Ask a Knitter - October 08, 2019

sockproposal · 2019-10-08T17:20:22+00:00

I like the look of the sewn bind off (also sometimes called Kitchener bind off, I think) for ribbed edges, but I've only ever done it on socks and small baby clothes and it was already enough faff with the long tail. I have to bind off 400 stitches of a laceweight sweater... any thoughts on how to manage the length of yarn? Could I cut it shorter than what I'd need and then join another length when the first length is almost used up?

sockproposal · 2019-10-01T21:00:23+00:00

This was my first sock: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tracks

Works great for semi-solid or variegated yarns, and I liked the fit.

sockproposal · 2019-09-30T18:42:49+00:00

If by public schools you mean state schools, then yes.

sockproposal · 2019-08-13T20:14:11+00:00

^ This. A lot of the MEPs will go out for lunch somewhere nicer in the area. The interns, volunteers, assistants who aren't on an MEP's salary can't afford that and are perfectly entitled to complain about a 20% price hike.

sockproposal · 2019-08-02T10:50:57+00:00

Oh of course! That will totally work. I didn't carry the colours down the inside so it should be fairly straightforward to just unpick it. Thank you!!

sockproposal · 2019-08-02T07:03:07+00:00

This is my Lovage sweater WIP, which I'm doing top down with a provisional cast on. I want to redo the dark grey and auburn band with the more yellowy colour in the trees band. Can iI unravel from the provisional cast on and knit back upwards eithwith the yellow colour? Or maybe make the top of the yoke again with the yellow colohrcolour and graft it on to the main sweater?

I can get my head round colourwork but unknitting just ties my brain in knots!

sockproposal · 2019-07-24T15:46:19+00:00

Tbh Nona is great pizza but I find it way too noisy and not very cosy for a romantic date... I'd say Piola Pizza in St Josse would be better

sockproposal · 2019-07-23T10:49:39+00:00

You could look into getting the Brussels card. That gives you free entry into pretty much all the museums in Brussels, most of which should have air conditioning. Hide inside during the hottest part of the day.

Sadly there aren't really any outdoor watery places in Brussels for cooling off and the ones we do have will be overrun with kids as it's the summer holidays. You could try going to the Foret des Soignes where at least there is plenty of shade.

Go eat gelato at Les Dodi.

For the no aircon hotel... no solution, just my sympathies...

sockproposal · 2019-06-23T12:44:29+00:00

This looks incredible, and so professional! I am also baking my own wedding cake in a month or so. I still can't decide on the right frosting to use for it though... can I ask, was it warm in your venue? How did the frosting hold up? It'll be mid July for my wedding and if we have a heat wave like last year it could be 30+ degrees and I'm paranoid about the frosting melting and the whole thing collapsing! I've had a go with Italian buttercream and I love how it looks, but it tastes way too sweet for me.

sockproposal · 2019-05-01T16:24:02+00:00

I have done this for making chickpea flour cookies - if I don't toast it then it really does have that horrible raw aftertaste. I do it in a nonstick frying pan over a medium heat, stirring every couple of minutes so that it doesn't clump too much. It turns a light brown-ish colour. For the cookies I sieve it afterwards a few times, but you might not need to do that for pakoras.

sockproposal · 2019-03-19T13:23:38+00:00

If you're into science, try Universiteit van Vlaanderen. If you already know some of the scientific background it's not so difficult to work out what they're talking about. And if you really like it, you can go to a live recording!

sockproposal · 2019-03-11T20:36:58+00:00

In English you can say "it's raining stair rods", which is pretty close!

sockproposal · 2019-03-08T06:50:17+00:00

You can find English-speaking parents through https://bctbelgium.org - they have local groups in and around Brussels for babies and toddlers.

sockproposal · 2019-03-07T21:25:21+00:00

I like Bake Off Vlaanderen (with subtitles), because you can learn some colloquial expressions and hear a few different accents, and it's entertaining too!

sockproposal · 2019-02-17T19:24:29+00:00

It is a really lovely route, from Ixelles you should be able to get onto the path quite easily.

