Merry Christmas 2010!

We have a beautiful tree this year that I want to show you. It is even more special because we almost didn't get one. We just couldn't seem to get in the Christmas spirit, but we finally rallied because Conrad was coming home for Christmas, and we didn't want to be total wet blankets. We got a modest tree, one we were sure would be half dead already because we had waited too long to get it, and lo and behold, it has turned out to be one of our nicest trees ever. It has a very symmetrical shape and smells so good, just like a Christmas tree should.

We hope you are all having happy holidays!

Blogging

It seems I've hit a dry spell with my blog. I can't quite decide if I'd like to continue with it or not. In the meantime, Chris has started his own blog to chronicle his time abroad in New Zealand; here's the address if you're interested in taking a look:

http://chriswinter07.blog.com/

Leaving Munich

My last days here have been pretty hectic, and I haven't been able to enjoy the things I like so much...for example, the beer gardens! Not that I have spent lots of time in them! But a few weeks ago I went on a long bike ride along the Isar River with a friend (you should see the amazing network of bike paths here), and we ended up at this beer garden, called the "Waldwirtschaft" in Grosshesselohe. The atmosphere at each beer garden is different. At this one they had a jazz band playing, and it was very roomy and had an open feel.

Greg, the Prime Minister, Saying Good-Byes

Greg recently sent me this photo of the prime minister of New Zealand's visit to his ward. He thought it was amusing the way everyone got into the act, even the cleaning lady. The prime minister is the guy with the tie behind the cleaning lady.

Greg and I are both returning home soon! I arrive the end of July and Greg three weeks later. I'm in the midst of saying sad goodbyes here to students, friends and acquaintances and of trying to sell or give away everything in my apartment. It's all a lot harder than I expected.

Various Ways of Crafting

The anthology in the picture has just come out, and it contains three poems I translated into German. I have been the English native speaker consultant in a poetry translating workshop here in Munich, and I got so caught up in the project that I had to try my hand at translating into German, a very difficult endeavor for a non-native speaker. I couldn't have done it without the help of my German friend Ulrike. Thank you, Ulrike!

The poems we translated were written by contemporary British poets who write and publish a great deal of award-winning poetry. You can read more about them and read some of their poems here. Eleven of them came to Munich for a Literatur Festival that we organized and hosted for them. It was a super-intense 3 day exchange of creativity and poetry, and all involved enjoyed the experience a lot.

In knitting news, I have a crochet scarf to show off, made of self-striping sock yarn. I made something similar before, but I wasn't completely satisfied with the result. This new one is made of Schoppel Wolle Zauberball, a fingering weight, mostly wool blend. The pattern from ravelry, is called "Cascading Stylish Shawl" (I did the scarf version).

Reconnecting

All the way back in 1982 I studied at the university in Wuerzburg for a year. It was sort of part of a new exchange program at the University of New Mexico, and Claudia from Wuerzburg went to Albuquerque while I was here. Her boyfriend, Uli, became my good friend in Wuerzburg, and Claudia and her friends hung out with Greg in Albuquerque a bit. Over the years, we have kept in touch, not always faithfully, but still, I knew they were in Altoetting, not far from Munich. We saw them last in 1999 (we think that's the year!) when Greg and I and the boys visited them and their kids on a big Germany trip. Yesterday I spent the day with Claudia and Uli, and it was such a great feeling to jump right back in where we left off. It is really true that the oldest friends are the best ones.

Yes, I ate all of this. It was so yummy!

Here's hoping the next Wiedersehen will not be so far away!

Toe-up Socks Are Finished!

These may look like ordinary knitted socks, but I think they are really special! As I wrote in my earlier post about these, they are knitted from toe to cuff, instead of the other way around. They fit perfectly. I really like this method of knitting socks, and I am so proud of them!

