Berlin, Week 3

...Once again, we have done many things...

We stayed in an old, restored castle at the East Sea with 3 adults and 6 kids (ages 9, 6, 5, 4, 2, and 3 weeks). It was a wondrous chaos of adjusting to another new environment (not so easy for Anna), beach days (very fun for everyone), and fantastic seafood ("lecker"!). After 3 days I wondered by what factor conflicts multiply when 3 adults try to take care of 6 children under 10 in 2 confined spaces (cars). I have not found an answer to this question. Andor regressed to biting, which he'd completely stopped. There were a number of heated "yes!" "no!" exchanges between the cousins, and two major meltdowns (different kids).

But we also flew kites.

We had a birthday party with candles, cake and gifts for our cousin Adele.

As the good knitting aunt that I am, I gave yarn and knitting needles. I found a very nice merino yarn at the knitting shop in Berlin (see below). I picked merino because it is very durable, doesn't pill but it has some elasticity and is less rough on the skin than regular wool. When I started to knit (however many years ago), my mother got me acrylic for my first project. I did not like the texture--nor the feel of it in my hands. I didn't get excited about knitting until I found a yarn that I loved and a pattern for a sweater I really wanted to wear. I try to remember that whenever I get something for a beginner: don't get "the cheap, practical thing", get the exciting thing!

I taught Adele to knit in the car (she was very good at it).

After 3 nights and 4 days, we came back to Berlin as 3 very exhausted adults with the first traces of severe grumpiness... In other words: a true family vacation ;-)

Before we left I visited a wonderful yarn shop named Loops. It is located on a tree lined street named Woertherstrasse, which looks like this:

I entered the street on my sister's bicycle (Andor in the kid's seat because he creates too much chaos to be left at home alone with his cousins).

Loops carries a number of different yarns. The most well known to me were Colinette, and the recently added Malabrigo. The owner was not there when I visited the store, and I had Andor with me, so my conversation time was limited. I am going to send her an e-mail to find out more details about her yarns and I will add them later. What I was looking for was yarn from a company called: Seehawer & Siebert

I love this yarn because it is very thick, but also very light. A thin thread of wool is twisted around a very softly spun thread of the same wool. It keeps the yarn light, the wool durable and the texture very interesting. Unfortunately, the company is discontinuing the yarn. The only color they are still carrying is light brown. When the owner of Loops called me on the phone with the bad news I nearly cried. I wanted bright orange...

But there is no time for sorrow (too much to do). Now that we are back in Berlin, we have to start packing and resting up for our 13 hour trip back... This time I'll try to travel in bulkhead so Andor doesn't kick the man in front of him again for eight hours straight ;-)