Another small but fun and useful pattern from me!

This piece was originally called Nick's PDA cozy, because I made the first version for my fiancé, Nick. However I think "Heavy duty PDA cozy" is better, because that's what it's made for - protecting the PDA that is travelling at the bottom of a bag, hitting the ground now and then. And it works! Nicks's PDA is still good as new. I made the first cozy  a while ago, but didn't write the pattern down then. This is a bit modified "version 2.0" of the original cozy.

Here we have different versions of the cozy: The first one is the original, the red one is made 100% as the pattern below says, and the 3rd one is narrower than the others.

The cozy is planned to be thick, so that in case the PDA gets dropped or takes a hit it doesn't get damaged.That's why the gauge is so tight and the yarn so thick. The seed stich stripes make the grip better, plus the bottom one helps when pushing the PDA out of the cozy. The opening is a bit smaller than the rest of the cozy so the PDA won't slip out on its own.

This cozy is knit in the round (the pattern is for dpns) and has no seams. The yarn is bulky but the needles are DK - this is to achieve maximum thickness of the fabric.

The pattern can be quite easily modified to mobile phones or smaller PDAs, or cameras even. You can cast on more or less stitches at the beginning for width, increase more stitches at the sides, or leave the increases be for a smaller cozy. You can knit more or less rows to suit the hight of your PDA.

See the pattern after pressing Tell me more. 

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Even though I'm not getting married (at least just yet), I'm making the Honeymoon Cami for myself. It's coming along quickly; if I hurry and the weather stays nice, I might be able to wear it this summer. I hope the siying is right - my gauge is a bit off, but I counted that in and am making the appropriate changes, but somehow I don't trust my gauge. It seems one day it's like this, the other day something else. Plus, I started off in the wrong size, so the hem is 10 stitches wider than the body. Lucky I have a curvy bum. Fingers crossed! Here it is.

The progress so far, I think I'm half way through. 

And the gorgeous hem! I like the look of it. 

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It's been so hot I haven't been knitting much. I am doing other stuff, however - worrying about the new job a bit (the employer's expectations are quite much higher than in Ireland), and visiting the local sights on weekends. Last weekend (sorry for not posting earlier - the job...) we went to Zeche Zollverein, the "most beautiful coal mine in the world" and an Unesco world heritage sight is just 20 minutes tram ride from Essen city centre. What a lovely, interesting, historical place it is!

Take a look at the photos after the Tell me more button.

 * Kävimme vanhassa hiilikaivoksessa Zeche Zollvereinissa, joka on nykyään Unescon maailmanperintökohde. Se on lähellä Essenin keskustaa, n. 20 min, ja upea kohde! Kuulostaa kliseeltä mutta siellä menneisyys ja nykyisyys kohtaavat. Katso kuvat alta. *

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It's been a long time since my last book review. Not that I wouldn't have read in the meantime, but somehow nothing inspired me to write a review. Now this book I read, no - devoured, gets me back on the writing track. I read it in a few weeks, but remember it was in German and has over 600 pages. 

The previous resident of our current apartment had left this book behind, so I picked it up in search of something to read before I could get a library card.

I quickly became fascinated with the four adult sisters that have only their father in common. After the father has a stroke and is paralysed, the sisters come together and live for a while in their childhood home, not looking for companionship but finding it anyway in their sisters. The women become close again, and past secrets are revealed. All this time the father lies in coma in a hospital.

However, after he wakes up paralysed and unable to take care of himself, the sisters decide to take care of him at home. After that it really becomes interesting! But I won't spoil your pleasure of reading the story yourself. The book has a 90's feminist undertone, which I find refreshing in this time (the book is from 1994) and I find it good literature (but do remember, I'm talking about the German translation).

I found the story fascinating, the characters brilliant, though at times not realistic due to the very single-sidedness of the sisters; they all had their completely different world views and ways, in real life even distant sisters would be more alike. They were also somehow defined through some key traits, and their other sides were ignored. That didn't really disturb the experience, though. I could hardly set the book down at times. Recommended.

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When I go to Finland, I always manage to grow my stash substantially. This time was no exception. Let me show you the gorgeous yarns and wools.

* Tässä olisi Suomen lankahankinnat! Ensinnä Villa Laurilan lankoja * 

First, I ordered some locally, small-scale produced wools and yarns from Villa Laurila. I got yarns and wool for spinning (and a drop spindle!) from near-extinct Kainuunharmas-sheep and  Ahvenanmaa's sheep. They are so cool and you can really notice that they're not industrially processed.

Here's the yarn from Kainuunharmas 

 and here from Ahvenanmaanlammas-sheep.

Here's some wool from the same breeds

and the spindle! I will learn how to use this thing as soon as possible.

There's also other lovely yarns I got - see them after peressing Tell me more.

* Tell me moren jälkeen on vielä lisää lankoja! *

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