Summer

There's no doubt, the summer is coming to an end. Which we also can see at the fireweed. It blooms from the bottom an dup, and now there is not many spuds left before the top is blooming... But we have had three great weeks with summerweather which we can look back at now when the fall is coming.

In the middel of the week we went to Tårnvatnet so the kids could bathe.
It's very shallow here, so the water was somewhat "warm" ;)

We went to the lean-to this weekend and picked berries.

The bogs is full of cloudberries this year!

And the bilberries are big. We just picked enough for supper this time.
So we have to go and pick more next week ;)

And it tasted good!

We gathered around the fire before bedtime. Not that is was cold, but
it's part of the cosiness :)

Endre and I slept in the tent while Hubby and the other kids slept in
the lean-to. It took a while before Endre settled and fall asleep...

And even if one fall asleep late, one wake up early when camping
(at least Endre do so..) And the morning mist hang over the mountains.

When the mist lighten, big rainclouds appeared. So we had breakfast,
played a little and packed our stuff and went home. Just in
time before a heavy rainfall.

Shadow Touch

Shadow Touch by Marjorie M. Liu


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I love great paranormal romance novels! This is the second book in a serie, but it's the first one translated to norwegian - so I have no idea how book #1 is...

But I really want to read it and the rest of this serie!

Elena Baxter can work miracles with her hands. She can coax bones to knit, flesh to heal. She can mend the mind. She has been doing such work for almost all of her twenty-eight years. That is why she will be taken.

The media called it a rampage of terror, the recent murders. But fighting crime is why Artur Loginov joined Dirk & Steele. The international detective agency specializes in the impossible, and their creed is simple: Help those in need, no matter how difficult, and no matter what, keep the secret safe. For the agency helps its employees, too; people like Artur -- the gifted, the tormented. Dirk & Steele gave the Russian emigre purpose, protection, community...and refuge from his past, for who can trust a man who can start a fire with his mind, or shape-shift, or read others' thoughts as easily as drawing breath? For his similar talent, Artur will be taken.

Into the darkness Elena and Artur will be drawn, into the clutches of evil. Cornered, isolated, caged, they will fight for their very souls. But salvation awaits. it exists in a form least expected: a dream of a face, a brush of a mind, the hint of a kiss, and finally, at long last, a SHADOW TOUCH.

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The Orphange

Have you seen Pan's Labyrinth and liked it?
Well, then you'll love The Orphange too. I just love this kind of horror movies. They scare me to death while watching and I always end up in tears by how it ends...
Now I have to see The Devil's Backbone too, because it's the same kind of film, and it's in spanish - I love spanish! So if you now about any movies in the same style, let me know!

# 7/52 k2, p2 socks

My 7th pair of socks for the 52ppiii is done ;) It's a simple pair of k2, p2 socks with heels and toes in a different color.
Pattern: 64 st, k2, p2.
Yarn: Opal Petticoat #1293 and Ida Strømpegarn.
Needles: 2,5 mm.

I'm also making progress on Endre's blanket. I can't say that I'm just crocheting one each day (or 7 a week) as supposed to by the En bestemor om dagen ;) But if I shall manage to crochet the kids a blanket each before christmas, I have to keep the speed up ;) I'm corcheting the Circles to squares afghan (rav link), but I'm not going to swe the squares together as in tha pattern. I've been playing a bit with it and think Endre's blanket will end up something like this. This is just half of the squares, so it will be bigger. I might make one row as the one in the middle to make it a bit wider...

And a little envelope full of surprises came in the mail today :) I'm in the Summer Mini Swap over at "My other hobby swap" group at Ravelry.

I have got some new yarn in the mail too. A package from the sockyarn club from Strikk Innom came the other day. And I got two balls of this beautiful yarn! Can't wait to knit it up :)

The dragon is 4 years today :)

Happy Birthday Endre

Can you believe how fast time flies..? Endre is 4 today.
He has a strong will and know how to
push his brother and sisters around ;)
But he's also a sweet boy who hands out hugs
and kisses every day!
Now he is finally asleep after
a little too much sugar ;)

A rainy day hike

We've been in the forest most of the day :)

A hike in the rain

Even if it drizzled when we went out of bed today, we felt it was time for a hike in the forest. And nothing is better than walking in the forest after a heavy rainfall when the air is fresh!

