Cloudberry

Well, hello there sun. Nice to see you again!

2012-02-02T13:46:00.000+01:00

The sun has slowly made it's way down from the peaks of the mountains to the lake the last two weeks, and today we finally could see her peeking out. She will be lurking in the forest a couple of weeks until she manage to come over the mountain to the left.

The shadows on the wall bring promises of warm sunny days ♥

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2012-02-01T12:42:00.001+01:00

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

Knitting: Still working on the wool pants for Endre. I'm halfway through the first leg and the stripes makes it a bit more fun to knit as I can see it grow. The three new wips are some mittens and socks. The white is a pair of Newfoundland mittens for Eirin. Similar to the once I finished yesterday. The blue is a pair of Jules socks for Hubby and the grey a pair of Owlie socks for Eirin.

Reading: I've read a couple of Harlequin historical romance books since last time. And quite enjoyed them as the guilty pleasure books they are ;) But each night I indulge myself in the world of Jamie and Claire in Cross Stitch. I'm halfway through it and I love this story! Scottish always makes my knees a little wobble ;) The other book, Sister's Choice, have I just started to read, but it looks like it's a good book.

I have discovered audio books now that the kids are at school and I have the day for myself. What a great way to spend the day knitting and listening to a book at the same time!! As audiobooks are rather expensive here, I borrow them at the library. The other day I came across the site Books Should Be Free. There are mostly classics there, and I started to listen to Pride and Prejudice.

If you take a look at the top of my blog you'll see a page named Around the world in books. In short words I have decided to read my way around the world :) Will take a while, but what a journey it wil be. I have added the books I have already read in the past, but I haven't visited many countries yet...

Mittens

2012-01-31T13:27:00.001+01:00

So with the end of January NaKniMitMo Kal 2012 is over. I had planned to knit more mittens than I did, but I guess one always have more plans than actual time to do it all ;)
Anyway, I'm pleased with the three pairs I managed to make this month.The third pair is my Selbu Sea Horse Mitten.

I like my camera, but not when I have to take a photo with red in it... The red is much more darker than this. The photo below is more like the real mitten.

I have knitted a pair of mittens from this pattern before - for Erlend. I think this booklet of patterns is one of my best buys through the years. This pattern is for a women, knitted on size 2 mm needles with Rauma 2 ply. I knitted these with baby wool (4 ply) and size 2,5 mm and they fits my 9 yo. You can imagine the size if I had knitted these on 2 mm. So if you are knitting with other yarn than Rauma 2 ply, check your gauge.

Pattern: 8. Damevott / Woman's mitten from Rauma LVS-5, Selbustrikk
Yarn: ca. 23 g red Gjestal Baby Ull and 30 g black Mor Aase Baby
Needles: 2,5 mm
Size: Fits Eirin 9 year

I really like these. And I have made a pair of these mittens too, last year ;) These was meant to be Eirin's, but they got a little big for her... But she really wants a pair so I am about to cast on a second pair. I can't refuse her when she actually wants me to knit her something ;) That doesn't happen often these days...
I knitted the white "stripes" with 1 k row and 1 p row instead of 2 p rows. So I didn't get the "dots" as there is in the pattern. I think they look prettier this way.

Pattern: Newfoundland Mittens
Yarn: ca. 60 g white Mor Aase Ullgarn and 30 g Labbetuss raggegarn
Needles: 3 mm
Size: Adult, small

Weekending

2012-01-29T19:47:00.000+01:00

We started the weekend by going to the library to find some books. Great to have some new books to read when the weather is so cold - again :( We are starting to get a bit fed up now with this cold temperatures... It's been -22C today, so no outdoor going other than to fetch firewood. So the kids have been climbing the walls and fighting a bit today *sigh* Hopefully it will change to milder weather and start to snow soon...
Yesterday I woke up to a lovely surprise. I had been choosen by a random number generator to win three free patterns by Kirsten Kapur in the NaKniMitMo Kal group on Ravelry :) I choose Clepsydra Mittens, Gallus and Sofie's Mitts. I think I'll cast on a pair of Sofie's mitts soon. Think my luck have been used up for the year now ;)
So other than reading, finishing Eirin's mittens and starting a new pair, watch Cowboys & Aliens with hubby, mediate between the kids and try to keep warm, there hasn't been much done this weekend. How's your weekend been?

Twisted rib neckwarmer

2012-01-27T18:48:00.000+01:00

Finally some nice weather to take photos in. Although it was mild with just -3C the wind made my fingers feels like icicles the few minutes I was out...

Pattern: Twisted Rib Neckwarmer

Yarn: 86g Candy Skein Yummy Fingering Superwash Sock, Colorway Blackberry

Needles: 4,5 mm

I first used this yarn when I knitted the Dragonfly Wings shawl last year. But I didn't like the shawl, so I desided to frog it. And I'm glad I did, because I love this cowl :) It's so soft and comfy and I love the colours. If you haven't checked out Candy Skein's yarn yet, you should.

Friday Flickr Favourites

2012-01-27T10:17:00.000+01:00

1. purple birds, 2. I found the best street, 3. PeeBee and Jay the bunnykins, 4. Mittens,

5. stormy shades, 6. oeufling // twinkle, 7. eve, 8. little fox in winter,

9. Untitled, 10. My word: Survive, 11. Three shades of gray, 12. Mittens Perianth,

13. lyingcolor, 14. multi snowflake pile up, 15. Untitled, 16. Untitled

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

2012-01-27T08:52:00.000+01:00

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore from Moonbot Studios on Vimeo.

Inspired, in equal measures, by Hurricane Katrina, Buster Keaton, The Wizard of Oz, and a love for books, “Morris Lessmore” is a story of people who devote their lives to books and books who return the favor. Morris Lessmore is a poignant, humorous allegory about the curative powers of story. Using a variety of techniques (miniatures, computer animation, 2D animation) award winning author/ illustrator William Joyce and Co-director Brandon Oldenburg present a new narrative experience that harkens back to silent films and M-G-M Technicolor musicals. “Morris Lessmore” is old fashioned and cutting edge at the same time.

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2012-01-25T13:10:00.000+01:00

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

Reading: I'm still reading the same books as last time. And I must tell you that I love A Discovery of Witches!! If you normally don't read vampire/witch stories, don't let that stop you from reading this book as it has so much more. A lost manuscript, love and suspense in a wonderful mix. I'm almost done with it, and are trying to finish it so I can get it back to the library on Friday. I've also picked up a new Harlequin book - The Conqueror's Lady by Terri Brisbin ;) It's ok to read a few pages here and there inbetween other things.

Knitting: I'm finished with the first mitten and it looks like it's going to fit Eirin's hands :) Hopefully she will like them, but she is hard to please... The cowl I was knitting on last week is done, but I haven't taken any photos yet... The green thing is a pair og wool pants for Endre. He sure needs them as he has outgrown the pair I knitted for him last year.

Weekending

2012-01-22T18:40:00.001+01:00

Joining with Amanda for weekending

It's been a cold weekend again, but the return of the sun

and her painting the peaks pink, makes it so pretty.

I've celebrated my birthday so there have been

some chocolate cake eating :)

There have also been a lot of knitting, reading,tending to the fire

and little sleep due to a little man still getting up early...

Today we went sledding in -18C.
It got quite cold after a while,

so it was good to go inside and warm up over a cup of tea.

Tonight we had a beautiful northern light,
not one of the most impressive, but still beautiful.

I tried to capture it, but I still need to learn

more about my camera to get good night photos...

How has your weekend been?

Wordless Wednesday :: Winter Fun

2012-01-18T16:51:00.001+01:00

Wordless Wednesday

More photos from out day here :)

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2012-01-18T16:48:00.000+01:00

Yarn Along ::WIP Wednesday

Reading: I'm switching between Cross Stitch (outlander) by Diana Gabaldon and A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1) by Deborah Harkness. I love them both, but with both of them being books with over 500 and 800 pages I think they will take some time to read through ;) Since I've borrowed A Discovery of Witches from the library I have to try to finish it firts. The series by Diana Gabaldon have I had in my book shelf for over 2 years now... I'm not sure why I haven't read them yet. But I guess it's a mix of other books coming in the way and the fear of them not living up to my expectations...

Knitting: A new pair of selbu mittens. Hope they will fit Eirin when I get them off my needles. The other is a cowl for myself.

Macro Monday :: Hibernating

2012-01-16T13:05:00.001+01:00

Macro Monday

Pink socks

2012-01-16T12:35:00.000+01:00

It's been a long time since I joined a kal in the Sock Knitters Anonymous group over at Ravelry. But since Eirin needed a new pair of socks and one of the January Challenges is to knit a from designer Erica Lueder, I desided to join.
Pattern: The Weasley's Homestead Socks
Yarn: 65 g Silja strømpegarn #102
Needles: 2,5 mm
Size: 9 years - 56 st

A close up of the rib. It's an easy rib with k2,p2 for 6 rows then p2, k2 for 6 rows.

The leftovers from the pair became three sircles which I save for a new blanket :)

Weekending

2012-01-15T18:52:00.001+01:00

Joining with Amanda for weekending.

It's been a lazy weekend. At least for some of us with bread baking, watching tv, knitting, reading and tending to the fire. Endre on the other hand had no intention to miss a minute of this weekend and have been awake so early... Yesterday he was up at the crack of dawn, at 5... Luckily I managed to persuade him to stay in bed a listen to an audiobook so the rest of us could sleep a while longer. I thought he would sleep a little longer today as he was up so early the day befor, but no. He was up at 6 today and Eirin joined him an hour later.
The cold temperature kept us inside untill today. Over the night it went from -22 C to 2 C, so with wet snow the years first snowmen was built today :) With the change of weather I finally could do several loads of laundry and hang out to dry - love the fresh smell of outdoor dried laundry :)
I've finished a pair of socks this weekend too, but more about them tomorrow I think.
How has your weekend been?

