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Back! [Jul. 7th, 2009|01:15 pm]

Wohooo,

We’re back.

 

The long awaited holiday report. Well, you’ll all be mystified, right. Given that I didn’t send a single post card from Germany. My address book is still missing and I left the laptop at home.

 

Well, how about a few highlights? The adventure begun on the flight, my in-laws are about as lovely as they come –BUT. They cannot be described as the most experiences travellers. So travelling with them is a lot like travelling with small children. Scene at the airport – “Do you have any liquids in your hand luggage?” “No, just passports, cigarettes and the jam.” “Jam?” “Yes, it is a present, it is not liquid, is it now?”…

 

On the weekend we went to my dad’s exhibition. The opening was nice and I met a lot of old friends I would never have had a chance to meet otherwise.

We went to the market, mostly to get the world famous dry cured sausages… yumm. We visited the Wasserkuppe, and spend a very entertaining hour frightening my mother in law that she would have to get into a hang glider in the afternoon. She said she was never fooled but we know better!

We also went to the theatre in the ruin (The Odyssey, very cool! http://www.bad-hersfelder-festspiele.de/index.php?rubrik=1&content=101). First time I saw an entire theatre cast in Wellies!

And of course we visited the former border (http://www.grenzmuseum.de/content_en/). They build quite a nice museum there. I expected it to be quite dull, but it was actually interesting for the guests and I got a few good giggles. Like the best of the former UDSSR vehicles. There was a personnel carrier with the same engine capacity as my Polo (1.2 l) it reached the almost the same top speed as my Polo (60 miles/hour) but used 30l diesel/100km to do so. How did they ever get that dog into space?

We didn’t do touristy things all the time though. We also spend a good deal of time in my father’s lovely garden soaking up the sun. And watching the Hawfinches feeding their chicks. Actually we saw a surprising about of birds in the garden, without mentioning all the ravens and red kites that flew over. Gibby desperatly wanted a photographic proof of all the kites, so he snapped a stuffed one in the border museum... CHEAT!

I even squeezed in a trip to the local wool dealer. Ohhhh, ahh - Gibby is still horrified how much money I left there. But in my defence, all that wool is actually for knitting Christmas presents with.

On our last day we bought some goldfish to restock my fathers pond without telling him. He is still convinces they appeared naturally. How he expects a single goldfish to breed or a heron to bring in a 2 inch fishies we shall never know…

Other then that, we’ll the return has been busy. I even didn’t manage to download the photos yet!

We have managed to cut the grass in the garden though, well Gibby has. And there are suspicions that there are actually plants hiding under the weeds somewhere. The neighbours did a most excellent job looking after my potted flowers. Several went there green and came back in bloom. The only losses were my mandrakes. I am a bit upset, but honestly, they were never the most beautiful of plants anyway.

 

 

 

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An update on the slug front" [Jun. 2nd, 2009|11:40 am]
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I have a weapon the slugs can not hop to counter. Knowledge!
A very kind person in Guildford armed me with a book! My slimy adversaries won't stand a chance.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0600608581/ref=sib_rdr_dp

From the introduction - Know your enemy... I have pregressed to the next stage. Prepare the battleground. I have eradicated all those cosy wet hidey holes around the front garden and vegpatch, well not all but it is a work in progress. Photos to come.

Now I am at stage three - Prepare you weapons I am armed to the teeth with oystershells, crushed eggshells and ash. the arnsenal is growing everyday...


And for you my dear blog readers, prepare to read my epically waxing on about the noble hunt for the slug ;-)
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Snails! [May. 18th, 2009|03:43 pm]

Ah yes,
I know you all enjoy my utterly random posts. My gardening is in full swing, I even boldly planted a few scrubs (wolfberries, eglantine rose, blue honeysuckle, a sakatoon...)

But the bane of my gardeing existence is upon me. Slugs and snails. So much that i have declared war on them. Our kitchen whiteboard currently features this, text courtesy of Gibby.



but I have a secret weapon in  store... crushed oystershell is said to stop my slimy adversaries in their tracks. We shall see.

In other news I ringed my first redpoll (Carduelis cabaret), not terribly rare but you don't see them much around here.



That is the little darling just before I let him flutter of into freedom. Minutes after being caught we saw him pecking seeds near the net again. It appears redpolls are not the brightest birds going ;-)
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Tesco is going baaaaaaaah (rmy) [May. 5th, 2009|03:15 pm]

Need I say more? various other papers ran the story as well:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/farming/5100025/New-Zealand-shepherds-stop-using-dogs-as-stresses-lambs.html
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And I give you pictures! [May. 5th, 2009|11:04 am]
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For all the sheep fanatics reading this - extra special Welsh sheep hotos. Warm regards to Ulm in particular :-)



My special friend the three legged wether from his most beautiful side, the front were you can't spot his shortage of legs ;-)... for some reason Gibby was vehemently opposed to me taking him home? And the proper Welsh running sheep, I am disproportionally pleased with that photo. I never managed to take a sheep action shot before!