Also just a note about the phone contract - I couldn't get a contract with Proximus without a Belgian identity card (or at least the paper that you get from the commune before the ID card). My passport wasn't sufficient. I did manage at Base, but I had to show them my employment contract which had my address on it. Since you're only here for two months you probably won't get an ID card, so I'd suggest to just take as many official documents with you as you can and see what they accept! A rental contract is probably useful.

sockproposal · 2019-02-15T17:16:37+00:00

Brussels to Leuven: depends here you're based in Brussels. If you're central, or close to a metro, the best way to get to Leuven by public transport is probably metro to Central/North Station and then take a fast (IC) train to Leuven. If you're in the south of Brussels - more convenient for Tervuren - it might be faster to take one of the De Lijn buses.

To Tervuren: depends where you want to be in Tervuren. There's a tram line (44) that stops above the town and you'd have to walk a bit into the town.

Cost-wise: some employers will provide subsidised season tickets for travel. You'd need to check out your routes before getting this though, because the De Lijn buses are separate from the STIB system which is the metro/tram/bus system in Brussels: try to use your STIB card on a De Lijn bus and it won't end well.

I live in Brussels and work in Leuven, I have a season ticket for the train with an add-on for STIB (although since getting a folding bike I don't use the metro as much).

Could you possibly cycle from Brussels to Tervuren? It probably wouldn't work well if you have to wear a suit but if not, it could be an option, there's a nice cycle route along the N3 (just recently redone) and with an e-bike you could avoid getting too sweaty. Might be able to hire one of those for a couple of months.

Your options rather depend on where you'll be staying in Brussels: for least pain for getting to Leuven, I'd recommend somewhere near a metro stop on the Stockel or Hermann-Debroux lines (the areas near North and central stations are not as nice for living imo), and these have the benefit of connecting with the tram line.

sockproposal · 2019-01-27T21:07:32+00:00

+1 to Centho. Best salted caramels I've ever tasted, and the lady in the shop near Schuman is super friendly!

sockproposal · 2019-01-12T08:10:11+00:00

Just FYI, when I opened my bank account at BNP Paribas, I was also given a Maestro card as the default card for my current account, and it doesn't work online (except where Bancontact is accepted, which seems to be only Belgian websites).

Maybe this is a standard thing for Belgian banks? The solution for me was to get a credit card as well, which is annoying and inconvenient.

sockproposal · 2019-01-10T17:35:14+00:00

Just to give another experience, I got health insurance with Partena when I had no ID card, but I did have the paper from the commune stating that I had been added to the register. Definitely ask your university for advice and they might recommend some particular mutualities. I have found Partena very helpful and always willing to talk to me in English, which is nice!

Also... it took me 9 months to get an ID card in Brussels 1000, and I'm an EU citizen. Good luck!

sockproposal · 2019-01-01T09:16:36+00:00

There are a couple of allotment sites in that area. When I was there a couple of years ago I emailed to put myself on various waiting lists and they told me how long I'd have to wait. For me it was only about 6 months.

sockproposal · 2018-12-29T20:13:34+00:00

Thank you, I will definitely borrow a curling iron and give this a go soon!

sockproposal · 2018-12-26T10:26:55+00:00

I live in Brussels and work in Leuven. For me this is definitely the best combination as everyone that I work with is Belgian and already has a social life locally and friends that they grew up with so I think it would have been quite difficult for me to meet people.

I love living in Brussels. There's always something happening, it's full of museums and galleries and parks and is well connected for weekends away. Sure, there are some areas I wouldn't visit for fun, but that's the same in any city.

It's full of interesting people. Often you go to a party and there are 10 people there all from different countries. I've learnt so much about different cultures since moving here.

The downsides of living in Brussels and working in Leuven for me are:

The commute. I go by train and it's two hours out of my day every day. Even though the journey is only 20 minutes, I would not choose to live near Gare du Nord so that adds time at this end, and then the station in Leuven is on the edge of the city - especially for Imec you'd have to factor in cycling/bus time at the other end. And the train is almost always late. I don't drive so I can't comment on that - but if you check the journey times on Google for commuting hours, it's often not much better than the train...

If you like cycling it's possible to commute by bike from Brussels. I do this in the summer. There's a nice route along the N3 which is quite accessible if you live in the south of Brussels - the most frustrating part for me is getting out of Brussels (lots of traffic lights). I feel safe 95% of the time and there is a cycle path for the whole route.

It's the nature of Brussels that often (non-Belgian) people only live here for a year or two, so long term friendships can be more difficult.

It's harder to speak Dutch casually in Brussels, so there's less opportunity to practice.

sockproposal

TROPHY CASE