commutergirl

Ny blogg!

2009-06-02T09:53:00.001+02:00

Jeg har flyttet til Wordpress, og skal gjøre en innsats etterhvert. Blant annet planlegger jeg å blogge litt mer jevnlig enn jeg har gjort i det siste. Kom og besøk meg!

Broderi! Tro det eller ei.

2009-05-03T17:50:00.004+02:00

Jeg kjøpte en litt kjedelig strikkejakke - men fargen var veldig fin.

Jeg tenkte jeg skulle finne på noe med den, så jeg kjøpte badegakk-knapper:

Men så fant jeg ut at jeg heller ville brodere. Jeg tegnet opp et old school-tattoo-motiv:

Så får vi se hvordan det blir. Jeg har trua :)

Oppdatering

2009-02-12T19:01:00.003+01:00

I det siste har jeg lagd denne:

Og denne:

Og denne!

Wham bam!

2009-01-26T17:26:00.003+01:00

Det gikk fort gitt:

Bildet er crazy-like, men jeg er meget fornøyd med halsen/skjerfet/greia. Jeg elsker silkealpakka :)

Forandringer i sikte

2009-01-25T14:35:00.003+01:00

Jeg holder fremdeles på med eskimo-genseren. Jeg har aldri strikket genser før, og fant etterhvert ut at den blir fryktelig tung å drasse rundt på! Så det har etterhvert blitt mest et hjemmeprosjekt, og siden jeg ikke er så mye hjemme går det litt trått. Har nå begynt på erme nummer to, så når jeg er ferdig med det er det "bare" hette og montering som gjenstår. Jeg prøver å få opp farta, for det hadde jo vært kjekt å kunne ha den på seg en gang før det blir for varmt...

Jeg lar ikke dette avskrekke meg, og har bestilt garn til neste genser allerede. Det blir en sommergenser, i muskat, og en kjempefin vaniljegul farge:

Jeg satser på båthals og 3/4 lange ermer, og skal prøve å kombinere et par oppskrifter fra boken Stickverk. Ikke nok med at jeg skal kombinere oppskrifter, jeg skal også strikke på svensk... Så det blir nok et par utfordringer.

Jeg fant fantastiske Wham Bam på bloggen til Bente B, og lager min egen i en brun silkealpakka jeg hadde på lager. Den er praktisk å ha med seg rundt, både superenkel å strikke og liten i veska. Den blir det nok flere av!

Eller tenker jeg hardt på å gjøre en del større endringer i livet mitt (igjen), og forhåpentligvis blir det mer tid til håndarbeid etterhvert. Det er moro å ha mye å gjøre, men når jobben blir altoppslukende er det på tide å tenke seg om og gå noen runder med seg selv.

Sysler litt med tanken på en etsy-butikk etterhvert - jeg lager en del småting som jeg ikke har postet om her ennå, så vi får se... Det er mest tiden det står på om dagen.

Monsterskjerf

2008-12-23T22:41:00.002+01:00

Jeg har laget et monsterskjerf, med tenner og alt:

Her er forøvrig årets gaver til familien, riktignok innpakket: appelsinknekk og anisdram

Nå er det snart, snart jul! Jeg har bare noen timer igjen på jobb først.

Lueproduksjonen har nådd nye høyder i år, og jeg har lagd omtrent ti eskimoluer i perlestrikk. Det går så fort og blir så fint at jeg sterkt vurderer å starte en etsy-butikk. Vi får se hvordan det blir med produktiviteten utpå nyåret.

Yodababy!

2008-12-06T01:48:00.003+01:00

Yodaluen er ferdig tovet, her med en litt alternativ modell:
Godt fornøyd med denne!

Jeg har også lagd knekk, som jeg skal gi bort til familien til jul:

Julegaveproduksjon

2008-11-15T13:41:00.005+01:00

Julen nærmer seg, og jeg strikker luer! Det morsomme med eskimoluene er jo at det er gjort på en drøy time, så det ser ut til at jeg blir ferdig til jul i år (til en forandring).

Blå lue med organzabånd og sløyfe i nakken:

Jordbærlue, med stilk og det hele:

Stripete lue til pappaen, i samme farger som fjorårets skjerf:

Yodalue til baby (før toving):

Også har jeg strikket en space invaders-lue til meg selv:

flette/skjerf

2008-11-01T15:43:00.004+01:00

Sterkt inspirert av min håndarbeidsmakker Eir har jeg lagd meg et skjerf i ren, uspunnet merinoull:

Jeg er veldig fornøyd, men har ennå ikke fått noen reaksjoner på det. Bortsett fra at det var "litt prinsesse Leia", og det kan umulig være negativt?

Fort gjort, varmt og deilig - jeg er fornøyd!

Selbu selbu

2008-10-30T14:26:00.003+01:00

Jeg prøver stadig med selbuvottene, innimellom andre prosjekter. Og det er veldig moro, og jeg er ganske fornøyd - selv om det har sneket seg inn noen feil. Men jeg kjører på allikevel jeg, så får det bli som det blir. Det er jo det første paret!

På baksiden er det blitt mer alternativt ja. Ikke mye som minner om vanlig rutemønster her...

Men jeg gidder ikke rekke opp, det får gå seg til.

Ny blogg

2008-10-28T14:14:00.004+01:00

Prøver meg på å blogge litt om båtboertilværelsen også - se på http://fruaogmeg.blogspot.com

Lue igjen...

2008-10-26T14:39:00.005+01:00

Jeg har strikket en lue til, denne gangen i eskimo. Jeg veldig fornøyd med å bruke eskimo til perlestrikk, det gjør så mye mer ut av seg:

Jeg har også begynt på et hemmelig prosjekt til jul - det er foreløpig såpass kryptisk at ikke engang mottakeren vil gjette hva det er, tror jeg:
Legg spesielt merke til den herlige glitrende heklenålen. Jeg mistet den fine bambusnålen min, og dette plastmonsteret var det eneste de hadde i garnbutikken. Ikke en favoritt... Men den gjør jo nytten.

Det blir nok flere eskimoluer frem mot jul, de er jo så gode og varme. Og de er takknemmlige å strikke, gjort på et par timer.

2 luer og bare tull med selbu

2008-10-19T14:40:00.004+02:00

Viser frem min evalue nummer to, den er strikket i brunt paris-garn og flittig brukt.

Jeg er også ferdig med den gule luen til Renate, bare halvannen uke for sent til bursdagen...

Det kommer en lue til i perlestrikk, den skal bli til en venninne som har bursdag i morgen, så den blir nok også litt forsinket ja.

Ellers prøver jeg meg på selbuvotter for første gang, og skjønner ikkeno av økningen til tommel. Jeg har sandnes sin oppskrift, og jeg begriper ikke hvordan jeg skal gjøre økningen, uansett hva jeg gjør blir det feil i forhold til diagrammet. Noen som har skjønt det der ute?

Endelig!

2008-09-28T13:21:00.005+02:00

Sånn! Den vesten jeg har brukt halvannet år på er omsider ferdig, har festet trådene og alt:

Godt fornøyd med meg selv, og kommer faktisk til å lage flere av denne, men da vil jeg gjøre noen endringer i forhold til oppskriften. Tykkere garn eller mindre pinner hadde gjort seg, og jeg kunne faktisk godt ha laget den i small... og jeg vil ha den lengre neste gang, selv om jeg forlenget skulderstroppene en del på denne. Men jeg har lært masse av dette prosjektet, og gleder meg til neste vest. Etter at alle julegavene er ferdig en gang i fremtiden.

Jeg har også begynt på et nytt prosjekt, og er godt i gang:

Dette er en oppskrift fra garnstudio, og jeg er alldeles forelsket i det fantastiske garnet. Fargen er enda kraftigere i virkeligheten, og det går så fort på pinne 8 at selv jeg ikke rekker å bli utålmodig.

