52 books in 52 weeks update

It's been all about vampires, werewolves, witches and pixi's this month!! I've read the last three "True Blood" books, and I can't wait until May for the 11th book!
And the Hollow series just get's better and better. You know, those kind of books you never want to end ;) I'll have to wait until February before the 5th book comes out in norwegian... *sigh*

November
112 - First drop of crimson - Jeaniene Frost

The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows – her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield – and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family’s dark past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness – and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey.
113 - Every Which Way But Dead (The Hollows, Book 3) - Kim Harrison

Some days, you just can't win. Witch and former bounty hunter Rachel Morgan's managed to escape her corrupt company, survive living with a vampire, start her own runner service, and face down a vampire master. But her vampire roommate Ivy is off the wagon, her human boyfriend Nick is out of town indefinitely and doesn't sound like he's coming back while the far-too-seductive vampire Kisten is looking way too tempting, and there's a turf war erupting in Cincinnati's underworld. And there's a greater evil still. To put the vampire master behind bars and save her family, Rachel made a desperate bargain and now there's hell to pay—literally. For if Rachel cannot stop him, the archdemon Algaliarept will pull her into the sorcerous ever-after to forfeit her soul as his slave. Forever.

114 - From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, No. 8) - Charlaine Harris
115 - Dead and Gone (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 9) - Charlaine Harris

The Louisiana town of Bon Temps—along with the rest of the world—is about to be rocked with some big supernatural news: like the vampires before them, the Were people—humans with the ability to change into animals—are about to reveal themselves to humanity. Psychic barmaid Sookie Stackhouse is apprehensive about the revelation, given the way some people in the small town revile anyone with extraordinary powers, including Sookie herself. While the initial announcement seems to go over smoothly with most people, tragedy strikes when Sookie’s brother Jason’s estranged wife, a werepanther, is found murdered and nailed up on a cross. Jason is the prime suspect, but Sookie has even bigger problems to deal with when she learns that a vicious fairy prince is determined to kill her.

116 - Dead in the Family (Southern Vampire Mysteries, Book 10) - Charlaine Harris

After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she's angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he's under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry...

117 - A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows, Book 4) - Kim Harrison

The evil night things that prowl Cincinnati despise witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan. Her new reputation for the dark arts is turning human and undead heads alike with the intent to possess, bed, and kill her -- not necessarily in that order. Now a mortal lover who abandoned Rachel has returned, haunted by his secret past. And there are those who covet what Nick possesses -- savage beasts willing to destroy the Hollows and everyone in it if necessary. Forced to keep a low profile or eternally suffer the wrath of a vengeful demon, Rachel must nevertheless act quickly. For the pack is gathering for the first time in millennia to ravage and to rule. And suddenly more than Rachel's soul is at stake.

118 - Bloody Bones - (Anita Blake 5) - Laurell K. Hamilton

We light one candle tonight

Så tenner vi ett lys i kveld.

Vi tenner det for glede.

det står og skinner for seg selv

og oss som er til stede.

Så tenner vi ett lys i kveld.

Vi tenner det for glede.

-Inger Hagerup-

We light one candle tonight

We light it for happiness.

EN STJERNE

En advent så vakker

med lys og med sne,

en stjerne på him’len,

løft blikket og se.

Vår stjerne den hilser

høytidlig og flott.

Med håp om at alle

kan ha det litt godt.

Den sender et budskap

med kjærlighet stor.

La omtanken spre seg

omkring på vår jord.

God jul her til alle

vi sender av sted,

med ønsker og tanker

du stjernen vil se.

Strawberry Dream, monster and Aurora Borealis

The days are dark and cold around here now. I took this picture around 11.30 am today. The light is blue almost all day now and the sun is bearly painting the mountain tops pink... To bad it gets so cold when the air is so bright... The temperature have been around -20 C all week and today it's been -24 C here, and we are starting to get a bit of cabin fever ;)

So Eirin and I desided to bake some cookies :)

Strawberry Dream Cookies

200 g softened butter
1 dl sugar
1 dl potato flour
4 dl flour

Mix the sugar and butter to cream. Stir in the flour. Roll out the dough and cut into ca. 40 pieces. Roll each piece to a ball and press it flat with a little dimple in the middle. Fill the dimple with strawberry jam. Bake at 175 C for ca. 10-12 minutes. Cool off on a cakerack.

