The son has a sleep-over at his best friend’s house, the man is not in Berlin, and instead of taking advantage of a free evening, I have (again) spent an hour wasting lifetime on Instagram. Happens over and again, annoys me but there is no way to change that I guess. At least not as long as there are so many and amazingly beautiful projects out there …
This is how #project2018 started as well. I had been flirting with the idea for a long time. However, every January I told myself to stay away from it. Until now. Until my blogger friend Sabine got trapped.
Right after seeing those hexagons on her Instagram account, I asked her whether it is really so much fun to make them. One word led to another, a quick shoptalk on casting on and binding off, basking and reveling in creativity and sock yarn designs and – BANG! – I was caught in the same trap. A few hours later, my first hexagon was done (at the gym. Perfectly matching the ground, don’t you think?).
Since then, I knit one per day. Tiny balls of yarn, a circular knitting needle and filling (bits and pieces of leftover yarn) are my everyday companion and every time I have to wait (at the gym, the doctor, the underground, anywhere) I knit a few rows. Yarn and color according to my mood.
It may not become a blanket (as I don’t like the idea), but chair pads (if that is the correct term). I haven’t really thought a lot about joining them, but there is still plenty of time to do that (suggestions anyone?). Haxagons divided in halves are on my list. They might come in handy. Today’s hexagon is not yet made. I might give my first half hexagon a try.
They really are addictive to make. The daily pleasure of a finished object, the different colors, the squishy-ness – I love it.
How about you? Any year-long projects on your side? Or maybe a monthly challenge? Anything?
Such a fun knit. All was well. At least that is what I thought. Until Kathi (justifiably so) remarked that the stitch definition of the yellow yarn was awkward. Until 
Somehow distracted, I managed to make a mistake, and all of a sudden my stitch count was not according to pattern any more. I did not even bother to take a picture. Instead, I frogged again. Annoying, but no drama. All good things come in threes.
The circumference at the bottom was fine (positive ease just like I had wanted it), however, the sweater was way too tight around my shoulders. I would have to be drop-shaped or without shoulders at all (or the size of my son) to be able to actually wear it.
So I frogged it again. This is how you learn … Then I went to bed. The last picture is where I am at right now. But I won’t give up. I am already counting and pondering how to make this pattern work for my yarn and my body.
Den kleinen blauen Strang habe ich 2014 von 
Alles perfekt, dachte ich. Dachten andere aber nicht. 
Mittlerweile war auch stricken mit drei Farben gleichzeitig kein Problem mehr. Im Gegenteil. Endlich kann ich, was ich immer können wollte: stricken mit beiden Händen. Links die Hauptfarbe und rechts das Bunte. Das macht nicht nur Spaß, das macht süchtig!
Und auch dem Sohn passt dieser Pullover nicht richtig, ist mehr Poncho als alles andere. (Ganz abgesehen davon, dass das wunderbare Kind auch keinen Blümchen-Pullover haben will, aber ich wollte ein Bild. Also hat er ihn einmal übergeworfen).
Nach dieser Erkenntnis habe ich alles wieder aufgeribbelt. Danach bin ich ins Bett gegangen. Seither rechne und überlege ich wie es gehen könnte. Noch gebe ich nicht auf. Noch nicht …
What can I say? It was wonderful! Bettina Gelbe, our teacher, together with Tina, another pro when it comes to spinning, had brought several spinning wheels, even more dropspindles and – of course – plenty of wool for us to try. After a short talk (who takes part in class and why) and a long introduction (from fibers to carding, spinning and twisting) everyone chose a wheel or spindle to practice and learn.
Not an easy task! Not at all. I would definitely have to spend more time to actually learn it, but to get an idea of the whole process, how wool turns into yarn, it was perfect. I was much more successful with the spindle though than with the spinning wheel. Maybe because the spindle had pink flowers and glitter – or because a spindle does not turn as incessantly as a spinning wheel.
Bettina regularly offers beginner courses in Berlin. The next is scheduled for 