Skal skjerpe meg litt med oppdateringene nå, for nå har jeg faktisk overskudd til håndarbeid igjen. Har også strikket en brun evalue, og har begynt på en gul en til ei venninne - og dem blir det også fler av etterhvert. Det går jo så fort!

siden sist

2008-05-09T10:42:00.005+02:00

Jeg er ikke så flink til å oppdatere bloggen min, mye fordi jeg ikke har tid til håndarbeid om dagen. Jeg kommer til å oppdatere med det lille jeg får gjort...

Siden sist har jeg strikket en babykimono til en venninnes nye baby:

og det er vel stort sett det hele...

mnei. ikke denne gangen heller...

2007-10-11T09:08:00.000+02:00

Senebetennelsen blomstret selvsagt opp igjen, og jeg turte ikke strikke noe særlig. Men nå er jeg på bedringens vei, så da skal jeg snart prøve meg igjen.

Jeg er ferdig med Evas lue:

Og jeg er endelig med i Ravelry :) Nicket mitt er commutergirl. Ser deg der?

strikkestrikkestrikke

2007-09-25T10:44:00.000+02:00

Kiwa har kommet med en utfordring: Å gjøre ferdig en ting til 7. oktober. Jeg slenger meg på, som vanlig i seneste laget, men jeg skal virkelig prøve å bli ferdig med alpakka-vesten som jeg begynte på i påsken. Så langt har jeg kommet:
Dette er bakstykket, og jeg skal begynne på felling til ermhullene. Jeg tror dette skal gå forholdsvis raskt. Og så gjenstår jo forstykket, som har et lite hullmønster øverst. Ribbestrikken bør gå raskt. Men jeg kjenner jeg har det litt travelt...

Jeg er godt i gang med Evas lue, men den blir veeeeeldig stor! Jeg skal prøve den på eksens hode, og hvis den passer skal han få den. Hvis ikke får jeg sjekket hvordan pt3 tover... Jeg har begynt på en ny, i svart alpakka med pinnestørrelse 3. Det bør gjøre susen. Foreløpig er jeg bare nesten ferdig med ribbestrikken, så den er ikke så spennende ennå.

Å ja. Jeg begynte plutselig å blogge på norsk, ser jeg. Jeg tror ikke jeg har så mange internasjonale lesere, men jeg tror jeg kommer til å bli litt tospråklig fremover. Jeg skriver på engelsk når jeg har tid :)

Search for a cardi

2007-09-19T09:53:00.000+02:00

Over the last few days autums has arrived - as always, unexpectedly. And I start longing for warm, knitted clothes. I am not a fast knitter (I hope to finish my alpaca vest within the next month or so), and resigned myself to buy a knitted jacket. When the weather is warmer, I am addicted to zippered hoodies, but at the moment they are just not warm enough. Which is kind of strange, seeing as they are in constant use all through the winter. Maybe I just need time to adjust. But I digress :)

Anyways, I wanted a knitted jacket, preferably a hoodie, and I wanted it right away. But allthough all the shops are filled with knits, they are all acrylic or some other sort of synthetic mix. And I really hate synthetics. Comes from having a Rudolph Steiner upbringing and wearing raw wool next to the skin all through my childhood I guess.

So, there is nothing else for it: I'll have to knit one myself. But how on earth will I manage to make one before spring arrives? How do I make one that is quick to knit, but not too bulky, and still warm? I haven't been able to find anything I like at my trusty resource Garnstudio either. Well no, that is not actually true. I like this, and this, and this... but neither are really what I need. And since I am a slow knitter, I have to choose my projects carefully.

Ah well. Enough with the whining. Any tips, hints or suggestions are welcome, though :)

I am learning to knit with five little needles instead of a circular needle. And it's difficult! I can't seem to get into rhythm... But the result will be worth it! I am making Eva's hat (this is her picture):
Mine is nowhere near finished yet:

I am making this in army green pt3. Please note all the extra aids I need in order to do this: hairbands on every needle as well as a stitchmarker :) Hopefully, it will be easier as I get used to this method... The going is even slower than usual.

Productivity

2007-09-06T12:39:00.000+02:00

Being ill for a couple of days does wonders for the crafting part of my life.
I've made a new calorimetry, one that actually suits me:

And a neckwarmer to match:

I'va also made a Bainbridge scarf from the yarn I bought from MamaLlama at Etsy:

Hm. All the pictures are very blue. How strange. Well, the calorimetry and the neckwarmer are made from a thick, lovely grey alpaca, and the MamaLlama yarn is purple and green.

I cast on 100 instead of 120 for the calorimetry, but it seems I could have reduced to 90. I will try that the next time, but it works well enough. And it is really lovely and warm :) The bainbridge was fun and fast to make, and I will definitely make more as gifts. Instead of knitting the ties, I crocheted them (just because I find it easier). I will try some more with different stitches, and possibly some crocheted ones?

Present for me!

2007-08-16T13:55:00.000+02:00

I have recieved a present from my Secret Friend for august:

Three skeins of Rauma finull in different nuances of brown - lovely! A handmade card with hints about the sender's identity (and I don't get it...), masses of different tea, and lovely little buttons.

Thank you! I am thinking of knitting a bag with cables from this yarn - or possibly a scarf? Can't wait!

General news - no craftiness

2007-08-08T09:51:00.000+02:00

A lot has been happening in my life lately. As some of you know, I usually take time off from my regular job (as a web editor) to work on a festival in the south of Norway in the summer. My festival job mainly involves organising and bossing everybody around, and I really enjoy it, being a control freak and a bossy bitch ;)

Over the past six months, I have grown really tired of my daily routine. You see, I have spent the last ten years of my life hurrying through university in a rush to be a grownup. And of course, now that I am, I am bored with it. I really regret not taking the time to travel and be irresponsible, and now I don't have the opportunity, what with the mortgage and the job and everything.

So, I have quit my job and am starting something more fun: I'm returning to the music business. Come November 1st, I can wave goodbye to regular working hours, a structured daily life and any kind of sense - and I really can't wait. Some of my friends undoubtedly think I am crazy for leaving what is in fact a high status job, but I really think I will be happier. I won't be able to travel much more, but I hope I will have more fun.

The beginning af a shawl - and a secret project

2007-08-07T09:02:00.000+02:00

I have started to knit a shawl in Bånsull's Merino wool/silk mix. I unashamedly copied one my friend's mother made for her, a simple pattern of one increase at the beginning of each round.

The going is slow, with 3 mm needles and my arms tiring easily, but it will be lovely when it is finished :) I plan to add a crocheted edging if there is enough yarn at the end.

I am also working on another projct, but as it is intended for someone who might be reading this, it will remain a secret for now. For those of you who read other crafty blogs and not just mine, I have a hint: It is something colourful that a lot of other people are making at the moment. I am, for good reasons, using very different colours from most others, though...

Slightly Back

2007-06-15T08:55:00.000+02:00

I'm slowly starting to knit again. The last weeks have frankly been hell, with severe lack of sleep and an increasing amount of problems. Now, however, everything seems better. Let's hope the light at the end of the tunnel is not an incoming train.

I have started a scarf in my knotty alpaca yarn. No pictures yet, I'm sorry...

And I have sailed the Færder regatta, in a total lack of wind. But it was incredibly warm and sunny, and altogether a nice trip:
We were actually able to swim around the boat while sailing...

The water remained calm throughout the night...

On the following morning, we got ourselves into what you might call a tight situation...

Some weeks earlier we sailed the Breidangen regatta, when the conditions were a bit different:

Blogging Break

2007-05-07T10:35:00.000+02:00

The reason for my absence is mainly a beginning tendonitis, a condition I am tryong to avoid. In connection with that, I don't do much knitting or crocheting at the moment. I also have too much to do at work.

I'll be back :)

ow.ow.ow.

2007-04-16T12:41:00.000+02:00

Sailing season has started, and I have the marks to prove it:
On the left is a large scratch on my leg, made before the boat was even in the water. On the right is the back of my knee, and in the middle is my wrist.