 

What's on your needles this weekend??

I'm knitting on a pair of monster pants - a fast and fun knit :)
And I just have to share this beautiful video made of pictures. I love it when the northern light flashes through the sky and hope we'll see lots of it this winter! These are from Tromsø,  city a bit further north.

Aurora Borealis timelapse HD - Tromsø 2010 from Tor Even Mathisen on Vimeo.

Friday Flickr Favourites

1. Père Noël, 2. My take on the flatbread, 3. Just a couple more pictures, since the sun is out., 4. troublemaker, 

5. kitchen_ikea_6, 6. Untitled, 7. i love my balls!, 8. roosevelt elk, 

9. Mochos*, 10. pine cones!, 11. cozy elf cap, 12. Snowflakes for Gifted Magazine, 

13. Personalised mugs, 14. Roheline, 15. Cupcake, 16. november 2010

My Epla shop :)

I've knitted up a little pair of baby socks. 

Pattern: 48 st , k2,p2.

Yarn: 20 g Opal.

Needles: 2,5 mm.

They can be bought in my shop at epla which I have open today :)

Epla is the Norwegian version of Etsy. There is a lot og great things you can buy there!

His & Hers

I'm knitting some gifts this year, and two of them are off the needles. It's two pairs of fingerless mitts for my brother and sister in law.
Pattern: His - just a pair of simple fingerless mitts, k2,p1 ribbing. Hers - Cupcake Mittlets.
Yarn: His - 56g Mor Aase superwash. Hers - 30g Mam'sell.
Needles: 3 mm for both.

You know it's just a week until the advents calendar starts :)
This year the boys are getting a Lego calendar each and Eirin a Littlest pet shop calendar. I think they will have fun finding a little toy each day. But we're also ging to have our "activity advent calendar". So I'm joining 25 days of Christmas this year too (well it's just 24 days here in Norway though...) and Merete's blogging through December. I might try to blog about her words this year, if I find the time ;)

And if you need inspirations for Christmas, do have a look here! So many pretty things!!

In the forest

It's been weeks since we've spent time in the forest, so today we packed our backpacks and headed out.

And there is nothing like a cup of  tea, some slices of bread with cheese and a fire :)

We even made panfried toast ;) And ofcourse there was chocolate.

And lots of playing :)

There ain't much snow, but enough for sledding.

Wet mittens by the fire to dry ;)

Now I'm going to give the kids a bath before bedtime

and then I'm going to do some christmas gift knitting :)

Criminal Minds Mystery Kerchief

I came across this kal by a coincidence over at Ravelry. It sounded like fun, so I joined. Even thogh I have never seen a Criminal Mind episode ;)
I thought the shawl looked a bit small when I had casted it off, but after some blocking it has just the right size for wrapping around the neck. I'm giving it away for Christmas since I already have a red shawl :)

Pattern: Criminal Minds Mystery Kerchief.
Yarn: 55 g Dawn 2 ply from Naturally #2. A beautiful shiny and soft yarn made of 50% wool and 50% silk.
Needle: 4,5 mm.

Friday Flickr Favourites

1. Three bags full, 2. simply pretty, 3. it's fall : let's go & pick mushrooms in the woods, 4. My sweater Shetland from Jamieson's., 5. "Keep calm and carry on"...in the kitchen of Apartment 44., 6. Milking Stool, 7. Ivory, 8. Birthday present, 
9. finished! granny square blanket, 10. "heart felt" mittens, adult size , 11. Taft, 12. <3, 
13. two more pictures of ooooo, 14. the bearable lightness of morning, 15. Lavender sachets, 16. clive OWEN ornament

Friday Cookies

I've desided that we're going to bake cookies each Friday :) I'm not very domestic when it comes to cooking and baking, so this will be just as much learning for me as for the kids ;) Hoping we'll make some great moments together though!
I know that the biggest "problem" will be to find recepies without eggs due to Endre's allergy... So if you have any, please share!
But then again Endre is not the biggest cookie lover in the house... We made two different kinds of chocolate chip cookies today. And Endre ate two before he desided that they weren't any good *lol* I guess he just ate them because of the chocolate since he's very picky about his food ;)

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (No Eggs).

