Knitting Sutra

FO: Little Miss Muffet Beret

And another one down. Another one down.

Pattern: Rollin' Beret from Wooly Wormhead
Yarn: Misti Baby Alpaca Chunky, Aquamarine
Needles: 5.5mm DPNs
Size: Large
Mods: None really. The pattern offers you the choice of two sizes, with or without an I-chord tail thingy. I didn't need an umbilical chord coming off of my head, so I knit a little nubbin'. The last hat I made kept coming undone at the center, so I think the I-chord nubbin' will keep it together.

I've been lusting for this yarn for awhile, and generally keeping my eye out for something to knit with it. I don't need a sweater or a wrap, so I'd been a little stumped. Then cute berets and beanies started appearing on the knit interwebs, and of course Real Simple did the spread 'o ridiculously expensive machine knit hats.

It was a no brainer to run down to Knit Happens immediately, and I cast-on right there in the store. Many thanks to Holly for helping me to come to terms with the fact that not only was a baby blue hat going to match my own baby blues*, but it matches my brown coat too. People, I'm not a pastel kinda girl. This is huge.

Naturally I found the pattern on Ravelry. There's nothing much to knitting a beret, but it was helpful to find someone who'd typed up the maths for a chunky weight yarn. My only regret is that I didn't knit the smaller size. If I were to do it all again, I'd knit the smaller size, and I'd work more than 5 inches before starting the decreases.

The final result is a bit more milk-maiden than swingin' hep cat. But it's cute and warm, and it works. Another satisfied customer.

Yet... yet... there's a small part of me that is already thinking I might need to do this one over. If it's smaller, it might actually fit more like a beret. Baaaaah I hate frogging and starting over! But... but... I wanted a beret. I'm also a bit lazy, and I'm a far cry from a perfectionist.

Should I stay or should I go? What would YOU do?

Mail Call

I got a wonderful little package in the mail this weekend. Meghann, the sweetheart behind Radiant Twist Yarns, sent me two skeins of her superwash merino sock yarn in the Iced Mocha colorway, just enough for a snuggly pair of socks. Definitely check out her Etsy Shop to pick up some for yourself.

Thank you, Meghann! You're a doll!

Sadly, the yarn doesn't smell like a cuppa, but the creamy color more than makes up for it. Iced Mocha is part of her semi-solid, monochromatic collection, and quite honestly I'm not sure what to knit with it. I think I can do something a bit lacy because the colors won't compete with an intricate pattern, but then again, the colorway might be manly enough for B.

I've got three sock pattern books burning a whole in my bookshelf. I think I've got too much to choose from, and I haven't even looked around Ravelry for this one. Ya'll got any ideas?

Already In The Frog Pond

A few weeks ago I may have mentioned a certain pair of secret socks that I had underway. Well, the whole thing is still all in my head and ready to be committed to stitches, but wouldn't you know I had to frog the toes? Even though I swatched, I ended up with hugemongous socks that might have fit feet twice my size.

I haven't yet mustered up the energy to start them over again. Meh, they're just socks right? But you see, I'm the crazy person whose doing color work on two socks at once. That's a four-stranded tangled mess at every turn.

I apparently cannot, under any circumstances, knit one sock at a time. I knit my first pair of socks two at once, and I'll knit all socks two at once. I'm a stubborn ole jenny, if you know what I mean.

* I've taken poetic license here. In the interest of full disclosure I must confess that my eyes are actually steely-gray-blue.

Enabled

Many thanks to the November 2007 issue of "Real Simple" magazine! In short order I'll have a snuggly warm beret to keep my thoughts from freezing over.

And, uhm, couldn't you just die for that purple sweater in the last photo?? Yummmmm-my!

What is this Rhinebeck you speak of?

Confession time!

What's Rhinebeck? I mean in knitting terms. Seriously. I get that it's a Sheep and Wool thang, but what makes this one so special? Aren't these events going on all across 'Merica this time of year?

To me, Rhinebeck (the city in New York, not the event) is the home of the Omega Yoga Institute, where one day I will go on retreat. Hopefully next Summer. Rhinebeck is also close to the Gunks, a most excellent climbing area in New Palz, though don't expect there to be good parking or camping anywhere near the rocks.

In my dream world, I'd live at Omega. I'd spend my days climbing in the Gunks, and spend my evenings taking yoga classes. I'm not sure how smelly sheep would factor into this dream, as much as I like to knit.

Seriously, though. I'd love for someone to post the story about why Rhinebeck has all the cachet over other festivals. And do you really have to show up in a new sweater made especially for the event?