Yes indeedy, I took a bath on April 15th. With all my clothes. Twice. The first time, we were in the process og raising the mast, when I took a step backwards onto nothing and fell in the water. It was about 6 degrees, but at least it was sunny. In the process I knocked both my knees, the result can be seen above. I am not able to walk today.

When my clothes had dried, we went sailing. Which was very nice, but I got wet and cold again. And then, I slipped when I tried to jump from the boat to the pier, and fell in the water. I managed to hold on to the pier, but I scratched both my wrists in the process, and got wet from the waist down.

It can only get better from here, right?

Easter Activities

2007-04-11T21:39:00.000+02:00

This is the world's largest Calorimetry.
I learned a few things from this:

My head is small.
I knit very losely.
Checking the gauge is a good idea.

I can use it, but I have to make a knot from the ends...

I am learning to knit, and lace patterns are fun! It demands concentration, and I think it would have been easier with a thicker yarn - it is really difficult to make out the pattern as I go. Fortunately, the mistakes are nearly impossible to spot as well :)

I finally finished the red mittens. Apparently, I crochet tighter now than I used to, and they became smaller than the last pair. So, I only felted them at 40 degrees, and I am rather happy with the result.

I have started making jewellery again: these are some of the latest examples.

I have also tried making stitch markers for my knitting. The cutest beads! Flat and circular, like little buttons :)

Yay!

2007-04-04T16:23:00.000+02:00

I finally got my present from my secret friend at Hobbyboden, and it was great!

Three skeins of a lovely yarn with patterns (which I have been trying to get my hands on for a loooong time...), coffee, tea and a necklace :) I am a VERY happy camper - and just in time before easter! Can't wait :D

New Scarf (in one night)

2007-04-04T10:09:00.000+02:00

Supernøtt made a lovely scarf, and I had to make one myself:

Mine is in off-white silk alpaca, and is wonderfully long: It wraps three times around my neck and still has long, floppy ends. And it was so fast to crochet! I made it in front of the TV last night...

I have hestitated to post about my fantasy-along, because it is not quite finished yet. However, the only thing that remains is the sholder strap, so you can imagine the rest:

On the left is the front of my bag, in the centre is a close-up of the embroidery, and on the right is the inside. It is made in black corduroy, and the lining is an old skirt that I cut up. It has a large pocket on both the front and the back. I will add a long shoulder strap and a snap closing on each of the pockets. The theme for this along was the number three. Therefore, this bag has three separate pockets, I have used three fabrics, and I have embroidered a tree (ahahahaha). This bag will probably end up as my knitting bag. It is large enough for big projects, and has in fact got room for my laptop as well.

New Shoes! And New Beginnings.

2007-04-03T15:12:00.000+02:00

I have bought new shoes! They are absolutely lovely, and I am sooo happy with them :) The colour is, as usual, not that good in the picture, but they are a lovely light green-turqouise, and they are extremely comfortable. Yay!

I have started on my Granny Ripple baby blanket, which will be all green and white. It is a small beginning, but I hope to get a lot done over easter.

I have also startet a crocheted bag in mustard yellow cotton yarn. This will probably be the front, but I plan on making a little front pocket as well...

And Now: Project Bonanza

2007-03-30T15:24:00.000+02:00

This is the beginning of my alpaca vest from Lene Holme Samsøe's book Feminin strikk. I am not a fast knitter (as mentioned), but I am immensely proud to have knitted all of five centimetres :) Hopefully, it will go faster by the time I'm finished with the back...

This is a half-finished hat in single crochet, made in fat cotton yarn. This is for a friend who had his birthday tomorrow - I hope he'll like it!

I have a lot of projects at the moment - I am crocheting a bag in mustard yellow cotton yarn, knitting scarves and sewing a dress. Luckily, the easter holidays are not too far ahead! I will have to study a bit over easter - exam in just over a month! Eeeeek!

Scarf in Progress

2007-03-23T09:33:00.000+01:00

On the left is the way I transport my crocheting. Make it into a roll, and stick the needle through. Otherwise, long items, like this one, will tie itself to my headset in the bag, coil around my keys and eat my cellphone. This is a scarf I'm making for a friend's birthday today. I will add fringes in turqouise, and hopefully manage to take a picture of the finished product. The scarf is crocheted in half double crochet and a few rows of treble crochet (mainly to keep me from fainting from boredom).

This weekend, I'm suddenly going to Kristiansand to do some pre-production work for this summer's festival. It will be a four hour train ride each way, but that's the only time for knitting/crochet all weekend. I'm not sure if I dare to bring any knitting - I live in fear of the whole thing unravelling by itself while I'm not looking. Crochet is more trustworthy that way :)

I am not able to finish my jacket (mentioned below) because I have apparently done something strange while cutting the pieces for the hood: it does not fit propely. I'm not sure what to do about it, except put it in the closet and forget about it until I get a bright idea.

Instead, I will start on a dress (paying close attention to the pattern this time...), but I expect it will have to wait for about a week.

WIP

2007-03-20T14:45:00.000+01:00

This is what I'm doing at the moment. On the left is my scarf in Noro Kureyon. I decided to knit it in ribs(knit two, purl tw0), and I imagine it says a LOT about my marvellous knitting skills that I am actually very proud to have achieved as much. To think of the knitting projects that I have decided to try makes me shiver in fright... I have decided on a vest, and traditional Selbu mittens, and a little jacket. I am not sure how this will turn out, but stay tuned :D

I have come to love the Noro yarn - just look at the amazing colours! My crappy photo does not do them justice. One skein will not do for the scarf, however. And I'm horribly broke, so the scarf will have to be a temporary UFO until payday.

On the right is one mitten, minus thumb, pre-felting. Crocheting mittens is excellent for the train ride every day, as they are comparatively small, does not require a pattern, and won't unravel in my bag if not watched carefully throughout the day (have I tried knitting on the train? yes.)

My 2do-list is getting longer by the minute, but I am at least very inspired at the moment. Everything is taken note of for a later occasion - now I'm looking forward to starting on the fantasy-along (and hopefully finish before April 1st), the Granny Ripple baby blanket, and the knitted mittens. But first: hood and hem on my woolen jacket (tonight). And fixing the hem of my silk dress.

Finished: Beige Shawl

2007-03-16T11:55:00.000+01:00

Thougt I'd post the finished shawl. Here, you see the difference between my digital camera (on the left) and my cellphone camera (right). I tried to lighten the picture taken with the cell phone, because it was surprisingly dark, but it did not turn out too well... At least, you can see the size of the shawl. It is rather long, so it reaches down my entire back, even if it is not very wide. The heavy alpaca yarn makes the shaw lay nicely over my shoulders, and it is AMAZINGLY soft and lovely. And warm.

I ordered a skein of Noro Kureyon lately, a multi-coloured yarn that is highly praised by many in the blogging world. Unfortunately, I got a different colour than I ordered, but I decided to take the unfamiliar colours as a challenge rather than return it. I am not converted to this yarn yet, however. I have real trouble deciding what to make, and it does not really appeal to me in the same way that alpaca does. Maybe I'm just not used to it yet?

I will be working on finishing the shawl for my grandmother this weekend, as well as sewing the hood and hem of a wool felt jacket that has been lying around for weeks. I also have an idea for one of the alongs I'm in - finally! I have been struggling with this for a while...

I am very much looking forward to try my hand at knitting again: I will try to make a vest as well as traditional knitted mittens! And then there's the Granny Ripple baby blanket... A lot on my plate at the moment, but that's just fun :)

I Can't Seem to Stop the Sillyness...

2007-03-15T09:35:00.002+01:00

You scored as Tyr.

You are Tyr!
You are the God of bravery, honor, justice and battle!
You lost your hand to a wolf so that you could keep the world safe.
You are a great fighter and are very strong.

Which Norse God Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com

Another shawl...

2007-03-14T15:00:00.000+01:00

...but this is for my grandmother. Her birthday is on sunday, so I hope she will like this:

I took the photo on the train, but you get the idea even if it is a little blurry, right?

I frogged the black one a few posts down, because I wanted to try and make one with beads! It is really lovely, but it takes a lot more time. The beads make the knots fiddly to do, so I get impatient. Better to do a little at a time, I think :)

The colour for March...

