The last few weeks somehow promised spring, but from Friday to Saturday the temperature fell and we again had tons of snow. If we hadn’t been to the bakery this morning, we wouldn’t have known how stone cold it was today, the sun was shining and through the windows it actually looked as if it was already spring outside. After this short walk in the morning, we just decided to stay inside and pretend it was spring (or at least I did, Max doesn’t really care ;)).

For breakfast we had the first strawberries of the year! And no, of course they didn’t taste that good, but I just can’t resist when they’re finally in the supermarkets.

For tea we had the marble cake, Frau Haselmayer blogged about a few days ago. She’s totally right, it IS the best marble cake I’ve ever eaten.

Our bedroom measures approximately 5 metres x 3 metres of these 5 metres the first 3 are nearly done.

Nearly one year ago I posted pictures of our bedroom that show how the room changed. I’m actually quite proud that I didn’t really buy a lot of new furniture, only the shelves above my desk and the chair (okay and the computer if you count that as interior) are new. The display cabinet stood in the living room before but as I’m storing mainly fabric in it it just switched places with the dresser that was in the bedroom before.

I’m already thinking on which room to renovate next. I think the entry would be the easiest, though the kitchen is the room I’d like to do next most. We’ll see, I’ll keep you posted on that. :)

I’ve been recently asket alot how I crocheted the blanket that you could see on the chair in front of my desk. I don’t really remember where I’ve seen this kind of blanket for the first time, but I think it was at Sandra Juto. Flickr is full of pictures showing this kind of granny square blankets and so I decided a few weeks ago to crochet one by myself.

There are already a few instructions by Yvonne of Yvestown, and that’s why I’ll just sum up the first three rounds and try to explaine the fourth round a bit more detailed.

1st round: chain 4, join them as a ring. Add another 3 chains, then crochet 11 more double crochets into the ring. Join the circle.

2nd round: chain 3, add one double crochet in the same space. Add two double crochets in all next spaces between the stitches of the first round. Join the circle.

3rd round: chain 3, add two more double crochets in the same space. Add three double crochets in all next spaces. Join the circle.

Now comes the fourth round, which is a bit more difficult. It also depends on to how many squares you try to join your square. I took the picture, when I joined it to two other squares, I’m quite sure you’ll be able to figure it out how to do it, if you only have one square to join!

4th round: chain 3, add two more double crochets in the same space. chain 1. Crochet three double crochets in the next space and chain 1. Crochet 3 triple crochets, chain 2, 3 tripple crochets, all in one space. Chain 1 and add 3 double crochets and one chain in the next two spaces. Add three triple crochets, chain 1 and now you start to join your two squares. Instead of adding another chain for your corner, slip stich into the corner of your other square (see picture above).

Add three more triple crochets and again slip stitch in the next space of your other square. So whenever you would have normally crocheted a single chain, you now join your squares with a slip stich. Add 3 more double crochets, slip stich, 3 double crochets, slip stich, 3 tripple crochets, the next slip stitch goes into the corner of the now joined granny square. If you have to join another square just as I, the next slip stich goes into the corner of the next granny square.

Now you just keep on crocheting like you did before: 3 more triple crochets, 1 slip stitch, 3 double crochets, 1 slip stitch, 3 double crochets, 1 slip stitch, 3 tripple crochets, 1 slip stitch into the corner of your square. Now you’ll add another chain, add 3 more tripple crochets to complete your corner, chain 1 and join the round. Done!

I try to decorate our appartment room by room (and I’m afraid I’ll start all over again when I’m “finished”). Nearly finished is now our bedroom/office. Today accomplished: my desk.

Unfortunately the chair I ordered a few weeks ago is still missing, but I can hopefully switch the chairs in the middle of May.

The desk is one of my old IKEA desks that hadn’t cost more than 25 Euros. I just covered it up with a piece of new GreenGate oilcloth and voilà: a new desk! The calendar is by Enna, the cup I store my pencils in is by GreenGate as well, the storage tins by Cath Kidston, the magnet boards by House Doctor and the shelves by IKEA / our local DIY store.