Recipes can be found here.

Wookiee-ookies (Wookie Cookies)

Recipe can be found here.
Or in this book - Wookiee Cookies: A Star Wars Cookbook :)
With two Star Wars fans in the house, we really need to check out some more of those recipes!

Brrrr, it's cold outside!

We've had some cold days lately with temperatures down to -20 C. The snow squeaks under your shoes, the skies has some wonderful colours blue, purple and pink and the ice on the lake is making cool sounds :)
And we've gotten our own frost forest in the window in the hall up to our loft.

The kids don't care about the cold though. Right now Erlend and Eirin are out sledding :)
(Bad picture I now, but taking good pictures in the dark is something I yet have to learn...)

Anyway, I'm just glad we had some snow before this cold came. So hopefully it will stay to prevent the water from freezing this winter. I'm so not going through a winter without water again!
And as some of you know, I'm not very fond of pictures of myself. But I've knitted a cowl and it must be shared ;) It's made of a soft and chunky yarn in a great colour. I actually had enough yarn for two, so someone might get it as a gift :)

 

Pattern: None I just casted on around 50 st and knitted until it was long enough ;)

Yarn: 200 g of some yarn I got in a swap years ago. I think it's chinese.

Needles: 8 mm.

Soon it's goodbye to the sun & Bird mittens

The days are getting shorter and shorter around here now. The sun is low on the horizon and it starts to get dark around 3pm. It's snowing outside now, so hopefully the snow will stay this time. It makes it so much lighter if we have snow these dark months we have ahead of us.

I've been knitting mittens for Eirin. I had to rip the first one because it got to small. So I changed from 2 mm to 2,5 mm. And then they turned out just perfect.

 

Pattern: Bird mitten.

Yarn: 51 g total. Some unknown black from my stash and yellow nagano #316.

Needles: 2 mm for the rib and 2,5 mm for the mitten itself.

52 books in 52 weeks update

The months seems to just fly by - I can't imagine it's November already! All the snow we got this weekend have melted due to a very warm wind during the night, it was +8 C this morning. And there is a storm coming that will hit us in the afternoon.  Perfect weather to stay inside and knit :)

So what have I been reading last month. Well, some vampire books ;) Who would have thought so , ha,ha. I've discovered a series written by Sherrilyn Kenyon  - Dark Hunter World. I loved the 1st book, the 2nd wasn't quite so good, but I have high exspectations for the 3rd :)
I've also read the 2nd book in the Immortales series, which are written by three authors. Jennifer Ashley, Robin Popp and  Joy Nash. I  read the 1st book last year, I think, and I must say I like the plot. So I might buy more books in the series. Speaking of Joy Nash, when I had a look at her site I came across the Druids of Avalon series. I know I have so many book  around here waiting for me to read them, so I really shoudn't buy more... But I think I'll have to check out this series :) Anyone read it??

I have been reading "normal" books too, which have no vampires in sight :) The last week or so I've been in a world filled with chocolate and magic. I've read Chocolat and The Lollipop shoes  by Joanne Harris. And if you haven't read them you must!! It's been a long time since I've read such a beautiful story. And yes, I know there is a film based on the Chocolat book, but I've been dissapointed so many times when I've seen films based on books I've read :( So even if Johnny Depp has a role, I'm still not going to se it ;)

I see that Joanne Harris have written more books, so I think I need to check some of them out. Have any of you read some of them?? Any recommendations??

October
105 - The Lunatic Cafe (Anita Blake 4) - Laurell K. Hamilton
106 - **Night Pleasures** (Dark-Hunter World 1) - Sherrilyn Kenyon

The Dark-Hunters are ancient warriors who have sworn to protect mankind and the fate of the world is in their hands. . .
 He is solitude. He is darkness. He is the ruler of the night. Yet Kyrian of Thrace has just woken up handcuffed to his worst nightmare: An accountant. Worse, she's being hunted by one of the most lethal vampires out there. And if Amanda Devereaux goes down, then he does too. But it's not just their lives that are hanging in the balance.  Kyrian and Amanda are all that stands between humanity and oblivion. Let's hope they win.