2007-03-12T10:47:00.000+01:00

...is burgundy.

I had problems deciding what to make with my burgundy alpaca yarn, and also with finding something I actually wanted to make. My rescue was the fabulous Garnstudio/DROPS design webpage, filled to the brim with downloadable, free patterns. I found a lot more things I want to make, so my inspiration is back in full bloom...

I decided to make this scarf:
I am quite pleased with it - it is very decorative, and a lot more practical than my last "fancy scarf". I made a spiral scarf in green mohair, and I have not used it more than once. It is just not very practical. This, however, I think I'll use a lot. I really love the colour, which is not very good in the photo, unfortunately.

I learned an important lesson over the weekend. I recieved a yarn, which was in coils instead of a ball of yarn. I had not used that before, being rather new at this, but I figured I'd have to make them into regular skeins. I had not been at it for long, however, when the pretty coil turned into a pile, a mess, a bundle of yarn:

Afterwards, I remembered holding yarn like this for my mother while she "skeined" them, when I was little. Did not remember in time, though....

A hundred metres of yarn all knotted together in the middle of the floor is not all fun and games. I managed to un-knot it, but I have definitely learned my lesson...

Drunken Crochet was a huge success (again), and my pie was loved by all. I'm already looking forward to the next time!

Favourite Friday

2007-03-09T17:03:00.000+01:00

Another favourite: Home-made müsli! It tastes soooo much better than store bought, and is hardly any effort.

With this weekend comes another Drunken Crochet - wine- and crochet-night with some friends. This time, I am the hostess, and I am very much looking forward to making pie for the occasion. I LOVE pie, just like I love a million other dishes, but this is one of my favourites because it takes a bit of effort to make. It is quite complex, but sometimes, that is part of the joy of cooking :)

I am a bit uninspired at the moment, hopefully this will untangle very soon... Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

New Shawl

2007-03-07T14:04:00.000+01:00

I've started a new shawl in Vivaldi Mohair. I had planned to use the whole skein, but the yarn is so thin! I have not gotten very far yet, but I suspect the finished shawl will be a triangular blanket by the time I'm finished...

Another little test

2007-03-07T13:47:00.000+01:00

I never tire of these things:

Your Birthdate: May 11

Spiritual and thoughtful, you tend to take a step back from the world.

You're very sensitive to what's going on around you, yet you remain calm.

Although you are brilliant, it may take you a while to find your niche.

Your creativity is supreme, but it sometimes makes it hard for you to get things done.

---
Your strength: Your inner peace

Your weakness: You get stuck in the clouds

Your power color: Emerald

Your power symbol: Leaf

Your power month: November

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

WIP

2007-03-06T14:11:00.000+01:00

This is what I am working on at the moment:

It's a shawl with a small fold-down collar in a lovely alpaca yarn, which I bought on sale from garn.dk, and I am really pleased with it. It's so soft!

Speaking of alpaca, I have of course bought yarn in Russia, along with a few buttons. The lady in the shop got awfully impatient with me, though, so I only got a few:
And I got some new necklaces and a little painted brooch as well :) Love them!

I have also finished a little hat, in black silk alpaca with a picot edge:

More on my trip later, with pictures!

Heklede votter

2007-03-06T13:39:00.000+01:00

I've written this post in Norwegian as response to a request for pattern to my felted mittens. If asked, I will try to translate it into English at a later point.

Jeg har blitt spurt om oppskrift på vottene mine, og ble selvsagt veldig smigret :)
Så her kommer den:

Legg opp 45 luftmasker
Hekle staver i 13 runder
Der du vil ha tommelen, hekle 10 luftmasker og hopp over ti masker før du fortsetter med staver. Jeg liker å ha "skjøten" inni håndflaten, og har derfor plassert tomlene på hver sin side.
Hekle i tre runder til før du begynner å ta inn.
Jeg har heklet sammen to masker for hver tredje maske i en runde, heklet vanlig rundt i en runde for så å ta inn i neste igjen.
Fortsett med dette i til sammen ni runder.
Nå har du så få masker at du bare tar inn fortløpende.
Hekle rundt tommelåpningen i ti runder, ta deretter raskt inn.

Mine votter er heklet i PT2, og tovet på 60 grader. De må formes litt når de er våte, men de passer perfekt!

Jeg har en veldig liten hånd, så du må nok gjøre den litt større. Jeg synes det blir bra når man beregner ca 1/3 større enn det du ønsker å oppnå etter toving.
Vær også oppmerksom på at hvitt garn tover mindre enn annet garn. Jeg har blitt fortalt at dette er på grunn av blekingen av garnet.

Off to Russia!

2007-02-23T13:50:00.000+01:00

I'm going on holiday to St.Petersburg on monday! I am really excited about it, I have not been to Russia for five years. My Russian is more than a bit rusty, but I think I will manage. I have not planned anything beyond hotel and the flight, and I think it will be awesome. I have recieved a tip that yarn is very cheap, so I will probably stack up. I hope I will be able to not fill my suitcase entirely, so that I will have room for more yarn!

I will also try to find some fabric, trimmings and buttons. There is bound to be something different from the stuff at home.

I have finished a hat and mittens for a friend, all in double crochet in Drops Ice yarn (thick cotton). I think she must be mad - who wants cotton mittens? But she picked the yarn herself, she must take the blame:

I am trying to reconstruct the pattern for the crocheted felted mittens (on request), and will hopefully manage it before I leave.

Oooooo! Mittens!

2007-02-22T08:52:00.000+01:00

I haven't shown you the finished mittens yet! I am really, really happy with them, I have been wearing them every day since they were finished:

Before felting on the left, after felting on the right. Aren't they CUTE? I really feel the need to brag about this. Aside from the slippers, this is the best thing I've ever made. And I even made them entirely myself, without a pattern!

Oh, blogger

2007-02-21T15:43:00.000+01:00

I've had a little trouble with blogger lately (posts refuse to be published), but I feel really helpless about it. Is there really anything to do, except wait?

Anyway, it's been a while since I posted a favourite, so here goes:

This is a little vase in a lovely yellow, which I inherited from my grandparents' house. It is not very practical, as the opening is really narrow, but I adore the colour and the subtle pattern!

I am soon finished with a hat and mittens made in chunky cotton yarn for a friend - the colour combination is unusual, a bright red with a sort of brownish-purple dusty colour. It worked out better that I thought! And the chunky yarn makes it so quick to complete, too.

I've got the blues

2007-02-19T18:54:00.000+01:00

...but I'm not feeling sad.
I am on a roll with the blue colour for february! I have finished the lavender bag for my mother:

And I made a little bowl as well! It was really cute :) Eskimo yarn felts so nicely, and is a treat to work with.

I could not resist this petrol silk alpaca yarn, so I actually knitted (!) a little neckwarmer, and crocheted the edges with black mohair:
I made one edge in picots and one in mussels. I think it turned out well, and the yarn is so amazingly soft and lovely!

And I even started a vest, with Sys Fredens' pattern from "Hæklerier":

Also in turquoise mohair, a yarn that's been hanging around my apartment forever.

I didn't even think I liked blue! Petrol is another matter entirely, though...

Blue and green

2007-02-16T15:00:00.000+01:00

I finished the green bag last night:

I still have to felt it (tomorrow) and embellish it, but that's the fun part! I am really happy with the result so far - I even started a blue one for the february colour-along. I realised that I wouldn't be able to finish a vest in shell stitch in time for the challenge, so I went for another bag instead. I hope my mother will like it!

There will be a vest, however - just not yet. Upon reflection, I'd much rather try something else in shell stitch first. Something smaller, like a scarf perhaps.

Drunken crochet

2007-02-15T13:32:00.000+01:00

Crochet and wine turned out to be a great success - the stripy mittens are finished, and will be felted over the weekend.

