1st March - Celebration of Spring in Romania

Romanians have a beautiful ancient tradition on the first day of March : Martisor (The Amulet). Mărţişor is the celebration of the beginning of Spring in Romania and Moldova. Mărţişor consists in small jewel or a small decoration like a flower, an animal, etc., tied up with red and white string. Women wear it pinned to their blouses on this day and up to two weeks after. It is strongly believed that the one who wears the red and white string will be lucky and healthy for the rest of the year. Exchanging them is a gesture of love, friendship, respect and appreciation. Today people wish each other health and happiness.
Today is the first day of 7 days of continuous celebration dedicated to Spring and women. Women are gathering together without men (now it is men's turn to stay home and take care of the kids and household generally) and are having fun in parties.

Amazing! Every knitter should get one!

I have just gotten my amazon.com order. Our new postman is so lazy, this week he needs to rest (I got this shocking information from a “blonde” voice when I called the post office). I had to go myself to a post office in Bağlar Mevki (damn it, this city called Istanbul is sooo big with sooo many intricate streets). It was a real adventure with my poor Turkish to understand the instructions given by the people on the street. Well, I know how to ask “how do I get to….”, but the problem is the answer I get. Turkish people like to help a lot, especially if they see you foreigner, but English language is still an issue here, especially in some neighborhoods. And my issue is Turkish language, the many dialects from different counties (I think even after 10 years of living in Istanbul I won’t be able to understand what my husband’s relatives from Rize are saying).

Anyway, now I the happy owner of a copy of a Vogue Knitting: The Ultimate Knitting Book (Hardcover). My first impression after flipping some pages: I have knitted very amateurishly till today. Reading this book will improve my knitting dramatically. I am very sure about this. This book makes me see knitting in a total different way: a professional way. I especially love the part that teaches you how to design and “think” your knitting. The book is thick indeed and every single page is a source of useful information. I think its price on amazon.com is more than fair. I am very happy because I bought it. Highly recommended to every (English speaker) knitter in the world.

next (project) please

Now, when this bulky yarn project is almost finished, I realized or, better say, I recalled that bulky yarn is not recommended for fitted projects. But, it is too late and the damage doesn't look so bad. There is a bright side too: it is cold outside and I have always wished for a tank. Since it is knitted plain, without any motif (bulky yarn...), I am considering some embellishments. Picture of the FO later... on other post.

My first felting project is a big failure but it has helped me discover the best yarn in the world!

I really love the look and the feel of felted knitting. I had wanted to have a felted small black pouch so I visited my favorite yarn store and got one skein of 100% wool. The lady from yarn store was talking and talking about the high quality of the yarn which made me think this is just an excuse for the high price.So, knitting with this yarn has been very easy and fast. I also have gathered lots of information about felting, how to do it at home, details, techniques, so on, therefore I was very sure this project would be a 100% success….

For two days I tortured this yarn (pouch): spinning it in washing machine many times, keeping it in boiled and soapy water, then using a very hot iron on it. I am pretty sure that even in factory the tests are not so rough. During the felting process I was using some jeans which now are in very bad condition, but the pouch is like new! Like nothing happened to this yarn! I am flabbergasted, I am amazed! I can't understand why this stubborn wool would not felt. I went to the yarn store and the lady owner tells me: “I’ve told you it’s a high quality yarn. Try some other cheap yarn, this brand is too good.” What can I say? This is like the “X-files” mystery.

Here is a picture taken during the felting ("torturing") process. Some other day I will post a picture of the "stubborn" yarn...or, should I say, high quality yarn…

But frankly speaking, there are some yarn brands here which are outstanding. Usually I am very grumpy and very critical in the yarn stores; but I can’t find any small reason to complain about yarns of some local brands. Their quality, the easiness of knitting, the feel and look, the color selection, the resistance of fiber – they are truly amazing. It is pity that Turkish yarns are not popular worldwide. At the beginning of my knitting I was feeling a kind of unlucky because I can’t easily purchase Berroco, Rowan , Debbie Bliss or some other famous brands. Getting in Turkey a VogueKnitting magazine is a miracle. It happens very seldom. But I discovered amazing yarns here. I would highly recommend “Feza” yarns to every knitter in the world.

