Hats By Katrinka

Just a Reminder

2007-06-15T09:45:00.001+02:00

... that I've moved to Typepad. Visit http://hatsbykatrinka.typepad.com/
Thanks.
K Q:-)

I'm Moving!

2006-12-28T13:12:00.000+01:00

I'm moving over to Typepad where I can again post pictures for your viewing pleasure. Who has time for all the workarounds? For the time being I will leave this blog up since I don't yet know how to move everything. Still learning the new format so please bear with me. My new address is the same except you type in typepad instead of blogspot. So come visit me at www.hatsbykatrinka.typepad.com.

Thanks for visiting!
Kate Q:-)

Still no Pix

2006-12-26T16:42:00.000+01:00

Took another awesome walk this afternoon and many, many more photos. Unfortunately cannot share the Winter Wonderland as this whizbang *new* Blogger won't let me upload pictures. Have downloaded their new photo Bot Hello program from Picasa which is supposed to make it quick and easy and - Guess what? It doesn't recognize me with the new Google account name and password and won't let me use the old one since I've been migrated to the new. Thanks a LOT, Google. Now what? Does anyone answer my queries for help? Of course not. But it's got all these wonderfully useless features. What happened to the ability to add photos in Edit mode? No answers. Guess we get what we pay for.

I'm shopping again for a new host. Frustrating!
Kate Q:-0

No Pix

2006-12-25T11:15:00.000+01:00

Well, I was forced to move to the New Blogger and now my editing features and the uploading of pictures has failed. Have already spent too many hours fiddling with it! Will not let it ruin my day. Maybe they've all taken Christmas off and for that I can't blame them. If it's not up and running again next week will let you know where I've moved. Stay tuned for the tale of the Christmas Party that began after Midnight Mass (standing room only at the Kathedral) at 12:30 a.m.

Merry Christmas!
Kate Q:-0

P.S. Did you know that if you Google *Blogger sucks* you get more than 700,000 hits? Guess I've been warned.

In Search of a White Christmas

2006-12-24T18:39:00.000+01:00

It’s almost Christmas and we’ve been hoping for snow. After the warmest winter in centuries our temperature has finally dipped to 0 C. so it could happen. If not, however, it looks as if we may still have a white Christmas. I awoke this morning to see a freezing fog enveloping the Kathedral towers. The roofs of Old Town were gradually getting a white dusting of hoarfrost which is what happens to fog in freezing weather. On Gallusplatz someone had brought in a truckload of snow and constructed a nativity scene.

This afternoon I hiked up the hill to Sankt Georgen and Dreilindenweg to see how the trees were turning white. Isn’t it gorgeous? I was not alone. Many families were out walking and enjoying the misty, cold afternoon. There was a stand at the top of the Wanderweg selling Glühwein and roasted chestnuts. So long as I kept moving I was not cold.

It’s Sunday and Christmas Eve. The Weinachtsmarkt is closed, the groceries are bought and the presents wrapped. It’s time to enjoy our blessings ... and it still could snow.

Merry Christmas to you all! K Q:-)

P.S. Sorry but Blogger isn't cooperating on the pictures tonight. Maybe later ...

Last Minute Gifts

2006-12-22T18:42:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was the last late-shopping night (open until 9) before Christmas so we went out after supper to buy a few more gifts. What a party was going on! It seemed as if the whole town was out shopping - not frantic or stressed but in quite a festive mood. Tagblatt, our local newspaper, had a stand in the Bärenplatz handing out free punch. We didn’t indulge since we had a lot to do but perhaps the punch and all the Glühwein* stands were contributing to the merry mood.

Ist das Geschenk? One of my favorite local customs is the free gift wrapping. They do it year round but go into high gear at Weinachten and with great style. In fact, a friend pointed out Alpstein Drogerie and Parfumerie (the smaller package) as being the best in town. We made a small purchase there yesterday and they spent a careful several minutes dressing it up such that it will be difficult to open this little item.