I have joined three alongs in my enthusiasm - the bag-along, the colour-along and the fantasy along. The last one hasn't started yet, but I was a month late for the colour-along and missed january. That was black and grey, but I figure I made the black mittens in january... There in spirit, at least :) February's coluor is blue, which is a bit of a challenge for me. I am not very fond of blue, but I think I will make a vest or something for my mother. I want to try the shell stitch( inspired by Bella Dia), and I think that will make a nice vest, at least if the yarn is not too chunky.

After felting the slippers, I was left with a skein of the grey-green Eskimo yarn. I thought I might as well use it to make a little bag for the bag-along, and in my naïveté didn't stop to consider that one skein would be on the skimpy side for a bag... So today, it's off to the yarn store again! The theme for the along is spring. That makes green the obvious choice, but I still don't know what I'll do with embellishment... Perhaps buttons? I hope I will be able to felt it along with the mittens in the weekend.

I just realised - then I will have matching bag and slippers! How many people can brag about that?

Multitasking

2007-02-14T12:49:00.000+01:00

I have finished one mitten and started the next, but it is not very interesting yet. More on the mittens when they are done! In the meantime, I have started on a hat/scarf thingy. This first one is very much a prototype, but I saw something like it at Anthropologie before cristmas, and have been thinking about it ever since.

Unfortunately, the image quality is VERY poor, but you get the idea - a hat with extended ear flaps to make a scarf. I have made it in brown kitten mohair, and in double crochet as I'm lazy. I will improve the next one I make. It needs to be more pointy for one thing, and the flaps must be made to narrow gradually. It will perhaps be better in a thicker yarn as well. But trial and error is a good thing :) It actually looks better on my head. No, really.

The muffins are possibly not sweet enough for the average taste. I rather like them, as I'm not too fond of sweets. I will frost them as well, perhaps that will help. I ran out of regular flour and had to replace with oats, but that went really well I think. We'll see what the girls think. Frosting is necessary, though.

Felted Mittens Part I

2007-02-13T13:02:00.000+01:00

So, project felted/crocheted mittens is underway. I am a bit worried that I am making them too large, but then I'll just have to felt them over again, I think. I am using a fairly thin yarn, PT2, and working them in double crochet. Not only is it faster, but I think the felt will be thinner as well. The samples in double crochet seemed all right, but I am using a smaller hook than in the samples.

Tomorrow I'm meeting a couple of friends for crafts and wine. This seems like a good idea, but I have a sneaking feeling that the wine may not be very smart... We'll find out. Drunken crochet, anyone? I plan on trying a new batch of muffins for the occation, this time with all milk and no oil, and chocolate chips. Perhaps I'll try a little cardamom or vanilla as well - or maybe both?

I came back from Trondheim on sunday, and I was exhausted. This year was more than usually tiresome for this festival, and I will not do it again next year. It has progressively gotten worse regarding management and preparations, and this year was almost hopeless. No thank you, I'd rather be at work... After that joyful experience, I came back to work in time for the launch of a big campaign, and spent hours punching code yesterday.

On the bright side, I won 500 kr off a lottery ticket (something I normally donot buy). I decided to use these money on a new headset, something I would not normally afford on the spur of a moment. I researched a bit, and bought a Sennheiser HD 465 headset. It is HUGE, compared to my old Koss PortaPro, but the sound is AMAZING. The downside is that my old speakers at home sounds like crap in comparison... So this will be expensive over time! I am not like most girls in this respect - good sound is very important to me, like shoes are for other girls. I am, sadly, hooked now. Ah well. Kitchen improvements will have to wait...

Banana+Chocolate Muffins

2007-02-06T10:25:00.000+01:00

I tried making banana and chocolate muffins yesterday, from a recipe I found on a forum. They were good as a basis, but as usual, I feel the need to change them to my taste. I have this unfortunate tendency: I am not able to leave well enough alone. Especially with food, recently also with crafts. As I grow more confident, I need to alter things. I have been food confident for a long time, but altering craft is also fun :)

So, the muffins... They were not quite moist enough, so I plan on replacing the oil with something else. Maybe sour milk? They also lacked a hint of spice, so I will try with a little cardamom. And perhaps some vanilla? Chocolate chips as well as cocoa might also be a good idea...

I will experiment a little, and post the recipe (in both norwegian and english) when I am satisfied :)

I am leaving for Trondheim tomorrow, and will not be able to post for a few days. I am already looking forward to reading all the blogs when I return!

Slippers!

2007-02-05T10:22:00.000+01:00

I did it! Lovely, lovely slippers :) I sense the beginning of a new mania - SlipperMania!
Aren't they cute? The colour is none too visible, but it's a lovely grey-green. I thougt about making them red, but decided against it in the yarn shop.

After taking the pictures, I added a yellow button for fun. They are now supercute :)

I am very happy with these - sadly, far more than I am with my bag for the bag swap over at One Hour Craft. I wanted it soft and floppy, but still rough - and it turned out to be just odd. Ah well. I hope it will get a good home anyway...

It's official

2007-02-02T16:14:00.000+01:00

Favourite Friday + Crochety Plans

2007-02-02T13:56:00.000+01:00

These are wooden eggs and bells, real seventies, that my mother gave me a couple of years ago. They are so wonderfully solid and real! At the moment, they are hanging above my sink in the kitchen, so I can watch them while washing the dishes...

I am totally in love with Guro's tøfler, and I think I will make them in red! Wouldn't that be adorable? I really appreaciate the generosity with which people share their patterns. I would do myself, but I don't really make any patterns myself yet. Not including a scarf, worked entirely in double crochet, back and forth... and that's not really a pattern. I did, however, alter the original pattern (in Norwegian) for the mittens a few posts below! It took forever, so I did them in double crochet instead, and in alpaca yarn only. They are wonderfully soft!

Oh, and the Harry Potter 7 release date came today! July 21st... It feels like forever! I want to skip and jump all over the place :)

To felt crochet

2007-01-31T10:39:00.000+01:00

I really like felted things, like mittens. But I do not knit, so I am wondering how felted crochet will look. I plan to make some small pieces with different hooks and yarns and felt them over the weekend. I want them to be relatively thin, but don't know if I will be able to achieve that. Crocheting is by definition chunky, if you ask me...

Will post before- and after-pictures :) I am very curious about this...

Mittens!

2007-01-30T14:43:00.000+01:00

I am crocheting mittens! I finished one yesterday, and will be finished with the other one tomorrow (I hope). Commuting has its benefits...

Another Silly Test

2007-01-29T09:33:00.000+01:00

Your Famous Movie Kiss is from Cruel Intentions

"I'm the only girl you can't have, and it kills you."

What Famous Movie Kiss Are You?

First Favourite Friday

2007-01-26T15:49:00.000+01:00

I have decided to show you some of my favourite things. I have some things that I really love, and I wanted to show them off :)

This is a little toy horse I used to love as a child. When my grandparents died, I inherited it, and now it lives on my bookshelf. Underneath, there is an area that can be pushed upwards, and the horse goes limp (I'm sure this is called something, but I don't know what).

Am I Really?

2007-01-24T10:27:00.000+01:00

You're Prufrock and Other Observations!
by T.S. Eliot
Though you are very short and often overshadowed, your voice is poetic and lyrical. Dark and brooding, you see the world as a hopeless effort of people trying to impress other people. Though you make reference to almost everything, you've really heard enough about Michelangelo. You measure out your life with coffee spoons.

Go on, take the book quiz! It is completelly silly :)

Eye Candy

2007-01-24T09:15:00.000+01:00

Something for you to rest your eyes on today: Orlando Bloom, picture from the Kingdom of Heaven movie. I saw it in the theatre when it first came, something I would definitly not have done had it not involved three hours of drooling over the gorgeous Orlando, but it was quite good, especially if you enjoy large-scale battle scenes (which I do). The man himself, however, was better than ever in this film - he gained some weight and was suddenly more hairy, catering just to my tastes in fact. I'll be back with more crochet tomorrow, I think...

I have joined my first swap: One Hour Craft's bag swap! I will be excanging a tote bag with a girl from Malaysia, and I am really excited about it :) Updates will follow when I start sewing. I have decided on corduroy, but not on the colour. Red or black, I guess?