Selbu Sea Horse Mittens

2012-01-13T21:44:00.000+01:00

Not much to say about these other than I love them!!

Pattern: Selbu Sea Horse Mittens
Yarn: Silja Strømpegarn, 50 g black and 37 g white
Needles: 2,5 mm

Friday Flickr Favourites

2012-01-13T19:51:00.000+01:00

1. basket of goodies, 2. looking out..., 3. yowes4, 4. Untitled,

5. shelties, 6. starting, 7. Gratitude, 8. four ecru scarves,

9. 11.11.11:love, 10. Untitled, 11. urchins, 12. Untitled,

13. a little closer to the end of the rainbow, 14. Untitled, 15. Snowflakes, 16. .

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T10:05:00.000+01:00

Wordless Wednesday

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2012-01-11T09:54:00.001+01:00

The days seems to fly by here... And I guess the reason must be that we get more and more daylight each days now :) I'm so looking forward to the return of the sun! So what are you knitting and reading this week?

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

Knitting: I've casted on the second sea horse mitten, so I have hopes to have the pair done my the weekend. And hopefully take some picture in daylight. The pink to the left is a sock for Eirin.

Reading: I've finished both books I was reading last week - and both of them was really good! I've started on another Harlequin novel - Pickpocket countess. I've always thought these novels from Harlequin as trash, but either have I had the wrong impression or they have started to give out better books. Because these historic romance books are good.

It's Brandon Wycroft's duty as the Earl of Stockport to catch the "Cat," a notorious thief who is stealing from rich local homes to feed the poor. Discovering that the Cat is a woman, he changes his plan of action--to a game of seduction!
Mysterious and tempting, she teases him. And, as the net closes around the Cat, Brandon realizes he wants to protect her as well as bed her. But the only way to catch her is to spring the parson's mousetrap--and make her his countess!

The other book is a norwegian young adult book - Heksesot. It's about Ella who is a witch.

Ella does not want to be an outsider, yet that is exactly what she is in the new place. A serious heart disease have led to that she has been a lot away from school. Yet she is better than most, and it is not tolerated. When her mother engaged in alternative medicine, it is yet another reason to freeze her out. But Ella finds a special way to get by on. Witch rituals to help her. And her friendship with Anna.

I came across this and had to share :)

Still cold...

2012-01-09T11:18:00.000+01:00

Another cold day in my part of the world. -18C today. So I managed to get very cold on my hands before I managed to shoot a good photo. I really need to knit me a pair of photographer mittens!

Macro Monday :: Mandagstema - Kontraster

Weekending

2012-01-08T20:51:00.000+01:00

Joining with Amanda for Weekending... Some blurry photos due to the light this time of year and because some of the photos was taking in the car...

- celebrathed mom's birthday
- with an hour to drive each way, the ds is great to have to keep the kids awake on the way home ;)
- it's been a cold weekend with -21C at the coldest

- beautiful sunset even though the sun have not come back yet
- frost flowers on the windows
- second round of colds, hoping we have had our part this winter...

- love the warmth from our wood stove when it's cold
- homemade pizza
- several episodes of sanctuary, season one with hubby when the kids have been put to bed

- finishing the pair of snuggle socks for Endre
- casted on for the second sea horse mitten
- read out The Lord and the Wayward Lady and planning what book to read next (outlander)

Friday Flickr Favourites

2012-01-06T19:37:00.000+01:00

1. *Snow Magic, 2. Ready to eat!, 3. Sound of Waves Shawl, 4. Untitled,

5. starlight, 6. w o r d s : :, 7. gift set, 8. 26.12.2011,

9. warming, 10. Charlie's Hat, 11. baaaa, 12. hundreds of wishes,

13. On the mantle, 14. Winter Rose, 15. december, 16. Annemor 11 : Selbuvotter,

17. Untitled, 18. Hung at the fireplace, 19. snow white and rose red, 20. A new blanket in the works

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2012-01-04T14:48:00.002+01:00

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

Knitting: No progress since yesterday on the Selbu Sea Horse Mitten... I've changed curtains today and it's not a task I love... I really hate ironing. Anyway, I hope to knit some on them later today. I'm also making Endre a pair of snuggle sock. Living in an old house meas we have cold floors now during winter, so a pair of thick socks is good to keep our feet warm.

Reading: Before Christmas I was so lucky to get a copy for free of Sirkelen a swedish book that is coming out in the middel og January here in Norway. All I have to do is read it and give feedback back to the publisher :) So far it's very good! It's called The Circle in english and it's coming out in english in July. It's the first book in a trilogy.

Engelsfors. Beautiful name, godforsaken place. Surrounded by deep forests where people often get lost and disappear. Six girls have just started high school. They have nothing in common - except that they have the evil in their heels. Now they are forced to work together to survive.

One night when the moon is mysteriously colored red, the girls meet each other in the abandoned public park.. They do not know how they got there or why they are there. But without each other they will not survive.

I'm also reading The Lord and the Wayward Lady. I love historical novels and this is both a romance and a mystery story.

The closest milliner Nell Latham has come to high society is making fashionable bonnets for ladies. But when she's asked to deliver a message to the Earl of Narborough, she's soon swept up in a web of intrigue and scandal!

Marcus, the Earl's sinfully sexy son and heir, tracks down the messenger, little expecting to find her so attractive. Nell is a mystery --- her manners and demeanor are not those of a working girl. And as secrets are revealed and danger draws closer, Marcus has to choose between family honor and naked desire.

Happy New Year

2012-01-03T15:32:00.001+01:00

The last day in 2011 was sparkling cold with -22 C. But the sky gave promises that the sun soon will be back :) The snow finally came a few days after Christmas, so we have been out sledding and have had a fire in the backyard. Pictures in our Outdoor blog. I hope you all had a great Christmas and that this new year will be filled with all kinds of wonderful things!!

Since it's NaKniMitMo this month, I've started on a pair of mittens. It's the Selbu Sea Horse Mittens.

Our squirrel is still here :) Since New Years Eve we've had strong wind. So all the seeds and nuts have blown out over the garden. So today when we saw he was here, Endre was afraid he would blow away in those strong wind gusts. But he didn't ;)

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-12-21T12:11:00.000+01:00

I can't believe it's just three days till Christmas!! And I'm not done with the gift knitting yet... I have to blame that on being down with the flue since monday :( Erirn and Endre has been a little sick too, but we're hoping the rest of the family won't catch it, at least not before Christmas...

Reading: Last night I finished The Iron King and loved it. I have book two waiting in the shelf so I know what my Christmas read will be :) But first I'm going to finish a norwegian book Dødsreisen (Death Journey). It's about a young girl who gets her life turned upside down as she sees the death horse. It shows up only when someone will die. But who is to die? The mother or father, who is always so nervous when Christmas Eve is approaching? His brother Trym, to be on mission for Christmas Eve? What Tora learns at trollelf Helka will prove to be worse than she could imagine. It's a book for teens and it from the viking age with lots of norse mytlogy.
The other book is also a norwegian book. I'm reading it for Endre. It's about monsters as you can see :)

Knitting: This is the only gift I'm knitting for Christmas this year... A pair of socks. I have half a sock left so I know they will be finished in time.

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

And I just have to share the breakfast table I came down to this morning made by Eirin :)
The kids had their last day at school yesterday, so no need to get up early today. And it was good to sleep a little longer when your head feels like it's stuffed with cotton and your throat is sore

We light four candles tonight

2011-12-18T18:40:00.002+01:00

Vi tenner fire lys i kveld

og lar dem brenne ned for lengsel, glede, håp og fred,

men mest allikevel for fred på denne lille jord

der menneskene bor.

-Inger Hagerup-

We light four candles tonight

and let them burn down,

we light them for our heart's wish, happiness, hope and peace

but most of all for peace on this little earth

where all the people live.

We put up and decorated the tree last weekend :)

The gingerbread house was also made last weekend :) Pattern for this house can be found in the book "Nå er det jul igjen" by Gerd Alfsen. And we visited Pepperkakebyen (Gingerbread city).
The last week have been filled with mitten knitting, buying the last Christmas presents and watching the kids sing in a Christmas play at their school.

Pattern: 9. Barnevott / Child's mitten by Rauma Designs
Yarn: Silja sock yarn and some pink yarn from my stash
Needles: 2,5 mm
Size: I hoped these would fit Eirin, but they turned out just too small for her. So I must knit her a new pair...

Pattern: Annemor #4 by Terri Shea
Yarn: Viking baby ull
Needles: 2,5 mm
Size: They fit Endre, but they are very narrow so if I should knit them again I would add more st.

Pattern: Norwegian Totoro Mittens by brella
Yarn: A little less than 100 g of each colour. I've used Mor Aase superwash
Needles: 3 mm
Size: Adult. I've added st so it would be bigger.

Friday Flickr Favourites

2011-12-09T19:51:00.000+01:00

1. Christmas Season is almost there, 2. Venant de très haut, , 3. the heart of baking, 4. Sterne,

5. 30:14, 6. Untitled, 7. Untitled, 8. wee skeins,

9. Alfred Snowman, 10. Tis the Season, 11. cherry pie, 12. umm...yeah.,

13. sparkler , 14. a curtain of hearts..., 15. mitten strings, 16. My kitchen window in December,

17. Baby Squirrel Sleeping, 18. Untitled, 19. snowflake 2, 20. Untitled

Finally some snow :)

2011-12-07T13:41:00.001+01:00

-10 C and some snow and it's perfect to be outside. We made snow angels and followed squirrel tracks in the snow - yes, he is still here munching nuts and seed.

Red cheeks.

We made paper snowflakes the other day. Not the best pictures, but you get the idea ;)

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-12-07T13:13:00.000+01:00

Knitting: I really need to speed up my mitten knitting if I am going to finish two and a half pairs of mittens by the 14th for the kids advent calendar... These are for Helene, hubby's daughter. Erlends selbu death mittens are done, but I still have to find patterns for Eirin and Endre. Any ideas??

