yarn

The five weeks I spent in Europe were lovely. Time passed quickly and although I (and later Mr Soknitsome, too) spent time with many family members and friends, there were, sadly, people we didn’t get to see.

One of the highlights at the start of my trip was the chance to join my old Stitch ’n’ Bitch group in Cologne. I had already cast on a TGV shawl a few days beforehand. It really was super simple knitting and perfect for chatting at the same time. The pattern had been given to me by a former member of the group, DianaGKnits. She felt it was perfect for Schoppel Zauberball (many of the projects on Ravelry use this) and we had once spent ages in a wool shop in Cologne choosing Zauberball colours.

I used Noro Taiyo which is a linen, silk, wool blend. Cool to work with in summer and quite soft. Noro yarns are good for a few colour surprises so I had already rewound the ball, checking for any joins and to make a note of the colour sequence.

After Stitch ’n’ Bitch I continued knitting on this sock

and kept TGV for my trip to my parents in Edinburgh. I finished it there, which was perfect timing as Mr Soknitsome and I then travelled on to north Germany. It was pretty cold there and I was really glad to have a scarf to keep the draught out of the neck of my jacket!

The pattern includes some variations and I did the slightly pointier ends (in the ribbing section). I also used almost two-thirds for the garter section and one-third ribbing instead of half and half. I wanted to make the shawl a bit deeper and I think this worked.

Would I knit this again? Most definitely. This can worn as a scarf or small shawl. It’s truly reversible, it doesn’t need blocking and is a great project when you need some ‘mindless’ knitting!

Leaving on a jet plane…

Tags

aeroplane, Cologne, Noro, Regia, shawls, socks, Stitch 'n' Bitch, toe-up, trains

Not quite but soon! The top of my Ravelry queue reflects that too. 

First up Jeck. I’ve used this pattern before for Strrripes! which were also a travel project: Stripes – the love affair continues and for Making Merry. It’s mindless but not so mindless that you go crazy. Every second round has a little bit of activity with a few stitches to be slipped or purled. I’ll be starting at the toe (as usual) and working up so I’ll use Wendy Johnson’s Gusset Heel. I’ll be travelling on planes and trains for over 24 hours so that’s a lot of knitting time. You get a lot of knitting hours out of a ball of sock yarn!

Second in the queue is TGV. I have a ball of Noro Taiyo  for this.

Again this is very straightforward knitting; the first half is a garter crescent followed by a two-by-two ribbed frill. It will be perfect for when I visit my old Stitch ‘n’ Bitch group in Cologne as I’m sure there will be lots of chatting! After that? Probably more socks. This journey is the first of several…

One final marvellous Monday

Tags

AIWCC, Cologne, crafters, Cross-stitch, expatriate, knitting, Monday, Stitch 'n' Bitch, Sydney

Today was the last one of those Mondays that I particularly like: when members of the American International Women’s Club of Cologne get together for Stitch ‘n’ Bitch. I have to admit to having been a bit anxious beforehand, knowing I would be saying goodbye (for now) to many lovely people.

We knitted and cross-stitched and chatted. I only knitted a bit but helped a friend with a nifty trick for making a three-needle bind-off easier and chatted lots. I was very touched that one member came especially to have a coffee with us and say goodbye. I also got to unpack some lovely stripey sock wool and several sock patterns – perfect aeroplane knitting –  from a friend who knows how much I like to knit socks! Another friend flew into Germany from the US this morning, made a short stop at home, and came along to catch the tail-end of Stitch ‘n’ Bitch before we went to lunch.

My co-leader, M, and I had decided to have a bit of fun and so we both turned up in our Ravello jumpers. Mine is a roomy, winter version. M has knitted a fitted, all-season jumper in gorgeous colours of Holst Garn. It was quite amusing to see people’s reactions when they realised that, yes, we were wearing the same jumpers! We have even both done the Odd Sleeve Thing.*

One of our cross-stitchers knew about the perfect place for lunch and after suitable refuelling (crafting is hungry work) and much laughter, I was very touched to be given an extremely generous gift voucher for the wool shop in Sydney, Morris and Sons. I already have a couple of ideas but will wait and see how things really are weather-wise. I’d like to make a garment and think of all my lovely friends in Cologne while I’m knitting it and every time I wear it.

Being part of an expatriate or itinerant community, means you’re saying goodbye to people on a fairly regular basis. It never gets any easier, regardless of whether you’re leaving or watching others go. In my unassuming way, I’m always slightly taken aback that my sorrow at leaving is matched by those I leave behind. Despite some tears, today ended on a bright note: one friend reminded me that exciting opportunities lie ahead and that she and others will still be in Cologne when we return. Watch this space! 🙂

*Ravelry is the perfect resource for ‘variations on a theme’ both for Ravello and other  delectable stripey garments!

