Dressed rehearsal - {this moment}

Joining Soulemama today for (this moment): A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Wundertüte

When Aaron was a newborn baby someone gave me a cotton kicking bag for him which was open at the feet. I really liked it. Aaron could enjoy his naked feet, feel snuggled up and diaper changes were a quick thing.

For his sister I wanted to knit something simular, but with a hood, for the very first weeks and so I came up with my own first knittig pattern I called Wundertüte. A Wundertüte in Germany is like a surprise bag, filled with candy and small toys.

I want to share the notes with you but I am not sure I wrote them very correctly yet. If you tried the pattern and have any questions or suggestions, please help me to improve the pattern so it will help others too.

Since the baby is only due in March I asked Charly, Aarons doll, to help me out as a model. He is doing a fine job don't you think?

Pattern notes: 

Use any yarn you like that is fine for needle size 5mm/ US 8. I used some handspun goodness my sister gave me, because it was quite thin I knitted it double stranded.

Cast on 82sts, join in round, k1, p1 for 6 rounds, circumference of cuff appr. 22".

In the next round increase sts to 98 sts by kfb every 5 sts (increase 16 sts in total)

Continue in rounds until piece messures 14". 

For collar and hood start working in stockinett rows back and forth (knit one row, purl one row) for another 3".

Decrease row 1: k2, k2tg, continue til end of row, purl row

Decrease row 2: k3, *k2tg, k1, continue from * till las 3 sts, k3. You should have 47 sts in total now.

Continue Stockinett for another 4,5".

Use stitchmarker to mark next purl round: p5, pm, p22, pm, p22, pm, p5.

Next knit row decrease like this: k5, ssk, k until 2sts before marker, k2tg, k3, ssk, knit until 2 sts before marker, k2tg, k5. Purl next row.

Repeat the last two rows until the 22 sts between each marker have decreased to 3 sts. Decrease these 3 sts to one sts by slipping two sts together as if knitting, k1, lift last two slipped sts over that knitted sts. 15 sts remaining in total. Pull yarn through last 15 sts and close top tightly.

Pick up 74 sts around the hood starting and ending at the collar opening. Do not join them in round. K1P1 back and forth for 4 rounds, Cast off loosely.

Pick up two sts for i-cord each side of the collar, Knit i-cord depending on how long you want it to be. I didn't want to use a button so it is really safe for the baby and nothing can be swallowed.

Ravelry link here.

This is a copywritten pattern, please do not sell this pattern, you may sell items knitted from this pattern providing that I, Gesche Ahlers@Kirschenzeit  am credited and linked as the designer.

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.

Retrospektive

Dear 2012,

your last days have come. I let you go with mixed feelings. But before all memories are fading within the soup of the last decades I want to seize the hour and spend it with you, dear 2012.

When I will think about you in ten years time, this is what will come to my mind first thing: 

2012 is when I became pregnant with my little girl. Half of it I spend with a second beating heart next to mine, growing ever so fast. What a special year!

You did really well:

Not to listen to the Maya Calendar

I will be forever grateful for this:

You have been very gentle on this little family of mine. Letting us grow and love and live with joy and happiness all year long. What a gift!

The month of  July really was quite something. Because: thats when I found out I was pregnant.

You really exaggerated with:

Natural disasters in other parts of the world.

That was definatly unnecessary:

All that rain during summer!

I will never forgive you:

Personally, I think, there is nothing much I will hold against you.

I still wanted to let you know:

You have really been a good year to us, I feel very blessed and thankful, dear 2012!

Can you please talk to 2013 about:

Keeping things as sweet as they are. That would be lovely. Thanks!

I am remaining with gratefulness,

yours Gesche

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You, dear readers of this blog, are more then welcome to copy the questions of the above letter for your own retrospective of 2012, or to just feel inspired by them, maybe share your answers in the comments, use the letter in your new years celebration with family and friends, change, shorten or extent contents. This is my little gift to you for staying here with me, patiently coming back and letting me know you are still around. You have become very dear to me. Thank you so much for that!

May your days be blessed

The magic of these days

Today I want to share with you a very sweet and special moment that toke place this month in the Cologne central station. It was an extraordiary flashmob, performed by the choir of the local broadcast station WDR. Please, please take your time and watch these three and a half minutes, you will not regret it!