Latest Forum Posts by: mowi 19

Wow, how beautiful—a mandala! I like this just as much as the colorful sunshade. Was this once bedding?

Thanks, Josefa. I’d also like to wish everyone who stops by here a wonderful weekend and lots of joy in September.

I’m going to enjoy the weekend in the garden one last time while the summer weather is still nice. After that, it’ll probably be over.

Wow, you’ve picked out some really lovely treasures, Steffi. I knew that thick brown yarn was meant for you. :) The little ones go well with yours. I’m sure you’ll come up with something lovely.

I didn’t know that the turquoise yarn is called “paper yarn.” I’d never heard of it before and was wondering what kind of strange yarn it was. How nice that it’s now found a home with you.

I also noticed the set of double-pointed needles, but I generally don’t knit with them.

I’m curious to see what you’ll conjure up with all these treasures.

Ruth, that looks great. What a beautiful door wreath! Wow!

Knitting this collared hat / slip-on hood with buttons for toddlers will be a joy. It has a pattern that works like an air cushion and, together with the thick yarn, keeps them warm. My granddaughter loved this hat very much.

To the knitting pattern

This mini sleeping bag for small dolls, teddy bears, or other stuffed animals up to 20 cm tall is very easy to knit, even for beginners. All you need is a bit of leftover yarn, and you can make a small child very happy. Going to bed will be much easier when their favorite toy has a sleeping bag too.

The pattern includes 2 different designs. You’ll enjoy both of them.

To the knitting pattern

Oh, it’s so nice to read through your replies. It all feels really great to me. We’re retired now, too, but we still work freelance on an hourly basis. The best part is that we can set our own schedule. Sleeping in—that’s what we enjoy most.

I’m familiar with getting up early, even at 4 a.m. When I was young, I delivered newspapers in the mornings for a few years. They all had to be delivered by 6 a.m. Then I was home when my son woke up—and our daycare child arrived. I’d nap along with the two little ones when they took their naps.

Later, at my husband’s massage practice, we also had to get up early and were on our feet until evening. That’s why we enjoy it all the more today that those days are over.

Even as retirees, there’s always something to do—the garden, housework, bookkeeping, tidying up, cooking, and so on. On my day for the soul, I only do what makes me feel good. That might very well include some gardening… but only when I feel like it, not because I have to. That’s a big difference.

Thank you so much for your fantastic ideas and contributions here. And of course, I’m looking forward to many more of you who have the courage to write here. It just feels good to pop in here every now and then and get ideas for a day like this—a day for the soul.

Warm regards from Monika

Wow, Marion, you’re already so far along!! I’ve caught up a bit now too — after the sleeves, I’ve now managed 14 rounds on the body. I also spent a lot of time working on the tunic today. It’s just so much fun. It’s almost boring now without a stitch pattern, but it’s relaxing.

I won’t have much time over the next few days since we’re going to visit the children in a week. There’s still quite a bit to prepare and finish up. I’ll definitely take the tunic with me and knit on it during the journey.

How do you make the sleeves drape better? They seem to stick out quite a bit right now. I also think the neckline is pretty wide.

Wow, your ideas are amazing! Yes, I’ll definitely include a foot bath next time. A nice scent and—oh yes—looking at photos, too—I’ll keep that in mind.

Thanks for your inspiration. I’d love to hear more of it. :))

Steffi, that guilty conscience has always haunted me, too. Today I sent it on vacation and told myself that, after all, I’m the one who decides how to live my life. Since I didn’t take any vacation this year, I’m going to split it up into “feel-good days.” I’ve never managed to do that at home before… but it’s really just a decision. Give those “soul moments” a try… that’s truly a great start. Consciously enjoy them, and treat yourself to a little more of them every day.

Dear Andrea,

That sounds really relaxing and wonderful for you, too. My partner treated himself to a bath today as well. I took the time to knit today and actually managed to let all my chores slide. I only had to reheat some food because there was still enough left over from yesterday.

I’m now looking forward to more ideas from you all about what a day for the soul might look like for you. Maybe there’s something in there for me, too—something I haven’t even thought of yet.

Warm regards from Monika

Now I can finally show you the progress on my tunic. I’ve even finished one armhole already. The second is on the needle. After that, it’ll be easier to continue and of course faster. Here’s what it looks like now:



The bag for Juna I’ll show you again as well. In my swap group, I found someone who makes embroidered patches like these. I’ve now got one in exactly the right matching color - for now I’ve just laid it on top. It looks sooo great, and now she’ll have a bag that can’t be mixed up. Interesting - I’m just noticing that the colors match my tunic exactly.



