Leftover Wurm

The first snowdrops have come out this week (a bit every year earlier than in 2011 and 2012). But it is still winter around here and you still need to wear a hat. That's a good thing. When I saw yarnharlot's Wurm Hat on her blog two weeks ago, I wanted to knit one, too (by the way, it's hilarious what she wrote about her first Wurm on February 10 2011).

The original Austrian pattern used Lana Grossa Cool Wool, and as I am on a kind of "yarn diet 2013" (just buy wool if you really, really need it for a project), I remembered that I have some of it in my stash. Leftovers from baby knits for friends (legwarmers, socks) and gifts from yoga students. As those knits and gifts were for and from people with other tastes, I wouldn't have chosen the colours of the yarn myself. But, you know, "yarn diet 2013" and stuff, I gave it a try instead of rushing to the next yarn shop.

Before I show the result, I have to tell you, that Clara has a game,

where you put different-coloured pieces together to form a worm.

The finished Wurm hat reminded me very much of the game.

Wurm in German translates as nothing else but worm in English.

I like the pattern (my Ravelry notes here), but I still don't like the colours. But maybe someone else does. The colours of the coming spring - green, red and sand.

Maybe somewhere out there needs a spring hat. So I am having a Wurm Giveaway today - if you would like win the Wurm, enter a comment. And it's not the early bird that catches the worm - comments close on Sunday, February 17. The hat is a bit on the large side, for a head circumference 57-59cm. Good luck!

PS: I rushed to the yarn shop again - I am knitting two more hats right now (really, really need them).

Guerilla Poetry

Nachdem letztes Jahr um diese Zeit Bäume umstrickt wurden im Kleinen Bürgerbusch in Oldenburg, fand ich heute beim Frühlingsspaziergang im Großen Bürgerbusch eine neue nadelige Variante.

Bis in die Puppen

... And after a good party with singing and dancing the dolls are very tired and need to be put in their beds (on the living room floor, please don't remove!)... Clara claims her room is too small for all her things, I call it: "Ausweitung der Kampfzone".

Early Bloomers

Oldenburg is a considerably small (160.000 people live here) and placid city in Northern Germany. There seems to be one rule: when I go some place, I either meet somebody from Oldenburg Knit Night or from my yoga classes. Or better - both intertwined.

A family walk in the Oldenburg Castle Gardens in the afternoon.


(early spring bloomers!)









We crossed paths with Britta, her hubby and their newborn baby boy - quite an early bloomer himself. His due date was tomorrow, but he decided to arrive three weeks earlier right on his daddy's birthday.



This is how I met Britta: I went to Oldenburg Knit Night at Café Florian some months ago. I was the first one to arrive when I saw a pregnant women who looked like my exquisite and very nice target group. As I had freshly printed yoga flyers in my bag, I approached her and she really came to my prenatal yoga class, I mentioned knitting casually (or rather passionately, I suppose), she wanted to learn it, she came to Knit Night, we showed her and she knitted this beautiful and classy baby blanket -
it is her first knitting project! Congratulations!!! (on both FOs)

Strictly German

"The world would be a more beautiful place, if mothers didn't knit."

Knitting in Kiel

While my lovelies are spending their last warm days in the south,
I decided to go further up north on a little trip of my own. Leaving Oldenburg main station possible rail strikes were announced:



Anyway, I was professionally prepared for any waiting time with good reading and knitting materials.



Excuse my shameless self-promotion, but guess whose letter to the editor was in the journal? (if you don't know German or know German but don't like my egomaniac cross-promotion just skip this)



I am sure I didn't write magenta. I wrote pink.

I do suspect that knitters must have some kind of inner radar system to find each other in all kinds of surroundings. Because getting off the train in Bremen (Bremen is worth a visit, too) I met two babes from Oldenburg Knit Night. And how did I recognized one of them from behind? By her self-designed white cabled hat, of course. Her comment when she looked at me? You look pink.

Do I?



No strike on my trains, I was lucky. And what a surprise, shortly before Hamburg - snow! I hadn't seen snow since the beginning of January.