107 - Night Embrace (Dark-Hunter World 2) - Sherrilyn Kenyon
108 - Hjemkomsten (Polarnetter #16) - Ellinor Rafaelsen
109 - **The Darkening** (Immortals 2) - Robin T. Popp

Created at the dawn of time to protect humanity, the ancient warriors have been nearly forgotten, though magic lives on--in vampires, werewolves, the Celtic Sidhe, and other beings. But now one of their own has turned rogue, and the world is again in desperate need of the IMMORTALS.

A werewolf and bounty hunter, Lexi was badass to the bone. She had no problem protecting herself in the seedy underground vampire clubs of New York City. Until the Immortal she had tried to summon actually appeared. It wasn't the intricate tattoos around his well-defined muscles that intimidated her; it was the raw power she saw shimmering in his golden brown eyes, power mingled with lust. Though she longed to give in to the passion and pleasure he promised, they first had a curse to break, a brother to find, and a whole legion of vampires to prevent from joinin.


110 - **Chocolat** - Joanne Harris

Vianne Rocher and her 6-year-old daughter, Anouk, arrive in the small village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes--"a blip on the fast road between Toulouse and Bourdeaux"--in February, during the carnival. Three days later, Vianne opens a luxuriant chocolate shop crammed with the most tempting of confections and offering a mouth-watering variety of hot chocolate drinks. It's Lent, the shop is opposite the church and open on Sundays, and Francis Reynaud, the austere parish priest, is livid. One by one the locals succumb to Vianne's concoctions. Joanne Harris weaves their secrets and troubles, their loves and desires, into her third novel, with the lightest touch. There's sad, polite Guillame and his dying dog; thieving, beaten-up Joséphine Muscat; schoolchildren who declare it "hypercool" when Vianne says they can help eat the window display--a gingerbread house complete with witch. And there's Armande, still vigorous in her 80s, who can see Anouk's "imaginary" rabbit, Pantoufle, and recognizes Vianne for who she really is. However, certain villagers--including Armande's snobby daughter and Joséphine's violent husband--side with Reynaud. So when Vianne announces a Grand Festival of Chocolate commencing Easter Sunday, it's all-out war: war between church and chocolate, between good and evil, between love and dogma. 

111 - **The Lollipop Shoes** - Joanne Harris

More than four years have passed since Vianne Rocher pitted her enchanted chocolate confections against the local clergy's interpretation of Lent in smalltown France; since then, Vianne has renounced magic, changed her name to Yanne Charbonneau and moved with her two daughters to Paris's Montmartre district. There, Yanne embraces conformity and safety, much to the dismay of her increasingly troubled older daughter, Anouk. When Anouk becomes entranced with Zozie de l'Alba, an exotic itinerant who happens upon a job at the new shop, and the relationship grows increasingly sinister, Yanne must call up all of Vianne's powers, culinary and mystical, to save her family. Harris again structures the narrative (told in alternate chapters by Zozie, Yanne and Anouk) around a liturgical season (in this case Advent). Harris gives fans much to savor in this multilayered novel, from the descriptions (including Yanne's mouthwatering chocolate confections, Zozie's whimsical footwear and Anouk's artistic efforts) to the novel's classic, enduring theme of good vs. evil—and the difficulty of telling the difference.

Feeding the birds

During winter we feed the birds with sunflower seeds, nuts and balls of tallow mixed with seeds and nuts.
Usually we just have willow tits and great tits to look at.

And some flocks of Greenfinchs now and then.

But the last couple of weeks we've had this guy (or girl) lurking around gathering seeds that the other birds keep dropping to the ground. I had to look him up in a birdbook and he's a Eurasian Jay. He's very shy and in the beginning he flew away by the smalles sound or if a car drove by. Now he's more brave and can stay for a while. Endre and I tossed out some bread for him today, and after a while he took it and flew away.

Great tits (just love the name *lol*) and some tallow balls.

 

More birds :) I'm knitting a pair of mittens for Eirin. I'm knitting them on 2 mm needles, but they got a bit narrow, so I think'll frog it and knit on 2,25 mm or 2,5 mm needles instead.

A new woodstove :)

We've been busy replacing the old woodstove in the livingroom with a new one this weekend.

This is the old one, which must have been here since the 60's I think. It made a good heat, but isn't the prettiest woodstove I have seen. And some of the tiles had falled off so it was not a very pretty corner of our livingroom... The only thing I'll miss about the woodstove, is that it was great to put wet hats and mittens on top of it to dry when the kids came in after playing in the snow.