Self striping yarn project FINISHED! READY! FO!

As you can see, my son is already wearing the vest knitted with self striping yarn.
It was first time when I used self striping yarn. Knitting with self striping yarn has many pros but cons too. Pros: you don’t need to know to change colors, to knit Intarsia or Fair Isle. BUT, if you want to knit a cardigan or a sweater, hijole you got a big head ache to match the stripes from one sleeve with the other sleeve, and the stripes from both sleeves with the stripes from front and back. Lucky me, my project was intended from the beginning to be sleeveless, otherwise I would have had to take painkillers while knitting...

So, from my experience, I recommend self striping yarn only for knitting bags, totes, tanks, blankets, throws, scarves, shawls, pillows.

just gorgeous, just simple Stockinette stitches only

My first knitted bag is ready. I used 2 types of yarn: classic (20% wool, 80% acrylic) and novelty yarn. Two squares sewn together, a flap decorated with a crochet edge, a wooden button. That's all, very simple, very easy, very pretty.

Thinking of ENTRELAC

I was so proud of my last knitting achievement so I took and showed it at a yarn store: the shop owner liked it so much. She said it wasn’t for the very first time when she saw entrelac but she had never tried before because of the lack of enough instructions. I was asked, when available, to share the “knowledge of entrelac making”. That day I felt I am growing bigger because, frankly speaking, I started to seriously knit just 2 months ago. I have neighbors who have been knitting for 40 years, but entrelac is still a mystery for them. Not because of lacking skills, but possibly because there is no will to learn something totally out of ordinary, here, in Turkey. Sometimes this reality makes me sad, because the “raw material” has very high quality but the willing is missing yet.

Of course there are a few exceptions as well. While teaching the yarn store owner entrelac technique, I learned some tricks from her. I will share with you some of them in my next posts.

Finally I’ve done it! My first entrelac knitted piece.

Last year I saw in VogueKnitting mangazine fall 2006 (page 42) an article about entrelac workshop. It was first time when I saw entrelac. It was love at first sight…. and only this because the article was so loooooong (5 pages) and I have no patience at all. That day I decided that entrelac was nice but it seemed too difficult and troublesome for me to try it. Later on, while surfing the net I found some blogs with detailed information about entrelac technique. Unfortunately the instructions have errors (my personal opinion) but I combined the information from VogueKnitting magazine and from blogs. Finally, I managed to finish my first entrelac knitted work. Tadaa!

a good start not only for my knitty side

January is almost over. I think 2007 started quite good for me: I was busy in a prolific way. How and why? For New Year’s Eve holiday my sister came over from Romania. Her visit was like a cold shower. I was feeling quite “lost” here, in Istanbul. I still feel myself as foreigner; even I got the Turkish citizenship instantly after marriage and my Turkish language improved a lot. Well, her visit woke me up; she gave me strength and made me think positively. We all need a cold shower from time to time. 2007 is a year for changes. I dramatically redecorated my home: all by myself, without any help. I painted the walls by myself, changed the furniture in a Feng-Shui manner. I am changing the water for my 2 small turtles more frequently, I am taking decisions faster. Big or small changes, they all are positive. I feel myself more confident. I really feel good.

Now my living room walls are vanilla color. Before they were lila and all the decorative items were matching lila. Now I have to change (changes again) them all. I wanna knit some decorative cushion covers. I did some researches, read a lot, and my colors harmony skills improved a lot. This will help me for my knitting. I have so many plans, suddenly my agenda got so busy. I really do feel so good.

