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.

New Year, New Projects

During these two weeks at home I had planned to get so much knitting done, but somehow, I managed to do very little. However, I do have one finished project to show off...the third of the five Christmas stockings for Sigrid has been completed! I love the colors she chose and am enjoying seeing how each different pattern works up with these colors.

On my desk below you can see my other projects that are lined up: I've started a pair of socks for me, the purple yarn that is supposed to be Fran's sweater is there, and in the bag are several balls of a super-bulky off-white wool that are waiting to be turned into I don't know what.



This reminds me of my New Year's resolution: not to have quite so many projects going at once! I'd like to limit it to two at a time (a quick one and a slow one), instead of the current 4 or 5 at a time, which inevitably leads to such a loss of interest in a couple of them that they are later frogged and turned into something else or the yarn is stashed for a good long while.

I wish you all a happy and productive New Year, and good luck with your resolutions (if you have them)!