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Simple Cabled Hat

January 16, 2012 by Elli

Today I finished knitting a rather simple cabled hat for mum. I used size 6 (US 10) needles and the yarn is Lana Grossa Uno (1 1/2 skeins). Though the yarn looks great, feels wonderfully soft and awesome to wear, it is a real pain to knit with. Still I love how the hat turned out. :D

Simple cabled hat

As I couldn’t find a suitable pattern I made it up. Here is what I did:

CO 80 stitches

1.-5. row: *knit 6, purl 4* to end of row

6. row: *slip 3 stitches on cable needle, hold cable needle in front of work, knit 3 stitches from the left needle, now knit 3 stitches off the cable needle, purl 4* to end of row

7.-14. row: *k6, p4* to end of row

15. row: *slip 3 stitches on cable needle, hold cable needle in front of work, knit 3 stitches from the left needle, now knit 3 stitches off the cable needle, purl 4* to end of row

Repeat rows 7 – 15 once more. After that is done, work another 4 rows of *k6,p4* (or till it was the desired length) before starting to shape the crown.

Decreases:

1. row: *k2, k2tog, k2, p4* to end

2. row:  *knit 5, purl 4* to end of row

3. row: *k5, p1, p2tog, p1* to end

4. row: *knit 5, purl 3* to end of row

5. row: *k2tog, k1, k2tog, p3* to end of row

6. and 7. row: *k3, p3* to end of row

8. row: *k2tog, k1, p2tog, p1* to end of row

9. row: *k2, p2* to end of row

10. row: *k2tog, p2tog* to end of row

Cut of the yarn and thread through the remaining stitches, pull tight and sew the end in. Have fun knitting! :D

My hat and more pics can be found on my rav page: http://ravel.me/aravis83/st5a8

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Waves Cardigan

January 14, 2012 by Elli

Just a tiny short post to show of my finished cardigan:

Waves Cardigan

Isn’t it pretty?

I finished it yesterday and just love how it turned out. Also it fits perfectly. It will be fun to wear it over short sleeved shirts in spring. Right now it’s a little too chilly for that…

Anyway, I followed the pattern closely without doing any major changes. I only added a few rows to the main body of the cardigan to make it a little longer. I just love knitting top down, that way it’s so easy to determine how everything will look when it’s done. :D

The pattern, all needle/yarn details and more pics can as usual be found on rav:  http://ravel.me/aravis83/u06z2

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Books I’ve read in 2011

January 6, 2012 by Elli

2011 was quite a busy year where reading is concerned. I read 39 books and listened to 77 audiobooks. Of those 77 audiobooks only 16 were either commercial or non LibriVox recordings. The other 61 were Librivox recordings, for which I did the prooflistening.

Of the books I read the one I liked best probably was “Little Town on the Prairie” by Laura Ingalls Wilder (though I greatly enjoyed the rest of the series too). Also the “Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins and the “Cazalet Chronicles” by Elizabeth Jane Howard were great.

The book I hated most was “3096 Days” by Natascha Kampusch. It’s badly written and badly translated (I tried the German and the English version). Everything sounds terribly artificial and very much like the author is trying way too hard to try to convince everybody that her story is true…

Anyway here is the list of books I read:

1. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
2. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
3. Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
4. On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder
5. The Graveyard Book Neil Gaiman
6. By the Shores of Silver Lake by Laura Ingalls Wilder
7. The Apple Stone by Nicholas Stuart Gray: audiobook. LOVED it!!!!
8. Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary
9. Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary
10. Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary
11. The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright: audiobook
12. Pu der Bär by A.A. Milne
13. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
14. Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
15. These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
16. The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
17. Das Wunder von Narnia by C.S. Lewis
18. Four Story Mistake by Elizabeth Enright: audiobook
19. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
20. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
21. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
22. Half Magic by Edward Eage: audiobook
23. Fever of the Bone by Val McDermid
24. Ramona Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
25. The Secret Garden by F. H. Burnett
26. Ramona and her mother by Beverly Cleary
27. Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary
28. Ramona’ World by Beverly Cleary
29. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephanie Meyer (commercial audiobook)
30. Fall of Giants by Ken Follett (commercial audiobook)
31. The Passage by Justin Cronin
32. Marking time by Elizabeth Howard
33. The Adventures of Sally by P.G.Wodehouse (LV recording)
34. Charlie und die Schokoladenfabrik by Roald Dahl
35. Brat Farrer by Josephine Tey
36. Frei ist nur der Blick zum Himmel by Sandra Gregory
37. Fever Dream by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (commercial audiobook)
38. Da waren es nur noch neun by Agatha Christie (commercial audiobook)
39. Heidi by Johanna Spyri (LV recording)
40. Trick of the Dark by Val Mc Dermid
(Michel aus Lönneberg by Astrid Lindgren: picture book)
(Der alte, der junge und der keine Stanislaus by Vera Ferra Mikura: picture book)
41. Marked by P.C and Kristin Cast (commercial audiobook)
42. Superfudge by Jody Blume (commercial audiobook)
43. Der stumme Schrei by Hilda Lawrence (commercial audiobook)
44. Wolfskind: Die unglaubliche Lebensgeschichte des ostpreußischen Mädchens Liesabeth Otto von Ingeborg Jacobs
45. A Stolen Life: A Memoir by Jaycee Dugard
46. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
47. Die Welle by Morton Rhue (commercial audiobook)
48. Der Herr der Ringe by J. R. R. Tolkien (commercial audiobook)
49. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
50. Ramona and her father by Beverly Cleary
51. Room by Emma Donoghue
(Guck mal, Madita! Es schneit! by Astrid Lindgren: picture book)
(Na klar, Lotta kann Rad fahren by Astrid Lindgren: picture book)
(Weihnachten in Bullerbü by Astrid Lindgren: picture book)
(Die Heinzelmännchen von Köln by August Kopisch: picture book)
52. Der König von Narnia by C.S. Lewis
53. 3096 Days by Natasche Kampusch: HATED it!
54. Confusion by Elizabeth Jane Howard
55. Reckless by Cornelia Funke (commercial audiobook)

