A new aggregat

My husband made me a new aggregate. A yarn holder!

I have missed one of those for ages, and meanwhile I have been very irritated at all the tangled threads, whenever I have been knitting something with many different colours of yarn. And at the same time I didn't want to buy and spend several hundreds of kroner on one, when I knew that Christian could make me a very fine yarn holder.

Christian made it from a heavy piece of oak wood and some metal sticks. It's so useful and I love that he put his time and effort in to it.

The wooden bottom doesn't move when I knit, something which I had pointed out as an important matter, before Christian started making it. We have searched for some metal helical eyes, to make the threads go through, but we haven't had the luck yet.

It works perfectly without them, though - and I especially love that the big spools with 5 kilos of yarn or more, don't turn over every time I pull out yarn.

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Min mand har lavet et nyt aggregat til mig. En garnholder.

Jeg har manglet sådan en i evigheder, og imens har jeg været frygtelig irriteret over alle de filtrede tråde, når jeg har strikket noget med mange forskellige farver. Og samtidig ville jeg ikke købe en og betale flere hundrede kroner for den, når jeg vidste at Christian kunne lave en rigtig fin garnholder til mig.

Christian lavede den af et tungt stykke egetræ og nogle metal pinde (i mangel af bedre ord). Den er så anvendelig og jeg elsker at han har lagt tid og kræfter i den.

Træbunden bevæger sig ikke når jeg strikker, noget jeg havde fremhævet som en vigtig detalje, før Christian begyndte at lave den. Vi har ledt efter nogle metal lignende spiraler, som trådene skulle gå igennem, men vi har ikke haft heldet med os endnu.

Den virker dog perfekt uden dem - og jeg kan specielt godt lide at de store spoler med 5 kilo garn, eller mere, ikke vælter når jeg trækker i garnet.

Japanese patterns

Photo from LINNET

I found the finest little Japanese shop the other day. And in it some lovely patterns for women. As I have mentioned several times before, I adore clothes which have simple and elegant lines - and with surprising details. 

Like this purple dress/tunic. It is just the kind I love, and the fact that Japanese books and patterns always get presented on photos in the most stylish ways, adds to my enthusiasm.

Photo from LINNET

That's why I ordered it- and without understanding a word of the written Japanese in the site. 

Another dress caught my eye while I were heading towards checkout. One, which I had to have a closer look at as well.

Photo from LINNET

Stunning was the word that came to my mind. Not that it was something we haven't seen before. But the sum of the few details on the dress, convinced me. So, now I hope to have the patterns here within a week or two. 

Photo from LINNET

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Jeg fandt den fineste lille japanske shop den anden dag. Og i den, nogle skønne sy mønstre til kvinder. Som jeg har fortalt adskillige gange før, elsker jeg tøj som har enkle og elegante linier - og med overraskende detaljer.

Som den lilla kjole/tunika. Det er lige den slags jeg godt kan lide, og det faktum at japanske bøger og mønstre altid bliver vist på fotos på den mest stilfuld måde, øger bare min begejstring.

Så derfor bestilte jeg det - og dét uden at forstå et eneste ord af det skrevne japanske på sitet.

En anden kjole fangede min opmærksomhed mens jeg var på vej til at checke ud. Én som jeg også bare måtte kigge nærmere på.

"Fantastisk" var det ord der først faldt mig ind. Ìkke at den var noget vi ikke har set før. Men summen af de få detaljer på kjolen, overbeviste mig. Så nu håber jeg at have mønstrene her om en uge eller to.

Spring inspiration

2 beautiful books came in a flat envelope today - from Århus. I thought that I had ordered them in 

Copenhagen, but instead it was from Tøndering Strik. A gorgeous shop.

I must be getting older, since I can't remember things like that or perhaps my mind is too preoccupied at the moment. I almost know that it's the latter...

The first book is a funny little one - the kind which I adore. Strikkede striber forår. 

It's inspiring to see how the 2 authors think of knitting in another way, and that it doesn't has to be about making clothes when you knit.

Maybe you remember a book with a similar title, which I mentioned last autumn. It's the same 2 women who have written this new book about more stripes.

Strikkede striber forår

Strikkede striber forår

Nordiske Masker 2 was the other one of the knitting books. I absolutely love the colour scheme which has been used for the models in this book.

Nordiske Masker 2 Lone Gissel og Tine Rousing

Nordiske Masker 2 Lone Gissel og Tine Rousing

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

2 smukke bøger kom i en flad hvid konvolut i dag - fra Århus. Jeg troede at jeg havde bestilt dem i København, men i stedet for var det hos Tøndering Strik i Århus. En fantastisk butik.