Finished Vest and New Scarf

2007-01-23T13:53:00.000+01:00

On the left is a detail of the finished vest. I am quite happy with it, it turned out more chunky than I imagined, but still very fluffy. I am sure I will use it a lot!

I have now started on a birthday present for a friend - I will remember to take a picture before giving it away this time. I am making a red scarf all in double crochet, with a very chunky yarn called Alfa. It is amazingly soft, and the most perfect colour. I plan on making a little flower pin as well, which will be my first! I'm off to find recipes now...

This is the scarf so far:

New Year, New Me?

2007-01-18T15:50:00.000+01:00

Or at least a new template...

I've started training (again), and so far I'm doing good. Thougt I'd slim the look of my blog a little as well!

I keep having ambitions of making a new header, but I can't seem to get the time. Perhaps some time before May?

Hopefully, the new design will make the blog more readable. It started to annoy me with light text on dark background.

Back after a short break

2007-01-17T12:29:00.000+01:00

Ok, so it's been a while... Blogging tend to be less of a priority in times of stress.

In my absence, I've made little purse-thingies for my friends for christmas, those that are great for putting all the little bits and pieces in, those that get lost in a big handbag. I was told that they all liked it, so that went well, I suppose... Unfortunately, in the rush before christmas, I forgot to take pictures of them, so until I make another one for myself, I cannot show them.

I have made a lot of scarfes and shawls, and crocheted hats for my brothers. Those were a great success - plain beanies with stripes are apparently great for all boys. My mother got no less than three shawls for christmas: one bought and two handmade.

One of my friends made a velvet backgammon board for me, to roll up and take with you, and another made me a little bag thingy for my (now famous) iPod nano. She used a child's sweater with a lovely pattern of teddy bear skulls, it was really funny. And the thirs of my crafty friends gave me a hand-knitted scarf which was lovely. I love scarves :)

I recieved heaps of other great things for christmas, finally got a permanent job (as opposed to temporary) along with a small raise, and have been on my first date ever. That was not a success, but at least it was mutually agreed that it was NOT a match.

What else? I am in the process of making a crocheted vest from one of Sys Fredens' patterns - I will hopefully be done by next week. It's really cute, and I'm making it in brown mohair. I will post a picture, i promise...

A local yarn store had a closing sale some time before christmas, and I went totally berserk. I now have yarn for a very long time. And I discovered an addiction to mohair. How impractical! It's difficult to frog, it leaves hair everywhere, and it is slightly too warm. Ah well. It is lovely...

I've also made a spiral scarf from the pattern at Garnstudio, but I'm not sure if I'll use it. It was fun and fast to make, though.

Some things to check out:

I really want to try to make this
and this is so lovely!
This is quite possibly one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen (I can't even look at the price tag)

My very own warning sign...

2006-11-29T17:14:00.000+01:00

Go on, you know you wanna :)

Christmas presents!

2006-11-29T11:08:00.000+01:00

I am in full present-making mode (when I am optimistic of not getting tendonitis), so I thought I'd give a little hint. Some of you who are reading this will recieve presents, so I won't be too detailed...

The World is Collapsing

2006-11-16T16:42:00.000+01:00

Lovely. In my workplace, there are five people. One is working on another project until April. One is at the moment on vacation in Italy. One is on sick leave with mouse arm, not a good thing in the internet business. The fourth had to call in sick today with a beginning mouse arm, hoping that a week's rest will make it better. Which leaves: me.

Jolly good.

There is so much to do! I am trying to work 500%, something that is not humanly possible, and tomorrow is the deadline for my paper. It is a silly little paper, with pass grades only, but I have not finished reading the curriculum. Gaaah. I will probably be up until 3 AM, and then proceed to work 500% tomorrow as well. And overtime is sceduled for the weekend...

In the meantime, you can enjoy a picture of my lovely new crocheted hat. It is très cute, even though I say it myself. And easy peasy :)

I used this pattern from DROPS (in norwegian), but made it in one colour and skipped the pom-pons.

Why am I posting when I have so much to do? I missed my train. And starting a new task will take longer than the thirty minutes I have to wait.

The finished product

2006-11-15T10:01:00.000+01:00

This is the finished jacket. I'm actually rather happy with it :)

The fabric is still lovely, and I adore the waistband. The collar turned out nice, too.

I've been wearing it for the last couple of days, but the snaps have been moved around a bit. That's one of the challenges of changing the pattern and making it up as you go...

Sorry about the blurry picture, I think I need some practice in the self-portrait department. Or possibly get an assistant.

This is a detailed photo of the waistband. I love the fabric, don't you? I still have some left (it was a scarf in its previous life, and I made ribbons from it), and it will be used in a secret christmas project :)

So for those of you who are expecting presents, I will not reveal more ;)

I have started crocheting, and finished a slightly modified hat yesterday. Tonight I will start on Guro's hat, if I manage to buy some yarn. Pictures will come.

In the meantime, crocheting

2006-11-09T15:50:00.000+01:00

I have been working on a slow project for a while now: a crocheted blanket made of small squares like the one above. It is supposed to fit a queen size bed, so it will take a while.

I don't mind, though. It's great having a project that is supposed to take a long time. I crocheted some in the spring, and then put it away for the summer, and now it's on again. It's great to do on the train every day, too! The squares are so small and handy...

The jacket will hopefully be finished in a day or two - I have bought the fabric and planned the rest of the procedure very carefully. I hope to get some done tonight!

I want to make a hat and scarf to go with the jacket too, most likely white. I got a lovely crochet pattern for the hat from Guro, and I don't think it will be too difficult to make a matching scarf.

Projects, projects... :)

Jacket Obsession

2006-11-06T15:36:00.000+01:00

The jacket is now very close to be finished. I had to take the sleeves off, it turned out that the problem was the angle of the sleeve and the body. Stupid pattern.

Or rather, stupid me for not considering that a sewing book made in the seventies will have patterns that are not excactly the season's haute coutoure... The problem with this book is that all the clothes are rather bulky. Having experienced this before, I picked a size too small. The shoulder seam was still far off the shoulder, so I narrowed the width from neck to shoulder. If I had stopped to think, I would have realised that this would affect the way the sleeve hangs, but I didn't.

The sleeves had to come off (extremely carefylly), and I had to make new ones which allowed for a more contemporary look (i.e. not made supposing the wearer to be two metres wide standing with their arms straight out...). I didn't have enough fabric, so I'll have to buy more for the last sleeve before I can finish it off. And there's still the lining to do. But otherwise, I am done :) Can't wait...

Seal of Approval

2006-11-02T10:42:00.000+01:00

I have to admit that both the pun and the image came from Cute Overload. But this li'l fella is so cute, I had to post him.

I plan to make a softie in brown velvet that looks like him, as soon as I have finished the jacket. How cute would that be, if I could give it to a baby as a present? Unfortunately, none of my friends are pregnant. Hm. Better start a campaign :)

It can't be that hard, can it?

The jacket is progressing. I made the lining, both fabrics, and it turned out really well. Except for the fact that it is a little tight under the arms. I think I'll insert a little bit of the thinnest lining fabric to make it a little bit wider.

The outer layer is also progressing nicely. I need to make an adjustment for the boobs, one of the joys of being female... Unfortunately, I followed the instructions without thinking, and just attatched the sleeves to the body. I don't want to separate them again, as the outer fabric frays really easily. But if I make the adjustment a little lower than I normally would, and angle it upwards, it will be in line with the sleeve seam, and the sleeve needs to be taken in a bit, too. I hope it will turn out the way I planned!

The next step will be to finish off the jacket. I am going to cut up a scarf from the wonderful shop NOA NOA, and make an empire-inspired ribbon as well as edging om the sleeves and, possibly, a pocket. The collar needs adjustment, and then it's just the hemline and edges that remains. I hope to finish it during the weekend! (perhaps a little optimistically)

Exam time rushes closer as well. I take one class each semester, mainly for the student discount on trains and buses, but also for fun. This semester, it's a course in basic latin and its influence on European languages. Sounds incredibly dull, but in fact it is really interesting. Of course, I'm far behind now, what with an exhausting autumn etc, and in two weeks, I must turn in a qualifying paper in order to take the exam. Agh!