Beautiful Bavaria

Conrad was just here for a week long visit, and we took a couple of fun sightseeing trips together. Unfortunately, it rained most of the time he was here, but the sun shone gloriously for his last couple of days. We went on a hike together on one of the last days of rain, when it was down to just a drizzle. We started at the town of Tutzing on Starnberg, a large lake reachable from Munich by S-bahn or the regional rail. On a clear day, you can see the Alps all along the southern edge of the lake. The picture above shows the view of the lake from a forest and meadow area above Tutzing (called Ilkahoehe).

Here's Conrad on the trail. . .

and here's a nice meadow picture. It was such a memorable hike and day, despite the rain.

Switzerland

This past weekend I visited the parents of my sister-in-law Barbara in Switzerland. In all the time I've spent in Europe, I haven't seen much of Switzerland, so this was really a great opportunity to do that. Barbara's parents were wonderful, and the scenery was amazing! Above is a picture of the Oberhofen Castle on Thun Lake, not too far from Bern where Barbara's parents live.

Here are the Swiss Alps as seen from the town of Thun.

Above is the castle in Thun. For more pictures from my visit, click here.

A New Way to Knit Socks

This odd-looking item is a sock, knitted from the toe up, rather than from the cuff down to the toe. Knitting from the toe up has become quite popular recently, but like many things in knitting, I doubt that it's really new. I'm sure knitters have been doing it this way for centuries. I am enjoying it so far because it seems faster (not sure why that would be), and I can try it on as I go along. I also figured out that my guage on my last few pairs of socks has been too loose, and the socks don't fit as snugly as I would like. So for these I am using smaller needles and I cast on fewer stitches than usual. So far, they are nice and snug. The yarn is a self-striping, fingering weight, wool blend called "Meilenweit Merino," and the pattern is "wendy's toe-up sock pattern," found through ravelry.

Recently Read

The Old Devils (1986) by Kingsley Amis. A long, rambling and kinda crazy story about a group of Welsh friends who meet up again when they are getting on in years. I thought about putting this down several times while reading it, but I love Amis's humour, and the ending made it all worth it.

A Handful of Dust (1934) by Evelyn Waugh. I didn't remember that I had read this before until I was well into it, but it certainly was worth a re-read. It's one of the great ones! It chronicles the story of a young British couple in the 1920s. It's fascinating how modern their lives sound.

Das Wochenende (2010) by Bernhard Schlink. Schlink wrote the best-selling novel The Reader that was turned into a movie. In both novels he presents difficult moral issues that the characters struggle with. I appreciate what he tries to do, but I don't think he does it very well. Somehow, I don't find the situations he sets up to be believable, or maybe it's the characters that aren't believable.

Dreamers of the Day (2008) by Mary Doria Russell. I have been reading a fair amount of historical fiction lately that is really good and quite believable. This belongs to that category. I loved it. It's a beautifully told story about the Middle East in the days of Lawrence of Arabia and Winston Churchhill (between the world wars).

Romeo and Juliet (1597 (first appeared)) by William Shakespeare. What can I say, it's Romeo and Juliet!

Schliersee, Bavaria

This part of Bavaria is full of many small glacial lakes with charming villages around their shores. I hiked around this lake, called the Schliersee (photo from flickr), with some friends today. The hike was about 10 kilometers long, and there was a bit of a detour to go up the hillside to see the ruins of a fortress first built by the Romans in about 400 A.D. It was a gorgeous, sunny day in Bavaria, and many people were out enjoying the weather, but the trail was not too crowded. The same cannot be said of the train going back to Munich! There were so many of us crowded into the little local train, you would have thought it was the subway in Tokyo. But it was a great day, and a nice way to start the week.

Happy Birthday to Chris today!

Munich Spring

This lovely photograph (from flickr) shows the Isar River in Munich with early spring color. It is such a beautiful time of the year here.

After classes today I went to the Hofgarten cafe with a friend, and we sat outside and enjoyed sipping our cappucinos in the coolish warm sunny day. What a treat...maybe even as great as Paris in the spring!

April Update

Life has been very busy since I got back from New Zealand three weeks ago. It seems there are never-ending household chores to attend to, and now there are even more since we decided to put the house up for sale. Then there are the dogs...they'll take as much care and attention as you can give them. Then there are the miscellaneous things, like trying to open up the cabin for the season, discovering the pipes had frozen, and dealing with the consequences of all of that...sigh.

