KnitFreak

Finally, finally I took a look at my camera's handbook, and found out how to take really close close-ups! (I love it. This is what I've been looking for so long. And all the time I thought my camera sucked at taking close-ups, but it doesn't!) I'm back in love with my camera, just like I was almost a year ago when I bought it. Oh, and my blog had its first birthday yesterday! Congratulations, blog! My knitting life surely has changed since I have you. I've met lots of nice people, and I have made friends with some of them. And I know, I'm not good at keeping up communication, I'm a lazy e-mailer. My friend Karin from the olden, analog days, can confirm that (Hi Karin! How ya doin? I know I owe you one... I meant to call you ever since your last email, and I will! Eventually) So, if you're waiting for an email-response from me, I haven't forgotten you. I might be thinking of you right now! And I will email you. Eventually. (I'll try and make it sooner rather than later)
Over the past year, my knitting has... grown. I had no idea how many beautiful blogs are out there, how many beautiful things to knit, how many nice yarns and knitting accessories, and that I'm not a freak when I'm willing to pay an expensive price to get beautiful yarn/wonderful needles/a gorgeous pattern/or any of these that need to be shipped here from overseas.

Like the Interweave Knits subscription... it's a fine magazine, once it gets here. (That's another story... the first issue of the subscription takes a trazillion years to get to the subscriber. I don't know if this applies only for the international subscribers, or for anybody. All other issues don't take that long any more though.) In one of their back issues, I think it's the Summer 2004, I found the Victoria Tank and decided to make it with some Rowan 4ply cotton because I couldn't find out if the original yarn from the pattern still existed. (Schoeller Esslinger Fortissima Cotton) Yes, I did ask the yarn company, but they didn't help me much. They sent me a list of shops in my area which sell their yarns, but I didn't particularly feel like going to all of them until I found that yarn. And no, the internets didn't help me much either. (And I didn't feel like ordering German yarn from a shop in the Mid-West of the US to have it shipped back to Germany, when the company that makes the yarn is about 25km/15 miles from my home town) I think it must be either sold out or discontinued or something. Anyways, the Rowan has the same length (I think), and the same gauge, or close enough. I even calculated the yardage! Can you believe that? About a year ago, I wouldn't even have known about this. Anyways, I bought 5 balls of the Rowan in blue, just in case I'd change my mind and would want to start Glampyre's Orangina, which I might make anyway. But then I'd have to find a black yarn...

Anyways, here's a picture of the Victoria Tank:

Yes, it is lace, but it's really easy! Plus, it's basically the same stitches over and over and over again, so you get used to it pretty quickly. I've just started the second ball, and I started the whole thing Sunday a week ago. Surprisingly, it knits up quite fast, but it's the only project I've been working on since I started it. But I have to get to a few other projects really soon... I want to finish some of the squares I made for Grace, and I want to make more squares. Plus, there are a few babies due in a few months, and I want to make something for them as well. Just some booties, and maybe a hat or two.

I'll leave you with two close-ups (it's close-up day today) of some Gracie-squares.

 This is some wool yarn (I forgot which one, and I'm too lazy to check) in basket weave stitch,

 and this is a cotton yarn (Catania by Schachenmayr, I think) in tulip lace stitch.

Sorry, no photos today, I didn't get around to that. Although I'm making quite a progress on the squares for Grace, I just finished the 11th square! I've got a big book full of patterns, so that gives me an excuse to try out these patterns/make more squares for Grace... whatever way you'd like to see it.

The weather over here in Munich has been horrible for the past few weeks... we had temperatures of about 10° Celsius (that's about 50 in Fahrenheit), which is waaaaaay not enough! It's almost as bad as winter in Melbourne. Only that then, there's the advantage that you're in Melbourne (and there's no pollen flying around at that time of year in Australia). I think today's the first nice day in a long time, the sun's shining, it might even be warm - just in time for the World Cup. (Doh!) So, the city is going to be packed with tourist (even more than usual), especially when there's a game on. I will have to walk to Uni on those days, because the subway going to Uni is on the same line as the one that's going to the stadium. And because the buggers who were in charge of planning and building the stadium in Munich were too stupid to build enough parking lots, the majority of those who were lucky enough to get tickets (another story) will be forced to take public transport to the stadium. Well, actually they don't have a large choice of public transport, as only one kind is going to the stadium - one subway line. If anyone is reading this who has tickets for a game in Munich: Go to the stadium early. Like, a few hours early. I mean, there's nothing out there apart from the stadium, but I guess you don't want to be crushed in the train with a bazillion other soccer fans who probably went to the Hofbräuhaus to have a taste of real German beer (as it's not served in the stadium) and I think I have to stop here now or else I'll really go over the top. I think I wanted to say something about knitting for summer... oh yeah, right, I've started a gauge swatch for the Victoria Tank from Interweave Knits Summer 2004 issue with some nice Rowan yarn. I'll give you the details in the next post, along with some pictures!

You have probably heard of this already. Grace is a little girl in Canada, and she suffers from Leukemia. So, Cynthia came up with the idea of knitting squares to make a blanket for her. Everybody who's interested should sign up, because, come on, how much time does it take to knit a square of 5 inches (about 13 centimeters)? And when there's more squares than necessary for one blanket, Cynthia will make one for Grace's friend, Simone. And if there's still more, then she'll make blankets for the other kids in the cancer wing of the Alberta Children's Hospital. Email Cynthia if you're interested!

And another thing: You might want to check out this website. It's the National Marrow Donor Program (national for the U.S., but I think it also works for Canada), and if you'd like to donate your bone marrow, register! I myself am registered with the German bone marrow data base (my German readers, check it out here). When I was in my second-last year in (high) school, a class mate, Britta, was diagnosed with Leukemia. She was a nice girl, just a few weeks younger than me, and she suffered hard. She spent her 18th birthday in hospital (the 18th birthday is very big in Germany, because then you come of age), so she could spend Christmas at home. Well, Christmas came, and she had to stay in hospital. Then, in spring, the doctors said she could go home because she had beaten the disease. (Although, with Leukemia, you have to be disease-free for 5 years until doctors can say you're healed) A few months later, however, she was back in hospital, her Leukemia being worse than before. She lasted 6 more weeks, then she died. She was a fighter until the end.

Britta got me thinking: What if I have the bone marrow that she needs? So I got registered, because I couldn't stand that thought; I just couldn't go on with my life as if nothing had happended. They examine your blood when you register, to see if your profile matches the profile of somebody with cancer. The donation is a comparatively easy thing - they take the marrow from the pelvic bone, not from the spine! That's what many people think, but it is definitely not true. They put you in general anesthesia, take out the marrow, and that's it. Afterwards, I've been told, you'll walk like a heavily pregnant woman for a few days... but I bet everybody could bear that, if another one's life might be saved by this! And your body rebuilds the taken bone marrow within a few weeks, so you won't be lacking any.
I also heard that there's an easier procedure where they take stem cells, but I don't know how they do that.

So, get some information, and then register! It's a relatively easy thing for the donor, and you might save a life.