The Body Shop occupies the ground floor of our building and has been a beehive of activity for the past month. These ladies work all day at this table and they spend most of their time wrapping gift packages. (The shop is thru the door at left.) When you make a purchase to be wrapped you are given a number and it is handed over to the wrap table. You continue your shopping and come back later to collect your perfectly wrapped Geschenk. No wonder shoppers are in a merry mood!
Happy Holidays to you all!
K Q:-)

* Drinking age for beer and wine is 16 here which is not so shocking when you realize that the Swiss are very polite and most teens do not drive. Public transportation is excellent and to get a driver’s license they have to take an expensive year-long course.

Advent Calendar

2006-12-17T19:00:00.000+01:00

When we were kids we had Advent Calendars to countdown the days to Christmas. I hadn't seen them in years in Texas (not that I was looking for them) but here they are quite popular and we see them in store windows all the time. I thought you would enjoy this one put together each year by a grammar school. I believe each class takes charge of a day and they are uncovered one day at a time.

Clearly one class has a great sense of humor! K Q:-)

Christmas Trees

2006-12-16T09:33:00.000+01:00

We haven't bought our Christmas tree yet but will probably do so today. Meanwhile, I've been enjoying the variations on Christmas trees in the shops. This wee tree is made of polyester fiberfill. The display is actually in the doorway of a closed jewelry store. Shops here arrange nice displays in the doorways as they lock up for the night. Smart use of their limited display space.
More fiberfill trees and a package tree outside a clothing boutique.
Another florist. K Q:-)

Mein Engel

2006-12-15T15:48:00.000+01:00

The building we live in is called Engelburg which means something like Angel Fortress. This garden angel was our Christmas gift last year from John and Novella. He keeps a sharp eye on our staircase so I don't fall down the 15 curved wooden steps to our frontdoor. One broken tailbone in my lifetime is enough! We are just under the roof of the building. The beams far left in our dining area are 14 cm (5.5 in.) square and have met my head on more than one occasion. So you see, I need my Guardian Angel.
This little doll is no angel but my latest Christmas Ornament. She also keeps an eye on the stairs and has Swiss Mistletoe for her backdrop.

Merry, Merry!
K Q:-)

A Digital Camo Digression

2006-12-14T17:28:00.000+01:00

Erin over at Dress a Day www.dressaday.com/dressaday.html posted some digital camo fabric she's making skirts out of today. We must be in synch! I have been working all day on a camo hat for a friend who is heading to South Africa for the holidays. I couldn't find the digital camo fabric I wanted here but did find ordinary camo in Zurich.

Thought I would post this golf cap I made last year for my nephew David. The cap is my own pattern inspired by my Dad's walking cap which I kept after he died. I call it Kenan after him and have made myself quite a few variations including one in ten different black and white prints. This style of cap is all over the magazines (and Europe) these days.
K Q:-)

Dear Santa ...

2006-12-13T21:31:00.000+01:00

Well let's get serious about window shopping in Switzerland for a moment. After all, this is the land of the Goldschmid and Uhrmacher (watchmaker) ... well now it's more bankers and investment consultants but bear with me a moment.

In 1970, when I first came to Europe, I'd planned on buying a movie camera but got sidetracked by a gold watch at Bucherer. I bought it. It seemed expensive but not nearly so pricey as they are these days! Within months of moving to NYC after grad school my apartment was burglarized and the watch was gone.

For my birthday last year my Sweetie bought me a Swiss watch that (unknown to him) is very much like that original Bucherer from the '70s.
I wear it every day now.

Lately I prefer to eye the pearls. They go so well with hats! Don't you think? K Q:-)
P.S. Did you know that the German word for jewelry or ornament is Schmuck?!

Fashionable Windows

2006-12-13T09:54:00.000+01:00

I think when you’re wearing clothes that are this expensive (fur, leather and cashmere) you have to look BORED to pull it off. Or is that haughty?

