This post will have knitting content, I promise. But first, the top four reasons why I should probably just go ahead and move to Belgium:
(starting in the top left and going clock wise)
1. The beer is amazing. And so is the apple tart. And the mussels, and the frietjes, and the hot chocolate, and the waffles….
2. I love old religious art, and Brugge boasts not only the only Michelangelo sculpture to leave Italy during his life time, but a Caravaggio, and the Basilica of the Holy Blood. Really good stuff. On top of that, Brugge has the Memling Museum/Saint John’s Hospital Museum (right across the street from this little sculpture), which houses the Saint Ursula Shrine. I totally dorked-out in front of the shrine, grinning like a lunatic. One of my best art-viewing experiences so far.
3. Chocolate! This is the window to the shop where I purchased my chocolate chicken (more on that later). The display is made completely of chocolate: the flying airplane chicken/bunnies, the massive white egg, and all of the other pretty Easter shapes.
4. Brugge is gorgeous. Swans live there, most of the medieval architecture is intact, and it has some lovely bridges.
But, enough on Brugge- you came here for the knitting.
The knitting, alas, has been letting me down, so I’ll keep it brief and photo heavy.
Item one: Inspired by s i x o n s e v e n’s Dolores Park Cowl and a skein of Malabrigo Worsted Merino that my dad sent me from Philly, I thought I’d make myself a cowl. Foolishly, I left the pattern at my flat, so I thought I’d wing it. That was a bad idea. I remembered that Parikha had two rows of increases in the cowl, so I threw some in without really thinking. The result is a circle so huge I can wrap it around my neck twice, and it can lay completely flat on the table. Not good. And I don’t want to frog it because I’m afraid the Malabrigo will get all funky on me. So I think I’m going to find a button and figure out some alternative ways to wear it… we shall see.
Item two: The Latvian Mittens. Actually, the mittens are fine. Really. I just wanted to mention the complete difference between knitting the same pattern with the same yarn on size US 0 needles vs. size US 2 needles. I knit the mitten on the right side of the detail shot with the zeros, and the fabric is smooth and clean. The twos have made a much bumpier mitten, but nothing that can’t be fixed with a blocking. Also, the mitten without a thumb looks a lot like something a character would wear in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, which pleases me enormously.
Have a happy Sunday!
I am very envious of your trip to Bruge. Its been on my list of must visit places since reading the House of Niccolo series by Dorothy Dunnett. Please do me a favor…buy a lovely Belgian chocolate bunny and bite his ears off for me
Heyy, I was JUST in Brugge–a few weeks back! In fact, I was on Brugge on March 16th, the day you posted this! And, incidentally, my boyfriend was wearing his Dolores Park Cowl. How odd!
I love Brugge–so beautiful and so much history.