Latest Forum Posts by: mowi 19

Ooooh, Veronika—spiders!!
But when they’re perched on such a vibrant pillow, they look really decorative. Definitely something very special. Your spiders almost look cute...

Dear Petra,

Happy birthday, and I wish you a wonderful day full of lovely surprises. 



With love
Monika

Yes, you’re right, Veronika. And to be honest, as an author, it’s always a mystery to me. Customers seem happy, but then they deduct a star. Most of the time, though, I’ve reached out to them to ask why. Very often, the answer was that they hadn’t even noticed. They clicked somewhere and suddenly it was only 4 stars. These customers then corrected their rating—much to my delight.

Oh, Andrea, that really looks cozy. We’re about to head out to meet up with some friends. I’m sure there’ll be some delicious cake there, too.

Yes, Petra, that’s definitely a good idea—to become independent of the freezer. I didn’t know until now that dough can also be preserved. After all, water and flour don’t require a freezer either. I don’t quite see the point with the dough right now.

The olive thing is really exciting and basically very simple if you keep a few things in mind. I’m definitely looking forward to trying it out, since we love eating olives. Today is day 2 of the soaking process.

Oh wow, your grandson has really grown, Ina. Such cute photos! Thanks for sharing. It all looks really good on him, and the beanie fits perfectly. Great!

Oh, Johansi, that sounds so nice! As a village helper, you’ve surely had many wonderful—and also sad—experiences. I can very well imagine that friendships form there on a very special basis. How sweet... you’re the Mimioma. :))

Oh wow, I’ve never heard of that either. Sounds interesting. At our house, we always bake fresh rolls; we freeze some and bake them one by one in the morning.

I’m currently working on pickling fresh olives. I ordered some from Mallorca and started today. There were instructions included, and I also looked up a few pages online.

Now they’re washed, each olive has been lightly scored or cut, and they have to sit in clean water for 8–10 days so the bitterness can leach out. The water has to be changed at least once a day. After that, they go into brine. But I’m not there yet.

I’m already looking forward to it, even if it takes some patience for now. After all, they’ll have to sit in brine for at least another 3–4 weeks.

In any case, this saves a lot of money. 1.4 kilos is really a lot. That’ll last us quite a while.

I wish you all a wonderful weekend, and to anyone who needs it, I hope you get well soon. Yes, we eat brown millet in our muesli every day—and actually, my joints are feeling really good.

This weekend, I’m going to try my hand at making fresh olives. It’s the first time I’ve ever pickled them myself.

And my first granddaughter shares my birthday—the second was born two days after my husband’s birthday. We both think that’s great.

Andrea, Claudia will surely be happy to see that her creations are even on display in a yarn shop. And the chair for the men waiting is also a great idea. Mine, though, always comes along and likes to look at the yarn himself—with a looooot of patience. :-)

Oh, that looks delicious, Petra. Tell me, how did you preserve it with the preserving lid? I always make plum butter right in the pot and then just pour it hot into jars.

Margitta, your wrist warmers look really great. I also wear wrist warmers at the computer in the winter because my hands get cold easily.

johansi, your headband is really almost finished. Great! What’s an assignment family? Do you babysit there often?  

You can knit this cute jacket for a small floppy teddy bear measuring 20–25 cm. It looks very cute on him. Leftover yarn is sufficient here, and the jacket would certainly look great with stripes, too.

All steps are well described, so even beginners with basic skills can follow along.

Click here for the crochet pattern.

You can make young children with a play shop really happy with this bag, filled with carrots and lemons. They’re always in need of restocks, and of course, a shopping bag is a must-have. Maybe this will be a great addition to the play shop for Christmas?

All the pieces are very easy to crochet—even for beginners with basic skills. This is also a great way to use up leftover cotton yarn and get creative with it.

Click here for the crochet pattern.

Wow, Anton has really grown up!! I can still remember the day you wrote about his birth. That’s such a beautiful picture! Thanks for letting us share in the special moments of this birthday. It’s really great that your men have their birthdays on the same day. It’s like a family gift from heaven.

I got a balloon like that when I turned 40 and loved it so much. It brought out the child in me. :)

So I hope you all have a lot of fun celebrating this weekend, and that all the balloons stay with you until they deflate on their own.