Here's how it turned out :) I'm so pleased with the new tiles and the new woodstove! It makes the room so much more cosy when we can see the flames!

 

You know it's only two months until Christmas..? I've started with some gift knitting. I'm not sure who will get these socks yet, but I'm sure they'll find a good home in the end ;)

Pattern: 60 st, k1, p1 cuff, short-row heel.

Yarn: 62 g Opal Petticoat #1294.

Needles: 2,5 mm.

Skull mittens

 

A cool boy needs a pair of cool mittens, don't you think?

I know I found this pattern on Ravelry some time ago, but I can't find it now... I've searched for it, but no mittens that looks the same cames up :( 

So if anyone know where to find the pattern, which was free, please let me know. The pattern is very similar to helylle's mittens. and I have made the thumbs like the one on this pair. In the one I have, there was a cross on the thumbs instead of small skulls.

Pattern: If only I knew where I found them, I could tell you...

Yarn: 29 g black, 20 g white and 11 g red. I've knitted these in babyull (babywool).

Needles: 2 mm. I might have knitted them on 2,25 or even 2,5 mm, because they fit Erlend perfect, but I guess they will shrink a bit as they get played with in the snow...

Snow and some awards :)

It's been snowing since Wednesday, and it was enough to make winter's first snowman and for a little sledding :) The kids had great fun, but I think the snow could have waited at least a month before it came... It's been raining today, so the snow have turned into wet slush now... Which is not so fun to play in.

I have received two awards lately - and I know I'm slow to past them on... But here it goes.

I got this from Fiolinn back in July (yes, I know I'm SO slow to pass it on...).  There are some "rules" to go with it though...

Thank the blogger who bestowed you with the award.
I really appreciate it!! When someone thinks my little blog have substance, it makes me happy :) So thank you so much, Fiolinn! Which have a great blog you should make a visit :)

Sum up your blogging experience, philosophy and motivation in five (5) words.
New friendships, fun, learning, creative and motivational.
It's been over 5 years since I started blogging and it's been five years where I have tried to make my own way of blogging :) It started out as a blog mainly for showing off my knitting, but have developed to become more and more of a combined kniting and mommy blog :)


Nominate 10 deserving bloggers.
Oh this is hard!  There are so many blogs I like to read and who gives me inspiration!
- Imagine Childhood
- Et husmorliv
- Cosycactus 
- Lises myke pakker
- Elisabeths verden
- Monstermønster
- Implausible Yarn
- On the needles
- Stix and String
- The Renate

The 2nd award is from Heather over at Implausible Yarn :)
the rules:
- Grab the award. Post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
- Pay it forward to 15 other bloggers that you have newly discovered and contact those blog owners and let them know they've been chosen.
- Fog and Swell
- Peacefull Knitter
- Flow of Love
- JuleeQue
- Handmade by Stefanie
- I just had to tell you so..
- Falling Stitches
- Xhantippes utopia
- Smileull
- Small wonders
- You just gotta keep knitting
- Homespun living
- duBedåre
- Strikk takk
- Par i stickor

That was hard to pick out 25 bloggers for these to awards - there are so many more great blogs out there!!
But these are some of those who gives me inspiration to knit, great pictures, yummy recipe's, great nature
experiences and great stories from their parenthood and everyday lives!
I just wish I had more time to write you comments... I read your post, but the time is not always there. So for some of you I'm what you call " a lurker" - just reading your blogs without letting you know I'm there ;)
Have a great Friday, and hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with a pair of mittens ;)

Autumn Swap :)

When the rain just keep pouring down all day long, a nice package in the mail is making the day a little brighter :) I joined a swap over at the Ravelry Book Group, and these goodies came from Emily in Ohio :)
The book is Naked by David Sedaris - I haven't heard about it before, but it seems like a fun read.

"In a series of similarly textured essays, Sedaris takes us along on his catastrophic detours through a nudist colony, a fruit-packing plant, his own childhood, and a dozen more of the world's little purgatories."
  

Love the skein of Cherry Tree Hill "Foxy Lady". Beautiful colours!!

 

And I juat adore these little Soak packages!