Today I’m having a day for the soul. I wrote in a separate thread about what exactly that looks like - here is the link. Maybe I’ll inspire you to treat yourself to a day like that too. It’s doing me a lot of good right now. I’ve just gone and got some chocolate too. :))

Dear friends,

today I’m treating myself to a day all to myself—a day with no major obligations, a day to indulge in all sorts of nice things… a day for the soul, basically. Since it’s raining (a blessing for nature), I’m spending it in the living room. Let me tell you what that looks like for me.

Of course, that includes doing my favorite activity—knitting. Beautiful music, a candle, a slice of cake, and a hot cocoa to go with it. Hmmm… pure bliss.

Normally I’d have quite a bit to do, but I’ve simply treated myself to this day, and it feels absolutely wonderful. It’s recharging my batteries so I can hit the ground running again tomorrow.



Of course, I didn’t create this thread just for myself—I want to inspire you to do the same.

What would be part of a “day for the soul” for you? How would you spend it? Tell us about it… You’ll be making yourself—and all of us here—happy, and bringing a little light into what might otherwise be a gloomy day.

Wow, Ines, I’m thrilled with your sweater—especially the pattern! It looks great. The little basket is very pretty, too. It’s amazing what a bow and some ruffles can do.

Marlies, that raglan is really easy. You’ll get the hang of it soon enough. And then it’ll fly off the needles—you’ll see. Your crocheted cakes and the cute packaging—wow, those are masterpieces! And they’re fun, too. What a highlight for a birthday!

Steffi, your braided circle is a massive project—it definitely looks great. I can totally picture it as a blanket, too.

Petra, you have such a pretty little house; it looks very cozy.

I want to knit my tunic up to the sleeve tonight—I got quite a bit done in the garden. I’ll probably show you the progress so far tomorrow. The colors are absolutely gorgeous; I’m really thrilled with the color gradient.

Wow, Marlies, that looks delicious. You’ve already built up quite a good supply. That cucumber is huge!

When we get back from our short trip, I want to can some beans.

August was a really wonderful month for me, too. We had a bountiful raspberry harvest, and everything else grew very well as well. We were even able to harvest some small nectarines.

The weather was fantastic, so I was able to spend a lot of time in the garden.

Marlene, I love the hat—everything about it. The matching wrist warmers are great. That color combination would be my choice, too.

I’m going to keep knitting my tunic now. I’ve gotten really motivated and want to get to the start of the armholes today.

Have a great day, everyone.

Yes, I love flared pants too—I’ve always loved them. I actually still have a pair in my closet that even fits me again. Great—I’m so happy! Although… I always wear what I like and what’s comfortable, no matter what fashion trends might dictate is “in” right now.

Oh my goodness, Anja, I really don’t understand why it has to be that way.

There’s also a really great, simple video on YouTube for the Frankfurt knot. But who knows—maybe there’s an even easier way.

Anja, did you happen to come across a pattern for “raglan from the bottom”? I’ve knitted that way before, but I much prefer it from the top.

This colorful clothing set will delight any doll mom if she has a doll child about 45–50 cm tall. It has a few pretty details that make it something special. I knitted the set from the leftovers of the doll mom’s colorful skirt, so they can even be dressed in a matching look.

Go to the knitting pattern

Oh dear, Anja, I wouldn’t feel like doing that either. Wasn’t that mentioned in the shop description? I love raglan sleeves because there’s nothing to sew there.

When it's warm, I prefer a light dress or a skirt. Otherwise, I also prefer to wear pants.

Dear Birgit,

I’d also like to extend my warmest congratulations to you, and I wish you all the best for the coming year. First of all, some rain for your garden. :)



Warm regards
Monika

Ruth, I’m really looking forward to seeing your scarf. I think illusion knitting is absolutely beautiful. So far, though, I’ve only dabbled in it a little. I think I really need to clone myself after all... ;-)

Anja, it’s really great when two people are knitting the same project. It’s so nice to chat about it. You’re already dreaming about unfinished projects?? Oh dear, you poor thing! It’s on your mind more than you realize.
Your pillow looks aaaamazing! So beautifully colorful and with the cats on the front. Your kitty seems to like it, too. That furry friend is clearly good for you. If I could, I’d throw a round of applause for your perseverance. You can be proud of that.
Escape into the world of crafts? Nah, I don’t need that. Everything’s going great for me right now. Most of all, I’m looking forward to seeing my two granddaughters again soon after such a long time.

