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Kindling your imagination: A small road in the countryside - leading your vision beyond the horizon.

Countryside

Buying yarn has something to do with having a vision. It is an exciting and rewarding experience, mind-stretching and nerve-racking at the same time. One visualizes the existing stash, colors, textures, quantity, suitability... The very probability of actual use takes second place to desire for more. We split our personality into two, one on the outside, giving us as much positive feed as we want, and one on the inside, the reality person, reasoning, weighing the pros and cons of the potential purchase, but also soberly searching for excuses to add to a vast existing stash and so forth.

 Doesn't this wrap's shape and strong neon-line colors set your fantasy in motion?

Then there is the lure of the yarn's presentation! We perceive not just skeins, cones or hard core balls, we visually caress Hankenskeins, and yes! CAKES and donut balls! See these and more in this illustration (Interweave). Various known and unknown gadgets cast their spell on us and our credit card. A Nostepinne (Wickeldorn, Ball Winder)
in various new versions, incredibly easy-to-handle Bamboo Curved Needle Sets for socks, hats and loops, a true must-have for a dedicated sock or cowl knitter... Dream on, knitters and yarn fanatics!

 

This wrap created itself in my hands last winter (2016-2017). The meanderings are the opposite to straight lines, back and forth they rise and fall and add peaks and valleys to the structure. Smaller glossy beads and heart-shaped buttons in green, black and purple will catch the eye when the wrap is worn and thus becoming alive. It is a gift for Hélène, our Parisian family member, and - true to proverbial expectations - a très chique and beautiful Parisienne, wearing the wrap with great aplomb (Glitzy freeform wrap / scarf for Hélène)

Northern Lights / Aurora Borealis

Photographs copyright Valerie Mader + Ute Mader

Relocating

Le Lauragais, in the Midi, in France. Walking across vast meadows, cut once in late May and now covered with a short gruffy aftermath, again offering visual protection for field mice darting through the new growth of grass and weeds, I think of the seasons passing year after year, eternally changing, coming and going, surviving us all.

A deer feasting on fresh green grass

I see the deer stepping out of nowhere, feeding on the new grass in the coolness of the evening. A summer meadow flower smell fills the air. I feel acutely homesick for the landscape although I have not even departed yet. I miss the feeling of belonging to this place we will have called home for so long - while I am still there and departure is but a remote day away. Ambivalence might come close to our state of mind.
There are not enough words to describe the feeling of loss and how I dread the time when for inevitable reasons that loss of our paradise becomes real and inevitable. I wish....     Cut.

Salix integra ""Hakuro Nishiki"; Harlekinweide / Zierweide, Saule

Relocating, again. Physically and mentally. This time it is different, circumstances dictated the move. We are heading for a life - a different life - in a city, in Berlin, one of the largest capitals in the world, a sprawling city of more than 3.5 million people, one third of its territory covered by forests, parks, gardens, and rivers. I am discovering private and public  gardens and consider them mine for the viewing.

Bridges: scarf with drop stitch ladders connecting cables

Garden flowers, so different from the wealth and unbridled abundance of wild flowers, so colorwheel-composed and arranged and yet not conveying the same impression of nature's harmony. Tamed for a purpose. Different. Bits of nature parcelled out to alleviate concrete monotony. Showcases in most places, gardeners tending designed gardens, meadows turned weedless lawns, wild flowers replaced by suitable soil and climate-adapted flower arrangements. But still - flowers and 440.000 trees, lovely boulevards and a surprising number of smaller parks contributing to the "green lung" of Berlin.

Bridges: scarf with drop stitch ladders connecting cables

Reapproaching textile work  - it is difficult these days. The now omnipresent conflicts in the world, the wars, and flight and plight of the refugees streaming into Europe, the rising of nationalistic parties in many countries, the presently apparent political chaos caused by the nation-splitting referendum in England - all of this makes it difficult to settle down to something seemingly inanely normal such as textile crafts, I almost feel guilty sitting down with my needles and yarn and concentrate on lacy pattern with a more or less intricate repeat...

Above: An off-white scarf made of ivory-colored mohair and the finest Chinese natural silk and Moroccan embroidery silk, three cables connected by drop-stitch bridges. Just right for days in spring with a northern breeze.

