Blocked on two fronts

Knitting

Progress! I finished up the armholes early this afternoon, then dunked the sweater before patting it out to block it. The original pattern had called for one row of purls around the armhole, then bind off in knit. I thought it looked rather unfinished in the book picture, and it was even more so up close. As a result, I added a band in the same pattern as the neck, bottom and front facings, only narrower. I think it looks rather nice. The yarn is Gedifra’s For You in red, knit on 3,5 mm needles.
 Chinese Red Being blocked  neck and shoulder detail

I had enough energy that I pulled out one of the orphan socks and started to make it a mate. It was as good an excuse as any to test drive the 15 cm bamboo needles in size 2,5mm that I picked up at Rödel today. I like the feel and the flex, but they are lacking in the really sharp points that are nice to have if you are doing twisted stitch patterns. I should be past the gusset decreases before I call it quits for the night.
 me

Next Project

I am going for the Cottonwood Vest out of Folk Vests. I picked up some burgundy merino today for the main color, and will use the fire roving handspun for the contrast color. Since I have no interest in a vest as big around as this one, I chose it because the patterning lends itself easily to gauge changes and reduction of stitches.
 me  me

What to eat?

Any other time of year I can go to the Fußgänger Zone in Heidelberg, plow through the crowds and head home totally oblivious to the food.

But not during Passover. I notice everything to eat that is for sale; all the people walking by with take-away in their hands. All the walk up counters that line the Hauptstraße seem to be teaming with people.

And things that would normally not interest me at all are starting to smell good.

I know it has to be related to the issue of “permission.” Since normally I could choose to eat almost anything, but don’t; it does not tempt me. But today, in spite of a late breakfast, I was hungry when I ran my errands downtown. With stomach rumbling, there seemed to be a bakery every 50 meters with luscious pastries on display. Nordsee fish shops had out their crusty baguettes filled with lox or fried fish cakes. The sidewalk cafés were open and starting to do business. Couples, families and friends sat relaxing over a beer and watching the crowds pass by.

It was about this time that I really figured out that even if I wanted something to eat, it was going to be unlikely that I would be able to find anything. Certainly not any of the shops serving things in bread, or breaded; not even considering the animals or creatures from which it had been prepared.

Then I started looking. Other than the fresh fruits and vegetables in Kaufhof’s Markthalle, the only possibility that I found (and unsurprisingly in the same place) was Matjesfilet. With sour cream and dill, plain, with onions or with a sour cream & beet combination – those would be on the edible list. All the other fish concoctions had sea food of one kind or another.

But the thought of herring just did not do anything for me, and I headed home.

Besides, they didn’t offer even plastic silverware with their containers of food.

Audio Books

Total mindless stories today. First one of the Gallagher Series by Nora Roberts which was much better as an abbreviated audio book than as an original read, then followed by Anne McCaffrey from her Pegasus series.

-Holly

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About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!
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