Just born and already that! poked in the nostril with a blade of grass to make it breathe or having the first ride in a car, Welsh mountain are hardy little buggers....




The racing sheep from above runited with her lamb, and a nest with 10 mallard eggs we found in one of the wetter lambing fields :-)



My Welsh has extended much in 10 days, I can say sheep, ram wether, lamb, gate....
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back from Wales... [Apr. 22nd, 2009|12:47 pm]
and that really is all the update.

I missed a deadline for a conference I really wanted to go to :-( But too late to moan, I didn't get the information on their webpage and the emails came while i was away. I try not to cry over the spilt milk.

In other news i just finished reading Eragon, sooo much fun if you get stuck into it. I have the current book (briesinger) sitting at home already and anxiously await the arrival of book two (Eldest) in the mail.

No cute Welsh mountain sheep pictures in the yet, the cable to suck them off the camera has gone walkies. My fault... it is probably somewere in Wales.
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Knitting - Chillies and garden [Mar. 21st, 2009|07:32 pm]

... or I might just say nothing happened. We're not moving anytime soon and my PhD is inching along.

In knitting, I almost finished a nice pair of thick fair isly winter socks for a birthday present (picture to come). The pattern was "Fernweh spueren" from the book Socken aus aller Welt.

I just finished cooking dinner, because I am on a bit of a chilli trip I made my own sweet chilli sauce, and I am going to share it with the world. Throw it all into the pot and bubble in a tiny pot. It comes out hot but not murderous and goes nicely with the cheap and nasty Tesco fishcakes.

  • finely chopped bird’s eye chillies
  • 1 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • one teaspoon grated ginger
  • 3 large cloves of garlic squished
  • 2 teaspoons of tomato puree (just for colour, really)
  • 2 teaspoons flour or starch
My garden is getting there... the veg patch is all dug up and the first few things are sprouting... okay mostly the pretties (little dahlias, nasturtiums & dwarfes (well rubeckias called dwarves))

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A snake wins urn! [Mar. 10th, 2009|10:39 am]


Does any dog look familiar in this? Found a webpage "PhotoFunia" with curious effects. Since then I know face detetcion works with most of Hagen's pictures but none of Janna's. In other news I am busy... hence the unnatural quiteness online.

Special cudos if you decipher the title ;-)
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Orky the Whale [Feb. 12th, 2009|07:25 pm]

I recently read “Storm boy” a great kids book and I always loved the depiction of the whale people. I also happened to have some spare yarn kicking about… so I proudly present: The Orky Socks.

If I had had spare white yarn I might have knitted Minky the Whale Socks… an affectionate nickname my dear husband loves to shout whenever I decide to go swimming anywere…

Needles 2.5mm & 3.25, yarn grey leftover 2 skeins Cygnet wool rich 4ply and  Regia 4ply uni in red.

I have no written pattern, but I will write it up if there is any interest.

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Snowed in... [Feb. 9th, 2009|01:01 pm]
not much really happened lately

got stopped by the police with my not road legal vehicle...but let's not mention that.

Held a talk at the Uni :yawn:

got snowed in and lost electricity for a while, and that would be why no one has heared from me in a while.



Snow is great though, we've been wading through it to walk the dogs. Keep in mind that the puppy stands at 27 inches now! At first they were both extatic, and then plainly very tired, in places the snow was deeper then Hagen's back and he had to  bunnyhop through it!



I finished (while snowed in) the sweater for Gibby. It is huge and stretchy and ultimatly to big for him when worn for a while. It is now in the washing machine, lets hope it won't fit me when it comes out. The picture is still from before, but take my word for it, it fitts him great now, sorry Conny :-) Taking photos of him in action is harder, I wlawys seem to be hit by flying snow when trying to snap one.
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Sea Kittens [Jan. 20th, 2009|11:23 am]
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I think I have missed my calling in science, slightly lunatic animal right people have so much more fun!


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UK Swap post [Jan. 12th, 2009|03:18 pm]

I am a very happy knitter - I have bright needles! So any project that knits on 5mm Led lit orange needles is grand...

okay to the friday inspiration:

I really like the Flora hat, http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/flora-12 but I never knit it because the deep green yarn she used is hard to come by, and I found Rowan pure wool just a wee bit too plain for it.