And yes, it was rather cold today so it was good and warm with hats ;)

It was great to get warm by the fire too while frying sausages.

We duged for more stones for our fire place and lots of this fine sand was under the heath. No doubt that there has been a sea here once...

It becoming berries too, but they are not ripe yet.
Bilberry, bunchberry, lingonberry, and cloudberry.

We found one ripe cloudberry ;) Eirin and Endre shared it, but they didn't like it... So we're just hoping for the rain and cold weather to stop so they get ripe.

Eirin found a moth that had been hit by the rain.

There is more flowers in the forest since last time we was here :)
Alpine bistort, tufted vetch, small cow-wheat, heath spotted orchid and marsh valerian - pink and white.

We saw that there was some foam on some of the plants and flowers.

We think this is the nymph of a froghopper.

Meet Endre the Dragon

Endre has been patiently waiting for me to finish his dragon jacket since May... And here it is!
He is trying to put on a scary face, but he is just too cute ;)

I had to rip the whole body and sleeves because it got too small. And I think I could have knitted it one size bigger this second time too... I don't think it will fit him more than this season.

But he loves it, and I might knit him a new one next spring in cotton so he can wear it all summer ;)

Pattern: I've combined the Steggie kids's dinosaur cardigan and Dragesweater patterns.
Yarn: Järbo Garn Raggi Solid, about 600 g of green #1512 and a bit orange #1504. And leftovers in black and white.
Needles: 3,5 & 4 mm.
Hook: 3,5 mm

I'm still here...

We've had some great summer weather the last weeks, so we've been soaking up the sun outside :) Erlend and Eirin has been a week at my mom, so Endre and I have been home alone, sleeping a little longer and having a great time. He really missed his siblings the first couple of days though...
They came home Sunday, and the last three days Monster mom have been visiting again *sigh* I guess the rules and routines have been sliding out now when it's vacation. There are times when I just long for August and for the school to start again... But we have agreed for some new rules and I'm hoping for some better days ahead :)

Eirin and Endre have been playing all day long today with duplo, and there has been very little fighting! Erlend is out and about with his grandfather, so there really have been a rather quiet day :)

Firefly summer

Firefly Summer by Maeve Binchy


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I bought this book at an impuls at the grocery store, as I liked what was written in the back cover...



"Kate and John Ryan have four children, of which the eldest are Michael and Dara. Their small town is peaceful and friendly, an unchanging background for a golden childhood. In long, hot summers Dara and Michael and their friends fish and swim or play in the ivy-clad ruins of Fernscourt, the great house burned down during the Troubles...

No one in Mountfern has the slightest inkling of what it will mean when the ruins are bought by Patrick O'Neill, an Irish American with a dream in his heart and a great deal of money in his pocket. It is not until the very end of this drama, with its interlocking stories of loves lost and won, ambitions nurtured and secrets betrayed, that Patrick O'Neill will understand the irony and the significance of his great dream for Mountfern."

It's my first book by Maeve Binchy and I really want to read more of her works. She makes characters that feel so real and whose lives you get so wrapped up in. It's like watching a movie when you read this book. Picturing the little town, the pub, the ruin and the people. I've felt the joy and I've shared some tears with the people in the story. Silly, but that's me.

I've been reading this book when I've put Endre to bed, and I've sometimes been sitting there reding after he has felt asleep, just to finish a chapter ;)

The only thing is that the ending makes me a bit unsatisfied. What happends to Kerry, Dara and Patrick after the fire..?


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# 6/52 Stripes

My 6th pair is off the needles, and I'm starting to feel that I'm able to complete this challenge ( 52ppiii) A pair each week this month and I'm ahead ;)

I have knitted a pair of socks in this colorway before, but I really think these plain socks show off the colors so much better.

