Kategorie: gemacht

Lace Debut

Veröffentlicht am von Carina2 Kommentare

I never really thought much about lace scarves. Honestly, I never thought about lace at all. It just wasn’t on my radar.

That changed earlier this year when All She Wants To Do Is Knit started blogging about lace, “laziness,” and her wedding shawl. While she was trying to pick a pattern, she linked to several finds on Ravelry – and that was basically the moment lace quietly sneaked into my life.

So suddenly there I was, scrolling through the most beautiful shawls I had ever seen, already thinking of my older sister who turns 50 in May. And just like that, things got serious. On Tuesday I finally went into the yarn store to get lace yarn.

I chose a bright purple, 100% merino wool. It’s for her scarf. And somehow this project feels different from everything I’ve done before. More intentional. More thoughtful. Almost… grown-up. Does that make sense?

Over the years, some of the photos that used to be here got lost – thanks to a total blog crash, a stolen hard drive, and whatever else can possibly happen to images along the way. The same goes for the link to the pattern – it seems the instructions have disappeared from the web as well. If I happen to come across either of them again, I’ll be sure to add them back in. Thanks so much for your understanding.

The very kind gentleman in the store helped me pick a pattern, and I could barely wait to start last night. It’s a simple one – basically a beginner kit. The lace isn’t too fine (I’m using size 3.5 needles / US 4), the repeat is every four rows, and the rows themselves are manageable. Very friendly for a first lace adventure.

I actually found the pattern by chance. And to be honest, it wasn’t love at first sight. Not at all. That changed when I saw what Avelinux had done with it. If my sister’s favorite color were bright green, I probably would have copied that version without a second thought.

The shop owner (more of a quiet expert than a salesman) also steered me away from my grand lace fantasies – feathers, flowers, spider webs, all the dramatic things I had in mind. According to him, those are not exactly “beginner-friendly.” So I listened. Reluctantly at first.

Now I’m knitting the “Little Leaf Lace Scarf,” and I absolutely love it. So far, I’ve managed about an inch… but it’s a very promising inch 🙂

By the way, did I mention my sister’s birthday is in early May ? So yes – posting might be a bit quiet for a while. I need to KNIT.

Wool

Veröffentlicht am von Carina2 Kommentare

The other day, the kid went on a school outing. When I asked where they were going, he gave me a very detailed explanation: “some garden, or nature, or… stuff.” He also announced—very seriously—that he would bring me back a present.

Fast forward to the afternoon. He comes home, slightly mysterious, slightly proud, and very dirty. Then, with great ceremony, he slowly unzips his anorak, makes a funny little face, and carefully reveals… a tiny strand of wool. (And no, you really don’t want to know what his hands looked like at that point.)

Turns out they had been to a farm, where the kids got to try things like spinning wool. He later admitted that he wasn’t all that interested in the whole “sheep-clipping, fleece, spinning” process. But the idea of bringing home real wool—wool that he had made himself, no less—clearly won him over. And somehow, that little fuzzy string made it all the way home in his pocket.

spinning wool häkelmonster This morning, he checked back in with me. Very serious again.
“So… what are you going to make out of it?”
Pause. Thoughtful look.
“Do you think it might become a cardigan?”

Sewing machine

Veröffentlicht am von Carina1 Kommentar

Years ago, a colleague gave me his mother’s old sewing machine. Dusty, a little battered, and long hidden in his attic, it finally came my way the day I casually mentioned that having one would be nice. I can’t say I ever used it for anything “big” – I’ve always been more about fixing than creating.

Over the years, though, it became my go-to for patching the kid’s jeans. Zillions of patches. The machine was reliable, eager, humming along as it stitched whatever I needed – straight stitches, zig-zags, you name it. Sure, I occasionally broke a needle, but that was the extent of the drama. No serious breakdowns.

Still, we never really bonded. Maybe it was the weight – it’s a beast. Dragging it out of the basement, carrying it into the kitchen, setting it up on the table… I hated every step. So naturally, I procrastinated, letting the pile of jeans grow until, inevitably, the kid had nothing left to wear. By that time, of course, he’d grown, and all those freshly patched jeans were suddenly too short.

So why am I telling you this? Because today I finally decided it was time to find a new home for my 1950s Ideal Zick-Zack Deluxe. I listed it on eBay for free, hoping someone out there would convince me they’d be the perfect new owner. Within an hour or two, about 20 people responded.

My gut led me to Ritva – a young mother of two, devoted to needlework (at least that’s what she said). I loved her emails, the way she wrote, and I have to admit, I was curious about someone named Ritva. Isn’t that a beautiful name? I’d never heard it before.

To make a long story short: an hour ago, Ritva came by. She seemed to really adore the machine, its accessories, and even the suitcase it came with. It was love at first sight. And when she started praising all the advantages of an old machine over the newer “plastic” ones, I couldn’t help feeling a tiny pang of regret for letting it go.

Have a wonderful new life, Ideal Zick-Zack Deluxe, and thank you for being part of our family for the last 25 years. I promise I’ll think of you every time the kid rips his pants.

haekelmonster.com

Veröffentlicht am von Carina

14:03:28    Es wird überprüft, ob eine Echtzeitbestellung möglich ist
14:03:30    Freischaltung der Bestellung in Echtzeit ist möglich
14:03:32    Die Registrierung der Domain häkelmonster.com wird vorgenommen
14:03:40    Vielen Dank für Ihre Bestellung, welche in Echtzeit für Sie durchgeführt wurde

For all of you who don’t speak German – or not quite enough to follow what I wrote above: the domain is officially mine – YAY! I can’t tell you how happy and excited I am to finally have my very own corner of the internet. It feels like a small dream realized! A space that’s entirely mine to shape, share, and fill with whatever I want. I’m absolutely thrilled about the possibilities. Can’t wait to start making it truly my own!

Animal Scarves

Veröffentlicht am von Carina25 Kommentare

Morehouse Farm has some seriously amazing patterns! So far, I’ve made a few of their animal scarves – the alligator, the rat race scarf, and the cat wrap – and I really liked making them. The instructions are really clear, and once you get the hang of their approach to increases and decreases, they’re not too tricky to follow.coloredFor the white one, I came up with my own twist: I added a “belly” by knitting a plain second scarf without the scales, then joined the two halves together with single crochet. It gave the scarf a whole new dimension and made it extra fun to wear.

white

blue

I made the two cat scarves for my boss’s little girls, and I think they totally loved them. One of them even set up a little spot for her cat on the pillow at bedtime—it was the cutest thing!
cat wrap The cat scarves were presents for my boss’s little girls, and I think they liked them. One of them even set up a little spot for her cat on her pillow at bedtime—it was the cutest thing!