If you are interested to see what I listened to, here is the full list including all LV recordings: https://forum.librivox.org/viewtopic.php?p=553871#p553871

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LibriVox Christmas Carol Collection 2011

December 21, 2011 by Elli

In perfect time for Christmas this year’s LibriVox Christmas Carol Collection is now in the catalog and ready to be downloaded. It consists of 25 wonderful carols in several different languages. As I’m not very good when it comes to summaries, here is what the official catalog page says about it:

LibriVox volunteers bring you this year’s selection of 25 sacred and secular carols and Christmas songs, in English, German and Latin

As I’m about as musical as a teaspoon, I only did the prooflistening… and read the intro/outro for mum’s contribution. She chose the song “Es wird scho glei dumpa”, a lovely carol in German dialect and one of her favorites:

Here is the whole awesome collection. Hope you enjoy listening as much as I did! :D

http://librivox.org/christmas-carol-collection-2011-by-various/

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The Little Mud-Sparrows

December 9, 2011 by Elli

Just a tiny post to tell you all about the beautiful poem I recorded last weekend for the fortnightly poetry collection at LibriVox. The poem is called “The Little Mud-Sparrows” by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps. (taken from CHRISTMAS IN LEGEND AND STORY; A Book for Boys and Girls, complied by Elva S. Smith, Carnegie Library Pittsburgh and Alice I. Hazeltine)

Here is the poem and my version of it:

A Jewish Legend

I like that old, kind legend
Not found in Holy Writ,
And wish that John or Matthew
Had made Bible out of it.

But though it is not Gospel,
There is no law to hold
The heart from growing better
That hears the story told:—

How the little Jewish children
Upon a summer day,
Went down across the meadows
With the Child Christ to play.

And in the gold-green valley,
Where low the reed-grass lay,
They made them mock mud-sparrows
Out of the meadow clay.

So, when these all were fashioned,
And ranged in rows about,
“Now,” said the little Jesus,
“We’ll let the birds fly out.”

Then all the happy children
Did call, and coax, and cry—
Each to his own mud-sparrow:
“Fly, as I bid you! Fly!”

But earthen were the sparrows,
And earth they did remain,
Though loud the Jewish children
Cried out, and cried again.

Except the one bird only
The little Lord Christ made;
The earth that owned Him Master,
—His earth heard and obeyed.

Softly He leaned and whispered:
“Fly up to Heaven! Fly!”
And swift, His little sparrow
Went soaring to the sky,

And silent, all the children
Stood, awestruck, looking on,
Till, deep into the heavens,
The bird of earth had gone.

I like to think, for playmate
We have the Lord Christ still,
And that still above our weakness
He works His mighty will,

That all our little playthings
Of earthen hopes and joys
Shall be, by His commandment,
Changed into heavenly toys.

Our souls are like the sparrows
Imprisoned in the clay,
Bless Him who came to give them wings
Upon a Christmas Day!

Isn’t it simply beautiful? If you feel like recording is, the project is still open and can be found here: https://forum.librivox.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=37121

 

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Aladdin und die Wunderlampe – My new LibriVox Solo

December 8, 2011 by Elli

Today I finally had time to edit the first chapter of my new LibriVox Solo, called “Aladdin und die Wunderlampe”. It’s the famous story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp, which is part of the book of A Thousand and One Nights retold in poems by Ludwig Fulda. Here is how it starts out:

Aladdin und die Wunderlampe

Kommt, Kinder, faßt mich bei der Hand!

Ich führ’ euch in das Morgenland

Und in sein Märchenparadies

Auf einem wohlbekannten Pfade.

