Happy New Year!

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

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)

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...!

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

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

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)

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

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

The magic of December

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

Santas little helpers at work!

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...?