Oh johansi, everything really does look absolutely great. And I’m also excited to see what beautiful things will come of it. Now the dark Nepal yarn has found its purpose, too. It just didn’t speak to me. I prefer lighter colors.

So now the package is going back to its origin, to Ina. I’m curious to see what treasures will arrive there.

This practical pull-on hat with a shawl collar made from merino wool is for all babies who don’t like having things pulled over their heads. I knitted it for my granddaughter. Both mother and child were very happy with it.

The hat has a shawl collar, so the neck and nape stay nicely protected and warm. At the front, the hat simply buttons closed.

Knitting it is even possible for beginners with basic skills, as the feedback shows. It really is very easy to make with the pattern.

Go to the knitting pattern

Dear Pe-Ka,

I’d also like to wish you a very happy birthday. Let yourself be pampered and showered with gifts—make sure to savor every moment. This day is all yours.



Warm regards
Monika

Wow, Steffi, you make some really interesting things. You’re really spicing up our thread because these are mostly things that nobody else shows here. I’ve never seen balls like that before either. Yeah, and I kind of lack the patience for something like that, too.

Thank you so much for the feedback on my tunic. Whether I’ll wear it just yet… we’ll see. It would definitely look great with leggings underneath and a shirt. But I’m definitely looking forward to wearing it often next summer. I’m totally in love with this color combination. And to be honest, right now I don’t feel motivated to make another tunic. Maybe that’ll come back next spring. This one took too much time, patience, and nerves. ;-)

For now, I wish you all a lovely sunny day—just like the one we’re having here right now.

Oh wow, thank you, dear Ina, for these detailed details. That’s actually quite a small amount of fabric needed. Cotton fleece—I’ll have to see where I can find some.

I could actually see myself making a hat like this for myself, for the in-between seasons.

Since the hat doesn’t have a cuff, it has to be sewn to fit the head circumference quite precisely. You’ve definitely inspired me (as you have so many times before) to take a closer look at this.

Thanks and best wishes from Monika

Petra, I like the pumpkin house—it’s so colorful. What are you putting inside it?

I can now show off my finished tunic. I haven’t woven in the loose ends yet. I knitted it extra long on purpose because I really like that look. I really like it now. I still need to steam the edges a bit so they don’t curl up. Now summer can come… or I’ll wear it with a shirt underneath. By the way, the tunic flares out more at the bottom—I just realized that’s not very visible in this photo. I’ll take a new photo after steaming it.

Yum, applesauce. Petra, you can let us know how you made it.

Dear Sandra,

I wish your two “boys” all the best and hope they share many wonderful experiences with you in the coming year. Unfortunately, I don’t have a dinosaur picture to post here, but I do have a beautiful butterfly instead.



Warm regards
Monika

I like the pink shades best. I’m sure the pieces you sew will turn out lovely again.

Ina, I have another question about the fabric:
How thick does it need to be for a beanie? And what type of fabric is it? Cotton, right?
And how big were the pieces you used for it?

Petra,

yes, I poured the salt-and-vinegar water from the pre-cooking process into the jars.

I put the beans directly into the jars while they were still hot after cooking, then poured the hot salt-and-vinegar water over them. Then I placed the jars in the boiling water in the pot. That way, everything was at the same temperature, which is important when canning.

The beans should be added to boiling water. But the 15 minutes only start counting once the water is boiling again.

Anything that doesn’t fit in the jars, you can let cool and then freeze. That works perfectly, too. I’m already looking forward to my first bean salad.

Oh how lovely, Johansi, that the package is now with you. Yes, it really is enormous, everything that's in there. That makes choosing very difficult. There is also sock yarn from me in it. I'm very curious to see what you will pick out for yourself.

On the first day, I also set quite a few things aside for myself and then swapped some of them out the next day. It's good to sleep on it and only decide then.

Have lots of fun with your wool bath!

Best regards from Monika

These sustainable cardboard tissue boxes can be hidden beautifully and decoratively under such a pretty cover. This way, the tissues can always be close at hand in the bathroom, restroom, kitchen, and even on the dining table. For those who are very environmentally conscious, the tissues can even replace a napkin.