Moroccan Embroidery Silk - adding hues of color to other yarns

Below: Dipping into my huge stash, the approaching summer called for an intensely colorful scarf. It is knit lengthwise. CO on a multiple of 18. Roughly following a Feather and Fan pattern. Meanderings in bright colors and crazy lacy stitch patterns, alternating needle sizes and yarn gauge. If you are uncertain about gauges, this is a good site to get acquainted with yarn calculations. Color mix: of course nature is way ahead of me, could have added a million more colors! Just follow your mood...

Glitzy freeform wrap / scarf for Hélène

Britzer Garten (Berlin)

I thought it might be interesting to introduce a number of famous Berliner personalities:
1) Journalist, writer, author, satirist: Kurt Tucholsky "The New York Times hailed him as "one of the most brilliant writers of republican Germany. He was a poet as well as a critic and was so versatile that he used five or six pen names. As Peter Panter he was an outstanding essayist who at one time wrote topical sketches in the Vossische Zeitung, which ceased to appear under the Nazi regime; as Theobald Tiger he wrote satirical poems that were frequently interpreted by popular actors in vaudeville and cabarets, and as Ignatz Wrobel he contributed regularly to the Weltbühne, an independent weekly that was one of the first publications prohibited by the Hitler government."

 

This is from a poem (1924) on travelling through places and times: 

Die Kinder lärmen auf den bunten Steinen. 

Die Sonne scheint und glitzert auf ein Haus. 

Ich sitze still und lasse mich bescheinen 

und ruh von meinem Vaterlande aus.

Children play noisily on the colorful rocks.

The sun is shining, rays glistening on a roof.

I am sitting quietly, basking in the sun

and take a rest from my fatherland

Pursuit of Happiness

The other day I read in the Smithsonian Magazine (May 2015) about what made people happy: “Physical closeness, which encourages human interaction; proximity to amenities, which creates the sense that what you need is readily at hand; green spaces, cultivated and wild, that provide places to play and explore; and varied architecture, which fosters a feeling of security, because it creates the sense that a place has existed for a long time. “All of these things create a genuine sense of safety,” says Rebecca Williams, “which is the most basic element of community and without which happiness is impossible.”

Blackbird singing in spring

We all have our individual, special but often very similar happiness niches. But these days it is hard to settle down and relax in the safety of our home and safe surroundings with so many upheavals around the globe, wars breaking out, devastating earthquakes, people leaving their home and risking their life for an uncertain future, freezing their feelings to the bare minimum of survival - I find it hard to concentrate on knitting and literature, hence the longer intervals between posts on my blog. 

Evening Sky Over Berlin

Sometimes one has to break camp without even knowing the new dwelling - twelve months ago I moved from the least populated Departement in France to the biggest city in Germany, Berlin. A megalopolis with over 440 000 trees spread over a surface of 892 m², improving the air for approx. 3.3 million inhabitants. Fields and forests, farms and parks, rivers and lakes make up the web of the city that is growing every day. 

Weeping Birch Tree - Betula Pendula

I am still taking my daily walks, but instead of feasting my eyes on“my” own garden flowers and centuries old oak trees I look into other people’s gardens, admiring their carefully tended formal flower beds as much as their neighbors’ nature hang-loose green space, which translates into “let it grow.” 

Red Chestnut Tree

The trees in Berlin are magnificent. One can become a “Baumpate”, adopting a tree to water it in summer and keep the place around the tree trunk clear of litter year round.  

Linden Tree - with crocusses adorning the foot of the tree

Wisteria - Glyzinie - Glycine

During those walks I find myself thinking of yarn colors to match the flowers’ abundance, one garden resembles Jane Thornley’s beautiful designs with multicolor yarns such as Madelinetosh or Blue Heron. I started giving those gardens yarn brand names: Habu metallic or Rowan Kidsilk Lace or the emperor of multicolor yarns Noro Silk Garden! Watch Noro’s Brand Concept video and you know what I mean with garden colors… Or satisfy your color temptation with Jane Thornley's Spring Ascension Shrug. I am knitting a long thin scarf with the colors of a Wisteria plant:

"Wisteria" scarf, long, thin, moving in the wind

 

Easy Moss Stitch

Wisteria Blossoms

Being new to Berlin, there is plenty to explore. An especially meaningful and moving event was the Kirschblütenfest, the Japanese Hanami festival, celebrating cherry blossoms in spring of each year. This Berlin Hanami Festival has a special background. To commemorate the fall of the Berlin Wall thousands of private Japanese citizens, adults and children donated toward the planting of Japanese Cherry Trees along the path of the former wall as a gesture of congratulation and celebration. 