Sutter-Michel is one of my favorite ogles. Their fashions are quite avant garde (and expensive) and my Sweetie hates them. I am fascinated by the interesting textures, whimsical knits (hence my passion to learn how) and offbeat cutting lines. Love this jacket!
The little hat is pretty simple but the extension of the couched yarn off the corners reminds me of pigtails. Pure fun!
K Q:-)

Still More Christmas Windows

2006-12-12T22:17:00.000+01:00

Roggwiller's windows are always delicious looking. They have a tearoom in the back of the shop serving goodies with tea, coffee and other beverages. The last time I was there I spotted two other ladies in hats.
Lebkuchen are shaped in molds depicting traditional scenes and locales in Switzerland. My German dictionary describes Lebkuchen as gingerbread but it doesn't taste like the gingerbread I grew up with. For one thing they don't use molasses or our type of brown sugar. Personally, I'd rather have the wooden mold than the rather dry cookie. Is that like people who collect hat blocks to put on display instead of blocking hats? I'm told Lebkuchen is better spread with butter. And what isn't?

I love the wooden Santas in this florist's window.
Shaka's windows are amusing this Christmas. They juxtapose traditional Christmas themes and Swiss crafts with snowboards, helmets and riggings. I wouldn't mind owning that pretty brown table cloth but don't want a snowboard in my stocking.
K Q:-)

More Christmas Windows

2006-12-12T10:55:00.000+01:00

No snow pictures to post yet as what little we got on Saturday has melted away. I can still see a light dusting on the hills through my window tho' so have hopes for a White Christmas. They are now saying here that we're having the warmest winter in 1300 years. Meanwhile, I am enjoying the shop windows. This one is Schwyter Backerei with a display of Grittibänz breads. These are traditional Sankt Nikolaus (Samichlaus) Day gifts.

Here is Interio's display of Christmas ornaments. I love to wander this store to buy kitchen things as most of mine are in storage in Texas.
Isn't this contemplative Engel just adorable? He is gracing a hair salon's window. We have lots and LOTS of hair salons here. I stay way from them being salonphobic.
This is our local Tabakhändler where the gents can purchase their Cuban cigars. For all their concern about clean air, the Swiss are notorious smokers (No. 1 in Europe, I think).

I really like the gold wire ornaments ... not unlike the method I use for making lace hats. Hmmmm!

Enjoy! K Q:-)

Christmas Shopping in St. Gallen

2006-12-10T18:28:00.000+01:00

This is the first time St. Gallen shops have been open on Sunday. They're doing it just two Sundays this month. It looks as if everyone thought it a great idea!

This antique shop is on our street, Marktgasse. I love the idea of bare branches hung with tiny ornaments.
Spotted this interesting shaped fabric hat with felted trim in the window of a clothing store. I have a sack of felting supplies just begging me to get busy. So what am I waiting for? I especially love the line of the hat at the back.

This is Zollibolli, the toy store across the street from us. The Zollibolli boy has moveable arms like a dancing Jack. A long attachment at the bottom tempts people - especially little ones - to pull it to make the arms go up and down. He's only around for the Christmas season so die Kinder make the most of it giving him a regular workout. K Q:-)

Christmas Shopping in Zürich

2006-12-10T18:20:00.000+01:00

Finally got my Sweetie back from his business trip to Brussels - only a day late. So we set out for the Zürich Hauptbahnhof where we knew the Christkindlimarkt had more of a selection of what we were looking for. It seemed as if everyone had the same idea. The place was too crowded but it was all very festive.

This is a grand old train station and it was full of these booths selling a range of things from Swiss Raclette to Hopi Indian dream catchers and other paraphenalia. After an hour or so we headed home to St. Gallen to shop our local vendors. It's a beautiful one hour train ride with (today) snowy peaks in the background. K Q:-)

Anniversary

2006-12-08T22:46:00.000+01:00

This week I have been living in St. Gallen for a year. It doesn’t seem that long and yet I have been thinking these last few days about how much easier it has become. I am nowhere near fluent in German but I can communicate in most simple situations - even ordered our Thanksgiving turkey entirely in German. It really helps that we have made some wonderful friends here.

Last night was another gathering of our SAGA group - that is, the Swiss Anglo German American group who cook and share a meal from time to time. Sherman was in Brussels on business so I rode with Starr and Holger up the mountain to newlyweds Karin and Bryan’s house for a Thai feast. We share the work and each contribute a dish to the meal. Karin and Bryan made a delicious green chicken curry along with an eggplant dish. Holger made his fabulous chicken in coconut milk soup and I tried out a new recipe for a cucumber peanut salad with Thai peppers and mint. New parents Anne and Stefan brought dessert and their little son Thomas to the party. We were all so focused on the food and the camaraderie that I completely forgot to get my camera out to take pictures. What a loss! Stefan and Anne will soon be moving to Wales.