Jeg må være ved at blive gammel, siden jeg ikke kan huske den slags ting, eller også er min hjerne bare optaget af andre ting i øjeblikket. Jeg ved næsten at det skyldes det sidstnævnte.

Den første bog er en sjov lille en - den slags jeg holder af. Strikkede striber forår.

Det er inspirerende at se hvordan de to forfattere tænker på dét at strikke på en anderledes måde, og at det ikke nødvendigvis behøver at handle om tøj når man strikker.

Måske kan du huske, at jeg nævnte en bog med en lignende titel i efteråret. Det er de samme 2 kvinder der har skrevet denne nye bog om striber.

Nordiske Masker 2 var den anden af strikkebøgerne. Jeg elsker simpelthen farveskemaet der er brugt til modellerne i denne bog.

Jeg glæder mig som et lille barn...

...på sådan en fin efterårsdag til disse to nye bøger finder vej til min postkasse her i oktober.

"Snedronningen" af Marianne Isager er en samling af hendes velkendte H.C. Andersen inspirerede mønstre, som man tidligere kun har kunnet købe som kit i hendes shop.

Lige siden jeg så Annes smukke, smukke Grantræ inspirerede poncho, har jeg drømt om at lave én i str. lille, til en pige jeg holder af. Nu er muligheden der uden at skulle ofre store summer på opskrift og garn (som jeg har rigeligt af i forvejen).

Tilføj billedtekst

Hvad jeg glæder mig mindst lige så meget til,  er Susie Haumanns nye bog "Knit for your kid". Jeg nærmest faldt over den ved et tilfælde, men det gjorde ikke min begejstring mindre.

Jeg er overbevist om at den vil blive rigtig god, hvis den følger i sin forgængers ("All you knit is love") fodspor. 

Nu vil jeg gå ud i min have og finde det gode, lune og sol fyldte hjørne under pæretræet. Sætte mig i den gamle havestol og nyde hvordan Otto, under meget nøje udvælgelse, finder frem til lige præcis den pære blandt mange på jorden, som dufter allersødest. Og som han vil guffe i sig mens han ligger ved mine fødder. Han vil spise den med STORT velbehag, for han elsker pærer...og ribs. Og jeg ved at han ikke stopper ved blot den ene...

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I'm as thrilled as a little child...

...on such a fine autumn day, to get these two new books in my mailbox in October.

"Snedronningen" (the snowqueen) by Marianne Isager is a collection of her wellknown patterns inspired by H.C. Andersen, which one only used to be able to by as a knittingkit in her shop.

Ever since I saw Anne's beautiful, beautiful Grantræ poncho, I have dreamt of making a little one, for a girl I like. And now the opportunity is here without having pay large sums of money to buy both pattern as well as yarn (which I have a lot of already).

I'm looking just as much forward to Susie Haumann's new book "Knit for your kid". I came across it by accident, but that definitely didn't minimize my excitement.

I'm convinced that it will be really good if it follows in the footsteps of it's predecessor "All you knit is love".

Now I will go into my garden and find the good, warm and sunny corner under our peartree. I will sit down in our old garden chair and enjoy how Otto, in a very careful way of selection, finds the pear among many on the ground, which smell the very sweetest. the one which he will stuff himself with while he lies at my feet. He will eat the pear with much pleasure, because he LOVES pears...and redcurrants. And I know that he won't stop after having only one...

Synsbedrag!

Det er vitterlig år og dag siden jeg sidst har købt stof med print. Der bliver færre og færre prints som jeg bryder mig om, velsagtens fordi jeg på nuværende tidspunkt langt bedre kan lide ensfarvede tekstiler. (Og jeg får, som nok bemærket, ikke syet noget overhovedet af hverken den ene eller anden slags stof).

Alligevel blev jeg betaget af nedenstående stof. Som jeg pludselig lige nu ser mens jeg skriver, ikke er jule relateret overhovedet! Jeg havde ellers tænkt det som en fin lille tunika til brug i de julede dage vi stiler mod med hastige skridt. Nej, hvor underligt som øjne og hjerne kan finde deres eget udtryk!! De smukke farver og det naive print fangede mine øjne med det samme.

Nå, men bestilt er det - og endda hele vejen fra USA. Så må vi se om min lyst til at sy skulle vende tilbage, når stoffet engang kommer.

Det går bedre på garn og strikkepinde fronten...omend farten er så som så.

Jeg er meget begejstret for at være i gang med Rosannas Savannah tæppe, og bliver så glad over bladene der lige så stille dukker frem, jo længere jeg kommer med tæppet.

........

Optical illusion

It's SO long ago since I ordered fabric with print. I find less and less prints which I like, probably because I tend to adore fabrics with only one colour these days. (And I don't get anything sewn from neither printed nor plain fabrics at all).