Japanese Cherry Trees - Commemorating the Fall of the Berlin Wall

And as the wall came down, thousands of cherry trees now line the path of the former wall separating the two German states. TV-Asahi supported the donation. The last Hanami took place on 26 April 2015 in Berlin. More than 30 stands at either end of the Boulevard offered food and drink and commemorative items. What a beautiful idea to turn a death-bringing wall into an ocean of flowers!

Flowering Cherry Trees - Their Petals Softening Your Steps

Cherry Blossoms

From the Japanese People: the Cherry Tree Gift

Cherry Tree Blossom Boulevard - the Wall Turned Into Flowers

Design Ideas Unlimited

No new post since the beginning of the new year? It isn't that I wouldn't know what to write, admire and share. In the the contrary, there is so much to write about, so much to share - but so little time. But then the freedom of time lies just beyond that wall of commitments we choose to erect ourselves. So let me plunge right into the ongoing second quarter of the year 2015.

Three Designs by Victor

My grandson Victor has this uncanny feeling for his Oma's favorite activities, apart from spoiling him as much as his parents will allow. He surprised me with the request: "Can you teach me how to knit, Oma? We can knit a jumper together!" Now if that isn't music in every grandmother's ears, a fanfare and wake-up call to dash to the nearest LYS with my grandson. He made three designs in a matter of ten minutes, bold colors, and not a moment of hesitation - and off we went.

Victor and his Little Prince Scarf

To stick to the time frame of 8 days from start to finish, the bulky jumper turned into a colorful scarf, spring is coming and no pampering of British school children, please! The second project would be a tropical fish and finally he wanted to chrochet a palm tree at the sea. All designs were color-coded and annotated, both in writing and verbally. The blue line escaping from the top of the palm tree ought to be disregarded though, it was "just a thought, but you can ignore it." (What a relief!)

Design by Victor: Tropical Fish

He knew exactly what he wanted and in the yarn shop, he wavered not for a second when chosing the yarn and colors for each project. We also picked up knitting needles and a fat crochet hook. He danced and skipped along the sidewalk on our way home, carrying the bag with his yarn loot. I found it endearing that he checked on all facts, such as "fat needles" are not a sign for beginner knitters, and we began to guess what size of needles were used for the jumpers/cardigans of people we met on our way home. Victor would jubilantly pass someone with a bulky jumper and sing out loudly: "UK Triple 000" (his favorite!).

Victor's Palm Tree on a Sandy Beach at the Sea

He loved going through the motions with the "fat needles" and when he took some time off, just to get that latest Lego completed, he had me under his supervision: "Keep on knitting, Oma", he admonished me when I let the knitting drop in my lap to have a sip of tea. For the land-sea scape he did crochet the palm tree trunk while I was responsible for the blue backdrop added later. I love his confidence that Oma can just knit anything he wanted (sadly: except Lego) and why not? After all we have picture knitting, intarsia, fair isle etc. all at our disposal.

Scarf: Knitting needles US 15/10-12 mm. Chunky yarn such as "Seriously Chunky" Cygnet. Cast on an odd number of stitches, ca. 17. Knit the first and last 2 rows in seed stitch 3 and last 3 stitches in seed stitch to prevent curling. Change color 4 times, not exactly at 1/4th of the length of the scarf, it looks more casual if the halfway point is a bit off. Add tassels if you wish. Neatly weave in ends from color change before your grandson cuts them off without much ado. The fish receives an eye made of one small button placed on top of a larger button and sewed to where the fish eye is supposed to be. Ask Victor.