Yarn Diet

While I'm confessing... I've put myself on a yarn diet. I don't even have a hugenormous stash, but I think the last time it got wet, it multiplied like gremlins. I had to procure a new yarn storage solution the other day, and I'm more than a bit frustrated that the madras reed box from World Market (love that store!) doesn't contain it all.

So, don't go flashing all your pornographic stash at me, mkay. Not interested. Doesn't do it for me anymore.

Secret Socks

I cast on a new pair of socks last night. These are a secret because I think they'll be most interesting to look at when they're done. Also, if they turn out tacky or wonky, no one will know but me.

I may be into ugly socks, but not tacky, wonky ones, mkay.

Musings on a Heat Wave: Super Absorbent Edition

If you live along the East Coast of the US, you can blame me for the heat wave. I'll take it. We barely had a Summer at all in Holland, so I was openly hoping for some warm weather when we returned to the States.

Boy did I get it. It's 90F and sunny! Hooray for July in October! I know most of you have probably been gearing up for Fall knitting, but at least one person out here is enjoying this second lease on Summer.

I won't apologize for the sunshine. It hasn't rained once in the nearly three weeks since we've been back. It's humid and sticky, and honestly I love it. The moisture is good for the skin, and sweating releases toxins. I look and feel years younger. Woohoo!

Knitting in the Thick of It

Throughout this year's regularly scheduled Summer, I read post after post about the stinking heat in North America. There were even a few spots in Europe that felt the full brunt of the Sun's rays. As I said just before, this was not the situation in Holland. I was merrily knitting (and wearing) wool sweaters and socks in July. As I read all these posts, I couldn't get my brain around all the fuss about it being too hot to knit.

Now I know. The So-Called Awesome Wollmeise Scarf that I started on the plane has been shelved for breezier days when the wool won't stick to my fingers. Thankfully my Peaches & Creme arrived from Elmore-Pisgah last week so I could get cracking on my 100% cotton bath mat.

I ordered three 1-pound cones of the double worsted weight in the mint chocolate colorway. The pattern calls for you to knit three strands together, creating the thickest mush of cotton you'll ever step upon. It's all luxury, and is so far a quick knit. Garter stitch! Yeah!

Experienced cotton knitters would not be surprised to learn that this knit is a bit tough on the hands. I'm hoping that it will condition my gnarly talons for climbing. As soon as the heat breaks, we'll hit the rocks.

Ugly Betty's Socks

I'm sure that even if you haven't been watching "Ugly Betty," you at least know the premise of the show. My Bellatrix socks are a bit like Ugly Betty herself. They smack of "what were you thinking?" Yet... I like them. They're warm, squishy, and oh-so-soft. Once you look past their garishness, they're definitely cool to hang out with.

My FO photo did a good job of showing off the splotchiness, but today I set my mind to getting some decent close-ups of just how ugly the colorway is.

Behold, the better-lighted look at my fugly Bellatrix socks. You'll see that they're not red and black, but red and everything else.

FO: Cat Got Your Socks

... or Cat Scratch Fever

Pattern: Bellatrix from Socktopia
Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug, Tapis colorway
Needles: 2.5mm Addi circular; magic loop
Mods: I knit the socks toe-up (of course), and ended up reducing the number of stitches from 60 to 48. I have only four stockinette stitches between the yarn over pattern bits.

Well, what can I say? There they are. I like to think of them as "so ugly they're cool" but I haven't decided if I'm kidding myself. I can say for sure that I think the colorway and pattern work well together in that the combination produced the crazy mess that I was expecting.

If it was 1989 I might feel more enthusiastic about these socks. These would have matched perfectly with my black tights and Doc Martin 8-hole boots. These days I'm not so dark and frowny, so who knows what I'll wear them with.

I'd like to note that the socks actually are the same length. I just bound my cuff off a bit too tightly. One of my calves is beefier (haha!) than the other, so the "longer" one is just on my wimpier leg.

Pattern Notes

The pattern was ridiculously easy and a cinch to tweak to fit my miniscule feet. The stitch pattern is produced by creating and then dropping yarn overs. The only tip I can provide is to pull the yarn-over bits all the way through when you go to knit the next stitch. This will save you the hassle of having to "fluff" up the stitches later.

The pattern also more-or-less kept the colorway from pooling, and the bruisy bits that appeared on the one sock still kind of work.

