Rear window

Hmm.. I feel a little bit like James Stewart these days. You remember the movie where he sits with a broken leg and stares out of the window all day long? Only, that there is really nothing suspicious to observe outside. Except for when the cat is away, the mice birds will play.

True to the Hitchock-feeling it felt like The Birds once in a while. We do feed them in weather like this, but usually the starlings where too afraid of Willy. Since he has left the territory, even other cats come sneaking in more frequently.

Wait, take a closer look at this guy.

[I found him sleeping under the living room table!*]

Isn't this in fact a Kitler!? I have to admit that I don't know this term for long and cannot remember how and when I found out about it. But surely, this page ("Cats that look like Hitler" - can you believe it!?) is in my opinion the most striking evidence that there is nothing too silly or absurd that you wouldn't find it on the internet. Nothing!

Okay, crazy but boring garden pictures and weird www philosophy aside. Some knitting has happend. Really.
The hot water bottle cosy is beginning to grow. I decided to go for a fishbone pattern as suggested in Maggie's pattern but in two-colour work. The yarn I am using (Highlands & Islands "Country Style" from Sirdar), which should be metioned here is a gift from the wonderful Wanda, thank you!) is only DK weight. Better have a double layer around the hot bottle.
Funny colour combination, but I think, I'm liking it.

*I cheated: I flipped the picture for a better match of the significant parting. but still...

Hindrances

Meet my best friends these days...

Even though it might by now look like this blog is turning into a "fishing for sympathy blog" - this is not my intention. Today, I stumbled across some rants concerning the right and meaning of blogs without comments. Fortunately, I get comments and I appreciate every single one of them (even though I do not answer them all, partly because of blogger's flaws, partly because of my laziness - sorry! - but I do try to track people down and comment on there blog in return - honestly). But I also write my posts just to keep track of things, mainly my knitting projects, or just because it feels good sometimes, to "talk" about things that happen, affect and move me which, unfortunately, is not always possible in real life. As a result, my blog is a selfish hobby that turns into a wonderful, lively, encouraging, sometimes nagging or enlightening little communication tool when others participate. Thank you, every single one of you!

But what about the pain and ache this time? I have been home on so called sick leave (well, they stop paying you after two weeks, don't they?) for quite some while now. First, my doctor suspected a lumbago but I didn't agree because it just did not feel like it should (it's all out there on the internet, you know!). Unfortunately, I was right and a CT revealed that I have been suffering from a considerable herniated disc. Ouch!
What really causes me some pain in the arse (pun, pun!) is the fact that I can neither lie nor sit without pain and should in fact walk a lot. However, the weather beggars all description, and surely, slithering on icy pavements with sleet blowing down your collar isn't really fun, either. Walking around in my not so roomy apartment, however, I always find something to do that I rather shouldn't (you don't want to take a look under my bed after three weeks without vacuum-cleaning!)
Well, I thought it was at least time to knit up a Hot Water Bottle Cozy (links to a word.doc), designed by Canadian knitter Maggie who visited Iceland (and sort of me) back in May (so much for the community aspect of blogging). Go over, visit her blog and say hello. She knits adorably little toys and also sweaters, apparently in the blink of an eye.

Yeah, knitting... I'm kind of in a knitting blues. Not to be able to sit all that comfy takes the fun out of it. Plus, I am not easy to please with my projects these days. There are plenty new things I would like to start (see: bottle cosy) but my stash is savely stashed away in no-go areas, such as the attic or cellar, both only accessible by ladder.

There is of course Bloomin' Feet '07! While I am following the progress of the other participants, there's not much I can do. Reading my pal's preferences, together with my intention to make a theme sock, I could not resist ordering some STR in Rose Quartz. So cute! Never for myself, but nonetheless.
I placed my order looooong time ago and it arrived very soon afterwards at my sister's in Germany, who was due to send me a parcel anyway. You know, all the tricky sideways I go to avoid the impertinent custom fees here. Apparently, in Germany, they are back to delivery by stagecoach or maybe even attempt to walk the parcel here. I think, the parcel is travelling now for four weeks. And so is the new Interweave's Favourite Socks which I ordered on amazon.de because a friend wanted to have a look at it before she would send it here "second hand". Apparently, the book left Amazon on 20th March but the post's tracking service informs me that estimated delivery date is 28th April. Beg your pardon? We are talking about 300 km distance!

