Happy New Year!

I spent New Years Day in Germany sight seeing with my husband, Chuck and my Mom and Dad.  We did a Viking River Tour of the Main River and Canal as well as a 3-day extension to Koln.  We checked out the "after" Christmas Markets (also called Winter Wonderlands) as well as seeing the standard sites; castles, city walls, terribly old breweries, palaces, gardens and old towns.  I came to take photos and check out every yarn store I could find which worked out very well, knitting is popular in Germany!

I had both Dad and Chuck as escorts for each knit shop adventure.  They were patient and didn't hurry me.  I stopped and petted each skein of yarn in every store and as you know that takes awhile.  We even went to a department store to check out the yarn selection, we had to go to the very top of the store, four stories up and then to the way back corner... it was fun.

Lots of young folks in Germany are wearing crochet beanies.  These are made from thick, brightly colored, wool/acrylic blend yarns.  Many of them have pom-poms on the top and some sort of tag on the edge.  Each pom-pom was different and unusual.  The tags can be bought in wool shops (yarn stores). 

 I fell in love with the "bunny tail" poms and bought one first chance I got.  When I got back to the ship I pulled out my travel sewing kit and put it right on the hat I'd brought to wear. I choose a bright green pom with black tips, when the wind blows it flows around, dancing on my head.

My mother liked mine so well we went to Maschenkunst in Koln and picked her up a bunny tail in a very natural colorway...

Well as you already know Elizabeth and I are going to continue knitting for others as well as knitting for ourselves.  Have a Happy New Year!