Speaking of bruisy bits... yes I am one of those girls that always has scrapes and scratches on her knees. This week, though, it happens that my shins are mangled. So those pink bits on my legs aren't there for effect. At least not intentionally. I did try to find a gnarly spot to take the photo though. Grrrrr! Don't mess with my socks in their bad neighborhood, yo!

The Yarn

In spite of my strong dislike for the colorway, the Colinette Jitterbug is nice to knit. It's a bit thicker than other sock yarn and very squishy. It is rumored to "bloom" when washed, so I actually made and washed a swatch before I settled on my needle-size. But once I got started, I still knit the pair to my foot size (I was running out of stitches to reduce) so it's possible that they'll be too big in the end.

Knit Happened

I cast these on in Holland so I could knit them on the flight back to D.C.. I actually managed to turn the heels on the plane, but then "all things knitting" ground to a halt once we arrived. I lied to you the other day. I didn't end up finishing them during "Heroes." I was too lazy to go upstairs and get my needle for the sewn bind-off. D'oh!

Instead, Tuesday I tossed them in my sock bag and trotted over to Knit Happens where I hung out with the lovely Wry Punster and KnitGirl. I even skipped a yoga class (one I was going to take, not teach!) to finish the job. Punster and Girl were so gracious to shower much praise and imaginary confetti on my fugly FOs.

It took everything I had to sit myself down and bind off, what with all the eye-popping yarn everywhere. I pet some fine, fine fiber and ogled many an oft-dreamed of sock yarn. The highlight was finally getting to see the Fleece Artist yarn in person. It's better than I ever imagined.

However, I have to admit that I'm a bit over-saturated with sock yarn at the moment. I have gobs of it in a wide array of colors already. As much as I enjoyed oohing and aaahing over their room-o-sock-yarn, there wasn't anything there that was significantly different enough to justify buying.

I'm not one to buy a sweater's worth of yarn when I don't have a pattern in mind, so lately I've been on a scarf and hat kick. A couple skeins of worsted/DK/chunky goodness go pretty far towards satiating my yarn-hoarding demons without busting the wallet. In a way, these little low-commitment projects are more satisfying that knitting socks. There's no issue with fit, and you can justify buying things like Alchemy Yarns Silken Straw.

It looks and feels a bit like raffia, but the super saturated colors jump off the shelf and shake you down. I'm told it softens up a lot when knit, but I'm not sure I even care. Taking a page from the Knit Happens sample book, I'm going to make Knit & Tonic Wendy's Dream Swatch Headband tie thingie. I actually need a headband, and I don't like the hard plastic ones from stores. A'ight. Purchase justified.

Now, all I need you guys to do is tell me what I could make with some softer-than-kittens Misti Alpaca Chunky so I can go back and get me some of that. Remember how soft I said the Malabrigo Worsted is? This is softer. By an order of magnitude.

Shwoo! What a Week (or two)!

Hey hey! It's been ages! How are you?? You look great! Really! I've never seen you look so vibrant - is that a new haircut? Well whatever you're doing, it's working for you. I need to get me some of that.

How long's it been? A week? Two? That long? Oh man, I'm so sorry that I haven't been in touch. You know how it is when you move. Can you believe that I went for days where I barely glanced at my email? It's just been so crazy! But it should all settle down now, well you know... until our stuff arrives.

You Either Sink or Swim

Thank you all very much for the little notes you've left in my comments. I'm sorry I haven't been able to reply to each of you, but it has meant a lot knowing you're out there watching my back. :)

It really has been a whirlwind, lead primarily by my big splash in the deep end of my new yoga teaching career. I'm teaching seven classes a week! Seven! Some of them require more planning than I'm used to, so when I have had some time at home I've been working on that. In between yoga and organizing the house, I've been running around shoring up my freelance gigs, catching up with old friends and trying madly to find some Peaches & Creme double worsted.

Peaches & Huh?

Those of you who have the Mason-Dixon Knitting book will know that many of the patterns call for the elusive Peaches & Creme yarn. I say "elusive" because no one but Wal-Mart seems to sell it. Before I'd even been here a week I hit up Michaels and A.C. Moore (btw, they're the same store, so no point ever going to both in one trip) with no luck. In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that only saccharin-sweet baby knitting happens at Michaels or A.C. Moore. Honestly, I'd never seen so many giant skeins of fluffy, pink floof in my life. It's like the Easter Bunny's rabbit hole in those stores, man. Yikes!