Petra, now I can picture your sweater better. I can understand why you’re stuck. Sometimes I feel exactly the same way. Especially when things don’t turn out the way I imagined.

Sandra, how cute! A dinosaur dig—what a great idea! And then homemade—maybe crocheted (??)—bones, too. I’m cracking up… You really have a talent for organizing kids’ birthday parties. You’re the absolute best at that.

Christina, we’re both knitting the Aosta tunic. It was love at first sight. But I’ve also got others on my wish list that aren’t quite as complicated.

Well, last night I was completely busy carefully unraveling two rounds (240 sts) because I’d made mistakes counting. Two rounds because I also lost a stitch along the way. Goodness, I really needed patience for that. And on top of that, with that 3-ply yarn! I’m really only making slow progress because I have to pay such close attention when counting. Once I get past that part, it’ll get easier. To be honest, I’m already looking forward to it.

The tunic is definitely worth it, though. The yarn is a real dream. I’ll probably use the second skein I ordered for my next tunic. This could actually be addictive... I have a few on my wish list. It’s really not going to be an easy decision. But for now, I want to finish knitting the one I’m working on. It’s going to look gorgeous with these colors, too. I’m a little envious of Marion that she’s already so far along.

Have a wonderful week, everyone, and take care.

Oh Sandra, I’m so glad I was able to fulfill a wish for you with the cotton. When I was wrapping it up, I just knew somehow—this was meant for you.

When I saw the unicorn yarn, I thought more of Ina, who knits or crochets pretty clothes for her dolls with it. I was a little tempted too, but with all that glitter in it, I wouldn’t have known what to make of it. On the second day, I decided on something completely different—it was actually kind of fun this time.

My husband is used to it by now; he practically lives my hobby with me. When I announce the swap package, he keeps an eye out for the mail and brings it up to me. And he also takes it back to be shipped—this time together with me. By now, when it comes to yarn, nothing I do surprises him anymore. ;-)

It’s nice to always have the feeling here that I’m not alone with this quirk. So we’re all in good company… smile.

Now I’m going to bed too… after spending the whole evening knitting back on my tunic to fix mistakes… grrr.

How wonderful, Sandra, that it all worked out in just one day and you can now enjoy the weekend with your yarn. Take all the time you need. I wouldn’t have thought either that things could look completely different at second glance.

Have a great weekend!

A bit retro and definitely very decorative. In this pretty cover, no one would notice at first glance that there is a box of tissues hidden inside. Of course, it can be used anywhere—in the bathroom, in the kitchen, on the dining room table, in the restroom, or even in a child’s or baby’s room. This is eco-friendly because it saves a lot of plastic. And you always have a tissue right at hand when you need it.

I’ve given this tissue box cover as a gift many times; sometimes people even requested it in their favorite colors. It’s perfect for using up colorful leftover yarn, and it’s fun, too.

To the crochet pattern

@ notnagel,
I also wish you a wonderful wedding anniversary and lots of joy in your activities.

Be sure to let us know how it goes. I’m sure she’ll love it. Her own son working on a project with her grandson—that’s something really special.

I’ll post a picture too, but it’s still going to take a while. First, I have to finish the lace pattern at the top—phew! I have to be extremely careful and keep count. I can’t just do it casually like I usually do—that won’t work at all here.

It just takes patience, and it’s really fun.

Oh, that turned out really nice, Sandra. I’d be soooo happy to receive a gift like that! It’s sure to be a hit.

Pictures—especially in such a pretty frame—will definitely get put on display or hung up. To be completely honest, I’ve kept other handmade items in a box because I don’t really know what to do with them and I don’t have the space. But pictures are always a lovely gift.

For Christmas, we always get a photo calendar with pictures of the kids—and sometimes with the parents too—taken throughout the year to match the seasons. That’s a real highlight for us. With this calendar and the large photos, we always have the family with us. 

Dear Sandra, your package will be there any minute now, yay! I just checked the tracking and saw that it’s been out for delivery since 12:55 p.m. So you can already look forward to the weekend.