Reading: I started Tunnels yesterday and love it so far! I'm also reading Here, there be dragons (Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica #1) which is a great book as well. I really enjoyed Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children which I was reading last week. Hope there will be a follow up ;) I have also read Die for me (Revenants #1) and Heaven since last time. Loved them both!

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

We light two candles tonight

2011-12-04T15:58:00.001+01:00

Så tenner vi to lys i kveld,

to lys for håp og glede.

De står og skinner for seg selv

og oss som er til stede.

Så tenner vi tenner vi to lys i kveld,

to lys for håp og glede.

-Inger Hagerup-

We light two candles in the evening,
two candles of hope and joy.
They stand and shine for themselves
and our present.
We light two candles in the evening,
two candles of hope and joy.

Selbudeath Mittens

2011-12-03T15:26:00.000+01:00

I'm so pleased about how these turned out :)
Pattern: Deathflake Chart by Art Fiend
Yarn: 22 g white Sisu #1012 and almost 50 g dark grey Viking Baby ull #317
Needles: 2,5 & 2,75 mm
Size: They are made for Erlend, but fits my hands as well. So I guess the size would be teen/small women.

Count down to Christmas Eve

2011-12-01T07:57:00.003+01:00

It was easy to get the kids out of bed this morning ;)

I'm joining Sarah at Beautiful Dawn :) Not sure if I'll be able to blog each day, but I'll give it a try.

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-11-30T12:20:00.002+01:00

Oh, it's been almost a month since I last posted here... What can I say. The polar twilight hit me like a train and I have been so tired, sleepy and depressed this last month. My knitting mojo got lost as well, so I have just knitted a few rows here and there without much joy at all.
But I'm starting to feel less depressed and have more energy now as the advent is here. The advent lights are up and that's good because from today and until the middle of January it will get even darker than it's now. Which means we will have no real daylight... If I could I had gone into hibernation ;) But I know I have to pull myself together for the kids sake. And I have to start knitting again - they need new mittens - although the weather is more like fall than winter here... We have had a couple of snowfall, but just a few cm and the next day it's been gone. I really want some snow now. It would lighten up the dark days and the kids would have something to do outdoors ;) Right now it's just boring to be out playing. Think they have had enough of the mud and the rain.

Reading: I am really enjoying Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children. If you haven't read it - you must! I'm almost done and I'm excited to find out how it ends.

Knitting: These mittens were meant to be gloves. But I didn't have the energy to think and count st for the fingers... But I think Erlend will like them anyway. These mittens will be one of the presents in the advent calendar. And with three more kids that needs a present that day, I need to speed up my needles a bit ;)

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

Texture Thursday :: Knitted stitches

2011-11-03T10:10:00.002+01:00

Knitted and purled stitches, endless combinations that create
the most beautiful patterns or simple elegance.

Wordless Wednesday :: Grooming his fur

2011-11-02T13:03:00.001+01:00

Wordless Wednesday

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-11-02T12:55:00.001+01:00

Yarn Along :: WIP wednesday

Knitting: I'm about to start the first finger on Erlend's glove. It's been a while since I knitted gloves, so they have been laying on the table besides me a few days waiting for me to get my brain to work and count stitches...

Reading: The kids and I have started the 2nd Little Vampire book, The Little Vampire moves inn :) I loved these books as a child and still find them amusing. The other book is Sapphire Blue (Edelstein Trilogie #2) by Kerstin Gier. I'm also reading Heart-Shaped box and Twiligh Hunger as I did last Wednesday.

Macro Monday :: Bird Cherry Berries

2011-10-31T11:55:00.000+01:00

Macro Monday

It's the last day in October and all the trees are bare. It's just some Bird cherry berries that still clings on to the branches. We are having a wonderful warm fall this year. Normally we should have had our first snowfall, icy roads and degrees below 0. Not that I am complaining, but with the dark mornings and afternoons, I really long for a little bit snow to brighten it all up...

You Capture :: Cute

2011-10-29T13:07:00.000+02:00

We had a rare visit yesterday by a little squirrel!

We gave it nuts, so we'll have to see if it comes back

now that it knows that there is food here.

You Capture :: Cute

Friday Flickr Favourites

2011-10-28T21:17:00.000+02:00

1. it., 2. good sunday!, 3. today's been pretty spectacular, 4. East Fork Valley,

5. Red berries, 6. a paddle in a cooling rock pool, 7. autumn mess, 8. Autumn Flowers,

9. Ever I saw your face.., 10. You are :), 11. hearts everywhere, 12. cool bookcases,

13. autumn walk no.8, 14. bunny heads, 15. fall dreams, 16. Granny square needle book

You Capture :: Fall. Family. Fresh

2011-10-27T18:53:00.001+02:00

The weather was quite fresh yesterday with temperatures below 0C.

But the kids and I headed out in the forest after they come

home from school to enjoy one of these last sunny days this fall.

The sun is low on the horizon now and the days are getting shorter and darker.

Makes me long for a few inces of snow to brighten up the world a bit...

It's great to be able to just head out in the forest when ever we wish.
The kids was happy and had red cheeks after a couple of hours
out in the fresh air and enjoyed a dinner outdoors :)

You Capture :: Fall. Family. Fresh

Socks for Hubby

2011-10-27T12:59:00.001+02:00

I bought a skein of Candy Skein's October yarn with Hubby in my thoughts. He needs some new socks and I really hope this yarn will be durable so he doesn't wear holes in them...

Pattern: 68 st, cuff down with a short row heel.
Yarn: 73 g Candy Skein Yummy Fingering Superwash Sock, Colourway Halloween Treats
Needles: 2,5 mm

I first used this yarn back in 2008 and knitted Hubby a pair of toe-up socks. But they never fitted him well… The heel got too big and the bind off too loose... So a while ago I desided to frog them and make him a new pair. This time from the cuff down and with black for the heel and toes to be sure I had enough yarn.
I guess one have to be pretty stupid to frog an old sock, but I guess it’s the love. Whether it’s for knitting or Hubby... I guess it have to be both ;)

Pattern: 64 st for the cuff and 68 for the foot.
Yarn: 100 g Regia Jacquard #5268 and some black Regia left over from these socks.
Needles: 2,5 mm

Wordless Wednesday :: Shorter days

2011-10-26T17:45:00.003+02:00

Wordless Wednesday

More pictures from our little hike today here :)

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-10-26T17:36:00.001+02:00

Yarn Along and WIP Wednesday :)

Knitting: Well, since last time there haven't been much knitting at all... I have managed to knit a few rows on the jacket and I have started on a pair of gloves for Erlend as he actually asked me if I could knit a pair for him! The stripes of colour in the back is a pair of socks for hubby.

Reading: I'm still reading The Little Vampire for the kids and we have just a couple of chapters left before we start the second book :) I'm reading three books at the moment.
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. I've just read a little bit, but it's already quite exciting so I'm eager to find out how it'll end.

Aging, self-absorbed rock star Judas Coyne has a thing for the macabre -- his collection includes sketches from infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy, a trepanned skull from the 16th century, a used hangman's noose, Aleister Crowley's childhood chessboard, etc. -- so when his assistant tells him about a ghost for sale on an online auction site, he immediately puts in a bid and purchases it. The black, heart-shaped box that Coyne receives in the mail not only contains the suit of a dead man but also his vengeance-obsessed spirit. The ghost, it turns out, is the stepfather of a young groupie who committed suicide after the 54-year-old Coyne callously used her up and threw her away. Now, determined to kill Coyne and anyone who aids him, the merciless ghost of Craddock McDermott begins his assault on the rocker's sanity.

It's been a while since I read a vampire book, so I pulled out one from my bookshelf the other day. Twilight Hunger by Maggie Shayne. I have read one book by Maggie Shayne before, Bloodline which wasn't one of the best vampire books I've read. But so far this one seems to be not very good, but better than the last...

When struggling screenwriter Morgan DeSilva uncovers the ancient leather diaries in the attic of an old house in Maine, she is swept into the seductive world of a long-dead madman who had believed himself a vampire. Now, though Dante's story has made her rich and famous, Morgan is wasting away. At night she dreams of him, an erotic fantasy so real she can see the marks on her neck, feel her life's blood draining from her. Almost as if he were real . . .

He comes to her at night. Watching her. Wanting her.She is one of The Chosen. She can be his, if he desires. And he desires it so much that he is filled with a terrible fear. He knows that his kiss can save her from destiny's curse, and from the enemies who stalk them both. But to save her, he must trust her. With his life. With his love. With the promise of immortality.

Mgp is a norwegian book by Magne Hovden. I've read anothr book by him last year - Sameland, which is hilariou! I'm hoping his last book will be just as fun.The book is about a group of artist who are trying to make their comeback by joining the Eurovision songcontest...

Weekending

2011-10-16T19:41:00.000+02:00

- rain, lots of it
- kids wearing their pajamas all day
- watching the last season of Murdoch Mysteries. love this series!
- making a path with old pallets over the bog. we can almost walk dry shod up to the lean-to now :)
- lots of lego building
- almost finishing a pair of socks
- purchase of this year's Christmas magazines. yep, they come in the middle of October...
- candlelights
- an unexpected flower from hubby :) I prefer a potted plant instead of a bouquet
- moosemeat stew for Sunday dinner

Friday Flickr Favourites

2011-10-14T19:19:00.000+02:00

1. Swiss Valley #1, 2. alpaca up close, 3. ready for snacktime, 4. pick me,

5. rainbow carrots, 6. attitude, 7. Treasures, 8. Rough Ridge Boardwalk,

9. ., 10. kitchen shelves!!, 11. Autumn Hike, 12. Untitled,

13. Regnbogegenser II, 14. candlelight_104, 15. rainbow rocks, 16. Winter Dawn, Bishop, California

Wordless Wednesday :: Wood pile

2011-10-12T17:35:00.001+02:00

Wordless Wednesday

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-10-12T09:45:00.000+02:00

It's Wednesday and I'm joinging Yarn Along and WIP Wednesday :)

Knitting: There haven't been much knitting lately... I have however finished the Robot Dance sweater for Endre :) I knit a row now and then on my projects, but it seems like I don't get any of them off the needles... The black is the jacket for Eirin, the grey Counterpane socks and the black/orange is a pair of plain socks.

