Could Have

No crochet today. No knitting but poetry. Usually, I am not drawn to poetry at all but since I read Wislawa Szymborska’s Could Have* the other day, I can’t get it out of my mind.

Sometimes it only takes a split second for a life to change and if days weren’t packed the way they are I would (should?) give this some more thought.

Go ahead, read and re-read it. At least with me, it took some time to sink in.

–

It could have happened.
It had to happen.
It happened earlier. Later.
Nearer. Farther off.
It happened, but not to you.
You were saved because you were the first.
You were saved because you were the last.
Alone. With others.
On the right. The left.
Because it was raining. Because of the shade.
Because the day was sunny.

You were in luck — there was a forest.
You were in luck — there were no trees.
You were in luck — a rake, a hook, a beam, a brake,
A jamb, a turn, a quarter-inch, an instant . . .

So you’re here? Still dizzy from
another dodge, close shave, reprieve?
One hole in the net and you slipped through?
I couldn’t be more shocked or
speechless.
Listen,
how your heart pounds inside me.

* taken from “View With a Grain of Sand” (trans. Stanislaw Baranczak and Clare Cavanagh, New York: Harcourt, Brace, 1996)

–

A wonderful (willful) weekend to everyone out there.

J’s loop

J wanted a loop. It had to be “a lot of blue and some red,” it had to be long enough to go twice around his neck, and it had to be made of sock yarn. (Itchy, I know. Not for him though).

Nothing to write home about, if it wasn’t for the picture

1970s crochet blankets

 

Back in the 70s, when my sisters and I were kids, my mom would make blankets for us that we would use as bedspreads for years to come.

Looking back, it amazes me how she managed to keep the making of those huge blankets a secret until Christmas.

Lately, all three of them moved in with me. And I am not even sure my sisters know that I became the “keeper of handmade bedspreads”

The one with horizontal stripes in yellow, red, beige, and brown belongs to my elder sister. My younger sister was pleased to get the vertically striped one in turquoise, brown, and beige. Ultimately, mine is the checkered one in red, green, brown, and beige.

You can tell they’re old, you can tell they’re used but there is no doubt I will bring them back out again next fall.

Did I ever say thank you? Just to make sure: Thank you, Mami

 

April II

A cat wrap scarf turned out to be a lot bigger than I thought it would … But I could not resist the thick fickle colored yarn. Doesn’t it look like a cat’s skin?

J really liked the scarf until today, when he found the remains of a jaybird in our garden. Obviously a cat had hunted down our winged friend (I will spare you the details).

A small comfort to know, that sooner or later J would have grown out of a cat scarf anyway. Probably in favor of some gruesome acrylic accessory featuring either LeBron James or Tony Parker or their NBA teams respectively … I dread that day

You can find the Morehouse pattern here; cat siblings are here.

April

April weather is here: beautiful on Sunday, sunburned faces everywhere on Monday, downpour this morning.

Birds’ twitter, short-sleeved t-shirts, cagoule within reach, ice cream, gardening, daylight when we get up, daylight when J goes to bed, open back door, bulgur salad for dinner – the whole nine yards Even work is more fun.

I love this time of the year!

baby blanket in spring colors

Twice-Overdue

Going through pictures I found two that I wanted to blog but never got around to do so. And even though they are a bad match – here they come:

I have finished the sock yarn stash blanket quite some time ago and gave it to friends who had triplets. (Can you imagine having triplets?!) It’s thick and heavy and therefore probably better to lay on it rather than underneath.

Those last weeks, between times and bigger projects, I would make all different kinds of egg cozies for a friend. She’s French and apparently the French are not familiar with the concept of egg cozies. The little bunny I made is part of her (expanding) collection too.

Knitting the wrap – and nothing but the wrap to get it done in time – makes me want to start a zillion other things. Another monster, a baby blanket, ANYTHING. Crazy hooker’s mind …

A lovely weekend to all of you

Lace & me

It’s getting there, slowly, but steadily. 50 cm (= 19.2 in.) so far.

Knitting … and unraveling, knitting … and unraveling, knitting … Why? I don’t know. Even though the pattern is not complicated at all, something makes me add a loop where there’s not supposed to be one, while loosing another and only realizing it several rows later. Exhausting at times and if it wasn’t for my sister …

Luckily, Caityrosey foreshadowed (between the lines) that it might take some time to love lace knitting. Fortunately, AnastasiaMW knew that blocking helps to even out stitches. I am grateful for all comments and support. I needed support. And to be honest – I still do. Part of the lovely purple yarn was twisted and ragged, I had to use new strands twice. Hence, I have several ends now to sew up instead of just two.

Any suggestions anyone how to finish a lace scarf (once I am done …) with those ugly ends being invisible?  How do I weave them in? Thanks so much for your help!

Lace Debut

I never thought much about lace scarves. To be honest: I never thought about doing anything lace at all. Until, very early this year, All She Wants To Do Is Knit started blogging about lace, “lazy-ness,” and her wedding shawl. Trying to decide on a pattern, she suggested several she had found on Ravelry – and that is exactly how lace got me …

So, here I was: admiring the most beautiful shawls ever, with my elder sister in mind who will be turning 50 in May. Consequently, I (finally!) went to the store on Tuesday to get lace yarn. I picked a bright purple in 100% merino wool to make a scarf for my sister! And somehow it feels different than any other project I have started so far: well-thought-out, mature, deliberate – does that make sense?

The very nice gentleman in the store helped me choose a pattern and I could hardly wait to get started last night! It’s an easy one, a “beginner kit” so to speak. The lace is not too thin (I am knitting with size 3,5 needles = US 4), the pattern repeats itself every four rows, and the rows are not too long either.

I had found the pattern rather by chance and I have to admit it was not love at first sight – until I saw what Avelinux had made out of it. If only bright green would be my sister’s color I would have copied Avelinux’ version of the shawl without hesitation. Besides, the vendor (who was more of an advisor) convinced me that all those fancy patterns I had in mind, those lovely feathers, flowers, and spider webs, are nothing to start with as a debutant … So I am making the “Little Leaf Lace Scarf” and I love it. So far, I have knitted an inch …

By the way, did I mention that my sister’s birthday is May 7? Hence, not much posting on my side for the next days. I need to KNIT!

Purple Crocus

March has never been that cold in Berlin for the last 130 years, that’s what they said in today’s papers. I can’t speak for 130 years but at least over the last 40 years I don’t remember searching (or – later in life – assisting the Easter bunny in hiding … ) Easter eggs in ankle-deep snow myself.

However, there’s hope! See what I discovered in our garden today: New life!

In this spirit, Happy Easter to all spring (and candy) lovers out there.

little yellow chicken

Dilly Tante inspired me today with those lovely chickens she found at Red Ted Art

But as I can’t sew I spent the afternoon knitting a distant cousin. Here’s how: First, I would knit four traingles

Then, I would knit the legs (i-Cord),; beak and crown are crocheted (Picot).

Next, I would crochet the yellow triangles together, fill the little chicken and finally attach everything red. Little black beads make for the eyes.