haekelmonster

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?

Was it really June 2015 that I tried to spin yarn for the first time? Two and a half years?! It does not feel that long ago. Especially, since I did not pursue spinning yarn at all after that.

Until last fall. When visiting one of my favorite local yarn stores, the Wollnerin told me that every now and then there are spinning classes at her store. At home, I meant to tease my man when offering to sign him up – after all it was him who got stuck on that spinning wheel back in 2015 (and who managed to spin so much better than me).

However – and much to my surprise – he would react quite differently from what I had expected: “If you like to sign us up – go ahead. It would be fun to do that together.”

Ooops …

Hence, I booked the last two seats in a spinning course for beginners in early December.

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.

If you have not (yet) tried it – go for it!

Bettina regularly offers beginner courses in Berlin. The next is scheduled for March 3^rd. And she teaches just as professional as she spins on every device: with an angelic patience, great humor and so much love for wool – I can’t think of a better teacher. If that’s not enough of a personal description for you (and for those of you who understand German), I recommend a short coverage on Inforadio “Die Sehnsucht nach dem Echten” (starting 11 min 30 sec).

After class, we were given plenty of documentation to read and remember when home. Plus, we could take with us what we had accomplished. My skein (ha!) is still sitting here. It might become a sweater …

Before I had the blocking board, I would block squares „old school“: either individually, with needles, pinned on my ironing board, or – depending on yarn and size – stitch (or crochet) them together first and block the finished blanket later.

In December, I chose the latter for the blue squares.

My mother had knitted them (just like here). And again they were perfect: same size, same (sock) yarn.

Stitching them together should not have been an issue – however, it was. It took me forever this time, even though the finished blanket is pretty small : 32 x 32 in.

For the time being, the bird is happy with it. Let’s see who is next. My sister took the pictures and I am amazed by its light and blue and atmosphere. Aren’t you?

And then there was even enough blue yarn left for blue socks in a size 8.5. Well, almost enough …

„Hey – a blocking board!“ I want you to say, „where did you get that?“ — „Well, that was a Christmas present,“ would be my answer and I would add that it had not been easy to get it. Not easy at all.

Here’s the story: I had wanted a blocking board for a long time. Hence, in April 2017 I sent an eMail to Scheepjes.

That is how I usually do it: I see something, I want it, order it, buy it, own it. And in roughly 33% of all cases things work out just like that.

With 66% it is different. Maybe because the item I want is more expensive than I thought it would be, maybe because I realize I do not want it all that much, maybe because it is hard (too hard) to get and then I let go. In short: in 66% of all cases things do not work out because of me.

1% is complicated. Always. Heaven knows why. Karma, I guess …

In 2017, the blocking board was clearly that one last percent. Scheepjes sent adorable mails but no board. Online ordering seemed impossible just like buying it in Berlin.

No. Board. For. Me.

I would grumble for a while but not for long. After all, I did not want the board all that much (I thought), I did not need it (I thought), and it wasn’t even pretty (I thought).

Thoughts, I must confess, I did not share with my man. He only witnessed my initial grumbling misery.

And because he is a wonderful man – and Christmas was still a long way to go – he started researching, emailing, negotiating. Until he finally had the board in Berlin – just in time for Christmas.

That’s what you call perseverance. Or love. Or both.

Until this day, he did not tell me how a sky-blue blocking board found its way into our living-room. All I know is that – according to him – Santa Claus has to have a secret every now and then.

I did not disagree.

And as there were still some granny squares laying around here, I wet and blocked them last night. I had 12. That’s not much. I might (have to) crochet some more.