Warm regards to everyone from Monika

Yes, Veronika, my shipping receipt also says 5 kg—she had to do it that way. In any case, I received the message that things are moving forward, and that’s a good start.

Yes, I know, but my box weighed about as much as the other one. So it must have weighed more before and was accepted as a gesture of goodwill. There were also knitting needles inside (a set of double-pointed needles). Since I can’t use them, I left them in.

Steffi, you’ll soon be in the fortunate position of getting to enjoy the yarn package. I’m sure there’s something in there for you.

If you’re looking for a quick project that you can also give away with joy, then this cloth with a dove of peace is just the thing. Maybe as a peace offering? Or simply to show that peace in the world is important to you. You can knit this cloth as a washcloth, potholder, or dishcloth. It all depends on the yarn weight. In any case, it’s a particularly beautiful motif with a powerful message.

A cloth like this can be finished in one weekend. You’ll probably enjoy it so much that you’ll knit several right away and give them to many dear people.

Go to the knitting pattern

Wow, Marion, you’ve come so far!!! I’m amazed! That looks great! I’m just starting the second pattern section now. I’ll have to pay close attention again. With the increases, I actually have one stitch too few in the round—I’ll have to squeeze it in somewhere now, otherwise the pattern won’t work. It’s a bit complicated to space out the increases so that it fits. How do you figure that out?

Yeah, I think it’s funny, too, that we both fell in love with the same design. Now that I see your color choices, I really like it that way, too, of course.

I wish you all here a wonderful weekend!

Well, now I've fallen in love again. For one thing, with a pattern, as I've already written. But also at the same time with two Bobbels from bunte-fussel. One of them is already in progress for the tunic.

Here are the two Bobbels when they arrived. They were packaged so lovingly, it was like Christmas unpacking them.



And here is the tunic I've started. You can't tell from this little piece, but I spent hours on it. I had to pay very close attention to the pattern—partly because of the threads, and partly because of the stitch pattern. The picot edge wasn't exactly easy either. But I think the result will be worth it. I'm really excited to see how the color gradient turns out. It already feels very good. And yes, it's going to be a labor of patience. No turbo knitting here; that just won't work for this.

To everyone stopping by here, I wish you a wonderful, relaxing weekend.

Since it’s going to rain (thankfully), I’ll be catching up on some computer work. On Sunday, we’re having friends over.

Yes, my dears, I really did take a long yarn bath. :)) And it felt really good. How nice that both of you, Andrea and Ina, recognized your yarns. I never would have expected that the colorful mottled yarn came from you, Ina. I almost left that one in for you… good thing I didn’t. The turquoise yarn is going to be a shawl for my friend for Christmas.

Since I’m now swimming in mountains of yarn—and I have no idea what to do with them—I’ve decided to only get yarn that tells me what it wants to become. And I’m starting with this swap package. I can already let a few ideas come to me for the design, and that’s getting me really excited.

I ended up replacing the cardboard box after all. I would have had to completely re-tape the old one, and I didn’t want to do that. It was already torn all over. Luckily, I had an equally lightweight box in my stash. However, I unfortunately discovered today at the post office that there was 120 g too much in the box. (Our digital scale at home had said beforehand that it was fine, though… strange.) I had to negotiate a bit with the mail carrier, but now it’s on its way to Sandra. If the mail is this fast again, it might even arrive tomorrow.

Here’s the package being loaded into the car this morning:

It’ll soon be that time of year again when we bundle up the little ones for the outdoors. These leggings made from sock yarn are just the thing. My grandchildren love them because they give them plenty of freedom of movement while playing and keep them nice and warm. Since they often ride in a bike trailer, the leggings are sometimes worn under a snowsuit. The parents are always thrilled, especially since the leggings grow with the child. My granddaughter wore them from age 3 to 5.

The leggings are easy to knit—from top to bottom.

To the knitting pattern

These patterns are currently in the top 3 in my shop:


Top 1 - Sweater for teddies and dolls in several sizes - knitting pattern

A raglan sweater you can use to dress up your dolls and teddies nicely, both the small ones measuring 20-25 cm and the larger ones measuring 43-50 cm. It is easy to knit, and you only need a few bits of leftover yarn.




Top 2 - 6 washcloths / dishcloths in different patterns - knitting pattern

Here you can learn 6 different stitch patterns while knitting, almost as a bonus, and they are all very easy to make. Of course, you can also use them for your other projects. A great beginner project that is fun to knit and useful at the same time.