Reading: I've started to read The Little Vampire for Endre and Eirin. I loved this series as a kid and I hope they will too. I am reading Himmelstormeren which is a book about Ellisif Wessel. She played a significant role in the Norwegian labor movement in the first decades of the 1900s, as a writer, magazine publisher and agitator. She was an accomplished photographer, who has left a valuable cultural photographs from South Varanger area. She also published several collections of poetry.
And ofcourse I have to have a fantasy book too ;) Reckless. I have jusst read a few chapters, but as the other books by Cornelia Funke have been great, I assume this one will be to.

Weekending

2011-10-09T19:17:00.001+02:00

- this weekend we've had all kinds of weather, rain, hail, sun, wind, sun, frost and snow
- snowball war
- we have cleared up all the outdoors toys and the garden funitures
- knitting (ofcourse)
- 3 layers of clothes, the temperatures has only been at 2 C during the day
- the smell of wet woll hanging to dry
- helpfull kids :) they've help us clear up in the cellar and shoveling gravel
- spending to much time on pinterest...

Friday Flickr Favourites

2011-10-07T17:54:00.000+02:00

1. Almond and banana muffins, 2. Klemmer - Wäscheklammern, 3. PRS- Malarkey- MCN,

4. rest, 5. breakfast, 6. Chickadee on a dark winters day,Jan.29,2011,

7. sweet dreams, 8. Ettermiddag, 9. my back remembers,

10. mitts2, 11. Mesquite chocolate chip cookies, 12. dinner

Robot Dance and Hedgehog Rolls

2011-10-05T18:33:00.001+02:00

Endre's sweater is off the needles!

I love the robots! I might use them on a pair of mittens for him :)

Pattern: Dance of Robots by Soile Pyhänniska
Yarn: 218 g Viking Baby Ull in these colourways, #329, #324 and #326
Needles: 2,5 & 3 mm

Eirin made these cute little hedgehog rolls a couple of days ago :)
Make your favourite roll dough. Shape them into ovals and cut a few notches with a pair of scissors. We used peppercorns for eyes and nose, but most of them fell of during baking, so I guess cloves will be better. Just remember to take them off before you eat ;)

Weekending

2011-10-02T20:25:00.005+02:00

- fog
- rain
- library trip
- film night watching On Stranger Tides
- taco
- learning the kids to play solitaire
- harvesting our leeks
- choosing the next yarn to knit with - I'm ready for socktoberfest :)
- decluttering and washing the whole house - felt good to get rid of some things
- knitting on Endre's sweater hoping to have it done by tomorrow

You Capture :: Green

2011-10-02T16:25:00.000+02:00

You Capture :: Green

We harvested our leeks this weekend. They are long, but not thicker than my index finger ;) But they taste good even if they are small and it feels good to put self grown leeks in the freezer to put in soups or fry together with mushrooms when winter comes.

Books read in September

2011-10-01T10:39:00.080+02:00

There's been quite a lot of reading this month :)

White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I start one of these books in this series, I just have to finish it. They are so good and they have a great mix of love, mystery and humor. And ofcourse Jenks. The books would not be the same without him! One of the best paranormal series in my opinion.

Rachel Morgan, kick-ass witch and bounty hunter, has taken her fair share of hits, and has broken lines she swore she would never cross. But when her lover was murdered, it left a deeper wound than Rachel ever imagined, and now she won't rest until his death is solved . . . and avenged. Whatever the cost.

Yet the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and when a new predator moves to the apex of the Inderlander food chain, Rachel's past comes back to haunt her.

Literally.

Tyver, trøbbel og en lysende komet by Mari Kjetun

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this outloud for Eirin and she liked it. The book has to be good and with quite alot of action to keep her interested, and this book had all of that. I think there is a second book in, so I'll have to check that out.
The book is about Tessa and her mom who always are moving to a new place. But now her mom has gotten a job at a prison, deep in the woods and they have to live in a house just nearby. One day a prisoner escapes.

Tessa har en far i en ramme på veggen, og en mor som aldri orker å bo lenge på samme sted. Og nå skal de flytte igjen - denne gangen til en hytte i ødemarka med et digert fengsel som nærmeste nabo.

The Endless Forest by Sara Donati

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been reading a few chapters now and then to make the book last longer. And it's sad to have come to the end of the story of the Bonner clan...
I LOVE this series and if you haven't read it - you should! The last book The Endless Forest was beautifully written.

The spring of 1824 is a challenging one for the inhabitants of Paradise N.Y. when a flood devastates the village. But for Nathaniel and Elizabeth Bonner, it’s also a time of reunion as their children return from far-off places: Lily and her husband from Italy, and Martha Kirby, the Bonners’ ward, from Manhattan. Although Lily is nursing her own grief, it is Martha, fleeing a crushing humiliation, who brings with her trouble that will reverberate in all their lives. Painful secrets and hidden sorrows, joy, heartbreak, and passion follow the Bonners through a season of change and renewal. A rich, passionate, multilayered portrayal of family strength and endurance in a fascinating place and time.

The Shamer series is a series for older childeren and I loved it. It's translated from Danish into New Norwegain - which I love to read! If you like fantasy you should read this. There is never a dull moment in these books which are filled with danger, mystery, sadness, joy and a great ending :)

Skammarens dotter by Lene Kaaberbøl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dina has unwillingly inherited her mother's gift: the ability to elicit shamed confessions simply by looking into someone's eyes. To Dina, however, these powers are not a gift but a curse. Surrounded by fear and hostility, she longs for simple friendship.
But when her mother is called to Dunark Castle to uncover the truth about a bloody triple murder, Dina must come to terms with her power--or let her mother fall prey to the vicious and revolting dragons of Dunark.

Skammarteiknet by Lene Kaaberbøl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When there are only four people in the world willing to look you in the face, losing one of them really hurts

One look into the Shamer's eyes and a person's darkest secrets are revealed. Dina has recently inherited this uncomfortable gift, and now even her brother, Davin, no longer dares to meet her gaze.

Yet in these dangerous times there are far worse things in store for the young Shamer. She is kidnapped by the corrupt Valdracu, cousin to the evil Dragon Lord who once tried to kill her mother. Then she's forced to use her gift as a weapon against innocent people. Dina must get free. Can her brother help her escape . . . before it's too late?

Slangens gåve by Lene Kaaberbøl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Has Dina inherited another dangerous ability--this time from the father she's never met?

A watching face in a market crowd, a mist-shrouded figure on the moor, a haunting presence seen only when he wants to be seen--Sezuan, possessor of the Serpent Gift for lie and illusion, is a chilling and ambiguous figure at the best of times.

He is also Dina's father.

And when he comes to claim the daughter he has never seen, the Shamer and her family are catapulted into reckless flight and danger. With nowhere else to turn, Dina must learn to see through her father's deceit and use her own powers to her advantage.

Skammarkrigen by Lene Kaaberbøl

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The evil Dragon Lord of Dunark is ruthlessly hunting down Shamers and burning them at the stake. Only Dina and her friends can stop him—and only if they can build a successful rebellion. Rebellions need leaders, and what better choice than the legitimate heir to Dunark, Nico? Dina and Nico will need all of their considerable powers to triumph over the Dragon Lord, or they and everyone they love will end up dead . . .

Hvis angsten bare kunne trylles bort by Bente Wemundstad

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a book were the author tells about how her life turned up side down when she suddenly get anxiety.

Forfatteren forteller om hvordan angsten brått og uventet kom inn i livet hennes. Boka gir et bilde av mange års kamp for å klare å leve med denne sykdommen ingen kan se. Hun formidler at om angsten ikke kan trylles bort går det likevel an å leve med den. Hun forteller også om andre mennesker med angst og deres måter å takle sykdommen på.

Trash by Andy Mulligan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a children/young adults book. We follow the three friends Raphael, Gardo and Rat in the Philippines I think (although this is never stated) and begins on a huge mountain of rubbish named Bahala. They live there picking through rubbish to find things they can eat, use or sell. One day Gardo finds a bag with a key and an ID card. Then the world changes - the police are after them and they know they have found something people will kill for to get their hands on.

Interestingly, many view Trash as a dystopian novel - but I have to disagree. How can it be a futuristic novel when there are children living, eating, breathing trash? When there is widespread corruption by officials high and low and inhumane abuses in the hands of those who are supposed to protect? When children like Raphael, Gardo and Rat barely survive the next dawn and are in constant danger of dying a cruel, cruel death - of famine, war and diseases? It's a story of the ugly reality.

Raphael is a dumpsite boy. He spends his days wading through mountains of steaming trash, sifting it, sorting it, breathing it, sleeping next to it. Then one unlucky-lucky day, Raphael's world turns upside down. A small leather bag falls into his hands. It's a bag of clues. It's a bag of hope. It's a bag that will change everything. Soon Raphael and his friends Gardo and Rat are running for their lives. Wanted by the police, it takes all their quick-thinking, fast-talking to stay ahead. As the net tightens, they uncover a dead man's mission to put right a terrible wrong. And now it's three street-boys against the world...

Den store Ruffen boken by Tor Åge Bringsværd

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Love these stories about Ruffen, the seaserpent :) And so does my kids.