I've also been translating poetry in my spare time and reading and translating Old English. I've put together a panel presentation for the fall conference of the American Literary Translators Association as well.

But, of course, I'm still knitting! I've been trying to do some serious stash busting. Above is a scarf I made out of mohair purchased in New Zealand, and below is "Fran's Sweater."



On Monday I leave for another semester in Munich.

Another Stocking and a Half

The fourth installment of Sigrid's stockings has been completed, and I've got a good start on the fifth and final one. I saved the most intricate one until last, but it turns out that it isn't that difficult to knit with two colors at once (I had done a little two-color knitting years ago). I'm really looking forward to seeing all these stockings lined up on the fireplace some day!

South Island, New Zealand

We just returned a couple of days ago from an incredible week on the South Island. The scenery overwhelms you really. It's just like the glossy pictures of New Zealand you see in books and magazines, and you often find yourself thinking that the whole island really is the most beautiful place in the world.

We started in Christchurch and then drove over the Southern Alps to Greymouth on the west coast, the Tasman Sea. Then we went down the coast a bit to the Franz Josef Glacier and Doubtful Sound. We finished the trip by crossing back up to the east coast via Queenstown and ranching country that was reminscent of Montana.

Naturally, we enjoyed the consumer side of being tourists as well! I have several nice samples of New Zealand wool to add to my stash.

Click here for more pictures of our trip!

I'm Getting the New Zealand Thing!

It is indescribably beautiful here. It's sunny and green, and there are always ocean breezes. We just got back from a 3 day sailing cruise on a 72 foot boat in the famous Bay of Islands north of Auckland. I went snorkeling for the first time in my life, and I swam in bays and lagoons with clear turquoise-colored water. We ate fish caught from the sea (smoked, and raw in sushi) and hiked barefoot on grassy islands with stunning views. I now understand the appeal of vacations on warm islands, and I really appreciate being forced to "do nothing" for 3 days. It is not over-stated to say that the trip was life-changing for me!!

Here are a few highlights. The skipper sailed up very close to the "Hole in the Rock" where the water is a dark inky blue-violet color:

The "Hole in the Rock" is behind me in this picture; it looks like a woolly mammoth from a distance.

There were stunning sunsets; this picture was taken from the land looking out into the bay:

We even got lucky and had some dolphins swim with the boat on our last day as we were heading home, and they showed off a bit for us too!

There are a few more pictures here.

First Day in Auckland

Greg took me on a tour of Auckland yesterday, and well, what can I say...it's lovely here! It reminds me somewhat of Southern California, but there are beautiful views in every direction and continual ocean breezes. The picture above was taken on North Head, a hill overlooking the entrance to the harbor.



We always manage to find a nice spot to have our coffee...here Greg's espresso is called a "short black," and my drink is a "flat white." At least I think that's the lingo.

A Shawl and Some Books

The yarn for this shawl is a wool-acrylic blend, bulky weight (Lana Grossa "Mega Stoppino Fuso"), that I just had to have when I saw it at a store in Munich. I loved the self-striping pinks, taupes and tans, and although I had no idea what I would make with it, I bought it. I then had a lot of trouble figuring out what to do with it, starting and ripping out at least four different garments before finally settling on this simple shawl pattern (available on the Lion Brand website, "Splendid Triangle Shawl"). It's odd the way it can be so difficult to match yarn to the right project.

Becoming Jane Eyre (2009) by Sheila Kohler. The author pulls you into the world of the Bronte sisters with this sweet and sad tale. Although it's imagined, it is based on research as well, and one thinks the Brontes' lives may have really been the way they are portrayed here.

Olive Kitteridge (2008) by Elizabeth Strout. Olive Kitteridge is a quirky and tragic character, and there are many memorable parts to this book. It was a real page-turner, and book clubs probably would like this one a lot.

Cranford (1851) by Elizabeth Gaskell. A classic in the style of Jane Austin, but a little rougher around the edges.