This pretty decoration, embellished with butterflies and hearts, is very quick and easy to crochet—even for beginners with basic skills. The pattern is written in detail, making it easy to crochet.

A perfect project for leftover yarn—and of course also wonderfully suitable as a gift.

To the crochet pattern

This sweater for 2- to 3-year-olds is knitted from sock yarn, which gives it a special, unique character. The collar keeps the neck nice and warm, and the button placket makes it easy to put on and take off. My grandchildren love this sweater; now the younger one is wearing it.

The sweater has virtually no seams. The sleeves are knitted on, and the body is worked in the round from the bottom up. Everything is well explained, making it easy to follow.

To the knitting pattern

Great, you’ve convinced me, at least. I guess I’ll keep an eye out for them...

Wow, Steffi, how did you paint these amazing cards? I’m amazed!

Ruth, I love your little witches—they make such a beautiful decoration. It just goes to show that everyone has their own special talents. I also admire your small projects.

My tunic will definitely take until tomorrow. Yesterday I started a gauge swatch for a new project—using swap yarn. More on that once I really get started. And I also picked out some really nice, soft sock yarn for a loop scarf. I do have some already, but they’re either too thick or the colors don’t go with everything. So I’ve got something completely simple to work on in the meantime. I really need that after finishing the tunic.

After that, I’ll start thinking about a sweater for Linja. Unfortunately, I don’t have any measurements yet—I’ll get those from her parents later.

Dear Sternen-Welt,

I’d also like to congratulate you and wish you many wonderful ideas in the new year that will make other people happy—and you, of course.



Warm
regards, Monika

Wow, Andrea, those are such lovely vacation snapshots. When you see them, the weather doesn’t really matter anymore. I love the Harz Mountains, too. Sitting in a café, nice and cozy—I could really enjoy that right now.

Your Bobbel looks great. A shop like that would be an absolute must-visit for me, too, if I happened to pass by. How often do you get an opportunity like that!

Keep enjoying your vacation and have a really great time.

Warm regards from dreary, damp, and cold Bavaria, where it’s 8–10 degrees.

Monika

Well, Ina, you’re already encouraging others to give this a try. It depends on whether my granddaughters’ parents agree—I could see myself making something like this too.

Just to be safe, you can also boil them for 15–20 minutes once they’re in the boiling water. That’s pretty much what happened for me, since the water stopped boiling at first. Then I only started counting once it was boiling again. So that was already a total of 20 minutes.

Dear Ina,

oh dear—just blanching them only works if they’re going to be frozen afterward. When preserving, they need to be cooked first. And you absolutely can’t do it without at least some salt. I used salt and vinegar, partly for the flavor. One teaspoon of salt per jar!

Now, of course, I’m hoping everything turns out well. They’re definitely sealed tight.

I definitely won’t wait long to try the first bean salad, because I’m curious to see how it tastes.

Best regards, Monika

This set looks great too, Ina. What a great idea—a double-layer sewn beanie with fleece.

Wow, Ina, that looks amazing! Just like something from a store.
Your grandson is definitely going to be thrilled. I can just picture his eyes lighting up.

Finding fabric like that was a real stroke of luck.

Wow, Ines, your flower arrangement looks fantastic! I’m thrilled! This bouquet will last forever—it’ll bring joy even in winter.

Now I wish you a wonderful vacation. Enjoy it! I’m a little envious of you… it’s only 8–9 degrees here today. But it’ll get a bit warmer in the next few days.

I wish you all a wonderful day!

I’m going to finish my tunic today—it’s time for some new projects. I’ve already picked out some swap yarn to make a loop scarf for myself. I could really use one right now.

@johansi,
you won’t believe how fast the mail is! I also sent mine from Bavaria, and it arrived in the northeast in just one day. So you can look forward to your wool surprise package very soon.

Best wishes to you all
Monika

Andrea, I hope you have a wonderful vacation. Enjoy it as much as you can.

Ruth, your scarf looks great, but it’s really not that easy to make out. At least knitting it was fun.