I also have a soft spot for the pattern "morgan" from knitty http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/morgan-4 it certainly would be knit in a nice traditional tweed like the Rowan ones or New Lanark, actually I am surprised myself I haven't knitted it yet.
 
What is your favourite style of hat?

Weired but not ludicrous? Is that a style? I like well fitting hats either classical or whimsical, I am not too keen on pompoms.

Do you have a favourite yarn for making hats with?

100% wool, that's in particular handy if they stretch out with wear to felt them back to size...

What hat patterns are in your queue at the moment?

Do you have a favourite handmade hat that you (or someone else) has made?

I knitted the cable hat http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/celtic-cable-cap/people from the girl from Auntie once for a friend in grey Aran tweed, i still love it. Such a clever cable design :-D
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Wintery... abit [Jan. 11th, 2009|03:35 pm]
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[Current Location |Huntly]

I have been knitting two moose, but lack of daylight prevented me from painting lately. However I do have a few nice wintery pictures to share...



The dogs enjoyed a right good run in the forest, it is really hard to get a picture of them jumping.



Before ten it is sometimes hard to get him awake.He is enjoying cuddles at any time however.



It isn't quite snow, but hoar frost will do thank you very much. A portrait of the wee sh... darling I mean.


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Happy 2009! [Jan. 5th, 2009|11:51 am]

Tadaaaa,
i am back and so is the dreadful lurgy. For all non scottish of non harry Potter versed  go here for an explanation of lurgy: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-dre1.htm I always thought it was Scottish but turns out to be coined by Spike Milligan, maybe...

I know it is not nice to boast, but despite my best efforts to ward off Christmas presents I received a fe fantabulous ones. To mentione to panultimate Wellies, yes again, but trust me those are way better! The new Wellies are made from neopren and keep my feet toasty warm, ahhh ohhh!
And glow in the dark knitting needles - are you jealous yet? I can't wait to take pictures of these...

Actually they remind me a lot of this add:

http://www.visit4info.com/advert/Volkswagen-Documentaries-on-4-Sponsorship-Giant-Land-Snail-Volkswagen-Passat-Range/57135

Anyway, I am back, had some good news regarding my PhD and I'm already plotting the Christmas knitting for 2009 - ha!

 
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UK SWAP topic Blankies [Jan. 5th, 2009|11:35 am]

Yes, yes I did swap a few... but there was Christmas, my birthday, hogmanay... and the sniffle from hell returned on Christmas day.

On the Topic of blankets, well I love www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lizard-ridge, who doesn't. But realistically I'll never be able to afford that much Noro nor be willing to spend that much on a blanket.

For Christmas I got a new book, "Charmed knits" since then the idea of knitting a clock blancket has snuck in... http://www.ravelry.com/projects/rhiannonwc/clock-blanket

From here maybe to things I might realistically knit some day... I have been in love with this birdy blanket since I first saw it, but I don't own the pattern, yet. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/roost-blanket

Or another one from the same book that is equally adorable... http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/snooze-blanket, the King of snooze blanket.

Well, if I did any of those Gibby would probably use them on the doggy bed to hide the excessive cuteness. And he'd probably be right.

The Hemlock ring blanket is great http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hemlock-ring-blanket but then what on earth would I do with it? Well, I might still knit it one day.

I remember vaguely a strpey cutsey blanket from knitty with cloth backing I seemed to like but I can't find the pattern right now.
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Winter Warmers Swap - Friday Question [Dec. 16th, 2008|11:40 am]

What mittens do I like, hmm hard to say because I never knitted any, if I did they certainly would have to be converted into flip top mittens, because mittens proper just don't mix with dog leads, fumbleing in my pockets for treats and the like...

I like the piggy mittens www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/piggy-mittens , not in pink maybe but in tan i could certainly see myself wearing them.

I do like Estonian/Baltic style mittens, full stop. I've never knitted anything in fair isle with more then two colours, but pretty much any Estonian pattern is right up my alley. I once saw an amazing pattern for poinisetta patterned mittens. I'd be sooo delighted if I could find it again! This is just one of the many patterns I'd love to knit, maybe in a bit more easy care colours http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/graph-117---district-of-kurzeme---latvian-mittens I doubt cream coloured mittens would stay that colour very long with me.

I really, really would love to knit these http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/03-green-autumn-druid-mittens but not quite enough to buy the interweave knits they were published in ;-) They'd also be to large for me, so a bit of creative pattern reading would be needed.

I think those mittens are great for being wonderfully Whimsical http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/norwegian-snail-mittens and being fair isle, my current obsession...