So, I sucked it up and went to Wal-Mart. I don't hate Wal-Mart, but I don't like giving them my money. Things are super cheap at a price, and what they do to keep costs down rubs me all kinds of the wrong way. My goal was to have a squiz at the colors before ordering yarn online. Had they had thee cones of the double worsted (aka 8-ply) in a color I was looking for, I might have had a problem. They didn't; moral dilemma averted.

Crafty Bastards Rule

Sunday marked the 4th annual Crafty Bastards Arts & Crafts Fair here in the nation's capital. B and I braved the gorgeous weather to scout some funky home decor. Instead we went a bit kooky for fun t-shirts. The latest trend in t-shirt fashion is definitely sea life, particularly squids and octopuses. Unfortunately, we had to head out before we found the Woolarina booth. I was so hoping for some local yarn. Next time.

BTW, I have managed to knit a bit here and there, particularly during the season premieres of my favorite TV shows. Indeed, I'll be binding off during "Heroes" tonight. Save the Jitterbug. Save the FO.

The Essential Guide To Moving Stash Overseas

And so it begins... 6 weeks of extreme minimalist living. It's more fun to sit on the floor and eat pizza when you're a kid. The novelty wears off pretty quickly as an adult.

I'm no stranger to moving. My dad was career military, and we moved around a lot when I was growing up. Of course we used to pack two cars to the gills with the items we'd need right away. But I remember agonizing over which toys I could and couldn't live out.

These days, my brain chews on slightly more important items like which clothes to bring. It's warm now, but it's usually cold on Halloween. Do we need to bring these old towels, or should we buy a new set that doesn't have bleach marks on them? Should we try to squeeze a fry pan in our luggage, or just buy one when we get there? Should we be keeping this scratched up Teflon anyway?

But the real question, as you all know, is what yarn to bring in your luggage and what yarn to ship on the boat. The following steps will ensure that your beloved stash rides along with you.

Step 1: Survey the goods by laying it all out on a flat surface.

Step 2: Commit to finishing WIPs. You'll get no sympathy from anyone if you leave good projects behind in favor of untouched yarn balls.

I held onto the yarn for B's sweater (I'll knit on the plane), the Belatrix Socks, and the Silk Daisy Scarf.

Step 3: Find out what knitted objects the husband wants this Autumn. Involving the husband in the insanity ensures minimal smirks and snarky comments when you get around to selecting items for yourself.

We went back and forth for awhile on this. He'd like a new scarf for crisp October evenings, but the yarn I have for that is a bit bulky and might take up too much room in the suitcase. I explained that I already wanted to knit him some hiking socks. Further, some of the sock books I bought awhile ago contain great, manly patterns. In the end we agreed on two skeins of sock yarn: Lana Grossa Mega Boots Stretch and Wollmeise.

Step 4: Think gift knits.

B found himself so wrapped up in Step 3 that without even realizing it, he reminded me that I shouldn't wait until December to start knitting for the holidays. (See how this works?) So, I stashed two skeins of secret surprise yarn to knit something for our moms.

Step 5: Buy more when you arrive.

I'm mad keen to knit Absorba, the bath mat from Mason-Dixon Knitting. I can't get Peaches and Creme here, so that's on my shopping list next week.

Step 6: Now think about you. By now, your husband thinks you're a saint for putting everyone else first.

I decided that I had one major project that I wanted to work on this Fall, stranded colorwork socks. So, I set aside the three skeins of the Lang Jawoll I picked up in Berlin.

Step 7: Lament aloud that you can't take more. Express particular concern for the fancy, hand dyed sock yarn that isn't as easy to replace. Segregate the fancy sock yarn from the average sock yarn. Declare desperately that if there's even a smidge worth of extra room in your luggage, you'll hit up the lux yarn first.

Step 8: After packing personal essentials and agreed upon project yarn, start cramming yarn in any nook and cranny you can find. Pout convincingly, but not too much, when husband suggests that you don't want to push it with the carry-on luggage. When he asks, "What if your bag doesn't fit into one of those thingies," say "nah, they won't care about that little bit." Then reluctantly start fishing it all back out, stating that five skeins of Claudia Hand Painted isn't going to make a big difference.

Step 9: Mission accomplished. Hug husband profusely when he offers to put the remaining skeins (Wollmeise, Colinette Jitterbug, TOFUtsies and Panda Cotton) in the extra space in his bag.

Voilà!

In truth, I'm not bringing all that much, though I did managed to pack all of my needles, plus essential notions. The odd thing is, though, I really didn't want to make a Fall knitting list like I did this Summer. It makes me feel too pressured. Yet in order to pack, I essentially made a list anyway.