I denne boken er seks Ruffen-bøker samlet. Ruffen : sjøormen som ikke kunne svømme: Ruffen lærer seg å svømme og blir havets helt. Ruffen på nye eventyr: Ruffen reiser til Skottland for å besøke tante Nessie, men på veien blir han fanget av menneskene og satt i dyrehage. Ruffen og den flyvende hollender: Ruffen får høre eventyret om den flyvende hollender. Ruffen syns veldig synd på kapteinen som er så ensom, så han bestemmer seg for å hjelpe ham. Ruffen og det mystiske hullet: En dag finner Ruffen en flaskepost hvor det står: "Lever likevel. Kan ikke gå fra hullet. Hjelp oss". Ruffen legger på svøm for å finne foreldrene sine. Ruffen og drageslottet: Ruffen savner dragepiken Hamayoko. Onkel Ludvik sier han må finne henne, og dermed svømmer Ruffen helt til Japan. Ruffen og det hemmelige havfolket: En døende havmann driver i land hos sjøormfamilien. Han gir Ruffen en ring og navnet Celine. Ruffen skjønner at han må finne Celine og gi henne ringen.

St. Petersburgs juvel by Kate Furnivall

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes you find one of those rare books you just can't put down until you have read all the pages. This is one of those books! I picked it with me on an impulse when I was at the library last time, and I'm glad I did. I read the book in one day, just putting it down to feed the kids ;)

I love stories from Russia, and this has it all. Tsar, Bolsheviks, rich and poor, rebellion, love, tears and a good end.
When I checked Kate Furnivall's other books, I found out that this book is a prequel to her books about Valentina's daughter Lydia, The Russian Concubine and The Girl from Junchow. They haven't been translated to norwegian yet, so I might have to buy them in english - need to find out how it will continue!

Russia, 1910. Valentina Ivanova is the darling of St. Petersburg's elite aristocracy-until her romance with a Danish engineer creates a terrible scandal and her parents push her into a loveless engagement with a Russian count.

Meanwhile, Russia itself is bound for rebellion. With the Tsar and the Duma at each other's throats, and the Bolsheviks drawing their battle lines, the elegance and opulence of Tsarist rule are in their last days. And Valentina will be forced to make a choice that will change not only her own life, but the lives of those around her forever...

Friday Flickr Favourites :: Inspiration

2011-09-30T20:05:00.000+02:00

1. swallowtail shawl, 2. Musta-valkoiset_pieni, 3. bunny apparel, 4. Ziggity Shawl

5. Eleanor, Delilah and Doreen..., 6. yes i sew. and i crochet, too, 7. Untitled, 8. les petits,

9. misty weather 10. An Ode to the Goodness of Internet Friends, 11. Crochet stones, 12. Stack of Grannies for new blanket,

13. Trio, 14. still life, 15. scalene, 16. babyshoes

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-09-28T14:39:00.000+02:00

Yarn Along and WIP Wednesday are here again :)

Knitting: I've been reading more than I have been knitting this last week, so not much progress on my projects... I've startd to decrease on Endre's sweater, so I hope to finish it soon. My Counterpane socks have been untouched and so has Eirin's jacket. But, I have finished the shawl I was knitting on last week.

Reading: Finally the second part of The Game of Thrones is out here in Norway. The book has been given out in two parts here... Don't know why, but I guess it's just too squeeze more money out of us. I borrow them from the library ;) But it's a series I'm thinking about buying in english (as it's much cheaper) since it's not likely there will come another book in norwegian until next year.

Wordless Wednesday :: Feeding the birds

2011-09-28T13:41:00.001+02:00

Wordless Wednesday

Capelito

2011-09-27T12:26:00.001+02:00

Endre is home from school today feeling a little sick. So he's been going through our dvd's and pulled out a much loved one - Capelito. We bought the two dvd's we have when Erlend was a couple of years and I'm not wrong if I say that these two films are the films the kids have watched the most. Over and over again :) But Capelito is so fun and sweet, so why wouldn't they.

Capelito is a young forest mushroom, ingenious and somewhat scatterbrained, solves the craziest situations thanks to his extraordinary ability to transform his cap into just about any kind of hat, by simply pressing his magic nose.

Dragonfly Wings

2011-09-27T09:07:00.000+02:00

I finished a shawl this weekend. It was an easy pattern to knit and I really like the lace part. But, it got a bit longer from tip to tip than I had thought it should be... So I might frog it and knit another shawl instead...

Pattern: Dragonfly Wings
Yarn: This took very little yarn, just 57 g of Candy Skein Yummy Fingering Superwash Sock, Colorway Blackberry
Needles: 4 & 5 mm
Modifications: In the stockinette part I haven't knitted the rows that makes the garter stripes. Or, I have knitted them, but forgot to knit them instead of purl them, so I have no garter stripes... Have to blame it on knitting and wathcing tv at the same time ;)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-21T21:13:00.000+02:00

Wordless Wednesday

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-09-21T09:28:00.001+02:00

It's Wednesday again and time for Yarn Along and WIP Wednesday. Fall has really come now. It's been raining and blowing and the temperatures is around 10C. There haven't been frost here yet, but I guess it's just around the corner. We are putting on an extra layer of clothes when we're out and I've fired in the oven almost every day the last week. (Somehow I just don't think that sound right... I've fired in the oven - is that right??)

Reading: I'm still reading The Shamer Chronicles series and are almost done with the 3rd book. LOVE this series!! It's one of those series you don't want to end, but sadly there is just 4 books in it... In this 3rd book Dina is meeting her father for the first time. Sezuan, a possessor of the Serpent Gift for lie and illusion. And she is about to find out if she has inherited his"gifts" as well.
For the kids I'm reading the same books :) Ruffen is a lovely seaserpent and Endre likes him a lot. The book we have is a book with 5 or 6 stories. But i know you can get some translated into english at amason.
The Shadows (The Books of Elsewhere #1) by Jacqueline West that I'm reading for Eirin, is not so good. I mean I really like these kind of books, but I think some things have gone missing in the translation into norwegian. It feels like there is no flow in the language if I can put it that way. So it's hard to keep her interested in the story... But I'm not giving up, so hopefully it will be a bit more exciting after a few chapters more.
I'm not reading outloud for Erlend, as he is reading himself. But lately there haven't been any books that has made him want to read. Untill I bought the Wimpy kid books (in norwegian) and he read them from start to end without putting them down :)

Knitting: Endre's sweater is almost done. I have a few cm left on the sleeves and I think I have to knit a little more on the body too before I'll start decreasing.
The black jacket for Eirin has not been growing much... I'm not stressing with it as she has a sweater ;) The grey in the front are my Counterpane socks which I finally started for the Year of projects. Love them, but knitting on 2 mm needles is slow. And to the right is a beginning of a shawl. It's the Dragonfly Wings shawl. And I'm knitting it in a beautiful colorway from Candy Skein :) It's a little bit darker than I managed to capture in the pictur below.

So, what are you knitting and reading?

Counterpane

2011-09-19T09:36:00.000+02:00

I joined the Year of Projects a few months ago with the goal of knitting five pairs of knee high socks, all from Barb Brown's book Knitting Knee-Highs: Sock Styles from Classic to Contemporary.
I have finally found time to cast on for the first pair - Counterpane. I love the pattern, but it's not a very fast knitting since I knit them on size 2 mm needles... But, I really look forward to have them finish. Just need to find a nice skirt to wear them with :)

Weekending

2011-09-18T19:08:00.001+02:00

- planting Erika
- trip to the library
- visiting mom/grandmother
- rain
- crisp air
- playing outside
- finally casting on for a pair of socks for my year of project, more about that tomorrow ;)
- popcorn, made the old way in a casserole :)

Friday Flickr Favourites :: Fall Rain

2011-09-16T13:19:00.000+02:00

1. Autumn Rain, 2. Autumn, 3. Autumn rain,

4. Autumn Rain, 5. Rain Droplets, 6. Autumn Rain,

7. autumn rain, 8. Autumn Rain #1, 9. rain boots &; autumn leaves

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

{this moment}

2011-09-16T12:41:00.002+02:00

Joining Amanda at Soulemama for this moment.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.

He's not been crying, just an eyeinfection we're having trouble with...

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-09-14T12:57:00.002+02:00

The days seems to fly by - it's Wednesday again and time for Yarn Along and Wip Wednesday :)

Reading: I'm still reading the same books as last time, but I've also borrowed the The Shamer Chronicles series by Lene Kaaberbøl from the library, and I really like it! I'm reading book 2 now and are almost done with it :)

Dina has unwillingly inherited her mother's gift: the ability to elicit shamed confessions simply by looking into someone's eyes. To Dina, however, these powers are not a gift but a curse. Surrounded by fear and hostility, she longs for simple friendship.
But when her mother is called to Dunark Castle to uncover the truth about a bloody triple murder, Dina must come to terms with her power--or let her mother fall prey to the vicious and revolting dragons of Dunark.

Knitting: I finally finished Eirin's sweater during the weekend, and I still have yarn left so I started on a sweater for Endre too - The Dance of Robots :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T12:41:00.000+02:00

Wordless Wednesday

Eirin's sweater

2011-09-12T14:14:00.000+02:00

Eirin's sweater is finally off the needles!
Both she and I are happy with the result, but as always she thinks all knitted stuff itches a bit. But I know she'll not feel like that when it gets cold ;)

Pattern: I found the pattern in an old magazine, and there it was named "Tøff genser til skolestart" and it's from Dale of Norway. It might have been in one of their old booklets with another name, but I haven't managed to find it...
Yarn: Baby Ull from Viking of Norway in the colours 329, 326 and 324
Needles: 2,5 and 3 mm
Mods: It's supposed to be stripes with "abc" knitted in above the people. And the sleeved was knitted and seemed in. I have knitted them together with the body and decreased stitches around the yoke.