Today is Friday and my chance to get back to cooking class at Simi’s in Richterswil. Instead of our usual Indian delicacies Simi taught us some of the Persian dishes she’d learned when she was living in Iran for a few years. What a treat! We made Toss Kebab, a lamb stew with onions, carrots and potatoes and (my favorite) Mirza Ghasemi, eggplant cooked in olive oil with garlic, eggs and tomatoes. Maast-o-Khiar was made of yoghurt with grated onion, cucumber and mint and the grand finale was Tah-Cheen, a layered rice, chicken, onions, saffron and egg dish that was baked in the oven to form a delicious crust on the bottom. We couldn’t wait the usual 1-1/2 hours of baking time and tied into it as soon as any crust had formed. Our day with Simi is always a delicious treat not only because of her generosity and excellent taste in food but also because of the fun we ladies have working together, learning and sharing a wonderful meal at the end.

When we have friends we are rich, indeed! K Q:-)

St. Nicholas Day

2006-12-06T00:07:00.000+01:00

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Here is our Kathedral with this year's Christmas tree in early evening. We hear the bells every fifteen minutes day and night.

This is a view of our street, Marktgasse. Each of the main streets in Old Town have different shaped Christmas lights. Now, all we need is some snow.
I spent time today assembling burlap St. Nicholas goodie bags for neighbors and the office ladies. If you are good, you get candies, peanuts, chocolate santas, chocolate Swiss coins, clementines etc. If you are bad you get twigs.

If he can't decide Samichlaus gives you chocolates packaged with twigs, I guess. Those are the long boxes on right and left in this Confiserie window. After all, nobody's perfect.
K Q;-)

Weinachtsmarkt

2006-12-04T10:52:00.000+01:00

The Christmas Markets opened this weekend and shoppers are out in force. Not much snow yet, unfortunately, as it was the warmest November here in 500 years. (If you haven't seen An Inconvenient Truth yet go see why.) Anyway, I have my hopes up tho' it's raining here today.

This huge crystal bedecked tree is by Swarovski and graces the market in the main train station in Zurich. We were there for book club Friday and I snapped.

These last two pictures are from the Christkindli Markt on Saturday in St. Gallen. It's fun to get out with the locals and buy mistletoe. The lovely lady with the hat was playing a crank musical instrument that I'll have to look up.

Happy Holidays All!
K Q:-)

What Else I Was Doing in Cortona

2006-11-28T13:50:00.000+01:00

My first week in Cortona was for Nina's class. I made this little 4 x 5 foldout collage book in the class while learning a bit about working with metal. We drilled, stamped letters onto our copper covers, set eyelets, split mica, made wire hooks and loops, did some photo transfers and metal tarnishing and really had a lot of fun putting together our memory books.

Some of the items in my book I found at the Arezzo Fleamarket. Other pictures were torn from an old school book, the Prosciutto sack our lunch came in, old discarded maps, bits and pieces of fabrics and old papers that Stacey made available to us. Nilene found, bought and shared watch crystals that we turned into tiny lockets for our books.

Olga shared her double pocket copper mesh page technique with me and I added holy cards I purchased at Santa Margherita along with my clamshell from Siena (a later addition).
The handwritten scrap on this page is a list of poetry I found tucked into a children's book I purchased in Arezzo. The tiny metal box and glass vial contain seeds I found on my Cortona walks. Also there's a fig twig and a dry leaf I couldn't resist. The olive twig will probably lose its leaves over time but I had to include it in memory of our olive picking day.

Of course, we'd also brought little favorite bits and pieces from home to include. It was a good and challenging break for me from my usual routine and it did the trick in shaking up my creativity. I'm home in Switzerland now and back to work on some new projects. Stay tuned.

Thanks Nina!
K Q:-)

Our Hosts

2006-11-24T13:09:00.000+01:00

We found Palazzina Cesira in one of Rick Steves' books and felt so lucky to have discovered it. Lucilla and Roberto are warm, lovely people who have a beautifully restored and comfortable 13th century home they share with their guests. You can peek inside by looking at their website at www.montalcinoitaly.com .

