This was KIP (Knitting in Public) weekend for me and I probably knitted less than not KIP weekends. But I had so much fun.

Saturday I made my contribution to make the city more beautiful with knit work: call it urban knitting. The cycle racks (fietsnietjes) were dressed in tight dresses, making a colorful picture in area of the Westergasfabriek. It was organized by BreiWerkWest and to be honest I really did like the result.

The weather was no fun at all and we finished during the first half of the football match. Tried to watch somewhere inside of the several cafes in the Westerpark but every place was crowded and noisy. I went home and managed to make such a weird movement that I heard my back snap. It hurts.

Aching back or not, nothing could withheld me from seeing ‘Nijinsky’, Cédric Ygnace really gave a masterful performance of the life of this dancer,of whom very little film images are saved.

The European Fiber Network (EFN) organized a wild hunt through Amsterdam. An act for 3 women, 3 wip’s, one camera and lots of creativity. Not particularly knitting creativity. We had to take pictures of several very Amsterdam things with a WIP, like endangered species, non knitters, animals, draw bridges, museums, trams, coffee shops, etc. We were so lucky to find an endangered species that was a non knitter and an animal at the same time that was willing to knit for us. I managed to fall again and also managed to take a pictures of that. Not for the competition, alas, falling knitters didn’t get you points.

Afterward we gathered in the OBA restaurant on the 7th floor. It would be nice to make OBA our regular knitting place for the Mondays. Enough light and big tables. Cassandra and Miranda added up our points and yeah…. Nancy, Jacky and I were the winning team. But in fact, everybody was a winner. It was a lovely afternoon, ladies. Thank you for organizing it!

It’s my birthday (thank you!) and look what my DH bought me for a present! I can’t stop looking at them. They are superb. Mara Skujeniece designed them. She takes much inspiration from her Latvian origins. Only Latvian origins could think about using cones of yarn as a source for art. I don’t think I will ever use these two as vases, they are much too beautiful.

(This one is in Dutch, because this was a very Dutch weekend)

We (zij ook) hadden ons er al weken op verheugd: een wolweekend in Ameland. Ik had wat stiekeme dromen: zou het nu lukken tussen mij en spinnen? Met een spintol was het geen succes vanwege armen die niet meer zo draaien als zou moeten. We zien wel.

Op weg. Voorspoedige reis. Te laat aankomen en toch nog de boot halen is natuurlijk subliem. Zo in een taxi rollen en bij de Stayokay belanden. Breek me de bek niet open over dit genre accommodatie: ondoorzichtig prijsbeleid en weinig waar voor je geld. Maar het wolweekend gezelschap maakte alles goed. Een heerlijke variatie in leeftijd en een hoge mate van Hollandse nuchterheid.

De doendingen werden aangevoerd door Alet van Textielwerk. Helemaal uit Zeeland komen aanrijden met een tot aan de nok toe gevulde auto.

Meteen ’s avonds na het eten aan de slag. Vilt verven. Dat greep me nog niet meteen. Er moesten direct zwaarwegende keuzen worden gemaakt. Koele of warme kleuren. Weg van het eeuwige groen koos ik voor koel. Het was goed om dat te proberen. Plannen voor de volgende dag. Strengen wol verven.

Dat verven van zo’n streng zette me aan het nadenken over wat ik nou mooi vond om mee te breien. En zo zocht ik naar kleuren die dicht bij elkaar lagen en niet streperig zouden werken. Grappig genoeg waren de eerste kleuren die ik vond koraalrode kleuren. Met wat grijs. Ik ben nog steeds beduusd van het mooie resultaat. De andere twee dingen waren minder mooi. Maar wel veel van geleerd.

Wol verven, ja, daar wil ik op mijn eigen manier wel mee doorgaan. Het spinnen werd niets. Ook niet op zo’n apparaat. Dat moeten anderen maar voor me doen. Ik merk dat ik het wel leuk vind om in de buurt te zijn van vrouwen die dat doen. Er is namelijk veel liefde voor het materiaal en veel kennis. Het geluid van de draaiende wielen is bovendien rustgevend om bij te breien. En ach, je kunt het toch niet alle twee tegelijk doen. Verder heb ik niet veel gedaan het weekend, want ik worstelde met een griep die me bij de keel greep. Dat is minder leuke napret die nu al een paar dagen duurt.

Maar Alet en Judith: het was een topweekend. Niet in het minst door Agatha, Anna, Janna, Marian, Monique, Myren, Nellie en Ymke, natuurlijk ook Froukje. En ik hoop op Ravelry nog veel van de producten te zien.

We were in Ireland for a few days. After arriving at Cork we drove straight to Killarney to our guesthouse Fairview. We were so friendly received. Beautiful room. Great breakfast (full Irish) served by Tommie, who wears a bow tie even at 8 in the morning. We did the Ring of Kerry and because it is off season we enjoyed it practically alone. That was great. We did not see any puffins, or whales, or dolphins, because it was not their season too. That was not so great, but a good reason for coming back. As if you need a reason to go back to Ireland.  We went to Dingle and we did Valentia Island (three times because of the wrong direction and a ferry that didn’t go). On our way back we stayed in Cork (not again) and we finished in Kinsale. We had, by the way, very fine weather.

Now, it is waiting for spring to come. We have had enough winter. For years, if you ask me.

Well, first of all: let’s make 2010 a great and challenging knitting year with lots of fun! Hope you had as fine a turn of the year as I had with lots of good friends, good food and champagne!

New year’s day started with launching a knitalong for the Dutch Yahoo Sokkenbreilijst. I promised Zjanette/Culinette warm slippers and I wrote out a kind of pattern so that everybody/anybody can knit them. You can find the pattern (Dutch/English) on my pattern page.

And I finished socks for DH. He put them on for a picture and I haven’t seen them since. Yes, that’s the same man who didn’t want knitted socks.

With one foot in the new year I started another sock on a Sock Knitters Anonymous theme for December. She and she donated leftovers Opal 1290 to me, because I once knitted my second socks ever with them and gave them away. I loved the sweet colours of this yarn. The Victorian Swag socks show off these colours perfectly, as you can see.

And though I did not intend to join the SKA mystery sock for January, as soon as I saw the first photo’s coming I was rummaging for yarn and for beads in my stash . Well, it is a bit tricky combination Ewa’s yarn with beads but I’ll see how I succeed. Clue 1 is finished.

Tomorrow works starts. In the renovated building. I start with a class Development Psychology. Yes, that’s reality.