Coming Soon

You may have noticed that I didn't list a certain project in my WIPs list above. Yes indeedy, I managed to finish and block my Ogee Skirt yesterday. Woohoo! Photos and details will be posted this weekend.

FO: Liebchen Socks

The Summer gift knits are complete. I present to you my step-mother-in-law, J's, Liebchen* Socks.

Pattern: Baby Cable Rib from "Sensational Knitted Socks"
Yarn: Wollmeise Superwash Sockwool, Granataphel colorway
Needles: 2.5mm Addi circ, magic loop
Heel: Wendy's Generic Toe-Up Sock
Size: Women's Large, 80 stitiches

I'm really pleased with how these turned out, and my only wish is that I had sock blockers and sunshine to really show them off.

The Construction

Most of the stitch patterns in "Sensational Knitted Socks", particularly the 4-stitch ones, are super easy to memorize. The Baby Cable Rib is only a very slight variation on 2x2 ribbing, so as long as you remember to do something a little bit different every four rows, you're golden. The problem for me is that I'm really slow at ribbing, so these felt like they took forever. Or it might have been the 80 stitch circumference. Yow!

But the real highlight is the heel. I mentioned before that I was going to go easy on myself and do a short-row heel. Of course that didn't mean that I was happy with the heels I'd used so far. On a whim, I took a look at the heel Wendy uses.

And joy of joys, Wendy's heel does not create holes in the short rows! Look!!!

You still wrap and turn, but you slip the first stitch after the turn. Somehow this plugs up the holes. I love it. I wish I'd gotten around to checking out her pattern before.

The Yarn

I've done my fair share of drooling over the Wollmeise yarn, so I'm going to refrain from gushing. However, I really can't say enough good things about it. The base yarn is 100% wool, but it's not fuzzy. So the stitch definition is incredible. And while the skein isn't snuggly, the knitted fabric is very smooth and squishy. It's not at all itchy, but it feels sturdy. I think these will wear very well.

Then there's the color. The yarn is so well dyed, no little spots of white poking out. I'm also ecstatic at how even the colorway knit up. It's definitely a variegated yarn, but there's zero pooling anywhere on either sock. The hue is rich and saturated, definitely eye catching. Hopefully J really meant red when she said she wanted red socks.

I need to give these puppies a wash and pick out all the dog and cat hairs that found their way into the fabric. If the sun pokes through the clouds before I mail them off this week, I'll try to get some better photos. I feel like I'm just not doing them justice. You might have to order some Wollmeise to see the magic for yourself.

* By they way, I do not call my step-mother-in-law "liebchen." It'd be like calling her "darling," and I don't have to tell you how weird that would be. The socks, in Baby Cable Rib, are my little darlings. I'm a bit sad to send them on their way, but I'm sure they'll have a happy home in Australia. Besides, they're way too big for me.

German P0rn

I owe ya'll a bunch of things. My promises aren't empty, just running on fumes at the moment. There's so much to do. We're getting it done, but it feels like we're moving through water.

I'm *this* close to finishing my step-mother-in-law's socks. If I'd pay attention, I'd have finished them already instead of unknitting a few rows. B is going to London for work for a couple of days, and in that time I hope to crank out Ogee. The movers come Thursday, so I need to block it before then.

Anyway, I thought ya'll wouldn't mind if I just showed you obscene photos of the Wollmeise that arrived the other day. These skeins are more stunning than the last. The package took my breath away.

From left to right you see: Frosch (frog), Campari Orange, and Gewitterhimmel (thunderstorm sky).

I will of course make socks with these, but I'm also thinking that I might make a pair of mittens with one skein, probably the blue. And don't you know that some color work in the orange and green would really pop against the blue! I swoon just thinking about it.

Here's another shot to wet your palette.

I also picked up a skein of Merino Lambswool in Kräuterbeet. This will be a hat or scarf of something. This might also be my airplane knitting since I'm leery of taking metal needles on the plane.

Pack 'em Up, Move 'em On Out

Also before Thursday I need to decide what yarn and needles I'm going to take with me in my check luggage and what will be relegated to the slow boat. Our household goods will arrive at the end of October. My plan is take as much as I can, but I know I can't take it all.

Do yarn cakes take up less space?

Road Trip 2007: Bavaria, Austria, Luxembourg (Part 1)

As promised, here's part one of my Bavaria (and then some) trip report. You can view all 100+ photos in my Flickr Photostream here if you're so inclined.

