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Sunday, October 30, 2011

Having fun again

 Oh my, I am really bad at updating this blogg regularly. Well, here I am at last. Having a lazy weekend with the kids. Husband is working at a conference and is only home for breakfast. We wanted to see what he was up to, so we paid him a visit today. Didn't take long for the kids to get bored, but then we found the button machine and had real fun for a while. The button machine is a device used to make your own pins. Cut a picture from a magazine or draw your own, put it in the machine and you have your own, unique pin. Didn't think much of it until I had my first go at it, and realized it was so much fun! They look so professional, and you can make them in your personal style. I have rosy curtains and a window with some branches on mine. Love them!


Lately I have spent most of my crafty time making custom ordered things. I like that people want the things I make, but I prefer creating more freely. So I've been bored. Really bored. All orders and the lack of order in my house really made me low. But then Friday was a very special day, a day when I woke up to singing and presents on the bed. Yes, my birthday! My 35th and I'm still enjoying them! Especially when I get so lovely presents from my dear family. Napkins with hearts and reindeers,a huge crochet hook, and knit-pro needles! Wohoo!


Of course I wanted to try them at once, and my kids were nice enough to declare they wanted hats. I started with one for my son, for he actually needs one. The daughter only wants one, the one on the picture but with a pink and white yarn. Not so sure it will look great, but we'll have a go and see how it turns out. I have only one problem. I keep unscrewing the right needle! I obviously turn it a little, little bit when I knit which has now become a risk. A risk that I might unscrew the cable totally and drop stitches! So I'm practicing to turn the needle the other way, or re-screwing it every round. But I'm not really complaining, I love my new needles! Of course. And I love my family, for knowing what I want without me having to tell them. 


Oh, talking of orders, I have been working some on the African Flowers. I have finished all the hexagons and the next step is to weave in all ends and start sewing them together. Maybe I'll do it today. It would be really nice to finish something soon. I have so many other things I want to start, you see. (Ever heard that one before?) Since I use such a chunky yarn it is a pretty fast project to work on. And I like seeing a result at once! Well, I guess we will just have to see what I've been up to next time I post. Hopefully soon... Bye for now!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Turning something old into something new

It's getting colder every day, winter is probably not far away. So I looked through the kids' winter clothes to see what they still could use and what had to be bought. Found that my daughter's winter coat was too small for her now. Thought we would have to buy a new one, but then I found a coat we had put away in a closet when my son couldn't wear it anymore. All black, only color was a blue airplane on the chest, a self adhesive reflector. She didn't want it (the plane), so I took it off. Only the glue stayed... So it had to be covered with something else.


Looked for another reflector that would work, but we were out of self adhesive ones. So what do you do? Well, I got out one of her many reflector vests, one that was too small for her. Stripped it from reflectors that I glued onto the black coat. Not merely to cover the glue, I really felt uncomfortable with a small child like my girl running around almost invisible in the black Swedish winter. And I even got a little artistic down on the back, can you see it?


I used a gingerbread angel cutter as a template, I like to think of it as an guardian angel.  The reader with good eyes can see stitches there, even though I said I used glue. Yes, my glue didn't work that well. It is for fabric use, but maybe the reflectors and coat were too plastic? Anyway, I had to sew to keep the reflectors on the coat. Oh, did my fingertips hurt after that! Not the softest materials to pierce...


The reflector stripes didn't really cover the glue spot completely, but that was not a big problem. Had some crochet flowers lying around just waiting for a girl to need them. Pink and purple of course, what else? At least when you are almost seven.


She danced around in it as soon as it was all done last night. She loves when I make things for her. Not that you can tell from the picture below... Maybe she was worried that she would miss the school bus just because I had to take her picture.


Hope it will keep you warm and visible, sweetheart! Now I better get away from the computer, I have a million things that need to be done. Take care!