Ah well. It will turn out all right, I guess. I do it for fun, not for education. And if the two can be combined, what could be better?

how to pass time

2006-10-30T13:40:00.000+01:00

This is perhaps the cutest way to pass time. It's a collection of small, nonsensical games featuring small, bubbly animals. It certainly improves your mood!

My personal favourite is "Cats" - it is strangely addictive! This is the link:
http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/

Another meme

2006-10-27T13:53:00.000+02:00

I have been a lazy kitty the last few days and not done anything more with the jacket. I plan on finishing the lining during the weekend, and hopefylly start attatching the layers by sunday.

And today I have pilates class after work! I look forward to it, I haven't done any pilates since june... It feels like a good thing to do, my body seems to like it :) It will be good.

Instead, I'll post a quite funny meme I kidnapped from Miss Kitty:

1. List two things that are true of you that are not stereotypically true of members of some group that you belong to (academically educated, internet editor)

I have carried heavy things for a living
I enjoy making stock, jam and other housewifey things

2. List two unusual talents that you have

I read with three times the average speed
I can fix almost anything with gaffer’s tape

3. List two unusual weaknesses that you have

Bacon
Soft fabrics

4. List two unusual things that you aspire to do

Have a wardobe entirely made up of clothes I made myself
Be among the top five in our sailing class nationally

5. List two words that you use more than most people do

Particularly
Yummy

6. List two foods that you dislike and most other people like

Tofu (well, surprisingly many people like it…)
Nougat

7. List two strange habits that you have.
Are you sure you want to know about these?

When sharing a bed, I must sleep away from the wall and/or nearest the door
My house is not clean if all my clothes are not folded properly and all my books are sorted alphabetically.

Food food food

2006-10-26T12:18:00.000+02:00

The sleeves are now attatched to the jacket, but I have not taken any pictures yet. More on this tomorrow!

In the meantime, food is today’s issue. This is partly inspired by Vox’s Question of the Day from a couple of days ago:
“What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?”
As some may know, I was the kind of child who couldn’t resist a dare. So, aside from various plants and bugs, my answer to that question would be one of the following:
1. A small stone
2. Pine bark
3. A raw fish heart
The pine bark was very dry and hard, but tasted somewhat interesting. I suspect the stone is still somewhere inside me – my appendix perhaps? The fish heart was truly disgusting, but luckily quite small.

The other part of today’s inspiration stems from Susan at Farmgirl Fare from some months ago:
How do you know you’re a foodie?
I am most definitely a foodie, as all my friends and family will testify to. This is my answer to that question:
I've had several "defining moments".
The first was when my friend pointed out that I hum while eating.
The next was when I discovered that, strangely, not all people sort their ingredients by what meal they belong to.
Most recently was a couple of days ago, when one of my colleagues (I work in a bookstore) told me excitedly that five gorgeous young men had arrived, wearing only aprons and tight boxer shorts, to promote a new cookbook. My response was: "Ooh, did they bring food?"
Everyone looked at me rather strangely.

Autumn makes me long for warm, hearty dishes like cassoulet, pasta carbonara, pea soup and meat pies. Mmmmmmmmm. I make a wicked cassoulet, if I say so myself, and I found a great recipe a couple of years ago (of course, I made a few changes). Unfortunately, it seems to have disappeared while I was moving house. I will try to dig it up and post it – it is really pretty easy. Naturally, there are some preparations to make, a lot of chopping and braising and peeling (orange zest), but once that is done, voila! The pan will simmer prettily for a couple of hours, and you can do something else. Like lay the table or take a bath or watch a movie. And it gets better if you make it a day in advance, cool it and reheat it. Great for dinner parties, or just for you. It freezes wonderfully as well.

If I can’t find it, I’ll have to try and reconstruct it. It really is good.

Hungry now? Then you are at least some kind of foodie…

New challenges

2006-10-24T09:11:00.000+02:00

Ahahahahahaaha! I managed the collar! New problems arise, however. This is the fun part of sewing. Seriously.

Now, it turns out that the pattern expects me to have rather wider shoulders than I have. It is not the first time with this book, they seem to make the clothes very roomy... Ah well. Taking in is hardly a problem. You can barely see the pin where the seam is supposed to go - I will probably need to trim off about 7 cm.

This is what it looks like at the moment. No sleeves yet, no lining, and not yet sewn in the sides. But definitely showing promise, don't you think?

I love making things. It gives such a feeling of accomplishment. I am already full of plans of what to make next - when I am finished with the jacket.

In the woods at night

2006-10-23T14:18:00.000+02:00

I adored the mysterious light in this picture - kind of scary movie-ish and foggy. It was taken with my cellphone camera. I plan on photographing more this autumn, it's a hobby I haven't done much with lately.

Work in Progress

2006-10-23T13:37:00.000+02:00

This is beginning to get interesting. Why is it that the challenges always pop up in unexpected places?

Alle the main pieces are cut now. In three layers. The velvet outer fabric, the woolen lining and the inner lining. Phew. I’ve started to assemble the outer layer, and met an interesting challenge: How to make the collar. I intended something like a wide chinese collar, or a high, wraparound turtleneck, and I didn’t imagine it would be difficult. At least not that part.

Well, it is. And as this is the part where I have no pattern, I’m stuck at the moment. Until I figure out how to make it, or possibly, give up and try a different collar. Ah well. I will post a picture of the wonky collar tomorrow, and hopefully someone will understand just what I did wrong…

You see, that’s part of the problem. I don’t know why it is wrong. It is fairly obvious that it is wrong, but I’m not sure why it didn’t turn out the way I planned… hmmmm. We’ll see.

Autumn Projects

2006-10-19T15:55:00.000+02:00

It’s been a long time now. I have been busy with work (of course) and too many obligations privately. Luckily, I was able to change my Thursday dance class to a Friday pilates class, so, now I might be able to actually go to the two classes I’ve paid for.

Sailing season is finally over, after an autumn longer than usual. I will miss it over the winter, but it is enjoyable to have Wednesday evenings off for a change.

Instead of sailing, I will start my autumn project: sewing a winter jacket / coat. I’ve got a lovely velvet fabric, deep petrol green, and I plan on sewing a chinese-style jacket, about mid-thigh in length, with a wide, standing collar and wrapover closing. It is a large project, I’ve never made a jacket before!* I’m very excited, and also a bit nervous… I am very lucky to have inherited a sewing book with patterns from the 70s from my mother. The designs are inspiring, and the book is incredibly illustrated. Usually, the paterns need a little alteration to make them look more contemporary, but this is not so difficult as it sounds. I’ll just have to be patient.

I will keep record of my progress (and maybe even take a few pictures…), so stay tuned, as they say.

*Later, I realized this was a lie. I actually have made a jacket, a simple kimono-style woolen one, but as it is really simple and have no lining, fitting or anything else, I don't think it counts as a jacket.

World Champion? Not quite yet.

2006-09-19T09:23:00.000+02:00

Last weekend, or rather, a week and a half ago, I sailed in the national open championship in my class, H-boat. It was somewhat frustrating. On the bright side, we have improved a lot since last year, when we ended up third from last among thirty boats - this year, we managed 15th of 21. What keeps itching at the back of my mind is the fact that bad luck alone made us drop a lot.

Some backstory is needed. We definitely do better in calmer waters and very calm wind conditions, because those are the normal conditions were we do most of our training. As the captain loves citing, "the best sailors appear in calm wind". The sailor who said that was the late King Olav V of Norway, and thus is very citable in this country. Anyway, we really shine in weather were most others would just crank up the engine and go home. Something we really proved in the nationals. In almost total calm, we made a perfect start. Unfortunately, a lot of the other boats were caught in a stream that carried them across the starting line, and a restart was ordered. While we prepared for a new start, we were caught in a spot of dead calm behind the line, and lay completely still for ten minutes. That is not fixable in a short race. So, we finished last in a race that was ideal for us, weather-wise.

