Frisian Frillies

One of my childhood heroes is now within reach. Stanley Menzo, the goal keeper I spent many an evening drooling over whenever he would be on the television, is now coach of the local soccer team. How lucky can a girl get! The team isn't particularly good (sorry folks...), but I am tempted to buy a ticket, just to see Stanley pacing up and down outside the dug-out. Get the binoculars out baby!!! I have to admit, he looks even better now than he did then!!! Stanley Menzo goes to Cambuur, Telegraaf And just to show people why the drool is indeed dripping off my screen ;) ... Maybe its the bad eighties kits and horrible hair fashion, but he is improving with age, just like Richard Gere... Just google him and have a look (and don't laugh, I can't help it that little moustaches were in in the 80s, anyone who remembers Ruud Gullit in those days, will know what I mean...).

Well, a little peak won't hurt... First of all, I have to rectify. The colourway of the yarn isn't Angelic, but Archangel. Sorry! It's a lovely rich purple with some orange, a bit of soft pink, a bit of grey/green... Yum! Can anyone guess the pattern? And then, Mooooo. The colours look a bit off here, but we are planning to knit a rainbow. Ssssst... And, last but not least: Hey Teach! Back nearly done. I've been a bit sidetracked by the sock yarn...

Means new mittens, hat and scarf... Soooo, sometime soon I will cast on the Snowbird Mittens from Vogue Knitting, in white and dark grey. Let's see if my local pimp has enough Karisma in stock to get this little project done... (this coat is red, VERY, even though it looks pink here... Just blame my self-photography skills... lol) For now, I'm test knitting some Malabrigo sock yarn. Yum! And very cleverly they put a little knot halfway the skein, so you know where to break it if you want to knit two socks at the same time. Cool hey? Results will be up sometime soon in the appropriate place... Sorry, still a bit secretive here... But the fact the colour way is called 'Angelic' should be a little hint ;) More secretive stuff: SnB Fryslan is knitting a bit of a Santa project. So much fun! I have 'it' at home now and am busy working on that too... I'm also writing a poem to go along with it, so some inspiration in that department would also be welcome. Hey Teac...

Even though Gillian was my favourite, I have to admit that the best 'man' won... Fierce! I secretly start knitting Hey Teach! sssssst... Don't tell anyone...

My hat is done! We had great fun knitting today, even though the weather was not really ice and snow inspiring, but rather hot and sunny! Besides the 5 of us there was another group of knitters, your stereotypical group of older women... while we're all young and funky (at heart, haha). So, here the result. I used the pattern from Jean Gifford's snow man mittens , casting on 100 stitches and knitting five snow men. I used some silvergrey beads and put a wee pompon on top. Tadaaaa! I hope someone in the Tryater production will love wearing this one! I'll probably knit another one, because wee H was very enamoured with it!

How does one describe the Elfstedentocht , the 'Tocht der tochten', besides our flag and anthem one of the biggest Frisian symbols and traditions? One can't. Just the fact that it's 200 km over frozen rivers, skated in one day, starting at 4 in the morning and finishing hours and hours later, having to get off when the ice is too weak, drinking hot chocolate, having icicles in your moustache, beard and eyelashes, feeling honoured to receive the much cherished cross at the end of it - doesn't begin to describe it... The last time it was held, was in 1997, and before that in 1984 and 1985. It's such an event that 'It giet oan!' only means one thing here: 'It's happening! The Elfstedentocht is being held!' Every year, all of us anxiously watch the weather forecast, will it freeze enough to build up a nice thick layer of ice? No, indescribable! And then to think that Tryater is going to put it on as a show, because it was held for the first tim...

My Brea is done. With handle, with button, still without lining, but I think I'll use this one without it (eh... in other words, I'm too lazy to cut and sow it). The braided strap can be found here: Braided strap, Emmybear Pattern: Brea Designer: Norah Gaughan And some legging socks for Hannah, she had fallen in love with some of the donated sock yarn...:

Of the type that makes you get a lump in your throat... Yesterday at SnB I got a huge bag of sock yarn from Marijke (blogless), a fellow translator, who still had loads left over after knitting socks for her kids. Honestly, her kids must have tiny feet, cause the balls of yarn were huge! I can definitely get on amazingly with my blankie now. I'm going to weigh the bag of yarn I have to and see how much it is already *lol* Also generous, Jolanda , thanks for lending me the dpns 5 for my Brea handle, and Angelique , for having a look round for a coffee machine for us ;) And the rest of the girls thanks for a great evening!

If there is one bag which is very addictive to knit (and again, and again, and again), it has to be Brea. Oh, my, I LOVE IT! And that is while knitting it in double-stranded acrylic Zeeman yarn (yes, loads of Dutchies are gasping and fainting at the moment). This is going to be a test of my knitting, sowing and putting together a bag skills, so I decided on just raiding my acrylic stash and inheritance to knit the first one (I have to get bags coordinating with ALL my outfits, of course...). I still have to hunt down a cool button, strap and fabric (we're off to the 'Kringloop', recycling store, to look for a bike for big S, but I've got ulterior motives, lol), but this pattern is a keeper! I might do the braided strap if I don't find a nice broad strap, or just use one of my old belts which I never use... Preview of where I am now!