The Plan

Day 1: Drive to Würzburg
Day 2: Tool around the "Romantic Road" down to Füssen, then cut over to Mittenwald (near Garmisch) to set up camp.
Days 3-7: Hiking in the Altspitz Mountains and Castle Gawking
Days 7-11: Camping in Austria, hiking in Berechtesgaden (Germany), Salzberg
Day 12: Drive home

Alas, it rained a lot. As in most of the time. Still, we managed to get in an afternoon wander through a gorge near Mittenwald and a big hike down an Alp. Austria ended up being a bit of a bust, especially since we took our one really nice day to hang out at the camp. So, we decided to head home a bit early and add a day at Luxembourg instead.

So our real itinerary went something like this:

The Romantic Road

We made it to Würzburg on time. According to plan, we spent the first part of the day checking out the local "schloss" or castle. In the case of Würzburg, the palace is actually an old Bishop's residence, but don't let that fool you. The Residenz rivals most fancy chateaux you'll ever see.

From there, we meandered (read: got lost a lot) South on the Romantic Road to Rothenburg ob de Tauber, which is possibly Germany's most famous town. Rothenburg is to Germany as Brugge is to Belgium or Dinan is to France. It's pretty good as far as medieval towns go.

After spending too much time in Rothenburg, we decided to ditch the slow Romantic Road for the highway. We made it to Füssen around sunset, when we realized that there's no way we were making it to Mittenwald that night AND set up camp.

After unsuccessfully finding a place to sleep around Füssen (and getting lost some more), we headed on to Mittenwald, hoping to find a guest house along the way. We found one near Lermoos, Austria. Horray for random guest houses!

Mittenwald: Hiking, Castles, Bozners. Oh My!

I highly recommend Mittenwald as a base around the Garmisch area. The little resort town, while catering to tourists, manages not to be touristy. I think it helps that most of the visitors are German and are there for the hiking or mountain biking.

We happened to be in Mittenwald for the last weekend of their Bozner Markt, a festival hosted only once every five years. The original market dates back to the 1400s, and was a place for local Mittenwalders to sell their wares. Today's festival showcases a more traditional way of life.

Highlights include a spinner and hand felting (old and new skool) as well as lots of drinking.

I also picked up some yarn in a local woolen goods store. You knew I would! Though I swear I didn't intentionally go looking for it. In fact the only reason we went there was to get B a felt hat.

What you see is Frankengarn Merino, a German brand that specializes in natural products. I picked up some worsted weight to make a matching hat and scarf set as well as some sock yarn. Expect to catch me trying to knit up some traditional-style German socks sometime in the future.

After our brief run through the Bozner Markt, we hit the trail for a short walk through the Leutasch Gorge. The trail meanders 800 meters along the edge of the gorge, literally, on man-made walkways. The remaining bits of trail wander through cool, alpine forest.

A key feature of hiking in Germany, and Europe in general, is that you often find huts or guesthouses along the trails. I'd like to go back someday and do some through-walks, stopping in different villages along the way.

Of course the next day was castle gawking day. In the vicinity of Oberammergau is Schloss Linderhof, one of Ludwig II's mountain get-aways. If you don't know much about King Ludwig II of Bavaria, I highly recommend that you look him up. He's famous for his spending sprees, but erecting ridiculous castles seems to have been his particular passion.

Linderhof, interestingly, is the only castle that was finished (you'd die young if you lived a life of excess too), and is Ludwig's homage to Versailles. Unfortunately, you can't photograph the interior, but honestly I think it might actually rival Versailles in shear over-the-topness and absence of taste. I mean that in the best possible and most entertaining way. The Venus Grotto (where none of my photos turned out) is worth the admission fee alone.

The grounds are free and photographable, so I give you a montage of German Tax Euros at work.

The last two shots are of Oberammergau. We pretty much nipped in to see what all the fuss was about. It's traditional house paintings are some of the best in Bavaria, especially if you're into scary religious art. I don't have anything against religious art, but wait until I show you what looked upon us while we ate a snack in Weis a few days later.

The One Big Hike

The following are a few shots of our hike down the Alpsptize. We took a cable car from Garmisch to the Höllentorköpf station. From there we hiked down into the Höllentorlanger (Hell's Valley), stopping for a bite at the climber's hut. Then we headed into the Höllenterklamm (Hell's Valley Gorge), where the trail follows old routes used by workers on a now-defunct hydroelectric project. In fact, some of the trail dates back to the turn of the last century. The route finishes up in Hammersbach, where you can either walk back to the cable car parking lot or take the train. We found out the hard way that the last train runs around 5pm.