Weekending

2011-09-11T18:33:00.000+02:00

- playing with legos
- warm fall weather with temperatures around 15C
- tikka masala
- still sore throats and coughing
- knitting, Eirin's sweater is finally done. More about that tomorrow
- film watching, Hop with the kids and The Season Of The Witch with hubby
- roasted chicken with vegetables
- a bit of rain making a beautiful rainbow
- watching the forest turn into yellow, red and orange
- candlelights
- playing, arguing and making friends again among the kids
- picking flowerseeds in my father in laws garden, hopefully they will sprout when we plant them next spring
- planning new knits

Phoebe's sweater

2011-09-10T13:56:00.000+02:00

Can you imagine knitting a sweater in just one day?
Love this little film :) I had to check a bit more, and you can read her blog here and here is a great interview with Johanna. Just wish Eirin was a few years younger - then i'd knit her this sweater :)

Friday Flickr Favourites :: Fog

2011-09-09T21:24:00.000+02:00

1. Fog at Sunrise, 2. Avenue of trees in fog., 3. early morning fog,

4. Barn - Fog in Fall, 5. Lost in The Fog, 6. Foggy Fall Morning,

7. fall color & fog, 8. the fog of fall, 9. Fog Flock

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T15:38:00.000+02:00

Wordless Wednesday

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-09-07T15:35:00.000+02:00

Oh, it's been a long week so far... I'm down with a cold, a sore throat and painful coughing :( So there have been plenty of tea and cocoa, but not so much knitting... Hopefully it will go over soon, but it looks like Endre and Eirin is up next, they've started coughing this afternoon... Hopefully they will not get is as bad as I have, because it's not fun to be sick now when it's almost weekend...

Reading: Well, I have finally just a few chapters left of The Endless Forest. Love how the story unfolds! For Eirin I'm now reading The Shadows, the 1st book in the series of The Books of Elswhere. I've also started the 3rd and last book in a norwegian fantasy series :)

Knitting: Since i haven't been knitting much, I haven't made much progress on the sweater... And I'm starting to get a bit fed up with it... But I'm determind to finish it , just need to get those sleeves on the same needle as the body so I can start the yoke. The black is the jacket, and I have managed to knit a few rows :) The pink is going to be a pair of baby bootees.

For more Yarn Along and WIP Wednesday follow the links :)

Weekending

2011-09-04T21:26:00.000+02:00

- sleeping in tents with very little sleep and an early morning
- star gazing
- bonfires in the dark :)
- Gnomeo & Juliet I think this is the best animated film this year. The kids loved it too :)
- fresh shrimps, white bread, lemon, red onion and mayonnaise. Mmmmm, yummy
- knitting baby bootees for a friend of Hubby
- bread baking
- lots of laundry
- going through the kids winter clothes to see what they still fit. I really have to start knitting mittens
-

{this moment}

2011-09-02T07:41:00.004+02:00

Joining Amanda at Soulemama for this moment.

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.

Friday Flickr Favourites :: Fall

2011-09-02T07:39:00.003+02:00

1. Autumn Leaves, 2. autumn, 3. October And A Lady Bug,

4. Autumn Leaves, 5. Autumn’s Country Road, 6. Autumn is Back..,

7. Orange Mycena, 8. Autumn Surrender, 9. Coming home...,

10. fall_colors_09_4, 11. Autumn Glow, 12. Yum,

13. Autumn's leaves and berries, 14. Autumn in Jackson Hole, 15. fall colors

Books read in August

2011-09-01T09:57:00.004+02:00

These are the books I've read in August. As for right now, I'm four books behind on my goal for managing to read 100 books this year. But I think I will manage it. Fall and Winter calls for reading more books :)

Queen of Swords by Sara Donati

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The start was a bit slow, but when I had read a few chapter I just couldn't put it down at night. I've just started the 6th and final book in this series last night, and I'm looking forward to see how this will end :)

"It is the late summer of 1814, and Hannah Bonner and her half brother Luke have spent more than a year searching the islands of the Caribbean for Luke’s wife and the man who abducted her. But Jennet’s rescue, so long in coming, is not the resolution they’d hoped for. In the spring she had given birth to Luke’s son, and in the summer Jennet had found herself compelled to surrender the infant to a stranger in the hope of keeping him safe.

To claim the child, Hannah, Luke, and Jennet must journey first to Pensacola. There they learn a great deal about the family that has the baby. The Poiterins are a very rich, very powerful Creole family, totally without scruple. The matriarch of the family has left Pensacola for New Orleans and taken the child she now claims as her great-grandson with her.

New Orleans is a city on the brink of war, a city where prejudice thrives and where Hannah, half Mohawk, must tread softly. Careful plans are made as the Bonners set out to find and reclaim young Nathaniel Bonner. Plans that go terribly awry, isolating them from each other in a dangerous city at the worst of times."

The Aviary Gate by Katie Hickman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book had everything I love in the same book. Love, history and a mystery. I have no idea about how it must have been to be living in a harem, but this book gives you a peak into a hidden world of love, hate, jealousy and intrigues.

"In The Aviary Gate by Katie Hickman, graduate student Elizabeth Staveley is researching captivity stories from the late 16th century when she comes across a four hundred year old manuscript tucked inside of a book in the Oriental Library Reading Room at Oxford University. Knowing the treasured, never before told story she is about to uncover, she transcribes the manuscript before turning it over to the library staff.

While tied up in a frustrating relationship with a suspected womanizer, Elizabeth takes off from Oxford and flies to Istanbul to further research the story of Celia Lamprey, the daughter of an English sea captain who dies at sea leaving her to eventually be sold into the harem of the Sultan of Constantinople. While a controversial member of the Sultans harem, she discovers that her fiancee, Paul Pindar, whom she was supposed to marry prior to being sold into captivity, is in fact in Constantinople as the secretary to the English ambassador to deliver a gift to the Sultan thus opening English trading opportunities."

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved it! Although the ending could have been not so "Hollywood like".

"This story is a rare and utterly engaging experience. It tells the extraordinary story of a geisha -summoning up a quarter century from 1929 to the post-war years of Japan's dramatic history, and opening a window into a half-hidden world of eroticism and enchantment, exploitation and degradation. A young peasant girl is sold as servant and apprentice to a renowned geisha house. She tells her story many years later from the Waldorf Astoria in New York. Her memoirs conjure up the perfection and the ugliness of life behind rice-paper screens, where young girls learn the arts of geisha - dancing and singing, how to wind the kimono, how to walk and pour tea, and how to beguile the most land's powerful men."

De Fire og Han Som Gjør Galt Verre - Fortsettelsen by Hans Fredrik Follestad

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great norwegian fantasy! This is the second book in a series of three. Can't wait to find out how this will end :)

"This is a fantasy novel that stands out from others by its unpretentious humor and by that the act is laid in the present. We meet five young people who are actually in the shape of animals:

The ferret Bambo Fohrtwo.
The pandabear Hutte Me Tu
The washingbear Pepper Bihf.
The moose Salt Ehfan
And the turtle Jesper Schtadig is He Who Makes Worse Worse

In contrast to the live wires is the ceremonial magicians from the Temple of Heaven. They have been waiting for the Four and He Makes Worsee worse for thousands of years and have suddenly found them in the Norwegian city PelsHeim, somewhere between Ålesund and Molde. The young people are brought to a different world in Nepal where they learned that the strong evil disciples is a threat to the good forces of Heaven. Perhaps they are about to get the upper hand and become a threat to world peace?"

2011 Reading Challenge

Hege has

read 61 books toward her goal of 100 books.

hide

61 of 100 (61%)

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Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T09:36:00.000+02:00

Wordless Wednesday

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-08-31T09:28:00.000+02:00

The days seems to fly by... All three kids are home today. Erlend started to get a sore throat yesterday and woke up with a cough and runny nose today. Hopefully the rest of us will not get it. Eirin & Endre have free every other Wednesday. Endre has slept for 11 hours straight last night, so I guess he's been tired since he must get up early every day.

Knitting: I know I thought I should have the sweater done by today... Yeah right. I must have forgotten that Eirin's arms have grown since the last time I knitted her a sweater...

Reading: Still reading the same books for the kids as last time. Endre really enjoys the stories about Ruffen :) Besides The Endless Forest I'm reading White Witch, Black Curse (The Hollows #7) by Kim Harrison. Love this series!

For more Yarn Along's and WIP Wednesday's check out the links :)

Do you pin?

2011-08-30T12:52:00.000+02:00

Have you checked out Pinterest?
It's a great way to save all those things you like or want to do :)
Let me now so I can follow you.

Socks

2011-08-29T12:09:00.000+02:00

I fell of the sock knitting carusell a while back, but now as Fall and Winter slowly is approaching, I had to dig in my sock yarn boxes and find some girly colour so I could knit Eirin a couple of pairs :) And I have to admit that the k2, p2 or k1,p1 meditation that comes with socks feels great again! Nothing beats a pair of mindless socks when you need to let your mind wander.

Facts about this pink pair :)
Pattern: 56 st, k1, p1. Short row heel.
Yarn: Opal Acapulco #1306 and a bit of pink Sisu for the heel. 45 g together.
Needles: 2,5 mm.

Pattern: 56 st, k2, p2. Short row heel.
Yarn: 45 g Fabel from Drops #655.
Needles: 2,5 mm.

And finally a pair for me :) As always, my camera sucks when I try to take pictures of something red...
Pattern: This have been a mystery sock in one of the groups at Ravelry. I have done a few changes. I knitted a few rows of ribbing before I started the lace pattern and have knitted a short row heel.
Yarn: Almost 100 g Sisu #4219.
Needles: 2,5 mm.

Awards

2011-08-29T11:33:00.001+02:00

I've been giving these two awards this month :) As I always find it hard to pass awards over to other bloggers, I seem to take some time before I get to write a post about it... But here it goes.