She is my sister, thank you Giselle, your visit was a real blessing.

ka-chow

If you watched the movie "Cars", definitely you know what "ka-chow" means. I felt this title would be suitable as title for my post. My New Year's holiday was unexpectedly so knitty. My sister came over from Romania with her two kids: a girl and a boy. She had used to knit during high school but gave up later in university. Now she is 35 and hasn't "touched" a knitting needle since 15 years. She saw my stash of yarns, my needles collection andd suddenly she felt her fingers itchy, very itchy indeed. Same time my cute niece needed a purple wrap and cap for her new jacket. The perfect match. Well, that's how things continued:





Then, my 7 years old niece got infected by the knitting virus... such a young victim... She was constantly demanding yarn, knitting needle and a knitting "instructor". It was such an "experience" for her, at the end she got so tired and decided to wait till her physical condition will improve ... maybe after 5 years.

stitches for your poncho and not only

I like this pattern stitch a lot. It's easy to knit it, it only requires a bit more attention. It will be great for my wrap: there is a small grocery shop near my home from where I buy my daily bread. Usually I am so lazy and go only with slippers. Now it's cold outside, I need a wrap for my shopping at a run.

I am so late

First of all: Happy New Year to everybody! I know I am so late, but better later than never. I guess most of you are already thinking and making plans for Valentine's Day. Well, there's plenty of time to start a Valentine's Day knitting project. Something red, with very red yarns... that's my imagination, I guess red will be suitable for a Valentine's Day gift: something for him OR something on you for him... now it depends on you and your guts.

I am afraid I won't be able to knit something for Valentine's Day. I still have many unfinished knitting projects. I've also decided to paint the living room: my husband hates the actual color: Lila. It really doesn't match his fanatic passion for soccer. If I would ask his opinion, I will have only navy blue and yellow stripes on my walls, because these are the colors of Fenerbahce club. Well, these colors don't match my passion for knitting. The final compromise: a champagne tone. I am very confident that I can finish this project by myself only, even I haven't painted any wall till today/this year. I will ask advice from the paint shop and.... say a little pray before I will begin it.

self-striping yarn

I am deeply amazed with this fabulous yarn. I run out of adjectives... my friend came over and she was looking at the both sides of my project, but couldn't find the ends of contrasting color yarns and there are no knots. I feel myself like a magician. Well I don't expect the yarn to do the decreasing and increasing as well, but...who knows what future will bring!? I have patience since I got plenty of yarn this week. The weather is getting worse or, shall I say, favorable for knitting. I rearranged the furniture in living room; my favorite armchair is now strategically placed near window, with a floor lamp beside it. Nowadays is so cloudy, it looks like daytime turned into a continuous sunset.

My next knitting project

Last week I visited a yarn shop situated in Profilo Shopping Center. It was Sunday and the shop was so crowded: everybody was looking for yarns for a future knitting project. I was amazed to see many young women as well. Their usual choice: fancy and novelty yarns. Now it is a new fashion for knitting in Istanbul: knitted bags, knitted fancy bags. So, I followed the young crowd and did finally choose two types of beige yarns. I intend to knit a handbag which will match my new beige boots. Here is my choice of yarns. As my knitting project will grow, I will post pictures with different stages.



This pink and black pillow influenced my choice of yarns.

Knitting around the world

I can say for sure knitting is the most popular craft in the world. I was born in Romania, I can still remember very clearly how my grandma was knitting: very fast and daily. Then my mom: during dictator Ceausescu time she had to attend endless meetings with the same thematic: the glorious achievements of a great president: Nicolae Ceausescu. Actually nobody was listening, men were reading books and women were knitting discretely, with hands under the desks. At the end of a five-six hours meeting, everybody was showing happily what he/she accomplished: how many chapters in a book were read or a completely knitted sleeve…well, since then almost 25 years have passed. Now I am married in Turkey, and I can say that undoubtly Turkish women have amazing hands. They are so gifted, and they adore knitting and crocheting. Gorgeous items are knitted just for the sake of offering gifts or to decorate homes. All my lady neighbors are avid knitters. One of them, Fatma, is knitting a lot for her baby girl niece. When the knitting part is finished, she likes to embellish the knitted items with decorative stitches: cross stitches, looped stitches, etc using linen threads. It is amazing how a decorative stitch can change the look of a knitted sweater or vest. I strongly advise beginner knitters to try this very simple technique: if you don’t know (or don’t have time) to change colors and/or to knit laborious hard-to-follow patterns, just knit simple and then embellish with a decorative stitch using linen threads. For cotton yarns it is advisable to use ribbons for your decorative stitches.