Wednesday 26 June 2013

CV - five things about me

1. In winter I exclusively wear trousers and striped socks

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In summer I love dresses

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2. I'm building a huge curtain using bottle caps (see my life list, it's somewhere there!)

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3. I spy rocks

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4.  I love photography (also knitting, but it doesn't count here....)

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5. I would love to raise my chickens

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Corner view is a weekly appointment hosted by Francesca at Fuoriborgo, where lovely participants from all over the world gather together once a week to share incredible ideas and experiences.

Friday 21 June 2013

steeking!!!

This year I have a knitting plan to accomplish: to produce a sweater each for my family. It's quite a task, and I foresee I'll need more than a year, but I have thrown myself into it with enthusiasm.

I have already produced a nice sweater for mum, so I just need only anothe 6 sweaters after all (+ one for myself, maybe).

So the most sensible plan was to start with the smaller one.....

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and maybe throw in something new to learn, such as steeking! And color work, using icelandic wool.

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The pattern is Olga by Olga Hallgrímsdóttir.
It is really easy and satisfying.

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And it was a success!

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Thursday 20 June 2013

another woollywormhead hat

I finished thia quite a long ago.
I really love it!

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It's a woolly wormhead pattern, houndale, I love them all!

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The construction is simple and clever, and the finished hat fits well and is lovely!

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Wednesday 19 June 2013

CV - sights / special places of interest (that aren't mentioned in tourist guides)

Last week I went to Aspromonte, in Calabria to work in the field.

We crossed the Messina strait to go there from Catania

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The landscapes are stunning

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we met great people

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it was hot but breezy

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and there were flowers and insects

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Unfortunately this beautiful place is not a touristic area, it sits in the middle of lands dominated by organized crime, and even though the people you meet are really great, it is not a completely "safe place" (do not mistake me, if you go there nothing will happen, and you'll have a good time). It saddens me so much that today in this country there are places where people do not have the same rights and opportunities as in the rest of the country, and my heart explodes when I see such beauty left to itself and exposed to savage exploitment, in the hands of few who oppress the majority.
Corner view is a weekly appointment hosted by Francesca at Fuoriborgo, where lovely participants from all over the world gather together once a week to share incredible ideas and experiences.

Tuesday 18 June 2013

last week in Catania

Last week we were in Sicily.
I love Sicily, it is so varied, rich of history and landscapes, friendly people and good food: what do you want more.
We were in Catania to work with great people.

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The symbol of Catania is the Liotru, this nice elephant

The town is great, by night

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and day

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Full of pictoresque and interesting views

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and churches

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people

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life!

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there were huge murals

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and views

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and the Etna smoking in the background!!!

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Friday 14 June 2013

a little failure

I had eyed this nice model (Escargot by Veronica Parsons, here free on knittyon Ravelry since a long time, and I have finally given it a go....

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It's a gorgeous hat and a simple knit, but it came out SO big that I had to frog it!

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I will re-use it for something better fitting!

Thursday 13 June 2013

we are back

We have been away to the field

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(fiumara in Calabria, near Bianco)

and to a wonderful place

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(Catania, Via dei Crociferi by night)

meeting great friends, working hard, having fun and surviving accidents.....

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All is well, life is varied, as usual.

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Wednesday 12 June 2013

CV - Europe

Europe is my home, I still remember when the Euro came into life, I was working in France and all became suddenly so much easier.

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(Amalfi, Italy)

And no more customs when moving.

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(Paris, France)

And the proudness of being part of something bigger, different but united.

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(Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic)

Of course there is still much a way to go, but so much has been done! I like Europe, I'm convinced it is the right way to go, and maybe you should know a little bit more about it too!

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(Nurnberg, Germany)

Corner view is a weekly appointment hosted by Francesca at Fuoriborgo, where lovely participants from all over the world gather together once a week to share incredible ideas and experiences.

Wednesday 5 June 2013

CV - somewhere else

Here I am back after quite a while, life is being complex and full of things, but all is well. And I could not return with this theme, after all right now I'm somewhere else, in the field with colleagues (more when I get back!).

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Tuesday 4 June 2013

a small baby cardi and some hats

While we were away at the beginning of the year, I knitted a small baby cardi for E. In the meantime we have seen her again a couple of weeks ago and she has grown so much! I love her, she is so cute, always smiling and of good humor, so bright and sunny, she really brings happiness wherever she is.

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The pattern is simple and satisfying

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It is the Top Down Garter Stitch Baby Jacket by Nancy Elizabeth Munroe, free on revelry, knitted with 3 skeins of cleckheaton county 8 ply. It also involved going button hunting, which I confess was really a lot of fun, and made me discover a nice little shop in the outskirts of Melbourne.

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Finally, with the leftover yarn, I managed to knit two hats:
the first is kilkanna, by woolly wormhead, one of my favourite hats designers (go and have a look at her website, there a lots of free pattern, and she has a great group on Ravalry too.


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The second is staggered, again fro woolly wormhead, and again a great, easy pattern that is excellent for men and women alike.

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And it is also double face!

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