And honestly, those are the ones i am most likely to knit anytime soon http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vinterblomster-mittens For being warm and cusy and still being soooo pretty :-D I think with a thin fleece lining they'd be perfect!
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The tree [Dec. 15th, 2008|10:09 pm]

On our day off today we both went a bit decorating mad... well I did the artsy crafty bits, Gibby made sure the tree stood upright, the wraeth wouldn't flatten the postie and the mobile is balanced.

First the wreath, all materials collected within a mile of our house! Well allbut the creatures and the tartan ribbon.



I got the larch cone reindeer/people from work. Love them! You can't see them very well but the reindeer have actually little antler twigs!

From a few shurikans I originally folded for the tree and 1.5 chopsticks I created a start mobile. Only half visible because it is bloody freezing and our curtains are drawn ;-)



And tadaaaaa there is a tree. It is actually an almost 6 foot massive pine. It is really densely needled. I love the pointisetta ornaments. It actually aquired them from the cheap shelf in Tesco! I was really concerned we would not have enough ornaments so I bought a pack of tartan ribbon from ebay, I love it, slightly tacky... well maybe.

Gibby thought the tree was not sparkly enough, so he went out to get to more LED light chains...it wears three now.



My favourite bit of the lights is the shapes the lights cast on the wall, the wall is a light coffee colour and the lights cast paler snowflaky shapes- very very nice. The rest of the room has a few more tartan ribbons and of course el stocking! A door holds some of the Christmas cards we have received on a tartan ribbon, were else. The rest of the house has been spared, but I do love the living room.

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(no subject) [Dec. 12th, 2008|01:45 pm]
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Christmas, an I've embraced the British traditions with gusto! Look at our mantlepiece! Christmas cards, some even from as far afield as Stuttgart!

And the piece de resistance, Gibby's new christmas stocking. Look aththe details, the Scottish lion, the love birds, the celtic cable, the Hersfeld cross pattern. Some patterns I've poached from other patterns. Email me if you want to know were they came from. The colours may be unconventional but the wool was leftover DK merino from various Christmas presents.



The garden may be in hibernation but the inside flowers seem to try and make up for it. My biggest surprise is this orchid. It reflowerd after a year with a third flower stem, I've never managed that before.
On the other side of the same window there is a huge bunch of flowers from Gibby and my trusty IKEA amaryllis. I hope to see a flower later this year.



Not the best photo, but this is our dear little bonsai and the ridiculously fast growing passionflower. It had over 30 flowers last summer. Can't wait to see it flower again.



ANd finally my remaining three mandrakes. I repotted them last year, and honestly they looked justlike the picture on the right! I swear. Picture of the screaming mandrake is from the Harry POtter movies of course:-D

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It's th etime of year... [Dec. 10th, 2008|11:36 am]
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[Current Location |Huntly]


Rudolph has let himself go...
by *SuseDolAmroth on deviantART
To desperatly look for a witty motive for a Christmas card. Luckiely I founda volunteer to wear the antlers for a portrait (Gibby and Janna fled the scene) Merry Christmas!
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Winter Warmers Swap [Dec. 5th, 2008|11:53 am]

... yes I signed up for another swap. The ravelry based "Winter Warmers" swap.

And here is the questionaire, I hope it matches with the questions I answered when I signed up, if not it apparantly is not somethign I feel strongly about.

Handmade Item Swap
What kind of items are you interested in receiving? Pretty much anything is fine, well apart from earmuffs really but I don't remeber that being an option ;-)

Do you knit, crochet, or both? I knit.

What is your favourite colour? I only get to pickone colour, does autumn count, no??? Please! Well if I have to pick it is a deep warm spruce green

What is your least favourite colour?  Ice blue

What’s your style? (elegant, traditional, glamourous, girly, natural, sporty, outgoing, etc.) Outdoorsy very quirky but practical.

Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn? Call me old fashioned I like wools (e.g. Rowan natural sheep aran)... only in sock yarn I like them to mix with sythetics (e.g. Regia). Well blends are okay as long as they don't feel like a 70ies polyester shirt, really. I in love with fingering weight alapca but killed the only item I had ever made from it, argh!

Do you have a least favourite type of yarn?
I can't stand movelty yarn anything that squeaks while being knit...

Do you do any other crafts?
I dabble in painting

Are there any knitting accessories you are interested in receiving?
Anything pretty, I am not too picky about useful as long as it is pretty or pretty weired :-D

What do you like to eat?
I am easy, there are few things I won't eat, honestly.

Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)?
Allergic to nothing but I amnot too keen on chocolate, never was really...

Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know?
No, just thanks for reading this far!
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