Pattern: Simple and plain socks with a short-row heel. 64 st.
Yarn: Opal Brasil # 5006
Needles: 2,5 mm

Song for Eirabu

Song for Eirabu Bind 1, Slaget på Vigrid by Kristine Tofte

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dette er en av de bøkene hvor scenene strømmer på på netthinna.

En ser Ragna som danser med sverdet, Berghitte som rir på ulven, store båter som setter seil, guder og gudinner, nonner i klosteret, små landsbyer med trehytter og store byer med hvite hus oppetter fjellsidene i Syrren.

Dette er en spennende bok hvor vi dras inn i mystikken rundt verdens tilblivelse, om guder og gudinner og om maktkampen om verdensherredømmet. Søstrene Ragna og Berghitte kommer til å spille hver sin store rolle i denne kampen. Selv syns jeg det er flott at det for en gangs skyld er kvinner som har makten, og at de ikke bare står for den magiske/mystiske siden av historien.

Og det er også deilig med en fantasy bok hvor det ikke kryr av "orker" og andre stygge skapninger. Tofte har klart å få med noe av det jeg liker best med norske sagn og eventyr, nemlig byttinger. Broren til Ragna og Berghitte, Kjerald, er en slik. Uten språk, men med en herlig sangstemme som trøster mora. Her er det også ingen alver, men i stede er skogen i Yllarheim voktet av ulver. Det er også andre voktere, fisker og ørner.

Jeg er nok en av de få som likte nynorsk bedre enn bokmål på skolen ;)

Og denne boka er en drøm for oss som liker nynorsk. Noen ord kan kanskje være litt uvante i starten, så det hadde kanskje gjort seg med en liten ordliste bak i boka...

Uansett, jeg gleder meg til bok nummer to. Bare synd det er så lenge å vente...

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Friday Flickr Favorites :)

1. playing with food, 2. February Lady Sweater yay!, 3. My mittens are finally finished!, 4. tourmalines~, 5. Wonder Twin powers activate! , 6. Lovisa's garden, 7. pincushion, 8. I Mama, 9. Rosy Maple Moth, 10. summer breakfast, 11. New Wall of Art, 12. campfire knitting, 13. teeny shelf., 14. Socks Elk Safari 7/52, 15. Heart Felt - upcycled felt heart cardigan, 16. Heddal stavkirke, 17. Purple Flower 3, 18. Midnight sun, 19. Captain Jack Bot, 20. Super Mario Bros - Mario, 21. paperdolls 'r' us, 22. Fabel Cable hæl, 23. Knee socks in the sun, 24. june garden lookback

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

# 5/52 Lacy ribs socks

My 5th pair is done. Toe-up socks are not my favorite, but I have bought Wendy knits book Socks from the toe-up and will give it a go ;) I even joined the socks from the toe-up kal at Ravelry and these are the socks for June. I'm very pleased with these. Wendy's magical cast on for the toe is really magic and so easy!

It's the first time I have knitted this type of heel - a gusset heel. And I must say it was a fast and easy heel, faster then a short-row heel...

Pattern: Lacy ribs socks from Socks from the toe-up.
Yarn: Opal Petticoat Cotton # 1340
Needles: 2,25 mm
Size: M

The harsh reality of life

Remember the nest we found at Midsummer? Yesterday we went to
see if the eggs had hatched. But this was the sight that met us...
I think it's a magpie who has been here and eaten the eggs. There is not
a day without birds chasing magpies away from their nests around here.

The kids got very dissapointed ofcourse, but this was also
a great way to learn about the harsh reality of life. The eggs
got a close examine before they carefylly got placed back in the nest.

We have in several weeks followed a great tit pair in building a nest, sitting on eggs and feeding the kids. Since they have the nest under the roof we can only hear the kids ;) We think it's time for the kids to leave the nest soon, so we hope we are so lucky that we are outside when it happens.