The Versatile Blogger awards was given to me by Rain Blissed. She has a wonderful blog filled with much the same as mine: Knitting, reading, motherhood and everyday life :)

The rules of the award are:
• Thank the person who gave you the award & link back to them in your post.
• Share 7 things about yourself
• Pass this award along to 10 recently discovered blogs.

Hmmm, 7 things...

I'm blind as a bat without my glasses ;) No need to say I'm glad I wasn't born befre glasses was invented...
I love books - all types, but I really love to read fantasy books - all types of fantasy from urban, paranormal to the more adventure and fairy like.
I have a tattoo.
I've never been on a plane...
I hate to get up early (6 am), but I have to - kids have to get to school ;) But then I can sleep a little longer in the weekends because Hubby is a darling and get up with the kids ♥
I dream about writing a book...
I bit my nails (I wish I didn't, but I do...)

I have discovered some new great blogs lately :) I might not have commented much as I tend to lurk around a bit, but I guess I'm not alone doing that...

Ein gul knapp - a norwegian blog filled with colourful pictures and everyday life.

Bad Monkey - another norwegian blog. Lots of great inspiration! Just wish I could sew...

Dandelion - beautiful pictures, books, kids and animals with everyday moments.

Primrose - norwegian blog filled with lots of beautiful crochet :)

Tankar frå ein kvardag - a norwegain blog filled with beautiful pictures of everyday life!

Bonka Rakka - yet a norwegian blog about everyday life :)

Our Wild Corner - great outdoor/nature blog!

Today, I am... - knitting, reading, food and everyday life :)

Plain and Joyfull Living -outdoor/nature, motherhood and everyday life.

Frontier Dreams - beautiful pictures and adorable outfits for the kids that she makes with her sewing machine.

The Liebster Blog award was given to me by Sue. She also have a knitting blog :)

The rules of the award are:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Pick 5 awesome blogs to pass it on to and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have bloggity-blog fun!

I have to say that I think there is so many awesome blogs out there, so it's really hard to just pick five!!

House full of Jays - I love to pop by Rachel's blog! She takes beautiful pictures and knits wonderful things :)

Backcountry Parenting - I love to read other blogs about hiking and outdoor activity, but there isn't so many of those who hikes and have kids like us, so I'm always happy when I find a new one :)

Celtic Cast On - lots of great knitting!

Fog and Swell - beautiful nature pictures and she sews the most adorable whales!!

Lises Myke Pakker - a wonderful norwegian blog filled with a mix of everything. Love her little caravan :)

Weekending

2011-08-28T21:50:00.000+02:00

- Homemade pizza
- A bottle of white wine
- Rain
- Fårikål
- Dark nights again
- Marble cake
- Finishing a pair pf socks
- Everyone up for a family breakfast on Sunday

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-08-24T12:55:00.000+02:00

Im afraid the picture is very much like the one I had last Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday... We've had so much great weather so we've been outdoors alot and the kids was back to school on Monday, so there hasn't been much knitting. It was Endre's first day at school :) Just can't believe my little boy has turned 6 and are in school already...

Knitting: Still working on Eirin's sweater and the red socks. I have started the first sleeve and it goes rather fast to knit it when I put my mind to it ;) So I hope to have it done before next Wednesday... The socks is almost done. It's a easy pattern to remember, so I don't have to look at the chart all the time ;)

Reading: I know I'm still readingThe Endless Forest, but I'm trying to make it last as long as I can knowing it's te last book in the series... I finished The Aviary Gate last week, and I really like it. It has it all, mystery, history and a love story, all the things I like in one book! When I was at the library last week I picked up Memoirs of a Geisha and couldn't put it down! I loved it!
I've started to read before bedtime for the two youngest again now that we're back to some routines again with the school and early mornings. Eirin and I are reading Tyver, trøbbel og en lysende komet (Thieves, trouble and a bright comet). The book is about Tessa who has a father in a frame on the wall and a mother who never bear to stay long in one place. And now, they sure is moving again. This time to a cabin in the wilderness with the local prison as its nearest neighbor. This is the start of a humorous, warm and exciting story that includes a dog that resembles a wolf, an escaped prisoner and a car full of fish - not to mention a comet!

For Endre I'm reading Den store Ruffen boken (The big book about Ruffen). We're reading a big book with six stories about Ruffen, but the story Ruffen: The Sea serpent that couldn' swim is in english :) Ruffen is a sea serpent that can't swim. But one day he meets an octopus that will teach him :) And after he has learned to swim he swim out on lots of adventures. He travels to Scotland to visit his aunt Nessie and to Japan to save a dragongirl to mention a few :) This is stories I remember from I was a child and I love the illustrations made by Thore Hansen.

Ruffen even has a grandmother who knits - how cool is that!! She's thinking: Knit two, purl one :)

Weekending

2011-08-21T18:00:00.000+02:00

- Hiking through Gumpedalen to Steinora, a big scree. You can see more pictures and read about it here.
- Buying the last things the kids need for tomorrows first day back to school.
- Eating blueberrypai with icecream :)
- Watching the 10th kingdom.
- A bit knitting.

You Capture :: Happiness

2011-08-15T20:52:00.000+02:00

We're enjoying days with warm temperatures again. I thought Fall had arrived, but it looks like we still have som Summer left :) Today has been a hot day with 24 C. We've spent most of the day outside, the kids on the trampoline and I knitting :) Hopefully the warm weather will stay a while - it's good to soak up more sun and warmth before Fall comes for good!

For more happiness capturing, go here.

Friday Flickr Favourites :: Pink

2011-08-12T20:27:00.000+02:00

1. New pink wellies for green wellies!, 2. Mya, 3. Pink hat,

4. love, 5. the pink castle, 6. Don't wear pink Chucks in a muddy garden,

7. Branching Out, 8. pink sparrow, 9. Pink Tulips,

10. Little Pink Easter Bunny, 11. Pink sweater, 12. pink

You Capture :: White

2011-08-11T14:37:00.001+02:00

White clouds are hanging low on the mountains today. They are filled with rain and the temperature is below 10C. I have hot tea in my cup, a fire going in the stove and are knitting on a sweater. The fall seems to be here :)

For more white captureing, go here.

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-08-10T14:18:00.000+02:00

Seems like the days are flying by here... I missed out last weeks Yarn Along and WIP Wednesday. But since then I have finished my Summer Mystery Shawlette and my blanket :)

Knitting: I've joined a sock mystery in one of the groups at Ravelry. I'm almost done with the 2nd clue on both. Think the heel is next. I've started two sweaters for Eirin. The black one will be a slow project as it is knitted on 2 and 2,5 mm needles. I have wanted to knit this jacket from the book "Kæk og klassisk børnetøy" by Lene Holme Samsøe since I bought it :) Hopefully she will like it. I'm also knitting her a sweater in blue. She has choosen the colours herself. It's supposed to be stripes with the letters of abc above the pattern, but I found it to time-consuming to knit them...

Reading: I've finished Queen of Swords. After a slow start I had a hard time putting it down at night :) So I had to start reading the 6th and last book The Endless Forest right away. It's with mixed feelings I'm getting ready to leave this wonderful family...

The spring of 1824 is a challenging one for the inhabitants of Paradise N.Y. when a flood devastates the village. But for Nathaniel and Elizabeth Bonner, it’s also a time of reunion as their children return from far-off places: Lily and her husband from Italy, and Martha Kirby, the Bonners’ ward, from Manhattan. Although Lily is nursing her own grief, it is Martha, fleeing a crushing humiliation, who brings with her trouble that will reverberate in all their lives.

In the sudden peace that follows the storm, as families struggle to rebuild, childhood friends Martha and Daniel, Lily’s twin brother, suddenly begin to see each other in a new light. But their growing bond is threatened when Martha’s mother arrives back in Paradise a decade after abandoning her daughter. Jemima Southern is a dangerous schemer who has destroyed more than one family, and her anger touches everyone, as do her secrets. Has Jemima come to claim her daughter–or does she have something else in mind? Whatever happens, Martha and Daniel and all the Bonners must stand united against the threats to both heart and home.

Painful secrets and hidden sorrows, joy, heartbreak, and passion follow the Bonners through a season of change and renewal. A rich, passionate, multilayered portrayal of family strength and endurance in a fascinating place and time. (From Goodreads)

I've also picked up The Aviary Gate by Katie Hickman. As I haven't read more than a few chapters I havn't made up my mind about this book yet.

A lush, ancient tale of treacherous secrets, forbidden love, and murder in an Ottoman palace.

Elizabeth Staveley sits in the Bodleian library, holding in her trembling hands a fragment of ancient paper. It is the key to a story that has been locked away for four centuries, the story of a British sea captain's daughter held captive in the sultans harem.

Constantinople, 1599. There are rumors and strange stirrings in the sultan's palace. The chief black eunuch has been poisoned by a taste of a beautiful ship made of spun sugar. The sultan's mother faces threats to her power from her son's favorite concubine. And a secret rebellion is rising within the palace's most private quarters.

Meanwhile, the merchant Paul Pindar, secretary to the English ambassador, brings a precious gift to the sultan. As he nears the palace, word comes to Pindar that the woman he once loved, Celia, may be alive, and hidden among the ranks of slaves in the sultan's harem. Can this really be the same Celia who disappeared in a shipwreck? And if it is, can the two be reunited? (from the authors homepage)

So what are you knitting and readin??

Saft

2011-08-09T14:23:00.000+02:00

It looks like a crime scene...

But the kids and I have made "saft" or juice today from blueberries :)

We made raw juice. That means we haven't boild the berries to get the juice out. Yesterday I cleaned the berries for leaves and bad berries. Then i crushed the berries and added water and citric acid. I had about 1,3 kilo of berries and added about 20g of citric acid and 1 liter of water. Let it rest over night in a cool place. Then sieve it through a cloth. Measure how mush juice you have and add sugar.

