It's been weeks ago.....

Sometimes Time flies...Don't know what it is ..but getting older gives me the feeling that all days and weeks go faster than ever...or it might be the case that I am far too busy . I think it is the last one. My life sometimes is like a roller-coaster with ups and downs right behind each other. While writing this entry I am sitting and watching my students doing a test for Marketing. Not my favourite job..sittting and watching but every now and than I all teachers have to do it for a few hours. This afternoon I will be teaching a few hours at Higher Textile Education in the building next to us. I am going to show them lot's of pictures on Trends. How the appear historical and what will the be fashion trends for the coming seasons. Since last year I am teaching also some hours on this Institute and I like it very much. Students really are up for it and it gives me a lot of energy.But I am not sure if I would like to do this all week. My students at Medium Level are also very nice to teach at (well.. to be honest.. not all... and not at every moment)

Well...what did happen for the last weeks.

I was at the wonderful exhibition in the Groninger Museum from Berhard Wilhelm and Jutta Kraus. I have seen loads of fashion exhibitions but when I came into this one my first thought was: What's this about and I haven't got a clue but I love it. And everything was beautifully made!! Lots of embroidery and other techniques Strange scenes, strange clothes, strange atmosphere.. strange...After reading some info in the catalogue ofcourse I knew what it was about. So I had some great moments over there. Bram has stayed during my visit with his grandson (who is still soooo cute and lovely) but being not with him in the museum is still a little strange (but I know I have to do it despite the fact that he can't come with me)

In a previous entry I did wrote about my appearance in a tv program..but after a meeting in January I decided not to do it. The plans were made together with a nice young editor but when I came to a meeting at the 20th of January her Head Editor came up with the idea that I had to use desings and patterns from a Dutch Fashion Designer I really do not like at all. Her startingpoint was that a Famous Star had to appear and jy idea was to make nice and funky program about sewing. Well., we couldn't agree and I turned it down and still have a good feeling about it. I don't like it when the plan is right and from behind (without talking about it) comes an idea and my idea is turned down immediately. I could feel that the head was really eager to have this designer in the show. If I would have said yes to it I could never tell my students anymore that I really think he is a bad designer. So my" stardom"(hmmmmm what's in a name, ha ha) went down very quick.

And for knitting: I have finished my first Herbivore in Alpaca (bought in Antwerpen in December) Great patterns from Stephen West ,a very talented and very young (21) knitwear designer from the USA..and the Daybreak in KnitPicks Palette red and purple. While for a visit to the ballet in Antwerp in January I bought some 100% bamboo in a wonderful dark purple colour and last night my 2nd Herbivore came of the needles. Quite a heavy yarn but it drapes great. Picture in my next post.This morning I cast on another Daybreak in Purple and Green (which reminds me of a older lady with short grey hair I saw 27 years ago in the modern museum in Möngengladbach who looked stunning in a purple dress with a green coat) I am not so in the mood at the moment for socks and these things are really mindless knits I can do everywhere. Knitting is still something I really love doing. In a few weeks time I will do a short workshop Bohus Knitting at the fair in Zwolle and I am really looking forward to that. The fair itself is not that special (yes there is some great yarn for sale) but I will meet up with loads of Ravelry friends which is really great. I think knitting in Holland compared to knitting in the States is a real difference. There are much more Indie-dyers who are making the most incredible yarns. That could be for me a reason to fly over one day int he future. It's got much more status over there than here (well, it's a bigger country ofcourse but nevertheless it is really different I think)

Last saturday I was in Assen with the choir I sing in. It was a gathering from a few Worldmusic choirs and it was GREAT. There was a very big choir from Nijmegen (110 members but 80 were there) with a great Russian conductor with big movements...We all had to sing about 25 minutes and for the rest of the mday we listened to the other choirs, had a nice lunch, some sing-along s and a performance from 4 woman who sang African songs (one of the group I knew but hadn't seen her for more thann15 years and it was great to meet up again). Our performance is now on YouTube...,here my favourite song, here, here and here

Singing always gives me energy and it calms my mind. I sing since my Burnout in 2000 and the choir I now sing in is really my cup of tea. Worldmusic with great variations... and great people in it too. 2 days later... Really had the plan to finish this blogpost on Monday....but something came in-between so now it is Wednesday and hopefully I will finish today... On Monday as mentioned before I taught again at Higher Textile Education (as also yesterday) about trends and analysing which is really my cup of tea. I like it to have them thinking on another level but I also have found out that that is very difficult for them. I only have 3 times to do this and than we are going to see an exhibition about Haute Couture with them in the Haagse Gemeente Museum. Next week I will be in Slovakia for the Red Thread project together whit a colleague and 6 students. I am very looking forward because the colleagues have become friends over the last year. It is very cold now overthere and one day we will visit the High Tatra's and a town called Poprad..yes..going away with students is really one of the best parts of my job. This morning one of our best friends told us that she has lost her job.. I feel so sorry for her and I told myself how lucky I am with having a job and no worries about losing it...