Marion, your tunic looks really great. I’m sure you’ll love wearing it. It’s definitely a pain, that’s true. I’ll be glad when it’s finished, too, because I’ve knitted the entire pattern at the bottom twice by now. I won’t be knitting the bottom edge with picot—I’ll see how it goes. With so many stitches, it’s too time-consuming for me.

Have a great week, everyone!

Dear Heidi,

I’d also like to send my heartfelt congratulations and wish you that everything goes well for you and brings you joy in the year ahead.



All the best
Monika

Dear birthday girl,

I’d also like to wish you all the best and lots of joy in the coming year.



Warm
regards, Monika

Yes, Ina, of course I did my research beforehand, so I know they have to be cooked first. Otherwise, I find canning beans pretty easy.

I just described it in a bit more detail in case anyone else feels like giving it a try.

I prefer them fresh, too, but in the winter we just have to rely on our pantry supplies. And since we love beans so much, I decided to give this a try. I’ll definitely let you know as soon as we eat a bean salad from the jars.

Best regards, Monika

Oh, sorry if that came across that way—I certainly didn’t mean it to be derogatory.

I would like to add, though, that the yarns are still among my favorites and that there are very good instructional videos for many techniques. It’s just that the patterns there ... are in no way comparable to the ones here.

@jennifer-kunfira

Six years ago, while searching for a pattern, I also came across Garnstudio. But to be honest, I couldn’t figure out any of the patterns there.

That’s exactly why I ended up here. Here I found what I was looking for: a pattern with detailed instructions and photos—exactly what I need.

There are also many free patterns here that give you a glimpse into how the authors structure their patterns, which is a great way to get started.

Why not just give it a try? You also have the advantage here of being able to ask the authors themselves for help.

Good luck!

Best regards
Monika

So, now I’ve got the beans all ready in jars. It was a new and wonderful experience.

• I’d bought 2 kg at the market.
• I washed them thoroughly, trimmed the ends, and cut them into small pieces. Wherever there were brown spots on the beans, I removed those parts!
  
• Then I parboiled them in a large pot for 10 minutes with 3 liters of water, 5 teaspoons of salt, and about 1/4 liter of wine vinegar. The beans were cooked through but still nice and crisp. I poured them into the boiling water.
  
• In the meantime, I rinsed the 4 jars with boiling water and set them aside.
• I added some well-washed savory to the jars.
• Then I filled the jars with the small pieces of beans up to 2 cm below the rim.
• After that, I poured the salt-and-vinegar water into the jars, also stopping 2 cm below the rim, so that the beans were covered.
• Now it was time to use the large pot with the Tescoma lid. I placed the Tescoma base inside and added a good liter of boiling water.
• Then I placed the 4 hot jars inside, making sure they didn’t touch each other.
  
• I put the lid on and turned the stove up to full heat until the temperature gauge read between 80 and 90 degrees.
• Then I had to keep readjusting the temperature for about 20 minutes, keeping it at 90 degrees. I was able to do that on the lowest setting.
• In total—from the moment the thermometer read 85 degrees—I let the beans cook at 90 degrees for 70 minutes. Less time would probably have been enough. Then I turned off the stove and let everything continue to heat through until 1.5 hours had passed.
• Then I took the jars out and placed them on a thick towel.

I let the remaining beans that didn’t fit in the jars (about 500 g) cool and then froze them. Those will be used for soup. I’ll make bean salad with the jars.

Of course, I tasted the beans, and they taste delicious in this broth. They’ll be even better in the jars, since the savory is added there as well.

I actually found a taller pot in the basement, so I didn’t need the riser this time. The jars reached all the way to the top, and the lid fits perfectly.

Here’s the result:

Oh, Anja, that doesn’t sound good at all. First of all, I hope you feel better soon—in every way, of course. It’s really sad when you’ve cared for a little animal like that and even spent money on it, only for it not to make it after all. But at least it was spared the long winter. If hedgehogs aren’t in good shape now, they won’t make it through the winter.
Yeah, it’s strange that photos from customers are disappearing. I’ve never experienced that before, but I’m sure there’s a reason. Why don’t you just ask the author?

I can tell that the sudden cold is really getting to me, but at least there’s warm, wooly clothing. :)

My tunic is coming along—I’m already back at the bottom of the pattern. It’s going to look really great this time. Here’s a progress update: