Fiber Feber

Eyecandy - more pretty patterned paper

2012-01-27T20:27:00.000+01:00

These sheets of paper make me so happy! The cool, fun, pretty, elegant, colourful pattered paper at Papirgalleriet needs no further comments.

Pretty patterned paper

2012-01-24T20:23:00.000+01:00

I have no idea why, but it has been impossible to upload photos around here. I´ve been trying for more than a week, and it still did not work. VERY annoying. My not-so-frequent posting is bad enough - rare posting with no photos is useless. So this is such a happy day - Blogger is back in photo-business! Here we go with some pretty paper goodies from Papirgalleriet in Oslo. If the photo uploading still works, there will be more patterns soon :o)

Tower of power

2012-01-14T08:00:00.000+01:00

I want POWER!!! Well, what I mean is that I really need energy to empower myself to make the most and the best out of this (still) new and fresh year. So why not indulge in these colourful vitamine bombs+ This is truly my tower of power :oD

A good and fine start

2012-01-12T08:00:00.002+01:00

This is the start of my Rowan Fine Tweed project. It will be a sweater for me, based on a pattern ("Halla") by Marie Wallin
-only, I will totally change it ;0) It was the colours of the original sweater that caught my attention, so I just wanted to buy the patternbook and the yarn and get started. When it turned out the store did not have the sufficient amount of 4 of the 5 colours in stock I was actually not annoyed. It was more of an excuse to start some serious wool squeezing and creative colour juggling. I think I emptied all the Fine Tweed shelves six times before I finally - all sweaty and rosecheeked - managed to settle for the 16 x 25 g that came back home with me. My main alterations to the actual construction will be to knit in the round, and to make a ragland instead of inserted sleeves.

As for the photo; it is taken by using the toy camera effect which turned out to reproduce the colours of the wool quite accurately.

Goodbye 2011, welcome 2012!

2012-01-10T22:04:00.004+01:00

Finally a quick report from the land of big dreams, free wishes and high hopes! It has been more than a week since New Year and everyday life is really kicking in over here. That´s OK though - it will just take some adjusting of the habits and schedules that were established with no resistance during the holidays... I have only just started experimenting with my new camera - so far the results first and foremost illustrates my lack of consentration and stamina. I am too eager to get photos for the blog to be fumbling with the camera, reading the very detailed (and probably excellent) manual etc... So here we go - the final remnants of Christmas literally wiped out leaving me ready to dive into the new year with all its possibilities and adventures waiting :o)

2011 cavalcade

2012-01-01T19:01:00.001+01:00

JANUARY was the colourful start of 2011 - these are the sleeves of a cardie for Princess that was finished in March

FEBRUARY was freezing and this Arwetta Classic hat Arwetta Classic Hat was often worn

MARCH came with signs of spring and the story of The Magic dress the story of The Magic Dress

APRIL brought the longed for light back and provided enough guts to finish The Domino Baby Blanket

MAY made my fingers itch to get started on some new crochet project and I was unflinching when passing the local yarn shops. Digging deep in my stash and scraps I came up with this Fancy Granny which is by the way still not finished...

JUNE was a good month for self exposing as I participated in an art exhibition with my jewellery

JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER came and went with no blogging energy, but a few glimpses from this period can bee seen here

NOVEMBER was the turning point for the nearly dead FiberFeber blog

DECEMBER was a wonderful month with plenty of memorable moments and blog posts. What will 2012 bring? I wish the best for all of you and also for me: Peace of mind, good health, courage, love and friendship.

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T19:58:00.000+01:00

Just a couple of glimpses from the peaceful Christmas we have had around here. These will be my last photos for the blog for 2011 - taken with my mobile phone camera. And maybe I will regret mentioning the poor quality of my photos so often during 2011, making you (and me) believe I could do sooo much better with a new camera...

...and my wish came true this Christmas - I got this little darling (shown below) from my darling husband, but as expected it came without any guarantee for photograper skill improvement ;o) I hope I will see you around in 2012 anyway and that you will find my rambling readworthy with or without improved photo skills. HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Behind the scenes

2011-12-30T14:12:00.001+01:00

The story of our christmas tree turned out to be longer and more complicated and exciting than expected. We DID have more trouble than usual getting the tree straight and steady into the stand, but did not suspect the tree to give up and litterally bend over in front of us after just a few days... The mint green nylon string came very handy as a mooring for the tree. In the top picture you can see how the tree has been tied to the book shelf pillar. Not very elegant, but the best option at the moment!

A serious christmas tree stand hunt began the next morning - and what a challenge! This was on December 21st so I was not exactely surprised that most shops were out of stands. I found the supposedly practical, but ugly, stand shown under. No way I was going from impractical but solid and traditional looking cast iron to practical but incredibly ugly and garden tool-looking plastic... so my hunt went on. And on...

...the tree unpatiently waited for its glorious future in a proper, beautiful AND practiacal christmas tree stand...

...more than ready to say goodbye to the sturdy but yet deceitful cast iron one.

And VOILA! After a thorough hunt I found this Design House Stockholm version that I have secretly wanted for years and years (secretly because I was a bit embarrassed to admit I was tempted to replace a (at the time) perfectly well working christmas tree stand just because I fancied this cool, expensive one more...) Well, I have always wondered what colour I would choose if I ever should be frivolous enogh to buy one. Red? Green? White? The decision turned out to be much easier than expected, and it was not even really a choice as this pretty thing was the very, very last in stock at Husfliden in Hamar. It was actually in use in the shops window display, and this is probably why it was easy for me to realise how perfect a red christmas tree stand would be. So after a couple of tough rounds of haggling over the (VERY high) price with the manager I could carry it home, concluding this was an investment for life and a happy ending for the tale of the christmas tree stand of 2011 :o)

Merry Christmas, all :o)

2011-12-24T07:59:00.002+01:00

Merry Christmas, all! :o) This year the tree has been decorated and lit unusually early, on December 18th. Our family tradition is to do this on December 23rd. This year we did an exception make sure we all have plenty of time to enjoy it :o)

Garter stitch all the way...!

2011-12-23T08:52:00.000+01:00

These are my latest garter stitch projects, cast on during this fall. This was the only kind of knitting that would have a fair chance to be finished as my usual knitting grit dissappeared some time last spring and have not yet fully come back. The blue stack above is going to be a (quite) long coat for me - one sleeve/yoke and most of the second is finished. The yarn is one thread of the fingering weight Alpaca (du store alpakka) and one thread of the lace weight Kid Silk (Drops). This mix on 5,5 mm needles makes the most beautiful, light and soft fabric and the hues blends to a lilac kind of pale blue.

The below photo shows a baby blanket that only needs the ends woven in and a suitable trim. probably a crochet scallop or something. A little bird told me the baby I have in mind is a girl, so maybe I will go for a shade of pink to match this beautiful subtly variegated beige alpaca?

Both are cosy projects to work on during the holidays - and m a y b e the knittting grit will return in large enough quantities to get me started on a couple of new projects too? Like the Rowan Fine Tweed-sweater or/and a fair isle vintagy scrap/stash alpaca cardigan...? Oh, blissful jooltide!

More eye candy - from John Lewis this time

2011-12-21T08:43:00.000+01:00

As I confessed in an earlier post I had a great time at John Lewis diving into the shelves of Rowan yarn. 16 balls of Fine Tweed came home with me... The feeling of guilt for not sticking to the de-stashing plan is minimal though - because of the 10 % discount that day... On the other floors of John Lewis, however, I managed to stay cool and pass all kinds of goodies, like the fabrics, the shoes, the craft supplies... and I even passed all the trimmings below a l m o s t without a flinch...

Eyecandy from the Loop, London

2011-12-19T08:09:00.014+01:00

I have not been at the Loop for a couple of years and was a bit puzzled to find the shop had moved. Still in the same neighbourhood, though, and with an even better location in the middle of the Camden Passage; a narrow cobbled street known for the antique market and second hand shops.
Sophie Digards wonderful crochet work was displayed through the shop. My mobile snap shots does not in any way do it justice, but still... enjoy the beauty of it and see more at her website.

London calling, me answering :o)

2011-12-16T11:58:00.008+01:00

This years trip to London was great shopping success despite the fact that I was absolutely not up for shopping and Oxford Street crowdfighting as I left for London. And then what happens...? Well... I ended up with loads of goodies for myself and also some x-mas-pressies. Most of it was done at the yarn shop at John Lewis, Oxford Street and at Spitafield Market. I savoured the athmosphere at the antique market in Islington and also had a longed for stop at The Loop in the same street (Camden Passage). I must admit that I was totally knackered from the buzz and the walking - and this exhaustion occured several times a day. The cure was simple: a stop at a friendly pub, watching people and spotting the occational hand knitted hat or scarf. Lifes simple pleasures and all that :o)

The yarn above is Rowans Fine Tweed, and the plan is to make a sweater for my self based on a pattern in the Nordic Tweed booklet shown further below. The quality of Rowan yarns costs but luckily the shop had a 10 % discount on all Rowan products that day. I also got two of the three Knitting on the edge/beyond the edge books at a very good price from the Waterstones, only missing the over the edge. The pretty tin box was a pre-x-mas gift from a dear friend, and the lid serves as a cute container for the balls of tweed (as the box itself contains various x-mas treats - yummy!)

Something else

2011-12-10T12:36:00.006+01:00

These are a few memories from this summer... a good mix I would say, and as you will notice: not exactely excessive creative action this summer. Or this fall as it turned out. 2012 is just a few feeks away, so let´s hope that the new year holds plenty of new creative energy - or energy of any sort, actually ;o)

A HEDGEHOG MOMENT

FROM THE PURPUR-SHOP TO MY BEDROOM; TRUE COLOUR!

THE ONE AND ONLY SUMMER PROJECT: COTTON RIPPLE. IT IS JUST A FEW ROWS AWAY FROM BEING FINISHED - BUT MY MOTIVATION FINISHED TOO EARLY

FROM THE OPENING OF THE SUMMER EXHIBITION. I HAD 18 PIECES ON SHOW.

THE GALLERY OWNER THREW A PARTY FOR THE ARTISTS IN HER CHARMING YARD

deLillos IN CONCERT!

FROM A DAY TRIP WITH WORK TO THE MOMENTUM, MOSS. THIS IS A FACTORY BUILDING

VINE TURNING RED

Happy hearts

2011-12-08T12:00:00.000+01:00

The magic of December

2011-12-06T12:00:00.002+01:00

December brings so many moments of joy. I think and hope I will never outgrow the feeling of anticipation fed by sweet secrets, flower bulbs transforming into beautiful and fragrant flowers, making and buing gifts for my loved ones, displaying ornaments and decorations all over the house - and, most importantly: spending the dark advent nights with people I care for. I do not curse the dark - I ligtht a candle or 20 instead :o)

...and to you, Farmors and Supernøtt: as this is the third post in a relatively short time, I am gradually starting to think of myself as a BLOGGER again - nor just a blog READER. Stay tuned :o)

Note to self

2011-12-05T15:47:00.002+01:00

Santas little helpers at work!

2011-12-04T20:06:00.004+01:00

The creativity and work moral among Santas helpers was impeccable! A wonderful day for all of us, I think. Thank you for sharing this 2nd sunday of Advent with me :o)

...and MAYBE last post was a new beginning, not an end for this blog. All photos will still be from my mobile camera, though. Maybe Santa will bring me a new one...?

To blog or not to blog

2011-11-20T20:15:00.001+01:00

So how and where do I go from here? The photos are from a wonderful week in Madeira, late October. It´s been five months since my last post and only time will show if todays entry is an end or a beginning. This time of year is normally top season for blogging as preparations for Christmas provide many visually attractive topics - so maybe, baby?

Sommerutstilling på Tjøme

2011-06-12T16:11:00.004+02:00

Inger Lise Libakken; Republikker på en snor. Halssmykke med frimerker og granat

Jubileumsutstilling – Galleri Gudem 10 år sommeren 2011.
Åpner Søndag 26. juni kl 14.00. Adresse: Fynveien 9, 3148 Hvasser

Åpningstider fra 26. juni til 14. august.
Juni og august fra 12-16, med søndager fra 12-18.
Hele juli fra 12-18.

Det blir musikalsk underholdning fra to artister fra Nederland: Christine Sweet og Tiedo samt lokal underholdning av Eva Jeanette Kristiansen.
Flere av kunstnerne vil være tilstede åpningen, bl.a. Tom Erik Andersen, Kristian Finborud, Unni Skurdal, Anne Ka. Munkejord og Inger Lise Libakken.

Deltagere:
Ina Kristine Hove:skulpturellt glass
Irene Harvik:glass
Unni Skurdal:sølvsmykker
Tom Erik Andersen:maleri
Julia M. Pelikhova:tegning
Unn Borchgrevink:maleri
Anne Ka. Munkejord:glass
Ane Sand:smykker
Kristian Finborud:grafikk
Marianne Gudem:grafikk og keramikk
Maria Øverby:skulptur
Tove Åshammer:Tekstil
Runi Langum:litografi
Maj-Lis Uller:tekstil
Inger Lise Libakken:tekstil
Hilde Holmer:tekstil
Anne -Gry Ranchil: smykker
Roald Jostein Tellnes:litografi

Yellow to green - May to June

2011-05-30T12:09:00.000+02:00

So what is this yellow-green-blurry stuff all about? Well, obviously it is another mobile camera shot. To me it is a lot more. The photos were taken last week, on a rainy day, so the colour truly shouted out for attention and definitely caught mine. The thousands of little maple flowers contrasts beautifully with the charcoal colour of the pavement, seen below. Sights and moments like this make me feel happy and even make me understand myself better and knowledge who I am. Strange and peculiar, you say? Oh, well, I guess it takes one to know one :o)

Redesign

2011-05-27T08:15:00.000+02:00

Another of last weekends projects: an old - and far too small - wrap skirt from my glorious Bergen days was turned into a flary top for Princess. She has actually claimed she will wear it for her junior highschool photo. A very convincing and effective way of proving the little redesign project successful! :o)

Growth... hopefully!

2011-05-25T17:31:00.001+02:00

Already halfway through the week! Last weekend was a very active one, proving several topics to blog. Today I just wanted to post this (mobile camera) photo to document this new little rockery flowerbed. In time I will probably expand it, and also make the edge prettier adding nice(r) stones. This modestly sized patch alone actually involved a serious effort with hoe and spade, to get rid of the turf and all the unwanted roots from various weed. I added cow dung/compost for some of the plants, and a generous layer of fresh fertile soil. Only a few of the plants are real rockery plants, but hopefully they will all thrive and make this little spot of the garden a bit more welcoming and exuberant! A follow-up post in a few weeks time will reveal my gardening skills...

Hommage a Purpur

2011-05-22T21:15:00.007+02:00

Last weekend I finally got around to visit Purpur, a truly wonderful shop at Grünerløkka in Oslo. The owner is just as nice and likeable as I imagined. I have been "visiting" the shop online many times by following the blog. As it turned out I almost missed the real life experience as Krista is now closing down the shop. I know she has got a lot of regular clients and customers regretting this fact - but on the plus side, there is a closing down sale going on... I was lucky enough to get this BIG quilted Rie Elise Larsen blanket and pillowcase at a very good price. A bargain, I would say! Thank you for all the nice glimpses into the Purpur ("Purple") world, Krista, and good luck with all your future creative projects. I hope you will enjoy this new freedom and I am sure your enterprice combined with your delightful personality will bring you success and happiness :o)

PS - the mobile camera is still my everyday camera - some shots are OK, some are awful. The camera is only partly to blame, as I have been too lazy to explore its possibilities. Right now the choice is between blogging crappy photos or not blogging at all, so as you can see, I go with crappy ;o)

Fancy Granny

2011-05-13T08:18:00.001+02:00

Digging into my stash again... This time (as always) the yarn is a mix of most fibres. The ply and chunkyness varies too. I adjust the size of the squares by alternate the crochet stitces; single crochet and double crochet. This makes quite an uneven grip to the finished fabric, but as usual I trust the beauty and livelyness of the colours and yarn qualities to provide charm enough to make me (and you) bear with the lumpyness that comes along ;o) I still have quite a few scrap balls of yarn left, so this might end up as a cozy not-so-little blanket. Un-edited photos by my mobile camera again, by the way.

Cabin Fever

2011-05-09T08:20:00.009+02:00

The weeks have just rushed by lately - it is about time to slow down and get into the blog-mode again. Thank you for nice comments while I have been away :o)

Well. This is a decoupage-project I did just before Easter, for our bedroom in my parents mountain cabin. The mirror is my old pine framed from my teenage bedroom. It was painted off white and decoupaged with clippings from paper napkins. The wild life/nature design is the same as for the cabins Fauna tableware.

Instead of insisting on demonstrating my own taste in decorating the cabin (I am a guest there, after all ;o) ), I try to add my personal touch by adapting and mixing the elements at hand. As I also did almost exactely a year ago, making this big granny square throw . The photos below are all taken with my mobile camera - no editing at all; just plain old laziness ;o)

Hm... I must say I think this mirror/drawer-arrangement looks better in real life!

FO: Domino baby blanket

2011-04-16T07:21:00.006+02:00

Thank you for the nice response on the previous post - hopefully you will like this one even better ;o)

Pattern: Well, not really, just playing around with basic domino squares and 11 slightly musty colours - and adding a retroish and hopefully manly (as the baby is a boy) touch with the crochet edge.

Yarn: 600 g of Pt5 Sport (80 % wool, 20 % nylon); 50 g of colours 233 (dark brown, discontinued), 327 (lilac, discontinued), 526 (offwhite/beige), 549 (burgundy), 520 (pale pink), 563 (dark plum) and 575 (navy) 100 g of colours 568 (dark blue) and (baby blue)

Size: Finished blanket measures 86 x 86 cm.

My eagerness and motivation has been a bit on and off through this project, which is perfectly normal for me in an extensive work like this one. It is so much fun to pick the yarn, doodle design ideas and get started. It is also a lot of fun to see how it developes and turn into a well working realisation of the initial idea. Then it is quite tedious for a long while; going on and on - square after square - and no more big surprises to look forward to. Then, again, for the last 1/5 or so of the work it is all fun and exhilirating again. This phase is often mixed with an impatient energy that keeps me going, as well as stirring up the desire to start a new project or two or tree right away... And what a great rush of content happiness when it finally comes together as a true FO, and a successful one too! Oh, yes, I am pleased! :o)

At my wits end

2011-04-13T07:57:00.001+02:00

"Poor thing, what a job it will be darning in all those ends!" people have told me glancing at the reverse side of the Domino baby blanket, compassionate sighing and a worried tone of voice on behalf of my wit and all these ends - and thereby the end of my wits... What a triumph then, to point out that I have actually knitted or weaved in all the ends as I went along. Of course a few ends did slip my attention, but I counted less than 10 ends of them needing to be darned in when the whole blanket was done - so if my wits are gone, this project is not to blame ;o) To make sure the ends were securely darned in I gave the blanket a good wool wash before blocking/drying and finally snipping named ends off. Stay tuned for real FO-phtos and FO-facts! The reverse side in all its neat and orderly glory

Yummy toadstools

2011-04-11T07:50:00.002+02:00

Princess keeps herself busy in the kitchen - she has been making a couple of batches of ice cream lately - a heavenly habit with heavenly results! Cupcakes are still a favourite to her, though - and the toadstools above were particularly sweet in every sense of the word ;o)

Sometimes it snows in April...

2011-04-07T07:43:00.001+02:00

...and this April is no exception. Still - this beauty crawled out in the wary sunshine on Sunday - on my birtday :o) My cell phone camera is not the best, but very handy to preserve moments like this. The photo below is just to prove that it IS a bit early for butterflies where I live - the snow is still covering a fair part of the sidewalks, but less every day. Spring is here - HOORAY!

2nd hat for E

2011-04-05T08:26:00.005+02:00

Finally; the 2nd hat is ready for departure! The 1st one was blogged here. The Drops design pattern was easy breezy and my only alteration was the yarn. I used Lerke from Dale (52 % merino, 48 % cotton) wich I hope will be suitable for the recipients use. 3 mm needles were aquired to create a firm and dense gauge. We are so happy to be on your team, E! And congrats on your b-day yesterday - hope you had a great day :o)

I have seen the light!

2011-03-29T08:10:00.002+02:00

The translucent light of spring is so beautiful - never mind the blur that comes along with the love of natural light and no tripod ;o)

2 good 2 be 4-gotten

2011-03-25T07:58:00.002+01:00

I am so consumed with the hat projects and the endless baby blanket project that I completely forgot to blog Princess´ finished cardigan! It was actually finished weeks and weeks ago, even though I didn´t quite make my deadline as it was intended as a x-mas pressie for... Anyhow; Princess has approved the finished garment when it comes to looks, colour and design, but she is still reluctant to wear it. I am not surprised as this has happened before: she approves the chosen yarn to be itch-free in the pre-knit phase just to conclude that the very same yarn is itchy as soon as the project is finished and ready to wear... I still live in the hope for this one, as she has wanted her own version of my cardi (the last picture in this post) ever since 2008... Pattern: My own raglan based on Elizabeth Zimmermans persentage system (EPS), knit back and forth Yarn: Ca. 200 g of Tynn Alpaka # 146 (variegated) (100 % alpaca) from Du store alpakka for the dark aqua parts + less than 50 g of Sandnes Mini Palett (sock yarn; 80 % merino, 20 % polyamid)in a colourway that seem not to be on the chart any more. It was a good match to the Noro Silk Garden I used for my own cardi, as I couldn´t be bother to mail-order the Noro sock yarn Needles: 2 mm for the rib/Mini Palett, 2,5 mm for the stockinette/alpaca

The turtleneck was made longer than the chosen zipper, so a couple og mother of pearl heart buttons were used to close the last few inches. The dotted ribbon was sewn on to cover the rough and not-so-pretty zipper edge + seams. My adult version was blogged in July 2008 - read all about it here

A long, long summer also calls for many, many hats!

2011-03-18T08:09:00.003+01:00

The title refers to this post. Our beloved friends in Sydney need hats for slightly different reasons than most Norwegians this time of year - the most important reason being protection from the sun. Even though fall is just around the corner down under, the sun will stay high in the sky all through winter, challenging the fair skin and health of our dear friends. Another hat will be on the needles any minute, so stay tuned in the shade dear E :o)

I used this pattern for size reference. I chose Sandnes´ Mandarin Petite (100 % cotton) and also altered the decrease to my own liking. The colours are 2431 (sand/beige) and 6822 (pale aqua/blue) and I spent abot 25 g of each knitting on 2 mm needles for a dense fabric, (hopefully) providing good protection from the sun. Voila! Easy breezy seaside beanie!

The arrival of spring

2011-03-14T11:08:00.007+01:00

The blue Muscari botryoides nicely teams up with the narciss Bridal Crown - and a few of my knick-knacks. The lamp stand is old enough not to fit new lampshades (as this Alfhild fågel from IKEA, bought in 2006 but still in their assortment), but I love it as I inherited it form my dear grandmother. Alfhild is doing her best to balance on top of the fixture... The little booties are Chinese, bought in Beijing in 1993. Dear Superman made the little wooden box some time during primary school, and despite that he claims the beautiful patina of the glaze is an accident and certainly not intended, I love it! The spring light is so beautiful yet too sparse for a good photo. Still I refuse to let a flash ruin the magic atmosphere and for now I am willing to accept the inevitable blurryness. A tripod is right on top of my birthday wish list...

In this photo (above), however, I used the flash, just to make sure the Bridal Crowns details would have their fair share of attention

Our family photo-wall (above), including four legged members of the pack as well as two legged - a dear collection of memories. The Carnation (under) is luckily back in fashion! My favourite is the large, full ones, but these are cute too, sitting on my old sewing machine (also inherited from dear grandmother) in happy company with a vintage jaquard silk scarf used as a table runner. Please also notice the single orchid flower - my last attempt to keep it alive for a few more days. My fingers may be industrious, but they are unfortunately not very green...

A long, long winter calls for many, many hats!

2011-03-10T08:05:00.002+01:00

The summery light in this photo is deceiving - it is still full winter where I live, so no need to worry that my time spent knitting this hat was wasted... As you can see via the link, it is supposed to be adorned with a button, but as I could not find the big, green coat button in my hereditary buttons collection I wanted to use, this peacock brooch does the job. Slightly old lady, slightly royal... or at least eccentric!

Yarn: ca 75 g Drops Alpaca + 25 g Drops Kid Silk held together (original yarn for the pattern was Daletta from Dale)

Needles: 2 mm for the button band, 3 mm 40 cm circulars + dpns for the cap

The Magic Dress on March 8th

2011-03-08T09:31:00.004+01:00

Finally; the story about The Magic Dress, as advertised in this post! And what better day to celebrate a great woman like Grete Smedal, and my own aspirations to be one. The Magic Dress will be the perfect outfit for greatness! Above, The Magic Dress itself, hanging prettily in my studio/guestroom window. A few weeks ago it hung (almost) equally pretty in the window of Klesskapet (a second hand shop) in Skostredet, Bergen - shouting my name load and clear, begging me to come in and try it on, as it was obviously made for me (and who knows for how long it had been there, longing and waiting for us to meet?). I had no doubt at all, as she - The Magic Dress - appeared less than 24 hours after my very inspiring and colour/pattern/form-oriented meeting with Grete Smedal. Read on, read on!

A classic Arabic pattern - as seen on The Magic Dress 2011

...my 1993 version in an art book project at KHiB (former SHKD)

...from my colour study binder... Grete Smedals excellent classes really boosted my interest in colour as a visual phenomenon and the exhilarating mysteries of perception. I collected all the exercises in a binder that has been dear and useful to me ever after, as a mini reference book. I am soooo grateful for being her student (yes, I still consider myself a student of hers) and for her being my informal mentor through my degree studies in Textile Art at SHKD/KHiB. Her teaching methods have even been a great inspiration to me as a college teacher, and my binder has been very useful in so many ways. The methods still applies and has even been updated through her latest developement; the Chromascope! I can´t wait to dig into this amazing program! To me there is an obvious yet intricate pattern (choice of word totally coincidental...?) in this story - and The Magic Dress waiting for me in the second hand shop perfectly illustrates that divine connections are all around us, ready to savour :o)

Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow!

2011-03-01T08:23:00.002+01:00

The merengue and muffin baking Princess is to blame and thank for our massive egg consumption the latest few months ;o) We are all happy guinea pigs for her personal twists and alterings of the original recipes. And who said playing with food is always a bad thing...? Experimenting with my mobile camera is fun too, and sometimes rewarding, but something tells me I have to re-shoot the ones for the planned post about The Magic Dress. Which means this post will have to wait for a few days - meanwhile please enjoy Princess´ egghead parade!

My hometown - this is my home town (too)

2011-02-26T08:00:00.002+01:00

I lived in beautiful Bergen for 7,5 years, and I feel right at home every time I go back there. Last week I allowed myself a short break, going away all alone to meet up with my favourite teacher during my glory days at SHKD (presently known as KHiB. I graduated from the Dept of Textile Art mid January 1996, which means it has been almost exactely 15 years since I last saw my dear Professor of Colour Grete Smedal. Seeing you again wass bliss, Grete! And talking with you made me feel totally connected to my creative core. And to you, as it had been just 15 minutes, not 15 years! True inspiration! I will get back to our common passion for colour in a later post, by telling the story of The Magic Dress and the Chromascope. The first photo above shows one of Gretes numerous colour design projects; the inner yard of Hotel Admiral in central Bergen. The second one is taken at Bryggen, outside Gretes studio, showing the intriguing shapes of the warehouse buildings with cranes, dating from 1702 (but established around year 1070 AD) and after. The photo below? The frosty, beautiful city of Bergen handsomely adorned with golden sunshine and blue, blue sky.

PS - I don´t think I listened much to Bruce Springsteen during my years in Bergen, even though I did before and after this period - but his lyrics applies very well anyhow ;o)

Good Hair Day?

2011-02-23T18:59:00.017+01:00

The Arwetta Classic finally found its form. I have managed through several VERY cold weeks this winter. By wearing my warmest coat (a fake fur), my (politically un-correct) real sealskin boots and various selfmade hats, scarves and shawls. Some days with sheepskin mittens, some days wit beautiful hand-knit-by-my-best-friend mittens. There is still no sign of spring. Conclusion: The double folded rib of this hat will come handy even though it was finished weeks and weeks later than planned (the x-mas gift making was a brilliant excuse for putting this rather boring project aside).

My motto when it comes to hats is the same as before: Only the fact that my ears are kept warm can compensate risking a not-so-halfbad-hairdo by wearing a hat! (Not that this is a very likely scenario. Me having a truely Good Hair Day, I mean.) I LOVE my mega-warm Arwetta hat! Pattern: my own, very simple. Also very simple to copy; be my guest!

The photo is taken in Bergen (more from Bergen next time) by a friend, and it was slightly under exposed. I went to the other extreme, totally over exposing it and it turned out fashionably retro-ish. To others it may look just like one of my usual mishaps, but I am pleased ;o) I have still about 50 g left of the Arwetta which will most probably end up as wristwarmers at some point.

Princess at work

2011-02-17T10:20:00.006+01:00

The knitting fever is still rising - Princess has produced 10-12 bows for her friends the latest few days - and I think there are more to come. The bows are supposed to be attached to hair bands or hair elastics or they are made into brooches. This reminds me of my own early knitting and crocheting years - I made crochet net tops by order and charged very little money if any at all as long as I got to keep the scraps of yarn. This was actually the very start of my yarn stash :oD Way to go, Princess! ;o)

Chunky neckwarmer

2011-02-17T09:42:00.006+01:00

The slow, dark winter is still a mystery to me. MY winter is extremely busy and galloping away, and I can positively see that the sun is up earlier each and every day. The blog is suffering because of my busy schedule, but at last, here is a FO: a mega neck warmer for Princess. 4 balls of Eskimo knit in the round on 9 mm circulars; knit 3, purl 3 - done in a few hours.

Hvil vingene & unn deg litt pynt... Rest your wings & indulge in finery...

2011-01-30T20:22:00.009+01:00

These photos are from sweet Carinas day spa, called Hvil vingene ("Rest the wings"). My jewellery (postal stamp based pieces with silver and semi precious stones) and bags are on display there right now, and the prices will be 30-50 % reduced all February. Come have a look in Vangsvegen 33 (entrance from Grønnegata) in Hamar :o)

PS - my bridal crown/veil is also on display - top row left. This is a showpiece and not for sale

Slow and gloomy January...?

2011-01-17T09:49:00.004+01:00

In my case, January is everything but slow. At least this year. I am in the middle of a job change, and right now working 50/50 % at both jobs. As you may have guessed, 50 + 50 does not always equal 100 ;o) I do of course knit a few stitches whenever I am on the sofa AND awake, which is a rare combination these days, but I must shamefully admit that my Princess´ cardigan was not finished this weekend either. Working Saturday and having 5 12 year olds (+ my own Princess of course) over night for a "Piece party" (everybody dressed in not very elegant but still very popular OnePieces) took most of my time. Anyhow - the job change is super exciting and actually very fiber related, so stay tuned for both private and work related fiber news :o)

PS - the cardigan is luckily much closer to being finished and ready to wear than this old photo suggests...

Keep warm, you too, my friend!

2011-01-09T09:08:00.001+01:00

This set of legwarmers and armwarmers for a very dear friend is made of just 100 g Faerytale by Du store alpakka (100 % alpaca) and small scraps of fingering weight alpaca and Kid Silk Mohair. The legwarmers were based on Pickles´ free pattern for Luxury Leg warmers, and the armwarmers were made up as I went along. I have seen them in use and they do the job! Nothing pleases me more :o)

Warm Wishes

2011-01-07T08:53:00.001+01:00

50 g of Nanuk (100 % alpaca), a scrap of green Mohair Lux and yet another scrap of Kid Silk Mohair, 7 mm needles and a 3 mm crochet hook - an improvised pattern and a couple of hours in front of the TV, and VOILA! Wrist warmers of the soft and fluffy kind with the best of wishes for 2011 - and a Thank you for the music!

A little late or waaay too early...

2011-01-05T08:00:00.001+01:00

Definitely a little late for x-mas stockings now, or what...? I just had to show off my last minute presents for my two nephews. Mega sized as the stockings ended up, they will demand quite some effort from their parents next x-mas ;o) I sketched a pattern on some craft paper and happily cut through a stack of worn out jeans to make the pair. A couple of Supermans numerous disposed shirts came handy for trimmings and decorations - the shirts front button bands and button hole bands makes a neat, yet masculine finishing touch, I think. Making stuff up as I go is a very satisfying "method" - I just play on until the product looks "right". Which of course refers both to the specific recipient as well as my unidentified yet significant design style. Did this make sense??? Anyway - I had a great time making these, finishing and filling them (only 1/4 of their capacity...) and wrapping them just hours before they were put under the tree to be handed out :o)

Happy New Year...

2011-01-03T08:29:00.005+01:00

...to all of you! I hope you all had a very merry x-mas with days of leisure and pleasure and plenty of time spent with family and friends - and maybe some balls of wool? My first posts of 2011 will be like this one; revelations of the x-mas gifts I produced during November and December. More than one friend got a pair of wash cloths and a bar of nostalgic soap and this exact pair was for Supernøtt.

Peace and Love!

2010-12-22T22:04:00.008+01:00

The 50 or so x-mas cards are on their way, hopefully finding all their recipiants safe, sound and happy. The production method was the slow kind. Hopefully the mail service is not equally slow, as good custom says December 24th is the latest acceptable day for a x-mas card to arrive. Luckily wishes for a happy new year is also included in the note - an excellent way to make sure the cards are relevant even if they do not arrive in time for The Holy Night ;o)

I wish you all a peaceful holiday as well as days filled with joy and love

Over the threshold

2010-12-17T12:16:00.006+01:00

These photos were taken a freezing cold day; I think it was -19 degrees celsius. Our front hall holds about the same temperature as outside; very convinient for storing and even freezing food! I just could not stop decorating despite my frostbitten fingernails, so I embellished this dry branch with some x-mas ornaments. Hopefully this makes our guests feel heartly and warmly welcomed despite the cold.

Welcome

2010-12-14T10:21:00.001+01:00

Winter is COLD but equally BEAUTIFUL around here - the crisp, biting air feels healthy and gives the extra benefit of the true pleasure of getting indoors again! This is how our entrance welcomes everyone who stops by.

Miracles are waiting to happen

2010-12-12T09:50:00.003+01:00

A row of six budding hyacinths sitting on my window sill waiting to bloom with white pureness and spread their lovely fragrance

Lucky, lucky me :o)

2010-12-10T09:27:00.005+01:00

I am such a braggart of a proud mama - but you must agree that I am very, very lucky to be Princess´mother, right? She is kind, loving, brave, clever, creative and COOL. This cute and very cleverly improvised advent calendar was made for ME by HER. Every day I unwrap a thoughtful, little gift. So far I got acrylic pearls, a small wicker basket that I have owned for at least 20 years ("for keeping all the little things you get", she explained)a homemade bracelet, a book mark, miniature roses (which I gave her last year...)one even contained two mother of pearl buttons that I bought to replace the broken ones on this jacket, but never came around to sew on - now found and wrapped and unwrapped as a effective reminder ;o) Todays gift was a little Kinder Egg container filled with Princess´ own tea blend. Perfect for my sore throat :o)

Feed the birds

2010-12-09T15:39:00.004+01:00

Princess loves all animals and birds and she is such a good, caring girl - making all the little birds happy with her seed cakes! Hopefully not making the cat equally happy by gathering plenty of bewinged lunches within reach... even though she cares a lot for him too, of course :o)

Every day is a gift...

2010-12-07T09:26:00.004+01:00

...and between the 1st and 24th of December there are gifts whithin the gift! Princess is very happy with this years advent calendar. My plan is to gradually replace the gifts with x-mas cards and let the 6 x 4 hearts wirework board decorate the sitting room wall through Christmas.

Another secret, another glimpse

2010-12-01T14:38:00.002+01:00

This picture shows my lap covered in my beloved hexagon blanket (which I named Oriental Garden)as I am picking up another secret x-mas-related project to have a few rows done. In my opinion one of my very best and very refined qualities is to make myself comfortable and ENJOY being secretive! (yes, I had numerous lit candles and a mug of tea close at hand as well...)

Secretive glimpse

2010-11-30T15:17:00.001+01:00

Soft, warm... pure alpaca. Say no more! ;o)

Heavenly Peace

2010-11-29T14:27:00.004+01:00

Yes, this weekend was bliss - heavenly peace, so to speak. This of course means that a lot of my over-ambitious plans were put to rest, but it is OK. As long as I was able to rest too, I mean ;o) I still feel at peace. The first candle was lit - the big star in the window got a new bulb - all my beautiful angels are on watch. It was a GOOD first sunday of Advent!

Waiting for the waiting

2010-11-27T14:54:00.001+01:00

2-3 weeks ago I just could not wait any longer - I just HAD TO start the outdoor decorating, which I normally don´t do before December 1st. Maybe the reason for this is that I had a hard time accepting fall and winter darkness before. The latest few years I have grown more and more fond of these seasons, and it feels so nice to complement this feeling by doing a little bit of outdoor decorating. Together with the pretty lanterns and planters on a little marble table next to the entrance door it also serves as a nice welcome for visitors. The base for this rather chaotic arrangement is my clematis pyramide climbing rack. The "ornaments" are my collection of seed stands, cones and acorns from Spain, Tunisia, Greece and Norway. While I wait for Advent (which as you know means "the coming of Christ"), I keep on working on big and small projects, both indoors and out - some more secret than others ;o)

Princess to Queen

2010-11-25T14:43:00.005+01:00

Princess has developed kind of an obsession lately - before school, she knits. At school, she knits. After school, she knits. Before homework, she knits. After homework and before dance lessons, she knits. In bed at night, she knits. And so on. Some of her friends will find some precious, homemade gifts under the x-mas tree this year! The wristwarmers took her just a few hours to finish and decorate. Thick, cosy wool is good for keeping the spirit and motivation! Go, girl!

Glittering Prize

2010-11-18T08:41:00.004+01:00

Remember Simple Minds...? Well. Anyhow. A couple of weeks ago I attended an inspirational seminar for teachers and other educational staff. The seminar included a workshop - we spent 1,5 hours playing with all the glittery stuff you can imagine! Our task was to make a filigree brooch inspired by the various traditional filigree brooches accesorizing the Norwegian national costumes. We were asked to bring an empty, clean tin, and as it turned out the tin lid would serve as a base for the brooch. This is what I ended up with - and I will proudly wear it in good Pippi Longstocking spirit :o)

Ready for a revelation?

2010-11-10T13:28:00.010+01:00

Lucky, lucky me! I met adorable Eline and her lovely parents last night. It has been a bit more than 12 years since I laid eyes on my own little precious Princess for the first time. I have hardly been able to take my eyes off her again, gazing at her amazing beauty ever since - and I totally understand, and (partly - must not forget that one owns child will always be the most perfect and beautiful ;o) ) agree with Elines parents when they claim HER the most beautiful creature in the world... And THIS is what was inside the wrapped up gift from last post - a cosy little hooded sleeping/travelling bag for baby Eline! It is based on the pattern "Nataschas kjørepose" from the book "Myk start" by May B. Langhelle, but I altered the yarn, the size, the needles and most importantly the hood, which was originally knitted directly onto the body in one piece. In my experience hoods can be a real view-blocker for the baby, and also too warm inside a car, and if you want to pull it down it will create a very uncomfortable bump in the neck. Cute pink and glittery mother of pearl buttons are used to attatch the hood to the body, and this hopefully makes the whole bag-thing more practical in use. Yarn: About 475 g of super soft "Easy" (1 ply 100 % merino wool) from Sandnes garn. Needles: 7 mm.

All dressed up and somewhere to go ;o)

2010-11-09T08:58:00.004+01:00

The gift for little Eline is good to go! I hope we will be able to meet soon - for the first time! The closest I have been so far is this beautiful drawing of her, by her extremely clever artist papa. It has been a while since I last saw her cute mama too, so it will be bliss :o)

Secret blogging?!?

2010-11-04T10:12:00.006+01:00

First of all; thank you for the nice comments on the baby blanket! Not much progress on that one since my last post I´m afraid - as the baby turns out not to be due until January some time I got the (deceiving) feeling that there is no rush... ;o) Blogging AND keeping the blogging material secret is a true contradiction (like eating the cake and have it, I would say) - so the blog has been neglected for a few weeks. Soon, my friends, soon at least one of the secrets can be revealed! Then there is the x-mas gifts preparations, involving one secret project after the other. I think this year, I will angle my camera towards other aspects of my aesthethic ways. Maybe I will start posting more glimpses from my domestic life, or include other kind of work than the yarn-based? Maybe even dig out some old graphic work? There will most certainly be some paper crafy preparations for this season too and not all of them have to be secret, I think. So look for new content around here - as for now enjoy the wonderful colours in this photo stolen from I can´t remember where (sorry, I am BAD!)

Domino progress

2010-10-23T10:37:00.002+02:00

I have been told that the unborn recipient of this Domino WIP will be a boy - and he is LUCKILY due quite a few weeks later than first expected. This means that some of my plans for home made x-mas gifts may also come to life ;o)

Rainbow sleeves

2010-10-18T10:09:00.006+02:00

Princess often tells me that she wants me to make her cardigans, sweaters etc - especially every time I finish something for myself. In 2008 I made a very warm raglan cardie as seen below, and last week I cast on for a similar one for Princess. Hopefully it will do as a x-mas present. The yarn is fingering weight Fabel (75 % merino wool, 25 % nylon) + Alpaca in Princess´version while my own was Noro Silk Garden + one strand Alpaca/one strand Carisma (100% wool). 3 mm needles seem to make the right gauge for a nice and soft fabric. The Fabel rainbow yarn is fairly similar to the Noro colourway on my jacket, which I think will please the recipient. I really hope this garment will be loved and worn by Princess when it is finished.

Expecting more cold weather

2010-10-02T20:04:00.001+02:00

I think this beautiful Arwetta Classic (80 % merino wool, 20 % nylon) could be suitable (and is maybe designed for) knitting socks. I´m planning a hat, though, and maybe some finger mittens if my 100 g lasts for both. Maybe this time I will even search for and actually follow a pattern :-))

The September When

2010-09-30T19:37:00.005+02:00

The last day of September arrived much sooner than expected this year... The calendar decides that I should stop wondering if there will be an Indian Summer this year. I enjoy the beautiful colours around me, breathing in the crisp air doing one-hand-shooting with my camera, trying to keep the other hand warm in my pocket ;o)

Seasons Greetings

2010-09-19T14:27:00.001+02:00

Vintage and new manufactured lace combined with Calluna - a simple and romantic decoration on my willow wreaths this season

Sneak peek

2010-09-17T08:41:00.001+02:00

This super soft 100% merino Easy yarn knits up nicely on 7 mm needles and makes a very warm fabric - I hope it will be suitable for its (secret) purpose :o)

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose...

2010-09-15T13:27:00.005+02:00

The roses from Superman are like our love; growing more beautiful every day and changing through the different phases with grace...

So far, so good

2010-09-12T16:02:00.004+02:00

365 days ago Superman & I confirmed our determination to share our lives by saying "I do" - surrounded by family and friends all through the beautiful ceremony and the following happy celebration. We agree on todays title - and as you can see the domino baby blanket is coming along nicely too :o) PS - in case you did not read the last post on this topic; the blanket is for a friends baby - we are not planning or expecting one ;o)

Tested & tried

2010-09-10T09:08:00.004+02:00

The wash test went well so for the first time I actually AM early (ish) when it comes to making x-mas presents ;o) Have a great weekend, all!

Little things

2010-09-07T08:16:00.004+02:00

I am between large projects at the moment - which means a very welcome stash reducing production. Right now it is the soft and heavy weight cotton scraps that are being transformed into wash cloths. I used a 5 mm crochet hook and the finished size is ca 23 x 23 cm. I am going to do a "test wash" to determine if they are suited for little x-mas gifts - or if the sturdy yarn ends will wiggle their way out and peek through the surface despite my thorough weaving in efforts. If so I guess all five of them will have to do service as dishcloths right here at home with me ;o)

Faith, Hope and Love

2010-09-01T08:00:00.002+02:00

This brooch, or rather this PIN, or badge - is made of fabric and a stamp. I have added silver tokens for faith, hope and love, and I used a synthetic silver thread to stitch the pieces together. The stamp was designed by illustrator and artist Anne Kristin Hagesæther for Valentines Day 2007. This piece of jewellery was a comission for a 69 year old man. Cool!

Supermans Moss Jacket

2010-08-28T08:27:00.004+02:00

FACTS: * Started July 11th, finished August 24th (I am still surprised at my own knitting speed; maybe Supermans super powers rubbed off on me a bit?) * 2 mm circulars for the cuffs and collar + a plaid needle and 3 mm circulars for the rest. All the parts of the garment are knitted back and forth, even the arms. Just to make sure the gauge would be the same all over * ca 450 g green Silk Tweed + ca 35 g beige Silk Tweed + a nylon zipper (basted and then sewn with my almost antique Husqvarna * My own pattern for the shape and design, but most certainly inspired by this stitch pattern over at Little Purl of The Orients - thank you! * Love in every stitch - also in the ones I had to rip to make the neckline work out ;o) Here he is, my own, wonderful Superman, wearing his new super hero suit ;o) for days of super powers as well as for days of coach powers!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS!

2010-08-26T12:11:00.004+02:00

The beauty of your soul and heart is overwhelming - and you look fantastic too! I am soooo pruod and grateful for being just your mum, my dear 12 year old Princess. I love you!

New beginnings

2010-08-25T08:15:00.005+02:00

My sister and I are going to make a Domino blanket/wrap for a baby due in December some time. This will be our first knitting team work which is quite exciting. Finding a common gauge alone is an adventure! A few hours spent in the LYSs drooling over the endless possibilities and variations of soft wool and a well deserved break at a café afterwards was certainly a good start. Thank you for a great day, sis! The colours are soft and pleasing to the eye, and quite neutral gender-wise. Trimmings in the right girlish or boyish colour will be added as soon the baby is born. The mum to be grew up next door to my family. My sister and I used to babysit her and her brother. Years later, this lovely girl did a great job babysitting my own Princess - and maybe we will be able to babysit and slightly spoil this new baby, according to tradition ;o)

PS - the Superman Moss jacket is completely finished - waiting for Superman himself to return from a out of town "mission" to model it for a photoshoot before the garment is official HIS! Stay tuned!

Progress & plans

2010-08-15T11:50:00.005+02:00

This is still going to be a jacket for Superman, but it looks like Lois Lane doesn´t mind modelling it for him! This has been a muck quicker knit than I anticipated so far. The only thing that could obstruct finishing it in the same speedy manner is my mental list of new projects waiting to be brought to life... This is a "Keep Calm and Carry on"-situation ;o)

Photo report # 3 from Greece; Architecture, streets & views

2010-08-06T11:57:00.017+02:00

Princess built a fairytale castle by squeesing and dripping wet sand through her hands Above: The interior of St. Georges Cathedral sitting right on top of the medieval hill village of Ano Syros. The cathedral overlooks Hermoupolis, as seen under The road leading out of the port of Hermoupolis, capital of Syros

Photo report #2 from Greece: Food & details

2010-08-01T11:57:00.007+02:00

Above: Princess´ favourite door

Above: incense in a variety of colours and scents Above: a glimpse from a accessories shop in Hermouplis Above: a stall in Tinos offering all the little icons and knick-knacks your heart could ever desire. And more. Above: ...better with one crisp bird in the hand...

Photoreport #1 from Greece: Nature & animals

2010-07-29T10:51:00.002+02:00

Above: Beautiful and peculiar plants in Ano Syros

Above: Dividing flower wall right outside our door in Galissas Above: Beach lilly, Dellagratsia (Poseidonia) Above and below: sunset in Galissas, seen from our favourite taverna Above: The very friendly neighbourhood dog came to see us every afternoon

Below: a baby lizard right outside the St. Georges Cathedral, Ano Syros

Above: cool citrus colours, but an awful smell...

Below: the all over present Bougainvillea

Greek holiday progress

2010-07-26T19:39:00.008+02:00

Our week in Syros, Greece, was wonderful and thanks to the wide brimmed hats, Spf 30 and big parasols at the beach and by the pool we could enjoy the warm, sunny weather every single day. The detail photos in this post are mostly from the beautiful medieval village of Ano Syros, but the above photo is from the island of Tinos not far from Syros. The photo below shows my progress on sleeve #1 for Supermans cardigan 36 hours after leaving Norway. I nearly finished both sleeves during the week. Well, they are not actually finished as this is going to be a raglan cardigan - but still...they are up to the arm pitt and I am happy with the progress!

Princess made this mosaic heart at the beach of Galissas

Cool tank for hot days

2010-07-16T18:26:00.005+02:00

My beautiful Princess is finally wearing her ice blue Cotton Viscose tank top - I hope it was worth the wait! It definitely fits her, especially after I ripped the neck strap back quite a few inches. The bottom pictures shows how uneven the fabric came out when I picked up this project after exactely one year... the difference between last summers even and nice gauge and this summers crazy-ugly gauge is obvious, but luckily the soak in a mild detergent DID even it out enough for me to be willing to let it pass as "good enough"... Above; after a good soak and flat drying. Below; barely off the needles in all its misery - and below; the faithful dummy wearing the tank pre-soaking and with adult length neck strap. The difference between 2009 gauge and 2010 gauge was too much for me to bear...

Summer in the City

2010-07-11T14:44:00.007+02:00

Summer in the city can be easy breezy! All this greenery and the peaceful scenes are surrounded by the quite noisy and loud streets and railway tracks of our town centre. At the moment the soundtrack of these images is a mix of pouring rain and sunday traffic right outside the garden fence. The cars can be disturbing sometimes, but luckily both Superman and I find the noise of the railway and trains romantic, soothing and charming. The veranda (not shown in this post) is a perfect place for reading in this kind of weather, at least if you keep dressed to protect arms and legs from the mosqitos. As soon as the sun is back there will be executed some serious laziness in the hammock too :o)

Agurknytt

2010-07-09T10:07:00.006+02:00

Agurknytt means "cucumber news" which refers to an old English proverb; summer = the tailors holiday and time enough to grow cucumbers... in Norway the term agurknytt refers to the seasons lack of important news in the paper, and the journalists more or less making up news to fill the pages. This post is in the same category... in lack of something new to brag about I´ll scorn myself instead, by showing you how badly I am failing at my numerous attempts of getting the tension/gauge right on this tank top for Princess. I have no idea why I am unable to knit up a smooth and delicate fabric as the bottom 15 cm from last summer shows. Anyhow; I have decided that a "soak & press"-treatment will help a lot and if the difference between the lower and upper part is still bothering me I´ll add a ribbon to enhance this accidental line. PS - I am not growing cucumbers, but I am very pleased that the things I actually do grow is blooming willingly right now, so here you go...

The Baglady strikes again!

2010-07-03T09:10:00.005+02:00

First of all; welcome to the summer exhibitiom at Galleri Fjordheim! It opens on Sunday 4th at 12.00. I present 8 pieces of jewellery, in the company of several other artists. It will be open until August 8th, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12.00-16.00.

The finished Circle-in-square-cotton-scrap-project is done and even found it´s use. A multi-purpose tote/bag, at the moment holding an UFO and the two little bags pictured further down.

...not exactely matchy-matchy; I couldn´t be bothered to change the outfit of my ready-to-party-girlfriend here... she does the job, though, showing the proportions of the bag ;o)

It feels sooooo good to use even the scraps of the scraps for something handy like these little purses. The bigger one is lined with scraps from the same white cotton sheet as the big bag - and I took the trouble of adding a zipper to keep the little scissors, measuring tape, cell phone or whatever safe inside.

Dummy dress coming out of the closet

2010-06-29T12:52:00.002+02:00

This is the dress I wore in my dear friend A T´s wedding on June 12th. It was originally started as a test/dummy-dress for my own wedding dress last year. As my wedding day got closer, I had to focus on the "real" dress. The work on the dummy was not wasted, though - sewing on my brand new serger for the first time was a little less scary after my trial with these light and "hard to keep still"-fabrics. It was a bit of a challenge to finish the test-dress as I had tucked it away without adjusting and correcting anything - but I made it! Just like my wedding dress, this one was finished less than 24 hours before I wore it. If I work best under pressure, you ask...?

