FINALLY – Workshop 5 is online!

Up to now it’s „only” the German version but we hope to get the English version ready by mid January. Sorry, we need a break! Nada who has promised to do the translation for me will have time after the Holidays, and she’ll need her time. Please have even some more patience, you’ll be rewarded :)!

Workshop 5 is the largest workshop I probably will ever write (?) – 108 pages, 94 photos and illustrations … You’ll really learn a LOT of tips and tricks in Swing-Knitting™! In order to understand this workshop, you must have done Swing-Knitting™ 1 to 3.

Part 1 of this workshop is about “First Aid” – how to cope with mistakes, irregularities and mishaps while knitting – including Karin Fischer’s excellent description how to save a fallen double stitch.

In part 2 we’ll do the Swingy Hitchhiker – a large crescent shawl, diagonally swing-knitted, that can be bound in your back. When I chose this project I didn’t guess the least of all the advanced Swing-Knitting™ techniques it brings along!

When you’ve swing-knitted™ the Swingy Hichhiker along we me, you will have earned your “journeyman’s exam” – and you will be fit to do your own projects in Swing-Knitting™ technique!

I had to knit four Swingy Hitchhikers to write this workshop – inbetween was a long pause because of my tenancy changeover and some good and some bad occurrences – now I wish you BIG FUN swing-knitting your Swingy Hitchhiker!

Two days ago, the German version of the Swingy Julekuler went online on Ravelry, and I just finished uploading the English version.

My new neighbours charming young tom cats are to “blame” – they visit me quite frequently and think my Christmas decoration is a wonderful playground :), so my glass ornaments will stay in the box this year, I needed new unbreakable decoration for the Christmas tree!

The Swingy Julekuler are a fast and easy project. If you’ve done Swing-Knitting™ Workshops 1 to 3, you’ll have no problem following my step by step instruction.

On 27 pages with 48 pictures I show you 8 different ornaments: for two yarn weights and two ball sizes (6 and 10 cm), two pattern each with different stanzas . makes a total of 8.

You’ll learn something new as well – how to swing-knit™ in the round!

And now have fun “kulering” :)!

Here is a small Christmas project for all of you who are already waiting (too long :)) for Workshop 5. The Swingy Xmas is a fast and easy project and can be used as a door wreath or put into a basket with candles and serve as Advent wreath – so everyone can see how super Swing-Knitting™ looks!

You can do the Swingy Xmas after having finished Workshops 1 and 2 – we use safety pin as markers for the short rows but there is no pin interaction, so you needn’t know Workshop 3 (yet).

Swingy Xmas is a Photo Tutorial that shows the making of the wreath step by step – on 32 pages with 53 color photos you can see the whole process from casting on over Swing-Knitting™ to completing the wreath and the three decorations.

The workshop is available in German and English in my Ravelry online shop.

Workshop 5 will probably go online in about 2 weeks – I have to knit the complete shawl again to go into the depth again and find the discrepancies in the pin positions after stanza 50. The theory part is already half complete, so there is still hope to get ready soon ….

Have fun and a wonderful Christmas time!

Hello, I’m back again!

For those of you who wondered why I have been so silent for so long – here is my explanation!

I have sold my house and therefore had to clear about 200 m2 all filled up with stuff – you won’t believe how much you can collect and keep in a big house within 12 years!

As always, such a big step is connected with lots of human experiences: sadness and disappointment about people who I thought were good friends, and joy and thankfulness about people who showed themselves as true friends. Thanks a lot to you, esp to Heinz and Brigitta – without your help I wouldn’t have been able to succeed!
I already did several hundreds Ebay auctions – at least as many I still have to do. A cellar room full of good things I want to sell, that means taking photos, measuring and describing them, making up the auctions, answering questions, shipping …..
And there is still a big shed full of crafty things that I collected within the last 30 years. Most of them I’ll have to sell as well – but before I have to move all this stuff into a garage (that I still have to find) …