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Knitting in the vineyards

Tags

AIWCC, Cologne, community, knitting, socks, Stitch 'n' Bitch, vineyard, wine

Today was a terrific Tuesday!

I went on an outing with some lovely ladies from the AIWCC. We took a train from Cologne to Dernau in the Ahr valley. This is a wine region and so we strolled along part of the Rotweinwanderweg, the Red Wine Trail, as far as Mayschoss. (There are some lovely pictures here and here but the website is just in German). We enjoyed a lunch of soups and salads with a glass of local wine here……and then took a train from Mayschoss back to Cologne. The route we walked is not strenuous, and not really very long but it does make for a nice day out.

This year (yes, we have a lovely Walk & Talk Leader who organises this annually) the foliage was still very green and there were fat bunches of grapes hanging on many of the vines. The terraces are steep and we wondered how they actually harvest the grapes – can they use machines or must they harvest by hand? Fortunately, this year, there were some men working there (with small shears the size of paper scissors!) so we asked about the steepness.

• No, they don’t wear special shoes, just ones with good tread.
• It’s like mountaineering – it takes practice but they start young.
• Yes, it can get a bit ‘exciting’ on the steep parts but even an eighty-year-old can work on the flat sections (and I suspect that in some families they do).

The man kind enough to answer our questions explained that the previous day’s rainy weather wasn’t good for the grapes at this stage as they’d started to rot and red wines need the skins of the grapes to give them the colour. He then gave us a couple of small bunches to taste. Yum!

So what does all this have to do with knitting? Well, a couple of the women are in our Stitch ‘n’ Bitch group and I did knit on a sock for a bit each way!

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Monday morning, you sure were fine…again!

Tags

AIWCC, cardigan, Cologne, FAWCO, Hamburg, jumper, knitting, Monday, socks, Stitch 'n' Bitch

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I actually like Monday mornings. Particularly ones like this morning where the American International Women’s Club of Cologne (AIWCC) gets together for Stitch ‘n’ Bitch! Sadly, today was my penultimate Stitch ‘n’ Bitch here in Cologne 😦

There was a good turnout: eleven crafters crafting… Well, nine actually! One knitter was in-between projects. Another came for just a while because she has her own little WIP and may not make it to Stitch ‘n’ Bitch next month for lovely baby reasons! Sadly, a relatively new member had to say good-bye today as she’s off to Hamburg. Fortunately, there’s also a FAWCO club in Hamburg, (the American Women’s Club of Hamburg) and my Co-Leader and I know the lovely lady who runs their Stitch ‘n’ Bitch group so all is not lost!

Two crafters worked on their counted cross-stitch projects. I’m always in awe of this because I find it exceedingly difficult to cross-stitch and talk at the same time. Otherwise, we were knitting a Ravello jumper, a kiddy jumper, a cardigan and several pairs of socks. I needed a break from the Man Socks so I’ve started this:

Sublimation Socks

Marvellous Monday

Tags

AIWCC, cardigan, Cologne, friends, Monday, Rhine, sample, Stitch 'n' Bitch, swatch

Mr Soknitsome left a fortnight ago yesterday and it no longer feels like just-another-business-trip but more like this-is-the-new-reality-for-the-next-few-weeks.

Fortunately, yesterday was one of those Mondays that are especially nice. Stitch ‘n’ Bitch met in the morning. Schools have broken up for the summer and many people are away so it was a fairly small group but we did welcome a new member to our group. The highlight of the morning was a longstanding member who only ever knits at Stitch ‘n’ Bitch finally finishing her Baktus-style scarf, earning her a round of applause!

I started a sample square/tension swatch for a little cardigan I want to make. Nice and easy knitting which leaves my brain free for all the lovely chat! I also made the most of having other knitters around to get measured. I needed the measurement across my back from shoulder-blade to shoulder-blade. Impossible to do by yourself but necessary to determine which size to knit because of the top-down contiguous construction of Ankestrick’s Same Same but different cardigan. This cardigan is knitted in 4-ply/fingering wool but at a looser gauge than when knitting socks.

After spending the morning with some of my favourite people, which in itself makes the day marvellous, I then spent the evening out with more lovely friends. There’s a part of Cologne just to the south of me where a disproportionally high number of AIWCC members live. Many get together once a month for dinner. Last night we sat outdoors overlooking the Rhine. Marvellous.

Another lovely Monday morning

Tags

AIWCC, Cologne, crafters, Cross-stitch, Finished Object, FO, Kitchener, knitting, Stitch 'n' Bitch

Today was one of those Mondays that I particularly like. Members of the American International Women’s Club of Cologne met for Stitch ‘n’ Bitch.

It was a smaller group this time, made up of five knitters knitting, one stitcher stitching, and a child-free mum browsing pattern books.

When we meet, we admire each other’s handiwork, drink coffee and put the world to rights while we knit, crochet and sew.