Friday, October 21, 2011

Nothing much

Nothing much has happened here since last time. I've mostly been coughing and haven't had energy for so much more. Even knitting or crocheting has made me too tired... But now I'm feeling better, and I've even worked on a few African Flowers for a new bag. A friend of mine just loved my Purple and Pink bag and wanted one, but without the pink. So I went to the yarn store and bought the only three purple colors they had in the cotton yarn I use. Was a little skeptic at first, but it turned out quite nicely. 


Right now, I'm in that state where you have a lot of different projects going on. I start new ones without finishing any, or so it seems. But I now that it's a cycle. Soon I will be in the mood for finishing things and wouldn't dream of starting something new until everything else is done.


Almost like the nature, there are different times for different things. Or even as the Bible says, "a time too reap, a time to sow...".


 But I have to agree with the person who said that autumn is blooming just like spring, it just has different colors. Quite amazing colors, really.


All of this, just in my little garden. And I better take the time to admire it, soon it will all be gone. Some of the trees are already naked.


 I went behind the earth cellar, to see if that golden oak tree had left a treasure of beautiful leaves on the ground. 


Something like this, only more grand.


No leaves, but instead I ran into these guys. I'm not sure who was most surprised, them or me.


Usually, they like to keep their distance. But today they let me come pretty close and take some pictures. I think this one is my favorite cow, it looks so soft and cuddly.


I'll leave you with this cute fellow, and wish you a great weekend. I'll be home alone with my kids, so I predict I won't get very much computer time... But hopefully I will have some progress in one or two of all my projects to show you next week. Or maybe some new ones...

Monday, October 17, 2011

Evening in the family office

When I first started blogging, I thought to myself that I would post at least once a day. To share my days and my thoughts. That's how I chose the name of my blogg, "All the days that passed...". Well, either I don't do or think much, or I'm just lousy at sharing it with you. At least once a day! This time I was kept away from blogging because of germs and a big rearrangement in the house. My working space has moved downstairs, from the TV-room to the office.


 Maybe a little less space for me here, but more shelves. And closer to the computer, which I think is great. I kept running up and down the stairs before. Downstairs to print patterns, upstairs to knit or crochet. Downstairs to blogg, upstairs to take the pictures I had forgotten, downstairs again to post them, upstairs again since I forgot to bring the camera... I think you get the picture!


It took some time though, to move it all around. All our books had to be moved, tables and shelves and so on. And my son got sick and had to stay home from school almost the entire week. Now it's my turn to cough and sneeze. So I haven't really been up to much creative stuff either. But now, look at my table! I got to the yarn shop today, and have already started on some orders I have since the harvest feast. And I like it! 


I only just started, so there's not much to see yet. But it will keep me company in our lovely TV-room tonight! So much more relaxing up there now, without my creative mess piling up in every corner!


Of course the kids needed their own creative space. When I sit in here, so do they. Unusually tidy so far though... If you are wondering about the dark pictures, but sometimes it's nice to catch the moment rather than posting perfect contrasts. This is what our room looks like this autumn evening.


Of course my husband had to have his own corner to. Maybe not creative in the same way as the rest of the room, but there are many ways to be creative, right?! Anyway, he sometimes works from home and needs his own desk. By the way, this corner is probably the only place in the house where our old (read ancient) wallpapers seem to fit in. I find myself always trying to avoid catching our walls on picture, hope we can redecorate them to some day!

Now, I think it is about time I grab that basket and move on upstairs. The youngest one needs to be tucked in soon, and I need to do some knitting! I hope you don't have to wait too long for my next post...

Friday, October 7, 2011

Felted African Flower

 Felting is so much fun! I made a bag out of the two big African Flowers, although it was a bit tricky since I was running out of yarn. But I found a way.


The African Flowers are so pretty, don't you think? One of those things I can't stop making.


I made the stitches between front and back in green, since I was getting short on gray. But I don't mind, I think it can be really pretty with visible stitches. 


The handle was the biggest problem, I don't know how many different options I tried... But finally I found a way to make it with the small amount of yarn I still had left. Chains in green, and a round of gray.