The fact that bothers me is that in sailed time, i.e. withdrawing the 10 min 40 sec we started late, we were 3 min faster than the winning boat. Damn damn DAMN!

We could in no way have won the entire championship. The top five boats are WAY out of our league. But in these conditions, we should have been able to make it in the top ten. And next year, we may not be as lucky with the weather. Argh.

This is what I feel like doing today

2006-09-11T10:06:00.000+02:00

The last weeks have been mayhem at work. The start of the school year gets more and more insane every year. On one hand, hooray! because I'll probably keep my job what with the increased workload and the money pouring in. On the other hand, it is very frustrating while it's going on and everbody are running around pulling their hair out because of stress.

Personally, I'm not easily stressed out anymore (tell you the story behind that another time), but the increased workload means that other things will be less of a priority - like blogging. I'll pull myself together now, promise :)

After weeks of work overload and overtime, I spent the weekend sailing the national open championship (more on that tomorrow...). And while I love sailing, I haven't been able to relax all weekend. And this was the most horrid monday morning ever. Truly.

I just want to curl up and be a sleepy cat.

Lookie!

2006-09-11T10:02:00.000+02:00

How sweet is it possible to be? All of a sudden, I want a piggy. Found this at Farmgirl's.

A tale of a nano

2006-08-14T12:41:00.000+02:00

Some time ago, I ordered an iPod. I just couldn’t resist the lovely, shiny and above all tiny thing, it just called my name from the webpage.

So I filled in my name, address, date of birth and favourite breed of dog, and waited oh-so-patiently for my little technical miracle. And waited. And waited. And waited for bloody forever.

After quite enough time, I checked on the pages where my package had gone to. Delivered, it said. With a date and time a week earlier.

?!?

I had certainly not seen the thing, and neither had the department in my office who handles deliveries and mail and stuff. So I checked the carrier’s web pages, where it said who had signed for the packet. Not a name I recognised. Nor did anyone else.

The only person in my company with this name works, it turned out, in another department across the city. The carrier, however, claimed they had delivered to the correct address. In which case, they must have delivered to a person not working here.

The other department and the guy working there claimed that they had not seen, or signed for, my package. Whatev.

Now, what really amazes me is that the carrier is allowed to give the package to a person other than the intended recipient. It had my name on it, the correct department, the floor, even my bloody phone number (office AND mobile). So, if they were at the correct address, it’s quite amazing that they were not able to find me.

Then I complained to the seller. Who spent another week figuring things out, and then told me that the carrier had provided “proof” that the package had been delivered to the correct address and signed by the person who does not work at the mentioned address. Which I repeated to the bloody company who had received my money and not managed to give me what I’d paid for – or, apparently listen to what I told them in the first place. I wrote a very angry mail after waiting for response from the “logistics department” for yet another week.

This mail, I wrote before lunch. When I came back from lunch, a packet sat on my desk, marked with “Incorrectly delivered”. Lo and behold, my iPod.

So then I had to write another mail to the customer aservices department, explaining that I had now received my package and that it had obviously been delivered to the wrong address, something the carrier had denied. I asked them to complain about the carrier who did not do the job. They promised to do just that.

But you and I both know that nothing will come of all this hassle.

So who’s the biggest idiot? The guy at the other department, who claimed not to have seen my package (I’m pretty sure he received it)? The carrier, who delivered at the wrong department, and then denied it? The seller, who took my money and made a half-assed attempt to solve the problem? Or me?

Word!

2006-08-14T09:42:00.000+02:00

Just a thought that I kidnapped from Dawn:

Cocaine really MUST be bad.
Everyone in the 70s smoked weed and the music was awesome.
Everyone snorted coke in the 80s and the music was fucking traaaaa-gic.
You do the math.

So very true.

Neither Out Far Nor in Deep

2006-08-01T14:01:00.000+02:00

What is it about sailing – really?

A popular saying is that a sailboat is a hole in the water to you throw your money into. Or that sailing is getting from point A to point B and then back to point A, while getting cold and wet.

And true, you often get cold and wet. Usually, you go back to where you started. It is not about sitting in the sun and enjoying the smell of the sea. Sailing is work. You do something all the time. Adjusting the sails just that teeny bit, hopping from side to side, trying to pee while being in a 30 degree angle…

And yet, there is nothing more peaceful or relaxing than sailng. The way you try to master the wind and ride the waves, the smell of salt water, the gulls screaming… There is nothing better.

I truly am crazy about sailing. I understod the vastness of my own craziness last spring. It was the middle of March. I was standing at the outdoor platform, waiting for the train. It was 07:10 a.m. The fog was hanging around my knees, there was just that little drizzle of rain, and about 7 degrees celcius (about 44 F). My hair was getting gradually wetter, moisture seeped into my shoes, and my mascara transferred to my cheeks in that pretty eyelash-pattern.

And all I could think was “I wish I was in my boat.”

I mean. Hello?

---

The people along the sand
All turn and look one way.
They turn their back on the land
They look at the sea all day.

As long as it takes to pass
A ship keeps raising its hull;
The wetter ground like glass
Reflects a standing gull

The land may vary more;
But wherever the truth may be--
The water comes ashore,
And the people look at the sea

They cannot look out far.
They cannot look in deep.
But when was that ever a bar
To any watch they keep?

Robert Frost

meme

2006-07-21T14:57:00.000+02:00

I haven't even been tagged.
But I found this one at Hayley's, and just couldn't resist.
Here goes (the ones I've done are in bold):

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne.
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign (well, organised a theft, anyway...)
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your cds
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken (just fell back out again, no heart break)
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Had a one-night stand
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror.
96. Raised children.
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Created and named your own constellation of stars
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived.
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146: Dyed your hair
147: Been a DJ
148: Shaved your head
149: Caused a car accident
150: Saved someone's life

On commuting

2006-07-21T12:41:00.000+02:00

Ah, the wondrous joy of commuting to work.

Getting up oh-so-early, taking a crowded train filled with arrogant misogynists with briefcases, falling asleep and drooling on the person next to you, and stumbling into the office.

In the summer, it’s actually not too bad. It’s easier to get up in the morning. The trains are not so full (because everybody are on holiday, the smug bastards). Nobody whacks you on the leg with their umbrella to get on the train before you. The office is empty when you arrive.

My eternal problem, however, is falling asleep. I can’t help it. I suppose there is something about the sound and movement of the train. And the problem about falling asleep is that you have to wake up twice. I am something of an early bird, but who actually likes to wake up? The first time is bad enough, but at least you can do the zombie thing and head for the shower without really waking up until halfway into shampooing. When you wake up for the second time, you are surrounded by people. They have all seen you sleep. And you have no idea if you snored, drooled or did any other horrible bodily things. And then you must fight your way up the escalators, stand in queue for coffee, and start work. With no shower or time to wake up slowly and nicely.

I really, really want to work from home.

holiday? no such thing.

2006-07-18T09:38:00.000+02:00

So I went on holiday, to work on a music festival. I figured it would be a good idea to do something completely different than what I normally do, i.e. sitting in front of a computer screen.

I've been working this festival for some years now, and while seldom relaxing, it has proved refreshing. Little did I know what this year held... It's been a while since I've had so many frustrating circumstances gang up on me. New stage, new people... And by far too little preparation.

It was all good in the end. We managed every problem, thanks to my magnifient crew, and artists and audience alike were extatic. But rested, I am not. Thankfully, july is a very quiet month at the office...

holiday

2006-06-23T15:40:00.000+02:00

I'll be gone for three weeks now on holiday, but I plan to update a lot when I get back...

in the beginning....

2006-06-23T11:39:00.000+02:00

Ah well. Now I have a blog, too.
Because I couldn't resist posting a comment on Frankengirl's page, and wham! we have a blog.
More will come in time.