Joan Ingilby

During our vacation in the UK, I happened to chance on this link about little known knitting facts you might enjoy reading. And below is a clip from a newspaper, telling about Joan Ingilby (born near Ripon) who was "a chronicler of centuries-old rural life in Yorkshire and the co-author of "The Old Hand Knitters of the Dales".  Unfortunately the bookshop in Ripley Castle did not carry a copy but if you come across the book it promises to be an interesting read.

Ripley Castle Gardens

And one more item on the extile front: A nice and versatile stitch I saw recently is this one: "twice-turned-stitch" with an excellent video tutorial.

Sample knit with Lighthouse Waves on US Size 9 needles

and there is a pretty free cowl pattern using this stitch as well. I would imagine that a lacy yarn and larger needles would produce a wonderful lightweight shawl or wrap for those cooler summer evenings. In winter time the option of knitting a baby blanket appears to be the obvious choice.

A few dark colors: Slate roof glistening after a heavy rainfall

Many bright colors: Victor painted a pepple and hid it for the Easter Bunny

If you are interested in more helpful knitting/crochet links check out this post (scroll to bottom)

Sketchy Scribble

Scribble - a fascinating art - with yet another almost unknown meaning! 

This is not about your regular scribble, be it for children to train their hand-eye coordination or adults, absent-mindedly doodling an abstract drawing during a boring telephone call. But there is yet another, lesser known meaning of the noun and verb in the field of textile crafts:

Writing a secret scribble lace code

Cordonnet from Cartier & Bressons, Paris (France), Sari Silk Fiber FusionTaos (USA)

Finest Yarn in Pristine Condition

Scribble is also a technique in knitting, expertly described in the beautiful book "Unexpected Knitting" by Debbie New. She has been a trailblazer in NEW knitting techniques, and the book really lives up to its name, every project is an eye-opener and every pattern and description of the items will amaze even an experienced knitter. A sea-worthy coracle made of lace? Knitted teacups? A pixel-knitted picture of Debbie's grandmother? There seems to be no end to her imagination. Just reading about her many professions will make you dizzy with admiration, as she excelled in every one of them.

Fiber Fusion for Wild Fantasies - The Color Range of Dreams

So when I received the generous gift from textile artists, multi-talented Faith Welsh and Monte McBride (FB ) - a package containing recycled Silk in luminous colors, I could not think of any better way to fully enjoy the beauty of these yarns than displaying their essence in a visually unlimited 360° round-about-view. This is true and wild scribble, as the bulky yarn will determine its very own position and loops in the lacework.

Scribble Lace is a perfect technique for the purpose of keeping yarn visible for admiration, while adding a truly lacy and light-weight background to offset the color and texture of the main yarn. Unless you want to wear the yarn "as is" as suggested by my friend Sarah Peery. See more pictures of the handspun Sari Silk in this post or here on Ravelry.

Form follows Function - Liberated Yarns

It is worth visiting their site Fiber Fusion Taos (Spin Artiste) - yarns to make you dream, gorgeous wraps and shawls, interesting interviews with fascinating textile artists and, yes, Giveaways!

By the way: the term Scribble, or scrawly in the sense of almost undecipherable handwriting is translated into German with a lovely onomatopoetic word: Krikel-Krakel! Also: Gekritzel.

Scribble Lace Designed by Nature - Berlin (Germany) November 2014

Advent Candles

Advent time - so special for children. Decorating the Christmas tree, cards and gifts arriving, school or church Christmas plays, shops and markets with adorned colorful lights and lots of golden, red and green garlands strung across the streets, the first snow falling and the delight of using the sleigh on a snowy hill - who from the northern parts of the globe doesn't remember this fondly. And every Advent Sunday in December another candle will be lit until it is time for the Christmas tree.

Copyright Valerie Mader

The frosty weather reminded me of the time I knitted beanies for just about every child I knew.

Various beanies for children

In the evenings, I have been busy with my new project "Scarf n' Half" - ready to be photographed, all I need now is a model! Pattern to follow soon.

Entangled Scarf n' Half

Bunched up Scarf n' Half

For the light mauve colored string I used my precious handspun and dyed silk, and will use some of my tailspun yarn to add more "Halves" to my scarf project. If you are wondering about tailspun yarn, here is a good blog post explaining it all.