However I got amazed by the fabric above. Which I all of a sudden see, while I'm writing, is not Christmassy at all! I had otherwise thought of using it for a little tunic for all the Christmassy days, which come closer and closer by the minute. Oh, how weird how one's eyes and mind can play a trick with you!! The lovely colours and the naive prints caught my eye right away.

Nevertheless I ordered it - and even all the way from the USA. Then we will see if my sewing mojo reapppears once the fabric is here.

Things are much better in the yarn and knittingneedle department...although the pace is slow.

I'm very exited about making Rosanna's Savannah Blanket, and I get delighted about the leaves which slowly pop up, the more I get knitted.

Vendestrik bukser

Til alle os der holder af bøgerne "Vendestrik" og "Vendestrik #2" er der godt nyt i vente. Forlaget Vingefang udgiver nu bogen "Vendestrik bukser" af Hanne Meedom.

Tænk engang at man også kan strikke bukser i vendestrik - den tanke har aldrig strejfet mig. Men nu skal det undersøges hvordan det gøres. 

Jeg håber sådan i mit stille sind, at der også snart kommer flere sybøger fra Hanne og Sofie Meedom. Deres sybøger er intet mindre end vidunderlige, og fulde af en masse gode basismønstre på børnetøj. Og har man ikke den store erfaring med at sy, kan man sagtens kaste sig over bøgerne alligevel. Der er grundige forklaringer af forskellige syteknikker.

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For those of us who likes the books Vendestrik and Vendestrik #2 there is a good piece of news. The publishing company Vingefang sends the book Vendestrik bukser on the market.

Just imagine that one can knit trousers in short row knitting - that thought has never crossed my mind. But now I want to check out how it's done.

I really hope that more sewingbooks will be coming from Hanne and Sofie Meedom. Their sewingbooks are nothing less than wonderful, and filled with a lot of good basis sewing patterns for children's clothes. And if you haven't got that much experience with sewing, you can easily use the books anyway. There are thorough explanations of various sewing techniques.

En Liselotte til Anne-Sophie

Endelig fik jeg færdiggjort den Liselotte cardigan jeg har været i gang med over foråret. 3 neon  koral farvede knapper fra Betty P. satte prikken over i'et. Og dertil trenser syet i den fedeste sytråd også fra Betty P. 

Jeg er rigtig tilfreds med trøjen og synes at det var et dejligt stykke arbejde at sidde med. Og endnu en gang blev jeg overbevist om, at runde bærestykker er lige noget for mig - både at strikke og bære.

Jeg ville rigtig gerne have den stribede cardigan klar til weekenden, så jeg kunne tage den med til Anne-Sophie. For det blev hende der fik ejerskabet over den. 

Til min fødselsdag forelskede hun sig i trøjen, og da jeg hellere end gerne vil strikke til mine børn, ja så skyndte jeg mig at sige, at den var hendes. Først ville hun slet ikke høre tale om det, da hun syntes at jeg skulle beholde den, når jeg endelig havde strikket noget mig selv. Men det tog ikke længe at overtale hende derefter og stort hurra for det.

Så nu bor den hos Anne-Sophie og jeg er glad. Glad for at hun gider gå i mors hjemmestrikkede, og glad fordi jeg selv mangler en Liselotte cardigan nu, og er nødt til at strikke en ny til mig selv...

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Finally I finished the Liselotte cardigan I have been making over spring. 3 neon coral coloured buttons from Betty P made the finishing touch. And the attendant loops made in the coolest thread also from Betty P.

I'm very pleased with the cardigan and thought that it was a wonderful work to make. And once more I was convinced that tops with round yokes are just me - both for making and wearing.

I wanted to finish the striped cardigan for the weekend, so I could bring it to Anne-Sophie. Because she got the ownership of it.

At my birthday she fell in love with the cardigan and since I'm more than happy to knit for my children, then I told her that she could have it. At first she didn't want to hear of it, because she thought that I should keep it when I finally had knit something for myself. But afterwards it didn't take long to talk her into having it, and a big hurrah for that.

So now it lives at Anne-Sophie's place and I'm happy. Happy that she cares to wear it and happy that I don't have a Liselotte cardigan now, and have to knit a new one for myself...

H a p p y

I dag skal der ikke mere til at gøre mig glad end super smukke farver, en masse solskinstimer....og mest af alt at Emil har det en lille smule bedre :)

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Today it doesn't take more to make me happy than some beautiful colours, a lot of hours with sunshine...and most of all the fact that Emil is feeling a little bit better. :)

E m m a ' s - d a y

Sunday was a wonderful day for my sweet and lovely niece Emma. She's my beloved bigsister's daughter and the very last of my parents' grandchildren to be confirmated.

You hardly ever see Emma without a big smile on her mouth and in her eyes - she's positive and such a good friend. Besides that she's a very sporty person and loves her dance classes and her football training.