So, what does this mean to my Bloomin' Feet socks? I swatched, I browsed the internet for patterns, I contemplated designing my own pattern, I swatched, I swatched..
I am thinking cables. I am thinking little leaves. Why not design leaves and mini-cables entwined around the leg?
Nothing so far made me really happy but I still believe that the exactly right yarn (and not some STR substitute in another colour!) will do the magic trick.
Meanwhile, I found out that I did not in fact re-invented mini-cables but merely remembered the Cablenet socks from knitty plus all the enlightening articles on designing them by Ariel Barton. However, this pattern is evidently is not the best choice for variegated yarn and STR might also be just a wee bit too heavy.

And that is why I am stuck with Elfine's socks once again. Since I managed to knit past the heel now I can only laugh about it: The fact that I tried four different types of toes! First, according to the pattern, than the m1tfb method and finally two different wrapping sort attempts of short-row toes. All of them easy as pie. Just not now. When I was finally satisfied with the look of my short rows, I realised that my eye-of-partridge-ball cushion was way off the position it should be. Of course - I couldn't even try them on because I am just not able to dress myself in these parts, these days. Ah! Rip again...

Last but not least:

1. Have you noticed the little sheep stitch marker? Aren't they cute!? Katie from Straying Power designed them for this year's Project Spectrum Sheep Club 2.0. Go and visit her etsy shop and get yourself some! They are just as cute as the bigger sheep but more practicable for smaller projects like socks. However, if I would have to decide for one or the other, I couldn't. Luckily, I own both variants because - can you believe it - Katie sent them to me on a quest for checking out the international shipping service. What a nice surprise, thank you again, Katie! Potential customers, be assured, Katie does a wonderful job, packing and shipping them. They are very happy here now, maybe a bit lone, I should get some more ;-)
   
   
2. To my Bloomin' Feet pal: not to worry! There's a plan B pair of socks in the pipe. They might actually turn out better than the plan A ones!

Farewell to Willy

Willy is gone!

[drawing from just one hour before his disappearance]

This weekend, we had the whole family(IL) for dinner around and the little fellow chose to escape into the night instead of taking a rest in one of the unfrequented rooms. Nothing wrong with hanging out outside, I would say, normally. Unfortunately, this night was one of the coldest and ghastliest. Icy storm roared and forced powdery snow drifts round and round.
Well, Willy, who is also know as Willy Haarlos (hairless), does not like snow very much but had to stick his nose out of course once in a while. We were at first quite surprised and shortly after worried what would keep him out so long. - We still don't know but it kept him until now. Lost for 48 hours! In weather conditions like this, it can sadly only mean one thing. My hopes were high for him being trapped inside a garage, cellar or garden shed, the only way to survive the deadly cold. But, the time is running for poor Willy in this kind of refuge, too, if he hasn't been discovered and released by now.
I think, it's time to face the facts.

Willy will be so painfully missed! Even though probably not the prettiest cat on earth, he was the perfect one. At least, the cat with the best character I have known so far. In his short life, it would have been his 1st birthday on 9th April, he was always entertaining and cheerful but never a nuisance (well, there was the bird). Not once did he use his claws to hurt either one of us nor our furniture. Unbelievably, he also just wouldn't touch anything that was not meant for him, like juicy meat left on the table. He was unbelievably cute and made me smile in the mornings when he was waking me up exactly one or two minutes before the alarm clock would go off. I will miss how he would come home from one of his strolls and in his loquacious manner tell me exactly what was going on outside. Or inside, for this matter, as in the last shot I took of him in purpose of blogging about him. A neighbour cat came for "visit" and Willy the coward rather called me indignantly for help as taking the matter into his own paws, fangs and claws.

As for the knitting memories of Willy, it has to be said in his honour that he never played with yarn except it had been especially labelled as toy for him. He was in particular fond of the Lizard Ridge as you can see here in his appreciating pose.

Yes, good news. The Lizard Ridge is finished, all sewn up, blocked and very, very beautiful. It just needs an edging now. I have not have had an enlightenment about that (Noro or another yarn). It will not only be the biggest and undoubtedly prettiest thing I ever knit but also a Willy memorial blanket, because I will always remember how he spent his last night here cuddled up sleeping on it.

Who is wearing socks anyway?