I made crowberry juice yesterday. I think we got around 3 liters of crowberry juice and 2 liters of blueberry. I put it in the freezer so we can have fresh "saft" throughout the winter :) I think the blueberry juice can be very good to warm up and drink on a cold night :)

Pink wildflowers

2011-08-08T16:05:00.000+02:00

August is pink/purple in Project Spectrum (flickr link, Ravelry link). So when we were berry picking yesterday I was looking for pink wildflowers. I found some. This is a thistle. When I was little we used to use these as a shaving brush when we played ;) It grew a lot of these near a creak at my grandma's house.

Heather - I love this little plant.

Fireweed. Here in Norway we can see how far Fall is away by looking at how far up the flowers has sprung on the Fireweed. The further up the closer the Fall is... So by the look of this fireweed, Fall must be just around the corner...

Berry picking

2011-08-07T18:38:00.001+02:00

Hard to hide that we've been picking blueberries today...

The weather has change and it's a bit chilly with only 10 C these days. The air hasn't got that sharp, crisp smell of fall yet, but I guess it's just around the corner... I look forward to it though as it's my favourite season :) It's great to be out in the forest without all the flies

The forest was full of blueberries, and I came over a path were they was big :)

We picked black crowberries to. I plan to make "saft" from it. It's a juice you mix with water.

No I need to find the energy to clean all the berries so I can start to make "saft" and perhaps some jam tomorrow. I'll freeze the biggest blueberries as they are so we can make pai from it :)

We also came across some indians in the forest :) I think they were hunting bears and wolves.

The next berry to pick is lingonberries. But they need a few weeks before they are ripe.

Blanket

2011-08-01T07:59:00.005+02:00

Finally my blanket is done! And I love it!! It's just big enough to snuggle under in the sofa :)

Pattern: Bullseye
Yarn: Each sircel needs about 9 g so it's about 730 g of leftover yarn. The black is Mor Aase babyull. I think I used about 10,5 balls.
Hook: 3 mm.
Size: 8x10 squares. Circa 144 x 170 cm
Modifications: I skipped round 5 and 8, they are without increases. In other words I increased on every round to make the sircel flat.

The picture of the blanket dosen't show each square very good. So here comes a few picture showing off 20 squares at the time :)

Summer Mystery Shawlette

2011-07-31T19:37:00.001+02:00

It's the first time I have knitted a shawl in just 4 days! When I casted off this shawl on Wednesday it turned out a bit small, so I ripped it. I wasn't sure if I wanted to cast on again, but it's a beautiful pattern and I really wanted a new red shawl for fall, so I did - with 48 extra stitches.

It's an easy pattern to memorize, so the second time knitting this was so much easier than the first.

Pattern: Summer Mystery Shawlette by Wendy knits.
Yarn: 101 g Gjestal Baby Ull #823
Needle: 3,7 mm.
Modifications: I added 48 extra stitches.

Friday Flickr Favourites :: Blue

2011-07-29T22:09:00.000+02:00

1. VW Photo, 2. Margrathea scarf, 3. moon jelly, 4. sky for two,

5. Ah, the wonders of blocking!, 6. blueberries II, 7. nearly ten, 8. schreibmaschine_brief_gr,

9. give MONDAY BLUES no chance ;) 10. More Cool Scottish Blue, 11. A feel of blue, 12. Blue Dimension,

13. The Blues [Feb 2, 08], 14. Blue Bubble, 15. Blue flower, 16. Blue ice

Cloudberry picking

2011-07-29T19:51:00.001+02:00

Eirin and I headed out in the forest this afternoon looking for cloudberries. In Norway cloudberries is known as the gold among berries. Everyone have their own secret bog. This year is a good year for cloudberries due to the warm summer we have had. We hoped for lots of cloudberries, but someone have been out picking before us... So we just found about 1 liter. But it's enough since I am the only one that eats cloudberries in this household ;)

By a little stream Eirin found a tiny little frog :)

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-07-27T11:27:00.000+02:00

No one we knew was killed or injured in the attack on Friday. And although we have tried to shield the kids from news broadcasts, etc., they know what has happened. It is in these situations, it appears how different they are. While some of them do not think so much about it, there are some who think and ponder. And I think it's hard to explain how it is possible that a person can be so vicious. And not least, I think it is difficult to promise that something like this will not happen again ...
Many have said and written about what has happened, but for me I think this statement says it all.

When one man could cause so much evil - think about how much love we can create together.

And life must go on, so even though it feels like the days have stood still, it's Wednesday again and time for Yarn Along and WIP Wednesday.

Reading: I finished The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber last night. And even though I was sure the end would not be a happy end, it surprised me. Not by being happy, but by being surprising. I've pulled out a book that's been laying on my shelf for a long time. I read a couple of chapters before other books took it's place. Queen of Swords is the 5th book in the Into the Wilderness seris by Sara Donati. I love this series! And I'm not sure why I put this book aside... but I look forward to read more about the Bonner family and their strong women.

Crocheting: My potholders are done. Eirin's socks is also off the needles, but I'llblog about them later ;) The shawl... well, I've ripped it. I casted off the other day, but it was too small... I really regret not casting on more stitches... So I'm looking for the inspiration to cast on again. Instead I've started to seam together the blanket I've been crocheting from leftover sock yarn. It might not be the prettiest thing I've made, but I love it and hope to have it finished soon :) I haven't made any progress on the cowl, but I might finish it before the months is over due to Project Spectrum ;)

So, what are you knitting/crocheting and reading this week??

Some small items off the hook and needles

2011-07-27T11:03:00.003+02:00

I have finished a couple of small items last week. A pair of potholders.
Pattern: Potholders in waffelstitch
Yarn: 96 g Handknit Cotton from Rowan
Hook: 3 mm

With all the warm weather we've had so far this summer, I had to knit up a pair of anklets.
Pattern: Made up as I knitted along. 64 st and a short row heel.
Yarn: 39 g Meilenweit 1oo Cotton Fantasy # 817 from LAna Grossa.
Needles: 2,5 mm

And what's better than finding a skein of yarn in the mailbox :) I had to buy one from Candy Skein. The colorway is Blackberry and I plan to use it in this kal.I haven't picked a pattern yet though - there are so many beautiful shawls to choose from...

And now for something completly different. A little while ago I got a comment from Sue, who had found my blog after reading about it in Simply Knitting! So ofcourse I had to buy that issue ;) And I must say I feel honored to be mentioned along with Cotton and Cloud and Fuzzy Mitten!

♥

2011-07-23T11:47:00.001+02:00

My thoughts goes out to all of those who have lost someone in the terrible terror attack in Oslo and Utøya.

Yarn Along :: WIP Wednesday

2011-07-20T09:10:00.001+02:00

I missed last weeks Yarn Along and WIP Wednesday, but the picture would have been the same as today ;)

Knitting/crocheting: The Summer Mystery Shawlette is growing, although very slowly. Knitting lace from a chart is not the thing to knit on when the kids are awake, so I just manage to knit a few rows each night... Eirin needs new socks for fall so I'm almost done with one pair. I'm doing a bit of crocheting too these days. The blue project might be a cowl... It's actually just a piece I started to keep my hands busy while watching a movie ;) The other crochet project is a pair of potholders.

Reading: I'm reading a brick of a book, but I'm loving every page of it. It's The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber. It's the story of a well-read London prostitute named Sugar. We learn about the positions and orifices that Sugar and her clients favor, about her lingering skin condition, and about the suspect ingredients of her prophylactic douches. Still, Sugar believes she can make a better life for herself. When she is taken up by a wealthy man, the perfumer William Rackham, her wings are clipped, and she must balance financial security against the obvious servitude of her position. The physical risks and hardships of Sugar's life (and the even harder "honest" life she would have led as a factory worker) contrast--yet not entirely--with the medical mistreatment of her benefactor's wife, Agnes, and beautifully underscore Faber's emphasis on class and sexual politics. (From Amazon)
And BBC have made a tv series of the book - anyone seen it? I think it's one I need to buy ;) Just love Victorian movies and tv series!

Time flies....

2011-07-19T14:26:00.000+02:00

I've had several post planned in my head, but the time hasn't been on my side lately... We've celebrated Endre's 6th Birthday :) He had some friends over on Saturday and ofcourse there was some chocolate cake :) I can't believe how fast time flies - it feels like it was yesterday I had him home with me from the hospital and now he is a big boy starting school in a months time!!
Yesterday he had his first haircut at the hairdresser - no more hair clipping with daddy's hair clipper ;)

Hubby and his dad have knocked down one of the walls that was starting to collapse inward. So the garden is a big mess at the time. But then again - maybe some of my plans for the garden and a vegetable garden might be completed ;)

This was all a part of the meadow before, but I hope this will be my vegetable garden next year :)

Some of you might wonder if the seeds we planted this spring have grown into something... Well, the cucmbers grow big and had lots of beautiful, yellow flowers, but no cucumbers, so we throw them out. We have two paprika plants and they have one small paprica each. Hpefully they will grow bigger.

Since I have no vegetable garden yet, the leeks have to grow in milk cartons ;)

The Nasturtium have grown big and rich, but they have no flowers yet...

This is from the pink flower mix, but I have no idea what it is..

The sunflowers have big spuds so we're hoping to see some yellow flowers soon :)

Rainy day activity

2011-07-14T19:50:00.000+02:00

The rain has poured down the last few days. It's been cold and winsy with just around 7 C. So we have only been a few short trips outside... So we have to come up with something fun to do insied ;) I've had some undecorated books, paper and stuff for decoration laying around for days like this. So Endre and Eirin made a book each today :) It's white paper inside the books which they can draw on.

When they made the books, I came to remember that we have made books before. In December, and I never blogged about them...

We gathered around the kitchen table later in the day as well. The kids helped me cutting vegetables for dinner. On cold, windy fall-like day like today, we have to have some comfort food. So we made "lapskaus" or stew in english :)