Otto the bear

Packrat that I am, I ordered the Otto pattern from Ysolda - I loved Jordi's Elijah and a new baby in the family was enough of an excuse to start knitting a bear.

I bought a couple of balls of Cashsoft Cotton in John Lewis yesterday - on sale at 70p a ball, so a bargain to boot. But of course, when I got home and read the pattern (good idea, eh, read the pattern!) I realised I'd bought 4ply, not DK. Oh well, set to on 2.5mm needles and I am perfectly happy with the size and tension.

I've read the comments on Ravelry about Otto and was concerned at the "anteater" comparisons. I took someone's advice to shorten his nose a little by decreasing every row and was pleased with the result. As I stuffed his head, I took care to shape it nicely and took the opportunity to mark the eye position as I finished the thread end off from his nose.

But as I started to pick up his neck stitches it became clear that all was not right. Yes, his head is upside down! Am I bothered by this? Is Otto bothered by it? Not in the slightest. In fact, I think that his bear-like profile is rather grand!

Ysolda has written a great pattern to follow, easy to understand and clearly explained. quite why I've managed to go so far off piste I have no idea!

One - all

After a slow start, I took command and established my own order of play, defying all four strands of that tough cookie of a yarn with no give. Knit into the same stitch six times, though? (We've been here before - remember the Trellis Scarf?) Making a bobble with unforgiving yarn was hard going and having made four, the thought of another eight on this side and twelve on the other was daunting to say the least.

First decision. Only need bobbles on one side. After all, they'd catch and rub on my jacket/leg/side as I carried it, wouldn't they?

Second decision. Don't need bobbles at all. Did a purl where the bobble should be and will apply a small design alteration later.

There! Take that, you paper bag! I don't need your bobbles! I can un-knit!

But it had the last word, as I retired for the night with achey hands and sore thumbs from knitting such a hard and scratchy yarn. A pair of soft, alpaca socks are on the horizon, possibly a fine cashmere scarf.

But I won't be beaten!

Poor start

No more than ten minutes after I posted that last entry and picked up three neat balls of yarn to go and cast on, I read the pattern.

"Four strands of yarn are used throughout"

Beaten into submission

I'm at that unusual point when, having finished the Tofutsies socks last night, I need another mindless knitting project. Not quite ready for another pair of socks (though they will begin sooner rather than later, I'm sure), I thought I'd make a start on this Paper Bag . I got the materials in Habu, New York, last year and fought with the stuff whilst sitting in Jordi's apartment, making use of her swift, for I didn't have one of my own then. I seem to recall using a few choice words on that afternoon, too.

So, getting the yarn out to begin casting on, it came as no surprise to find that this was going to be a bit of an animal. It slithered and slipped all over the place, taking every opportunity to wind around itself, tie itself into knots and generally misbehave. Time for affirmative action. I rewound the yarn on the ball winder, taking care to make sure I had the inside end there, because I think that's the only way to go.

All the time whilst I was fighting it, I could envisage the kind of look on various faces, perhaps similar to those in the meeting on Friday, whose reaction to my knitting a paper bag - or a bag made of knitted paper - would be all-too-predictable. The Yarn Harlot says it so well and what she says could easily apply to quilting, when we cut fabric up and sew it back together again, to papermaking* and so many other things I do.

But one thing is sure. In the competition between me and a paper bag, you know who is going to win, don't you!

*Why are you ripping up all that paper and soaking it overnight? Why, to make paper of course!

Confession time

Opening my suitcase revealed a nice little "pie" of knitting yarn, because Switzerland is a great place to find sock yarn - nothing out of the ordinary but simple, good quality wool at good prices.
 
I was also pleased to find some silly coloured cotton for a couple of dishcloths, all in the Coop in Basel Marktplatz.

They all fitted nicely into this fun "soft" cake mould - spotted in a really comprehensive kitchen shop just off the Marktplatz and perfect for making a cake in portions to suit all-comers!

Then of course, there was the airport shopping. I don't think we could possibly leave Zürich without leaving a few CHF in Sprüngli in return for a Zuger Kirschtorte and some Luxemburgerli! Putting a carrier bag like this through the X-ray machine always raises a smile from the security people, who often threaten to make it disappear before it comes through the other end of the machine.

Yes, Swiss Airport Security people even have a sense of humour!

On the menu tonight with a couple of friends will be Zürcher Geschnetzeltes with Rösti, followed by Kirschtorte and maybe a Luxemburgerli or two. The Baseler Läckerli will keep for tomorrow!