Today, members worked on a counted (!) cross-stitch sampler; a jumper, now cast on for the fourth time; a scarf that only gets knitted at Stitch ‘n’ Bitch; baby booties; a baby cardigan; and a Top Secret Project.

The Top Secret Project was supposed to turn into a Finished Object but chatty knitters and written instructions for Kitchener stitch don’t mix well.

Sadly, I can count the number of Stitch ‘n’ Bitch get-togethers I’ll still attend on the fingers of one hand. But that’s another story…

Monday morning, you sure were fine

Tags

AIWCC, cardigan, Cologne, knitting, Monday, scarf, socks, Stitch 'n' Bitch

It’s no secret that I actually like Monday mornings. Particularly ones like this morning where the American International Women’s Club of Cologne (AIWCC) gets together for Stitch ‘n’ Bitch!

There were eight of us this morning. One knitter came early but didn’t stay too long. Another joined us later for a bit of a chat. We had a beautiful daughter who was not just modelling her Mum’s latest fabulous piece of work but also knitted a few rows on a bag. She’s ten. One crafter worked on her lovely cross-stitch sampler which I find quite brave as my efforts in the past have been very frustrating. It’s just so hard to chat and count and cross-stitch all at the same time. Otherwise we were knitting a pair of socks, a jumper, a scarf and a cardigan. The cardigan’s mine: Liesl by Isolda Teague

Three weeks and three days

Tags

AIWCC, bind-off, cast-off, clothing, FAWCO, jumper, knitting, patterns, pullover, Ravelry, ribbing, Stitch 'n' Bitch

of speed knitting and I finished my Ravello in time to wear it during a conference in Brussels!

My friend and Stitch ‘n’ Bitch co-leader and I were attending a day of the annual FAWCO conference. We’d already met women from the clubs within our region but this was an exciting opportunity to learn more about FAWCO and connect with women from around the globe. As one of the co-leaders for Stitch ‘n’ Bitch at the American International Women’s Club of Cologne, I already have a bit of a reputation for “wearing something knitted” at AIWCC events. So it seemed only natural to be aiming to wear my new Ravello.

At one point, I’d had visions of sewing up the ends on the train but fortunately I was finished before that and even got to give the jumper a bit of a press. There were moments when I actually despaired of finishing. The bottom ribbing was done twice, the cast-off three times.

One of the projects on Ravelry that I really liked had the ribbing in broken rib to avoid pulling in the jumper quite as much as happens with regular ribbing. I liked this idea but casting off was tricky. It looked untidy. I undid it.

I had used Elizabeth Zimmerman’s sewn bind-off on the neck and found it to be a neat edge after my four rows of ribbed neckband. (The pattern has an option for an unfinished edge but this would have left my bony collar-bones exposed!) However, when I tried doing this bind-off at the bottom, it really didn’t match the knit 2, purl 1 ribbing at all.

So then I reknitted the bottom third of the ribbing as regular knit 1, purl 1 ribbing and tried to do a tubular bind-off…very unsuccessfully. So it was back to the internet again to check out other suitable cast-offs.

In the end I ripped back half my ribbed band, reknitted with new yarn and used an adapted version of the Russian bind off from Wendy Johnson’s website. It looked a bit flared out but the edge was very even so I just had to hope for the best. After a damp press on the wrong side it looked fine. I decided to do the sleeves the same way. At least then it would all look ‘meant’.

Three weeks and three days after my second cast on (yes, there were hurdles right from the start!) I finished. I have never knitted a jumper this quickly before. I probably shouldn’t ever attempt to do it again either!

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Will I or won’t I?

Tags

clothing, jumper, KAL, knitting, patterns, pullover, Ravelry, socks, Socks with Sarah, Stitch 'n' Bitch, stripes, Zitron

On Tuesday last week my knitting looked like this:

I cast on this top-down jumper/pullover on Sunday and was raring to go at Stitch ‘n’ Bitch on Monday. But my purl m1 stitches were loose and the increases looked very ugly. So I focussed on being sociable and ripped it all back, knowing I’d get on better at home.

I got to spend the greater part of Saturday afternoon knitting and then on Sunday I briefly  wondered whether, if I knitted really fast, I could wear this in Brussels, mid-March! Now the idea won’t let go of me and I waver between wanting to give it a good go and knowing it won’t happen in a million years… So I’ve been knitting like one possessed.

My KAL socks (Socks with Sarah) have been demoted to the bare minimum: a-round-a-day.  And now there’s just a ‘bit’ of the body still to do before I move onto the sleeves. These will be slower; what with the stripes and shaping. After that I’ll just have to finish off the neck and deal with all the ends. Oh, and block it, of course!

Perhaps I’m in with a chance! What do you think?

 The pattern is Isabelle Kraemer’s ravello and the yarn is Zitron Patina