Top 3 - The colorful skirt for 3- to 4-year-olds - knitting pattern

This skirt is quick to knit and is sure to bring joy to you and to the little girl it is meant for. Of course, you can change the color combination of the bright stripes to your favorite colors.





And here are the overall top 3 in my shop - the longtime favorites, so to speak:


Top 1 - Knit socks, brilliantly easy heel and knitted with 3 needles - knitting pattern

You will enjoy knitting these socks. You get step-by-step instructions for four different sizes, so you can treat the whole family to hand-knitted socks.




Top 2 - the colorful skirt for 3- to 4-year-olds (see above)


Top 3 - The convertible pinafore skirt for toddlers from 1.5 years - knitting pattern

This pinafore skirt can become a real favorite piece, because it actually fits for several years. The little skirt is knitted in one piece from the bottom up. The straps are adjustable and can be removed completely later.

I’m a grandma myself. What makes me happiest are gifts that include photos of the kids. For example, you could make a picture frame or something else and pair it with a photo. A small, homemade photo album would also be a great idea. That would be a real treat for me as a grandma.

I haven't liked microfiber clothing for a long time now. I feel very uncomfortable in it. It traps heat—at least for me—and when I put it on or take it off, I'm full of static electricity.

Dear Tanja,

Belated warm birthday wishes from me too. 



All the best
Monika

Dear Ines,

I wish you lots of joy on your birthday and a celebration just the way you want it. May this new year of your life bring you many wonderful moments.



Warm
regards, Monika

Thank you, Petra, for the beautiful photos from your trip. These are the kinds of experiences that are just what the soul needs right now. The photos let us immerse ourselves in the moment, too.

Love, Monika

So, everyone, I’ve made my decision today. I put some of yesterday’s yarns back and took others out. That’s how it’ll stay for now. Tomorrow I’ll have to make the final decision on which of my yarns gets to go on a journey.

Here are the individual skeins that are staying with me and what I plan to make with them.

First up is this skein of Drops Nepal. The color matches the skeins I already have. I’ll work it into a project at some point.



Then there’s this delicately variegated baby yarn. I’ll use it to knit for my dolls.



This gorgeous baby yarn—I’ll knit something pretty for my Paula (60 cm) with it. It’s really perfect for baby clothes.




I really did beat around the bush for a long time with this yarn (and the next one, too). And today I just couldn’t resist any longer. It’s going to become a cute baby onesie.




And now the last skein. Another lovely, colorful yarn. I’m going to knit a Christmas gift for my friend with it. She loves these colors, so I’m turning the yarn into a pretty shawl.




I’m really happy with my new yarns. To keep Ina’s little cards from getting scattered in the package, I put them in a little organza pouch.




And finally, here’s the lucky gnome from Andrea—isn’t it beautiful?




I’ll pack the package tomorrow and reseal it. On Friday morning, I’ll take it to the post office, and it’ll reach Arni (Sandra) soon after. With a bit of luck—just like before—it might even arrive as early as Saturday.

I’m always thrilled by these swap packages, and I want to thank you, dear Ina, from the bottom of my heart for all the love you put into them.

To everyone who’s still eagerly waiting, I hope you enjoy your yarns just as much.

Warm regards from Monika

I finally finished something today for my granddaughters.

For Linja’s first day of school, I crocheted a “math snail” (math chain). I found these letters in my swap group, so I was able to personalize it right away.



The bag for Juna is also finished. She’ll get a patch with her name on it—I ordered that through my swap group.




And I also crocheted a little summer hat for Juna’s doll.

I’ve also finished another project using swap yarn. I crocheted the second skein of the colorful yarn from the first swap package into a counting snail (counting chain) for Linja for her first day of school. I’ll use the rest to crochet the same chain for Juna later.

Yes, dear Josefa, I’ve noticed that too, and I’m happy to be here. I much prefer very personal forums like this to places like Facebook, for example. That feels way too anonymous to me.

I feel totally at home here, and it has become like a big family. There aren’t too many platforms like this, especially ones as full of life as this one.

So I can only say thank you again and again to everyone who keeps it going. Of course to you too, Josefa.

I’d also like to thank everyone who posts here. Because without you, it wouldn’t make any sense or be any fun.

It’s great to have you all here.

Warm regards
Monika