The best out of it

 
Two weeks ago I stopped working for good, well, at least for the next year. I counted the days in the end. There was just no more space for working matters on my mind, baby thoughts occupying it all. Due date is only by the end of March, but somehow time passes so fast and there are still so many open projects, plans and dreams I have for the baby, for me and this family, so, so much and at the same time there is the need to just sit down, relax, keep breeding and let the waves of early labor preparations pass.
In Cologne its the busy, crazy season of carneval but being rather pregnant I felt the need to escape all of that this year. We found refuge at my parents place in the quiet parts of northern Germany where such things as carnevals are almost unknown. By the time we arrived at my parents Aarons temperatur was up and a flue had taken over his small body. So the last days we tried to calm things down even more. There is a lot of knitting, sleeping and cuddling, some playing, some spinning, a visit to the hospital just to make sure he is still ok and a few short but wonderful walks in the cold. A little bit of everything...

 

 

 

Winter is still ruling this part of the world, but if you look closer you can find the first signs of spring:

I hope your days are peaceful.

Someone has been there...

Yarn along - Imagining Winter

While outside the sky is covering this part of the world with clouds as grey as the citys concrete and rain is filling the rivers to the brim, I am dreaming of snow and clear blue skies and fresh crispy air. As long as that is not happening I have started to create my own litte winter world:
While the last bits if christmas decorations are nicely tucked back into the cellar boxes, little Snowdrops are have been placed on sills and tables and snowflakes have started to cover the windows, at least from the inside. Inspiration for the snowflakes I got in a German magazin called "Landlust". Such a simple way to winter up, just drawn with a piece of curd soap and very easy to remove.

 And there is still that book with me at all times. "The Snow Child" Lori has been talking about a while ago when she returned from Alaska. I am taking extra long to finish this, because it fits my mood so well and I want to treasure the beauty I find on each page. Its been a while since I read a book as wonderful as this one. To not finish it too fast there is enough time for some baby (or acctually toddler) knits, some more free style babylegs and this tunic that I have wanted to make even before I knew I would get a girl. Just wondering when it will fit her but she will grow into it eventually I guess...

In the meantime I keep looking up to the sky hoping for that snow still, someone mentioned next weekend, oh my, how sweet that would be.

I am joing Ginny for Yarn Along today.

Advento Privato

Yesterday was the most beautiful, sunny day, with all the snow still there, very cold and just so, so pretty. I went to a very special little christmas market, organised by some friends of friends of friends (you get the idea) in a small community garden. They only open this market every two year for one weekend and since I went last time I was looking forward to today so much. Let me give you a little tour and let the pictures do the talking:

Wishing you all a lovely second of Advent!

Getting cosy

Oh, tis the cosy season again. And today, even in Cologne, there is snow, finally! I can't wait to pick Aaron from Kindergarten with the slight later and get out there, show him the wonders of that white, cold, fluffy stuff. There was no snow at all this morning when I toke him there and now it looks like it has snowed since weeks. What else could inspire me more to show you some of the christmas preparations that are going on around here...

Last sunday we lit the first candle of our advent wreath. Even though Aaron didn't quite understand what kept me from lighting the other three candles. He loves candles and never eats his dinner without us having lit the candle at the table first. Sunday was also the day to start with some ginger bread baking, so we could send a batch to Aarons great-grandfather who will spend this christmastime on his own for the first time in decades or even ever.

Aarons cookies turned out very interesting and special, since he always put the outer cooky dough from  around the cutter on the tray. Still I was just happy to watch him being so busy and concentrated, oh they grow so fast...

We also got out the christmas books that I had been collecting throughout the year at fleamarkets and second hand. Mostly old childhood memories for me, I hope I can pass on that joy soon.

And some first decorations were made and hung . I absolutly adore the tissue paper window star in the first picture. There is a great free tutorial here if you want to make your own. So, so simple!

In the night from the 5th to the 6th of December Aaron got a visit from St. Nikolaus who left a little surprise for him at his door that he found in the morning. For some reason Aaron doesn't like chocolate very much, so St. Nikolaus was more generous with other small things and fruits. Good for him...

Oh, this busy, secret season. What a challenge to keep the balance between all the extras, the baking, the crafting, the christmas partys and still find space for the breathing, for smelling and listening. How good, to just watch a candle burning sometimes.

Weekending

What a busy, beautiful winter weekend we had. There was no baking though, no Sonntagssüß. Instead I am joining Amanda for some Weekending. We spend most of it outside in the cold. Both my men were standing (sitting) on frozen ice for the first time in their lives!

The "lake" we went to is in a park in Cologne, called Blücherpark. One of my very favourite spots, especially in Summer when there are concerts, public viewing soccer and weekend picnics. But no need to miss summer this weekend!

And then there was lots of crafting going on inside. I finished my socks, I did some driftwood painting and made a valentines bracelet for my man. (I know it looks like an old ladys golden bracelet, but wait till you see him wearing it...) There is a great tutorial on purlbee if you forgot the "how to" from girly days ;-)

Stick to your socks

Socks... I think I can say I made it through the worst part. After Aarons godmother showed me how to do it I finished one heel (with lots of very wide stitches). Then again, I got that far with my first pair in school but never made it past the second heel. The other thing that kept me from finishing my socks was three beautiful skeins of chunky purple which I found on sale on Monday and which quickly wanted to be turned into a warming cowl. Only I was too lazy to find a good pattern and just cast on what fitted onto my needels. Three skeins turned out to be not very much for the nummer of stitches I cast on. The cowl became too loose but small in rows. And I really wanted something to cover my ears because I don't like hats. So, I did some folding, a few stiches of sewing and born was my very unique and cosy cowl...

This weeks tea was a memorial to my late grandmother who died last week. She and my granddad lived in the north of Germany, where I also grew up. The tea they drank every day is called "Ostfriesentee". Its a strong black tea to be drunk with sugar and cream. The special part is that you don't stir the tea after adding cream and sugar, so the tea becomes very sweet towards the bottom of the cup. The tea cups I used my grandmother gave to me a few years ago, she wanted to make sure my sisters and me wouldn't fight over her stuff when she was dead...

The book I discovered on Amazon last week has exhited me a lot so far (despite some not so new projects when you are already part of blogging country) Some ideas sound so much fun I want to share them with you soon.

Now, Wednesday morning has turned into lunch time, my boy is hungry and tired, I have to go to work soon and I am very happy I can use my new cowl! I can't wait to check out your projects tonight.

Happy knitting with Giny!

Zwei gedeckte Tafeln

Heute gab es viel Besuch bei uns, Kinder, Erwachsene, Tiere und viel, viel Strickzeug, zum Leidwesen der Kinder, so was Langweiliges...
Dafür gab es als Ausgleich einen herrlich saftigen Marmorkuchen, schon so oft gebacken, dass es keines Rezeptes mehr bedarf, und doch immer wieder einfach gut. Es muss auch bei mir nicht immer exotisch und außergewöhnlich sein. Weitere Sonntagssüßköstlichkeiten findet ihr diesemal bei Nina, der heute auch nach Marmorkuchen war. :-)

Marmorkuchen

250 Gramm Butter

250 Gramm Zucker

4 Eier

500 Gramm Mehl

1 Prise Salz

1 Päckchen Backpulver

Zitronensaft

Kakaopulver

Butter und Eier schaumig schlage. Die Eier nach und nach unterrühren. Den Rest der Zutaten dazu, bis auf den Kakao. Hälfte des Teiges in die gefettete Form füllen, die andere Hälfte mit Kakao vermischen. Den dunklen Teig auf dem hellen verteilen und mit einer Gabel etwas durcheinander ziehen. 

Bei ca. 180° Grad ca 45 backen.

Die zwei gedeckte Tafel war für die Zaungäste die draußen auf dem Balkon bisher vergeblich nach Futter suchten. Dafür habe ich einen Treibholzast in Vogelfutter und Kokosfett festgegossen und diesen dann aufgehängt. Kommt gut an, vor allem bei denn Meisen. Leider fliegen sie immer weg, sobald ich mit der Kamera komme.