These magnet boards are available in three different versions (with either a 1 on it, a two or a three). I couldn’t resist and took the 2 and the 3 – I can’t deny I’m a computer scientist.

I’ve been drooling over this clock for months on etsy and finally bought it. I made a backing with a 1cm thick polystrene board that I covered with a piece of cloth (Cath Kidston as well) and now I can use it as a small pinboard.

I have to admit I’m quite unsure if I’ll still be happy with the desk in a few months, but for now I totally love this place.

In October 2008 I already painted and laminated the IKEA Fira boxes. It didn’t take long until I was quite unpleased with the colours and the whole look, but now I finally found the time to give them a new look.

The wallpaper I used is by Pip Studio and is called Early Bird.

The tins on the left side are by Cath Kidston, the little blanket is by Green Gate.

I’ve only painted one of the two firas I have yet, I think I’m going to make a little tutorial when I paint the other one.

A pretty alarm clock, a reading lamp, colourful cushions.

Bleibt alles anders is a song title from German singer Herbert Grönemeyer and means “Everything stays different”. I had a time in my life where I used to listen to his songs very, very often and allthough I still really like his music, I rarely do anymore. The past few weeks I thought a lot about my life, how it has been and how I want it to bee in the future, and didn’t really have the time and leisure to write any posts. But I’ll try to blog more often.

A lesson, that I learnt in the past weeks and months is that our home is my anchor. And luckily I didn’t stop making plans what and how to change, to keep our home the place it is. I’ve been buying paintings and drawings and prints on Etsy, I now started framing and hanging them up.

Choisis la Joie by evajuliet. Apple Blossoms and Wilfred Was Lacking in Social Graces by Wren & Chickadee. Cactus garden and A flower for you by joojoo. Amour D’Abre and Cherry Blossoms (not available anymore) by Jennybeans.

Not that we haven’t done anything in Octobre, we re-organized and decorated two rooms, bought new furniture and removed old furniture instead and had like a hundred things to do until we were really “done” (or at least it felt like it were a hundred todos). But there wasn’t really anything that I could actually take pictures of or show you so it was quite still on this blog the past month.

Two weeks ago I found a sideboard on a nearby bulky refuse and couldn’t resist to take it with us allthough I didn’t like its shape at all. But the good thing was that I felt that I had nothing to lose and therefore chose a colour I would have never chosen for a piece of furniture I actually already liked befor painting it.

Yes, it’s yellow. And I actually really like it. It’s now in our sleeping room and waits for some new knobs.

I’ve already made some changes in our sleeping room and I’m quite sure that I’ll show you more pictures of this room in the next few weeks and months, as it is going to get a huge makeover.

I also did some crocheting in Octobre, but didn’t finish anything.

I started these two cushion covers, but still need to crochet their backs.

I hope I can now start blogging regularly again and keep you posted on the projects and renovations we’re up to. In the course of that I also wanted to say a big thank you to every one who regularly reads my blog and espeacially to those who leave comments. I don’t answer every single one, but I’m always so happy when someone leaves a comment. So thank you everyone!

I finished the cover for the rattan stool.

Approved by the Hezlein herself.

On the table is my new project. I’m going to reveal what it is and what I’m crocheting it for next week!

The granny square blanket has now reached a third of the size I want it to be when it’s finished. And in this size, it just perfectly fits on our smaller sofa and brings some colour into the living room. So I decided to insert a smaller crochet project. One thing I brought with me from Braunschweig is this little IKEA rattan stool I had in my room when I was a teenager. My mother finally wanted to get rid of it and so I took it with me. Unfortunately the colour of it doesn’t fit in our livingroom at all and so I decided to crochet a cover for it.

This is just the top, I’ll add the sides in the next few days. For the first five rounds I used a pattern by Sarah London and then I’ll just improvised.

I’ve already added another five rounds. Maybe I’ll get it done by the end of next week.