Sternstunden der Menschheit (1929) by Stefan Zweig. Zweig tells the stories in spellbinding fashion of monumental historical events, such as the fall of Constantinople, the first telegraph line across the Atlantic, and Lenin's return to Russia to lead the revolution.

Changing Places (1975) by David Lodge. This is an absolutely hilarious tale about two professors, one from California and the other from England, who exchange their teaching positions for six months. The author captures the absurdities of academia (reminiscent of Moo) in both countries in that very humorous, understated British manner.

I'm back in Spokane!

I returned home on Thursday after the usual grueling 24 hour trip across the big pond. It's great to be here with my little dogs...now if only my husband would return. But I'll see him soon, as I'm leaving to New Zealand in just one week!

A couple of finished projects are posted below. The sweater is made of two strands of light worsted weight wool held together (purchased in Munich...I forgot to note the brand name); it is really warm and fun to wear. I found the pin holding the fronts together at a small shop in Munich where the owner makes all kinds of jewelry from polished stones.

The socks are made of a self-striping sport weight wool and nylon blend by Schoeller Stahl and called "Limbo Mexiko." I like the way the stripes don't quite match.

I've always wanted to feature finished projects by friends, as well as my own, and here's an opportunity: The cross stitch teapot was done by Karen; I found it as a surprise early birthday gift in my mailbox yesterday. I love the warm red and yellow colors.

Chris and Peter Are in Munich

Chris and his good friend Peter have been here in Munich this past week, and although it's still cold and there's plenty of snow on the ground, we've been intrepid tourists. We've seen the Munich highlights, and we've traveled to Salzburg and Berlin together; today the boys are on their own for Neuschwanstein Castle (I've never managed to make it there myself). There are hundreds of great photos I could chose from to post here (thanks to Peter's photography skills), but I finally decided on the series below. These boys are not beer drinkers normally, but they wanted to live like the natives for a while. Prost!

Winter Scenes, Favorite Places

Munich has gotten a fair bit of snow lately, and it's been cloudy and grey. But today the sun came out, and so I grabbed the camera and took a few pictures on my way down the street. Here's my neighborhood in all its snowy splendor:

Here's the cute and very useful tram that I can hop on about two blocks from my apartment:

But today I walked, as usual, because everything is so close to me--about 5 minutes by foot. I first went to "my" bakery to get a "Butter-Breze" (a large pretzle cut in half and spread with butter):

On the way to my next stop I took a picture of this nearby building that I often admire:

Then I had a cappucino in this cozy cafe that I've recently discovered:

Across the street is the little news and stationery shop, where I often buy the local paper:

And here was my final destination today--the dance school where I take ballet lessons.

It was a fun day!

Ai Weiwei in Munich

Today I braved the rain and slushy sidewalks and went to a spectacular art exhibit at the "Haus der Kunst." It was the last day of the show called "so sorry" by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, and I'm really glad I didn't miss it. Artist Ai is fond of turning convention on its head and making art out of things we don't always consider art... but he does it in a way unlike other unconventional artists. You know the idea that some modern art takes simple objects, or a canvas painted all in one color, or a cube and calls it "art," and we are supposed to accept that such things are art, or at least question what we consider art. Somehow, that has never worked very well for me. Ai, in contrast, makes sculptures out of tree trunks, ancient Chinese tables and vases, and pressed tea leaves, among other things, and they truly fill you with awe. He fills enormous rooms and spaces with these sculptures that seem to live and breathe.

The picture above is the front of the Haus der Kunst; the colored squares are actually backpacks that represent children who died in schools in the 2008 earthquakes in China and whose names were never released by the government. The picture below is from a huge room at the art museum; it's a long rectangle-shaped space, with a very high ceiling, and there are 1000 pictures of individual Chinese people on all four walls. The room is filled with large stumps and roots of old trees, and on the floor are woven rug tiles that exactly match the granite tiles of the room. It sounds a bit odd, but the effect is stunning.



Unfortunately, I forgot to bring my camera along. These images are from Andreas Hirsch and Stephan Schobloch on Flickr.com.