...and this is me, being a bit blurred (and shy) at the wedding reception carrying an old Ladybag by Baglady (my own brand) and the stola from 2006

Swatch me now!

2010-06-24T12:00:00.003+02:00

I am starting two large projects simultaniously these days - while trying to finish the cotton granny circle-in-square project and finding time for painting the bathroom ceiling and a wall... even thoug the clear weathr and sunlight gives me more energy these days, 24 hours are still 24 hours. So Don´t hold your breath while waiting for the transformation of these two patches into a cardigan for Superman (top picture) and a dress for me. Oh, and I am also planning/preparing a white, long and partly lacy crochet cordigan for me, sewing a black linen dress (also for me) and of course finish last years attemt to knit my Princess a halterneck or tank top... And who knows, even finally complete the Tulip Secret dating back to 1991! And it is still more than two weeks until my holiday starts, so we´ll see about the progress of all this ;o)

In the scrappy, not crappy, mood...

2010-06-22T12:19:00.006+02:00

Going away on a two day conference I grabbed my cotton scraps and a 4 mm hook running out the door - hoping that my playfulness and love for colour would come to action and provide a nice "something"! Over the last few years I have started (and completed) several scrap projects that just grew and grew... requiring new purchases of yarn (but still leaving my stash slimmed down in the end). This time I decided I would just make as many squares as the scraps would allow, and THEN decide what to use them for. I stayed true to one simple principle as I hooked happily away with a new and exhilarating feeling of freedom: A strongly coloured centre, a paler mid row forming the circle and a bright hue on the last row. I had a few balls of white cotton to join the cicle-in-square patches. The pale scraps for the mid row lasted for 54 squares. The rest of the yarn will be used for the finishing touches of this project (and will even last for some dish cloths, purses etc) - stay tuned to find out where my scrappy mood leads this time :o)

Sweetness!

2010-06-17T13:04:00.004+02:00

My clever Princess made delicious meringues filled with whipped cream and finely chopped peaches last week. I must admit mine was gone in seconds so I am glad I got this snapshot to prove her talent as a baker ;o)

It´s a nice day for a white wedding...

2010-06-15T11:42:00.005+02:00

...and an even better day for a red wedding on June 12th! "Hey little sister what have you done? Hey little sister who´s the only one?" We all got the answer on this rainy but oh, so beautiful day. The bride in red, the groom in off white, the seremony so soulful and solemn, yet light spirited... a wonderful party of about 65 people aged 10 months to + 80 years all contributing to the collective feeling of a truly loving and happy athmosphere. Yes, my dear friend - this is soooo right! Congratulations A T & G - I love you! (-and I am so pleased that the bolero came out fitting perfectly, as the weather truly required something little and snug to warm the brides proud shoulders...)

Crown Imperial Love

2010-06-04T08:24:00.005+02:00

The title is taken from a 90s Norwegian hit (you can listen to it here) by Weld/Vibeke Saugstad. I find the song melancholy and bitter sweet, so it doesn´t really match my associations with the crown/chocer shown here - but I like the song and love the title :o) This piece of jewellery was made in 2008 for an exhibition, and it was displayed as a choker at the time. It is made from original postal stamps, silver, aquamarines and Chinese bookroll fabric. Later I added a silk chiffon veil and used it as a bridal crown with my home sewn wedding dress! In just a weeks time my dear friend A T will get married and I REALLY hope the wedding bolero will come together nicely for her... I am so happy for her and her groom, and I am sure they will have a wonderful life together with or without this bolero, but still... FO-photos will be posted soon - I HOPE ;o)

PS - a little colour makeover has been going on in here; maybe you noticed? I like it so far.

Soft and scrappy baskets

2010-05-27T09:00:00.005+02:00

The eager observer will recognize the background from a few posts back; my scrap baskets were made for our closet at the cabin - to organize all the little items like extra toothpaste and cotton pads that are floating around on a big shelf inside the closet, occupying valuable space meant for storing clothes. They are also practical for placing on the bathroom shelf when we are staying for a few days - they save space, keeps the small bathroom tidy and look cute enough to be displayed. Or what? the pattern for a bread basket came handy - thank you UnePune!

Blonde Ambitions

2010-05-21T14:00:00.003+02:00

Thank you for complimenting me on my speediness on the Granny blanket from last post Trinemor - I will need to keep up this speed now, as I just started designing and knitting a wedding bolero for a dear friend... it is due June 12th! Yes, this is a blonde ambition! ("blonde" is Norwegian for lace, and "blond" is Norwegian for the colour of my hair...)

Folklore Forever!

2010-05-18T08:49:00.006+02:00

This is the finished Granny Square blanket seen for the first time in it´s natural environment as Sir Attenborough would have put it :o) It is made from various scraps of wool and alpaca - and a considerable stack of new alpaca skeins for the joining together and the border. Never the less my scrap stash has shrunk a great deal. This is my 3rd and by far quickest crochet blanket. It was started om April 1st and finished om May 16th. It measures ca 200 x 135 cm, and probably weighs more than 2 kg... It consists of 126 squares of musty, folklore-like colours. They match my parents traditionally decorated cabin so well you would think the blanket is far older than the actual cabin (built in 2000/2001)...

Joining forces

2010-05-03T12:17:00.005+02:00

Again, thanks fo the nice comments - I am sooo glad you liked the little scarf from last post, Formigrafisk! And it warms my heart that you appreciate my love for details. I have been like a hooker on speed lately - or at least doing some high speed hooking - so all 126 granny squares for the cabin blanket are finished. I have even started joining them together, using a clever method described in a tutorial here. So far it looks a bit wonky, but I think that it will all come together nicely in the end. And with a little steaming and pressing it should be close to perfect. As perfect as a scrap project containing various qalities and weights can be ;o)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

2010-04-30T18:20:00.001+02:00

Thank you for the nice comments lately :o)

Today is Formigrafisks AND my own Supermans birthday - congratulations to both of you! I hope you like my little gift, Formigrafisk - after all it is directly inspired by you (and Dans på roser). This was the first of two narrow scarves I made as gifts during April. You can see the other one here.

Lucky, lycky me :o)

2010-04-26T09:02:00.006+02:00

True love from a very dear friend! She gave me this beautiful ring as a late birthday present - I think it is needless to say it was worth the wait :o) Thank you sooooo much, A T! Our friendship means the world to me, and this heart is such a nice reminder. A few days before I got this ring, my little Princess decided to surprise me. I was happily crocheting away at the knitting café - yes, we are allowed both to knit and crochet ;o) - while she was baking these WONDERFUL cup cakes. What a yummy treat, and what a clever little Princess! Lucky, lucky me!

Inspired!

2010-04-22T08:45:00.002+02:00

Inspired by both Dans på roser and Formigrafisk I made this narrow scarf/neckpiece for a friends 40iest on april 15th. Congratulations to you, dear, and thank you for sharing your day with me and the other girls. A great night in even greater company! Thanks also to Dans på roser and Formigrafisk for all the inspiration you give us all on your great and beautiful blogs :o)

The scarf was made from scraps of cotton (the middle section) and two tones of Plumet (mohair/lambs wool/nylon). Moss stitch in the centre and a crochet lace all around. A crochet flower with a safety pin on the back makes it easy to vary the use and look of the scarf. It was a joy to make and a joy to give away, as the recipient texted me the day after to let me know it looked great on!