Vor langen, langen Jahren wies

Ihn die berühmte Schehersade

Dem argen Sultan Scheherban,

Sodaß der greuliche Tyrann—

Weil ihre Kunst, in bunten Bildern

Ihm eine Zauberwelt zu schildern,

Unwiderstehlich ihn berauschte—

Vergessend Speis’ und Trank und Ruh’,

Ihr volle tausend Nächte lauschte

Und eine weitre noch dazu…

And here is my first chapter:

Anyway here is the project and the online text can be found here. :D

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My red convertible mittens

December 4, 2011 by Elli

Today I finished my red convertible mittens and they turned quite well, though I’m not yet sure I’ll be wearing them much. Usually I prefer fingerless mittens as they let me use my ipod quite comfortably. But the weather is definitely getting too cold for those and so I just had to try convertible ones for a change. What worries me a little is that the cap will get tangled up too easily. Also they seem a little clumsy. Oh well, guess I’ll find out as soon as they are dry again. (Right now they are in “blocking” stage.)

Anyway here they are:

My red convertible mittens

LOL, it seems that the picture got accidentially turned around when I uploaded it. Will change that later on… if I remember. ;)

The pattern itself is great but as I prefer working with smaller needles I had to modify it quite a bit. Here is what I did:

I used 2.5 needles instead of the required size 4 and cast on 42 stitches (as required for L size in the pattern.) For the ribbing and thumb increases I followed L size of the pattern. But as my mittens were considerably smaller after those increases I worked another 10 rows before I moved the 15 stitches for the thumb on a spare bit of yarn.
After that I continued working in plain stockinette stitch (without the knuckle increases… my hands are very slim and there is plenty of space even without those increases) till my mittens had the right length. Before binding off I worked a couple of rounds of k1 p1 ribbing. (I didn’t knit the fingers for I prefer haven enough space to move my fingers even when I pull the mitten cap over them).
For the cap I followed the L pattern again. Only I didn’t do the chart. Also I slightly modified the decreases. There are 52 stitches for the cap, 26 stitches on the front and on the back of the cap. I worked:
1. decrease round: k2 k2tog k4, k2tog, k8, k2tog k4, k2tog, k2 (repeat)
2-5. k those rounds
6. k2 k2tog k3, k2tog, k6, k2tog k3, k2tog, k2 (repeat)
7-9. k those rounds even
10. k2 k2tog k2, k2tog, k4, k2tog k2, k2tog, k2 (repeat)
11-12. k those rounds even
13. k2 k2tog k1, k2tog, k2, k2tog k1, k2tog, k2 (repeat)
14. knit that round even
15. k2tog till end of round, cut yarn and thread through remaining stitches before pulling closed and sewing the loose end in.
For the thumb I picked up another 3 stitches and then knit till it had the right length. I did another couple of rounds of k1p1 ribbing before binding off. (It’s much more comfortable to have the use of the thumb too when listening to music on my ipod.)

While knitting I watched a couple of epidsodes of Breaking Bad. Omg, the ending of season 3 was totally unexpected and quite violent, but also really awesome. Can’t wait to get started on season 4!

Also I relistened to Kara‘s LibriVox recording of Helen’s Babies by John Habberton. I simply love that recording. The story is so funny that it still makes me laugh out loud though I almost know it by heart.

Anyway, back to knitting. As usual the pattern is from ravelry and can be found here: http://ravel.me/aravis83/dy54u …along with all yarn/needle details and some more pictures. :D

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Happy 1. Dec – Adventskalender 2011

December 1, 2011 by Elli

For once I’m on time posting about the German Adventskalender on LibriVox. It’s a collection of 24 lovely stories, poems, fairy tales and many other texts centered around Christmas, snow, winter and everything related to it.

Anyway, here is the catalog page with all recordings and other details:

Happy 1. December and have fun listening! :D

http://librivox.org/adventskalender-2011-by-various/

Here is one of my recordings:

It’s called Bärbele’s Weihnachten by Ottilie Wildermuth. It’s a lovely tale about a poor little girl, who is longing to have a godmother like all the other children in the small village…

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Super Mario Bros Opera

November 30, 2011 by Elli

If you love Super Mario you absolutely have to watch this. I think it’s the very best opera I’ve ever seen. ;)

Isn’t it absolutely great?  :D

Posted in audio, video, Whatever | 2 Comments »

Happy Halloween!

November 1, 2011 by Elli

It’s such a pity that we don’t have a proper Halloween, with witches, ghosts, zombies, trick-or-treating and other fun stuff here.  Still I had a wonderful time carving out this “beauty” for today’s party:

My Jack O’Lantern

Doesn’t he look great (though his teeth are crooked and in desperate need of braces ;) )?

He did an awesome job as main decoration and his guts made a wonderful super-yummy soup with cute cheese bats in it. Also we tried out the Snap-Dragon Game, about which I read in one of Agatha Christie’s novels. The game is about grabbing as many rasins as possible out of a plate of burning brandy. It was splendid fun though I only managed to get out one raisin.

Anyway, a Happy Halloween everyone! :D

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