There are two yarn shops near Kiel main station.



Wolle & Hobby is located in a big hall. The yarn section was overwhelming.



That is only part of it.



And it is not only wool they sell, it is a crafter's paradise with everything from patchwork to scrapbooking, from painting to embroidery.

As I was in the company of my two charming friends they were so nice to pose with pink wool.


Lee (I have made him do this before) and Daniel

The other yarn shop is fadenwerk, located in a former gym (Daniel used to work out there, he told me). Smaller & lovely.





Also fabrics, sewing machines and sewing supplies.



They offer sewing classes.




This used to be the sauna.



I couldn't resist.

Yet the highlight of the Kiel yarn shops is on the outskirts, in the placid surroundings of woods and lakes. The WollWerkstatt Kiel, specializing in high quality yarns.



And lucky me, once a month there is a Stitch'n'Bitch - on Saturdays from 11 am until ... (it is usually dark by then). This Saturday.



The shop is downstairs in the owner's house.





On Knit Saturdays she opens her house to the Kiel knitaholics.

I couldn't resist.

Another good thing - there is potluck.
And if you are an experimental vegan like me, my recommendation for Kiel is:



How could I resist that name?





It is more like an alternative pub with a familiar feel - seriously, in the short time we spend there they had following customers: young mamas with really small babies, teenagers, families, a grandmother. They have a vegetarian/vegan menu - and everything that is vegetarian can also be turned into vegan on request. The pizza, burger and thai curry we had were equally yummy.

This last thing is for the German speakers/or linguistically interested - during my stay there was a trade fair going on, which is called:



Umschlag has different meanings: in this case it is a fair or a market.
In my case it means: yarn over.

Chatter from the Sewing Box

Aus dem Nähkästchen plaudern - literally: to chat from the little sewing box is a German phrase, meaning to give away private details. That is what I am doing here all the time, sometimes out of the knitting basket, sometimes from the crafting table, sometimes from the doll couch.
I have just never had a sewing box. I really wanted one for Christmas,
but I did not like the ones I saw in the shops. I decided to wait, the right one would show up.

Like you know, it is always profitable to go to Knit Night. An expansion of knowledge (I learned here about the veggie box, how to fold paper stars and a whole lot about knitting, as a matter of course) and the nice company of equally obsessed knitting beings.

And two weeks ago I even got a sewing box. But not only a simple sewing box, but a unique and special one. Self made. About 50 years old. It was a gift from dear Christel (aka the wonderful Friesentorte). Her grandfather made it for her. It just needed a good scrub and few new screws and voilà!



my new sewing box

Actually the screw part was the tricky one, because they seemed to be out of date and discontinued. I cruised the craft supplies in the area and found some screws that would do (and got inspired on the way).



PS: From the knitting basket, as good as it sounds, I don't have one.
My knitting lovelies are scattered around the living room, on tables, under tables, on the couch, in plastic or paper bags.
If you have one to spare, just let me know...

Knitting in Bremen

We went on a Sunday trip to the next big city nearby, that is Bremen.
Just half an hour by train.



Good knitting time.
But then we ended up taking pictures of each other.



Time just flew by.



The main reason for us to go to Bremen - my husband had given me a voucher for a vegan Taiwanese restaurant for Christmas - Vegefarm.
They make all kinds of stuff out of soy and wheat.



Like the peanut chicken and the lamb in a goji-plum-sauce, that we had.



Very good. Even Clara liked it.
And had some more fun on the playground opposite the restaurant.



Clara asked me to the a picture of these bikes.



What else? Shopping?



Not possible. It was Sunday. All shops closed. Window shopping then.



Stars behind broken glass.



A Christmas shop.



In February.



This button in the pavement put me on the right track.



I found a fiber craft shop!

Also very recommendable - the handicraft section at Bremen main station.



Then it was time to go home.



Or as you would say as a dedicated stitch bitch:



PS: There is one thing you definitely have to see as a visitor,
the town's landmark.



The statue of the Bremen town musicians.