I didn't dare to put this bag in the washer machine, it would probably shrink too much. So I felted it by hand on my washboard. Not as hard as I thought it would be. I'm pleased with the result, except for the handle.


 It looks kind of like a wet, dead animal... A bit better now though, when it is a little drier.


I think felting is so exciting. Everything looks so different once felted. The only boring part is that it takes forever to dry...


I have already made another one. In blue and beige. I  I felted it today and am impatiently waiting for it to dry. I am sorry to say that I forgot to take pictures of it before I felted it, I was to eager I guess. So I'm going to let it hang around until it's completely dry, and show it here then. I'm thinking about lining both of the bags, so you'll get to see the finished result of them both. Hopefully in a near future!

Monday, October 3, 2011

I'm thinking bags

I was searching my yarn boxes today. I was going to the church sewing circle and had to start a new project. Preferably something that I could donate to the charity auction said sewing circle has every year in November. I was thinking mitts. I started looking for thin, soft wool. And... well, I'm not quite sure how it happened, but here you have the result.


 How did I end up in the boxes with my chunkiest wool? Or the box with itchy wool? Well, anyway... The colors. I blame the colors. For some time now, I have been dreaming about crocheting something with pink and green. Most likely a bag, with flowers. African flowers. For me...


The small one is for me. I just couldn't help myself. Hard to catch the colors in the autumn light, but it looks kind of vintage to me. In reality at least. I'm thinking some kind of old style bag, maybe. Rather small. I might try felting the whole thing when it's done. If I dare. I'm even considering lining, that's a first! But I still had nothing for the sewing circle...


Looked around on Flickr for inspiration, and found this, a felted bag with one big African flower on each side. That's something for the charity auction, I thought. Well, I can tell you the ladies at the circle loved my flowers. Only problem is, I don't know how to continue. I don't think I have enough yarn... I love buying on sale, but since everybody else does too, it's impossible to get more yarn. I had one ball of gray and one ball of beige (the color in the middle of the flower). And neither one will be enough for a bag. And they don't look great together... The green and pink are just pieces of the same ball, which had four different colors and won't do either. So now I have to think. Wish me luck with that! But I love them too much to frog them though, so I have to come up with something.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Something for me

After making so many things for the harvest feast, for others to buy, I really felt like making something just for me. Actually, I got started on it right at the feast. I sat in my corner on a chair, on my sheep skin, tucked under a blanket and crocheted. Can you see what it is?


Lover's knots! Of course... Do I make anything else? Feels like I want to turn all my yarn into lover's knots shawls, especially if the yarn shifts in color, or if it is very snuggly, or... Well, you get the picture.


This yarn is an acrylic-alpacka mix. So cuddly! That's why I decided to keep it. It shifts from dark to very light purple. I love purple, but I hate taking pictures of purple things! Why is it so hard to get it right? I was complaining about that when I took these pictures. "Then stop making purple things!", my husband said. I hope he wasn't serious, 'cause that is not an option!


I also made a pair of mitts to go with the shawl. I really wanted to knit them, but this yarn just wouldn't be knitted. It is too hairy... It just kept getting stuck, and although  I was knitting one, purling one, it didn't get flexible at all so I gave up. I made them in crochet.


They didn't get as tight as I had planned around my arms, but that's okay. I have really skinny arms, so had I made them tight enough I wouldn't be able to stick my hands through them. And that's the whole idea, right?


 Well, now I am the proud owner of  a fluffy shawl and pretty mitts! I have a drawer full of shawls, but these are the first pretty mitts I've made for myself. Earlier I just kept the first try on new patterns I made up, and though they keep my hands warmer, they are not that pretty.


As you might have noticed, I wrote this only in English. I think that is how it will be from now on. It took so much time to write in both languages, and I didn't like the amount of text in each post. Hard to read, right? Even if you only read half of it, I guess too much text makes you less eager to read it. But mostly I do this for me, I found that I almost didn't want to blog, since it took so much time and effort. I already like this better! Hope you do too...

See you in a while!