Roberto (who looks so much like Sherman's oldest brother it is amazing) gave us so many tips on what to see and where to go that we have no choice but to come back to Montalcino again. We sealed the deal by leaving our beautiful bottle of Brunello with them to age another year. We hope to share it with them when we come back.

This was dessert at my last dinner in Montalcino.
For our last lunch in Montalcino we went back to Taverna al Grappolo Blu for one last delicious pasta and a half bottle of this luscious Brunello ... a real splurge but a great way to say Arrivederci to Tuscany - for now.
K Q:-)

San Antimo

2006-11-24T12:55:00.000+01:00

Here is an inside view of San Antimo lit only with light from the windows. There is a lot of alabaster used in the structure which I am told glows if the light is right. The order of monks who live and worship here are found in only one other place in the world at Mont St. Michel in France.

The place smelled of incense and the Sacristan was practicing his flute while we looked around. The acoustics are wonderful.

This lion forms the base of the holy water font at the door of the church.

Just outside the church are these ancient olive trees. Can you imagine counting the rings on this one? It must be 1,000 years old! I should have had Missy stand next to it for a perspective on how wide the trunk is.
K Q:-)

New Friends in Tuscany

2006-11-24T12:16:00.000+01:00

Our first evening in Montalcino we met Bob and Missy Huggins from Atlanta who were also staying at the same B&B. They travel often to Tuscany and were great fun to talk with. Bob and Missy generously offered to include me on their second day of driving around the countryside to explore the wineries. Sherman didn't feel up to the ride on windy, unpaved country roads and it was certainly the right decision for him.

It was a beautiful drive with the countryside a riot of Fall colors. Many of the wineries were closed for the season. If we'd been a month earlier we'd have had more luck. Still it was a great day. We stopped off at this monastery, San Antimo, reputed to have been founded by Charlemagne around 800. The structure itself dates from the 1100s and was as simple as Siena's Duomo was ornate.

One winery we found open was Banfi owned by Italian Americans from New York. This was a large and beautifully appointed site which included a large tasting room, friendly staff and a glass museum as well as a restaurant where we could enjoy the goods along with a great meal.
This map gives you an idea of the number of wineries in the Montalcino Consortium. Don't know if you can see all the tiny red dots signifying wineries but they are also listed on the left side of the map. Another good reason to come back - perhaps in October.

K Q:-)

On to Montalcino

2006-11-24T11:45:00.000+01:00

Our plan was to have a relaxed journey and not try to see all the sights this trip so we moved on to Montalcino. This is Brunello country and this ancient little town is full of Enotecas, many with lush views of the Tuscan countryside. We drank the most expensive and delicious wines of our life together here ... but then we've waited 14 years for this trip. I think we've earned it.

My heavy suitcase proved too much for my husband's back on the stairs at our B&B. His injury curtailed our plans for the rest of our trip. Instead we decided to linger here. This turned out to be a good decision as we couldn't get enough of Montalcino. Florence will just have to be another trip.

Walking the hilly streets we happened on the Museo Civico and wandered through the rooms of the former convent gazing at Gothic art from the 13th to 16th centuries. These beautiful pieces were close enough to touch but of course we didn't. It was lovely to have the place entirely to ourselves. No photos were allowed tho' I suppose I could have sneaked some. On the other hand we were being watched by cameras.

The Fortezza is 14th century and has an Enoteca inside. Since it involved a steep ramp up we opted for another one with a view and internet access.
K Q:-)

The Duomo in Siena

2006-11-24T11:23:00.000+01:00

Awesome seems such a tired word by now but it truly describes this 13th century gothic cathedral in the heart of Siena. Two-thirds of the facade was covered by scaffolding since restoration work was in progress. Still we could appreciate the amazing decorative work.

No flash photography was allowed inside and my photography skills are still pretty basic so many of the inside pictures are dim.
The 15th century frescoes in this room are lit by natural light from the windows and tell the tale of Aeneas Piccolomini whom Rick Steves describes as "Siena's philanderer-turned-pope."
I love the wonderful headress on this lady inlaid in marble on the floor.