it's cold

İt's so cold outside. İt's a cold November day. A wet cold November day. İ wish İ could drink a hot chocolate. İ ran off of it but it is so cold, İ won't go out just for it. İ prefer to stay curled up in sofa bed covered with a thick wool blanket. Sometimes it raines then it stops. İ watch TV but actually the TV is only turned on...The noise from TV makes me sleep and then İ start to dream that İ am on holiday with lots of friends, my former classmates from highschool...

İt is such a long way till next Spring...
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Belen Scarf - knitting pattern for unisex scarf

Unisex reversible scarf. The pattern is very easy to memorize and it creates a textured lovely fabric. The scarf is reversible. İt only use 2 skeins of worsted weight yarn. To better show the textured fabric  for this project İ recommend solid colors. The stitch pattern is suitable for scarves for man, woman, and even children.


Skill Level: very easy (only knit and purl stitches)

Gauge: 17 sts x 20 rows = 4 ” in St st with US 8 (5 mm) needle.


Width: 7 1/2 ” (19 cm)
Length: 58 1/2 ” (149 cm)


Written instructions include a chart of stitch pattern too.

The scarf in the picture is test knitted by Paula Muehlhauser. The model is Michele Moyer.

USD 4.95   (you will buy the written instructions for the knitting pattern, NOT the scarf).

Do not resale the pattern. You can sale items made using the instructions from this pattern.

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Working on a new knitting pattern

Today İ worked on a new knitting pattern: Belen - an unisex scarf. The stitch pattern is very easy to remember, it resembles only knit and purls stitches. And it is reversible which is very good for scarves. İ made the pdf file and now İ am looking for test knitters. İ posted a message on ravelry and İ already got a few replies. İ am pretty excited and İ hope İ would find a test knitter willing to knit it up quite quickly.

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birthday week

This week it is my birthday. Last year İ celebrated it with my relatives: İ made so many sweets and pastries, and it was great to have all of them beside me on that day. This year it will be different. So different. Cause everything is changed. İ was just  thinking of that, wow, during one year how many things changed. Things, situations, ciircumstances. İf İ draw the line, if İ could only draw the line...and make the total....but now İ feel to tired. This week İ can be tired cause it is my birthday week.

Back to knitting. İ have started a new project: a realtive asked me for a neck warmer. İn Constanta-Romania winters are pretty harsh, the weather has no mercy so İ decided for a 100% wool yarn that would keep my relatative warm. Soon İ will post pictures with this new project: a scarf with a very easy to memorize textured pattern. İ choose a dark red, a kind of raspberry red, for a dark taned person. Pics to be posted soon :)
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Translation into Swedish for Ameeta Scarf knitting pattern

Thanks to a great friend, the Ameeta Scarf knitting pattern is available into Swedish language too. Carola was so kind that she translated the  pattern from English to Swedish.

This knitting pattern is easy to knit. The pattern stitch is easy to remember too, it requires only knit and purl stitches and it produces a very textured fabric which is reversible too. The scarf is unisex, it can be worn by men and women too, it only depends on the color scheme.

Ameeta scarf free knitting pattern in Swedish.

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Home made Turkish pizza with mushrooms and ceddar cheese. Kaşarlı mantarlı Pide

İt has been snowing since yesterday. İ am stuck at home. The wind makes almost impossible going out. Whenever İ look through the window İ feel so cold: there is so much snow everywhere. The roads are covered with snow and İ barely see people walking outside. İ thought that the smell of something baked in the oven would change this cold air at home. İ found a recipe on internet for a home made traditional Turkish pizza with mushrooms and cedar cheese (mantarlı kaşarlı pide). İ am pretty brave when it comes to try new recipe especially from internet and without even any single comment or review. But this project was a real success and İ like so much the smell of pizza while it is baking in the oven.  My parents enjoyed an unusual lunch. İt was for the first time when they had Turkish pizza. İ also prepared ayran (yoghurt mixed with water, another traditional Turkish drink. Actually the mixture of yoghurt and water is beaten well until it gets foamy).

Now İ should return to my knitting project: a sweater for my friend in Ankara. Somehow it is my first big project, until now İ just worked on small projects like vests, tops, tunics or tanks, scarves and hats, and many bags İ can say. İ will post soon pictures with my work in progress.