Now I live as a tenant in the annex of my former house, my former office. Thanks to the very nice young couple who bought my house, me and my cats and dogs can stay! There was a big lot of conversion and alteration to do – with all the dirt, dust and hassle you can imagine! Just a few examples: 3 weeks my only water supply was the angle valve In the bath and a bucket, for 6 weeks my kitchen was 2 boxes and a microwave, the computer couldn’t stand the dust any longer and collapsed, a big water damage with some hundred liters going through the ceiling, 2 of the 6 kitchen cabinets I bought, were complete, subsequent delivery 4 weeks later, …. – in short: All the mishaps you can imagine I went through!
Now I have a fully functioning bathroom and a nearly complete kitchen, most of my stuff is put away, I’m satisfied and comfortable, and finally I have some time to spend on Swing-Knitting™.

First I’ll finally finish Workshop 5! The knitting part, I still have to work over, and the theoretical part I still have to write completely – I hope, I’ll be done by the end of November, and then I’ll do the translation asap.

The sketch of next Workshop’s theory is already done, and so are the preliminary stages of the knitting project. It will be an extraordinary lace shawl, and you’ll learn a lot!

By the way, the sock book is ready and has been presented on the Frankfurt Book Fair – as soon as the published gives his okay, I’ll tell you more about it! That just a little book means that amount of work, I wouldn’t have dreamed of! Designing, knitting, calculating – 13 pairs of socks in 3 different sizes means making lots of texts and their corrections, drawing illustrations, taking step photos, taking knitting technique photos, trimming the text parts several times (grrrmpf!!!), changing illustrations …. In January the German version will be published by Christopherus Verlag as publisher. Thanks to Claudia Schuh as editorial journalist of OZ Verlag, Michaela Renz as knitting editor and Regina Sidabras as editor – we did a terrific job at record speed, and it was great fun to work with you!

I can already give away that I’m in the middle of a new big project – it will stay secret for some time, and I won’t let the cat out of the bag yet!

My dear friend Ingrid lost her fight against cancer, I already told you. I miss her so much! Thank you to all of you who gave me comfort in kind words and thoughts.

Please forgive me if I didn’t answer your emails or questions during the last turbulent months – for quite a time I only scanned my inbox roughly, and I am sure I just forgot a lot as well. There are still about 800 mails I have to look through ….

Your great Swing-Knitting™ projects gave me a lot of fun and joy! I enjoyed all your wonderful Swing-Knitting™ Art in our Ravelry group http://www.ravelry.com/groups/knitting-the-swing—swing-knitting . It’s a real wonder how much creativity we grow as a group!

And now we’ll go on together again!
With kindest regards,
Heidrun

Thank you, dear Ingrid for getting to know you and grow fond as a friend!

You have encouraged me to start my swing knitting™ when I wanted to stop knitting completely! You have supported me over and over again, with much vigorous help in this subject and emotionally – (how many Hitchies have you testknitted, before we found out the right shape?)! Not only with swing knitting™, but during all that rough time that hopefully soon lie behind me – without your great ideas, your clever advice and your craft talent in my flat it wouldn’t be half as nice here!

You have lived with confidence and faith in God, and I hope that you are now where there is no more pain and suffering any more.

I will miss you very much!

Today, in the afternoon of October 4th, 2011 Ingrid Kemper has passed away, shortly after her 65th birthday. She has fought so courageously against the cancer, but her body couldn´t keep up the fight. Today, shortly after her renewed admission in the hospital, on the Palliativ station of the Johannes hospital of Dortmund-Hörde, she peacefully passed away in her sleep, totally unexpected for her family and friends.

The requiem and burial will be next Monday or Tuesday; I´ll let you know more as soon as I get to know.

We – Ingrids knitting friends – would like to give her a flower arrangement in her favourite knitting colours.

If you want to take part in it, please get in contact with Gaby Auerbach (gaby.auerbach@web.de).

This is how we’ll remember you!