Has it been quite here again? Yes? Too quite?
That's why.

Someone does not mind me not washing my foot for some days now.
Or wait, does it smell like fish already?

No, I don't type with my right foot but...
That's a partially torn ligament (Everybody assures me that's the best that could happen compared to a fully torn ligament or a simple ligamental strain. Please keep quite on this one because in my opinion, the best would have been, not to twist my ankle in the first place!)
It has been responsible for hours and hours spent in hospital, at doctors and on the phone, trying to be on (paid) sick-leave, and, yes, resting my ankle while observing the invasion of dust bunnies and mysterious multiplication of dirty dishes.

It feels somehow nice though having official approval to spend the days lying on the sofa. I just wish there would be more time for knitting. But there isn't. The pile of reading material is higher than would be healthy resting my foot on.
However, feeling so bad about my Socktober record, I had to cast on for some mindless- knitting-while-reading socks. As so many things take the wrong turn in my life these days, so does this sock.

See, beautiful Socks That Rock yarn in the colourway Scottish Highlands*.
Which is very appropriate because of the weather here, momentarily changing from mild autumn sun to heavy dark rainfalls faster as you can say Socks That Rock in Scottish Highland. Or faster than you can spell p-o-o-l-i-n-g! And the pattern (rpm, knitty.com), although simple, demands for some serious counting. Well... Plan B is therefore the challenge to follow one of the most difficult books I ever read (Tolkien's Silmarillion) in audiobook format and knit (and count, and curse).
Anybody perked up his or her ears when I said Tolkien? Great, because last time it was so very, very helpful to have people commenting on my study work. This time it's a Tolkien seminar and my main concern is an essay on "The Evil of Saruman". You are so very welcome to share your thoughts!

*I really love this yarn, even hand-winding it into skeins. But I was not too happy to find a knot in the hank, hence the small ball in front.

Schnapszahl

I want a boy for my birthday
He doesn't have to be too smart
Just as long as he loves me
And keeps me in his heart
I want a boy to comfort me
And treat me tenderly
Oh yeah yeah yeah yeah
I want a boy to love
......................................--The Smiths

Events
1913 - Invention of stainless steel by Harry Brearley.
1961 - Berlin Wall: The German Democratic Republic closes the border between the eastern and western sectors of Berlin, to thwart its inhabitants' attempts to escape to the West.
2004 - Adam Curry's first Daily Source Code is created, launching podcasting.

Births
1871 - Karl Liebknecht, German socialist and co-founder of the Communist Party of Germany*
1899 - Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, English film director (d. 1980)
1926 - Fidel Castro, Cuban revolutionary and politician*

Deaths
1910 - Florence Nightingale, English nurse (b. 1820)
1913 - August Bebel, German social democrat and one of the founders of the Social Democratic Party of Germany*
1946 - H. G. Wells, English writer (b. 1866)

Other
International Lefthanders Day

* See a theme there, me and the lefties?

You guessed it by now, another important event took place on this day. It's my birthday!
I was planning for weeks to celebrate my birthday at a concert with Morrissey! I was so excited. But then my sister came for visit. And her boyfriend. Who just said Morri..-who? Somehow this ignorant remark, only excusable considering his age, melted my brain. Presumably I nodded to the suggestion of spending the weekend outside Reykjavik and travelling around Iceland instead. They wouldn't take advantage of my temporary unconsciousness that followed this blasphemic confession, wouldn't they?
Well, here you go. Among other things we went to see Jökulsárlón, a glacier lagoon. One of my birthday presents was a tripod. (Hopefully very helpful when taking pictures of my knit projects in the future) That's why I can give you a picture of the whole group, me on my first day of being 33 and the culprits who traded Morrissey for thousand year old ice cubes!

See the funny amphibian vehicles that drive/float/swim/sail around the lagoon.

Even cooler maybe that they still have these funny pens with floating boats inside. I haven't seen one of these in ages! - Finally, we are entering the gladder parts of this post.

Because it it says knitting here somewhere I'll show you a gorgeous parcel from Sundara Yarns, the Petal collection. I'm in love with this yarn!

[mouse over]

Willy says hi and thanks for all the sympathy regarding the kiddo's maltreatment terror. He lets you know he's a survivor and able to manage "the dive" now, a grand jump indoors through a window where even tiny arms cannot reach him (you bet they tried! ;-))