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Preview for a new knitting pattern:Yezda Scarf

Yezda Scarf Knitting Pattern. The pattern will be available soon. İt is a lace scarf knitting pattern. The stitch pattern is pretty easy to remember, it requires just yo (yarn overs) and ssk or skp and k2tog.

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Happy New Year / Mutlu Yıllar / La Multi Ani !!!

İ wish everybody lots of happiness for 2010!!

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today's thought...

"Sometimes in stopping down to pick up two pennies one can lose a fortune..."

Today İ have guests for dinner and İ want to impress them with my cooking skills. Well, la pièce de résistance is my cake. İ found the recipe in an old newspaper but İ changed the recipe drastically. İ added extra milk, oil and flour. İ used sour cherries instead of apricots and peaches. İ like a lot its light syrup which has juice from 2 lemons.

Spinach Egg meal - the Kurdish way

I've tried this recipe for a very delicious meal: spinach egg the Kurdish way. Surprisingly, the preparation takes almost no time: very rapid and very easy. It's a very light meal. It is very popular in the south-east region of Turkey. I added the recipe below.

Ingredients:
1 kg fresh spinach
2 eggs (for every additional kg of spinach add 2 more eggs
2 tsp tomato paste
1,5 cup oil
salt

Instructions:
Wash the spinach. Keep the spinach for 1-2 minutes in boiling water then drain well.
Beat the 2 eggs.
In a frying wide pan heat the oil, then add the beaten eggs and the tomato paste. Stirr well for 2-3 minutes then add the drained spinach and stirr again for 2-3 minutes to blend with the eggs.

New Free Knitting Pattern: Ameeta Scarf

I am very pleased to offer another knitting pattern: a lovely scarf which has a beautiful texture. I thought Poems from Wisdom Yarns, a self striping yarn, similar to Noro (actually a much less expensive substitute) would be just perfect for this project. I used 4 skeins color #585 of this yarn. This yarn is a true pleasure to work with, it is very soft and the colors are my favorites: pastel tones.

The link for the free download is here. I would like to hear your opinion and I would be happy to help you with any questions you might have regarding this pattern. Please drop me a line if you're thinking to knit this project.

Fancy wooden knitting needles

Last evening I hand crafted these wooden knitting needles. I decorated them with coconut shells and glass beads. İt makes knitting more enjoyable and it's so funny to notice people staring at my needles but ignoring my project.

Bursa’ya yolculuk / Trip to Bursa

Once in a month I go to Bursa and this Saturday, 27th December, I will go again. Bursa is a small city, near Uludağ mountain. Getting there has a fun part and this is when the bus goes into the ferry-boat. The not so fun part is that I have to wake up quite early, I have to be at 06.45 a.m. in İstinye for service pick-up. The express bus actually departs at 07.30 a.m. from Kavacık. I am a fidel customer of Nilüfer Turizm: I like their on board breakfast: cracker and cake with tea or coffee. The return, same day, at 05.00 p.m it’s boring because it’s already dark outside and there’s nothing much to see thru the windows, most of the passengers are sleeping and there’s nobody to chit chat with.
This time I’ll get my camera with me, I hope I can take pics of snowy peaks in Bursa.

Shopping for fabrics in Istanbul

Last week I was rambling in Besiktas, one of the most famous districts in Istanbul. I entered one fabric store. I was looking for a 100% linen or cotton fabric. I needed a thick fabric to refurbish a rescue chair. It should had been a natural fabric because I wanted to paint and stencil on it with acrylic paints.

My visit in that shop was such a pleasant shopping experience. The seller, an old and experienced man, told me so many and useful informations regarding fabrics. I am a very choosy customer, that type of buyer that not many sellers would love to see often. I like to ask many questions, change my mind in 5 minutes. I think I had half of the fabrics in the store exposed in front of me, on the desk, just for me to touch and feel them. I've never seen such a patient seller. His customer service was from far outstanding. He helped me a lot and I would highly recommend this shop to anybody who would like to buy fabrics in Istanbul. The shop's name is: Bursa Kumas Pazari and the its address is: Koyici Caddesi Buyuk Besiktas Carsisi no:21/303, Besiktas-Istanbul. Mr. Suleyman is happy to help you choose the most amazing fabrics. I will return there whenever I need lovely fabrics for my crafty projects.