Emma's family had done so many fantastic things to make her day special and happy. And of course a football match was played. Emma picked out her dress with that in mind. I think that was such a cool thought.

We all enjoyed celebrating her and she definitely seemed to have had a great day.

A n e m o n e

I couldn't help myself. I had to try whether I could capture the beauty inside this fragile and proud bearing flower with my camera...I didn't succeed in the way that I wanted to. I wish that the tiny details of the stamen were more conspicuous.

But I still love the pale pink Anemone. Oh, how I hope that I can make it thrive in my not so perfect garden...with my not so green  - at all! - fingers.

Anemone, a photo by lille-ursus on Flickr.

A favourite artist

It's actually not that long ago, that I discovered the amazing artist Jennifer Davis and her breathtaking work.

I knew from the minute I saw her paintings and prints, that I wanted to buy a print from her.

So I did - these 2 are the ones which I decided on. 

Photo from Jennifer Davis Art

Photo from Jennifer Davis Art

It doesn't need a whole lot of letters...

...my new neon geometric Stag Brooch. Its beauty speaks for itself - at least I think so.

It has already become a favourite...it did so within a few seconds.  The colourful triangles neatly placed beside each other. Just my kind of style. (A bit of mess wouldn't have done anything either).

I'm sure that I can make room for a similar bear on my tunics and sweaters...

Joys of a Thursday

On Thursday afternoon I got this beautiful, beautiful lot of yarn. To open the cardboard box was a burst of colour and life. I have so high hopes for this quality. The mix of cotton and wool will be perfect for me. 

Once more I gladly bought yarn from Garnudsalg.dk.

I'm so amazed and satisfied with the colours and the vivid glow, which has been captured in the threads. Skovbær (forest berry) and Appelsinskræl (orange peel). Even the names are cool and kind of marvellous.

He must be a clever and talented man, that Kenneth, who owns Garnudsalg. A man who very clearly knows his way around fibres, and it shows so much that he puts a lot of carefulness, knowledge and passion into the yarns.

My plan is to make a cardigan for myself - I really, really hope that I get to carry out that wish, before I turn the yarn into something for children. That happens far too often for me!

Another lovely moment was this evening.
I heard a knock on our frontdoor, but when I opened the door, there was no one to be seen. But something was - these 2 fine and transparant ice lanterns. Shaped like stars - with a light so soft and welcoming.

I can't tell you how happy they made me and Christian - whom I yelled at right away so he could see them (at first he thought that something had happened to me!!).

Where on earth did they come from, you might ask yourself? Well, right away I knew who would do such a
heartwarming and brilliant act. This sweet woman.

I hope that I can make Dorte and her family just as surprised and happy some day soon...

I always knew. . .

. . . that Anne-Sophie's 20th birthday would have a bit of a different touch to it. Well, first of all it's special because she turns 20, but also because of the fact that at the exact same age, I gave birth to Anne-Sophie.

It's strange to imagine that I were 20 years old - 20 years ago! So much has happened and somehow time has gone far too fast, and yet suitable slow.

I remember how happy we all were, when we saw that little girl for the first time. And we have felt the same way about her ever since . . . an unexplainable, never ending love, which contains so many feelings. (What a joy it is for us to feel this paramount kind of love twice).

Later we are going to visit Anne-Sophie in her new apartment, and celebrate her. We did start the day with a birthday song on her cellphone. And as we didn't catch her the first time we called, she now has the birthday song on her answering machine. . . maybe not a good thing at all. ;)

I must admit that it still feels a bit strange not to set up the breakfast birthday ritual with presents, birthday mats, the orchestra and candles. But it's a very heartwarming delight that Anne-Sophie's boyfriend Tim made his very own birthday ritual for her this morning - they are both so good at remembering and pleasing each other.

So, my dearest Anne-Sophie - if you see this, I send you a warm happy birthday and my very best birthday hugs.
Love mom,
xoxo

Old patterns for a new year

Just before Christmas I were lucky to get some old knitting magazines from a very sweet woman. She had been cleaning up her cellar and came across them. What a treasures they were - and what a great thing that she thought of me instead of throwing them away!

There were lots and lots of wonderful patterns, all presented by little chubby babies.

And they have become modern again, the patterns that is. There were some which are to be knitted and some to crochet.

The magazines were published sometime in the late 70ties and I just love the fact, that I remember seing some clothes made by similar recipes in my own childhood. (Worn by babies, of course).

Starting off the new year with old inspiration is absolutely marvellous. It doesn't always have to be brand new ideas.

I hope that you all had a gorgeous holiday time with your loved ones.
I certainly did - it was busy but so nice...

Klip-selv-ark

I tell myself that I haven't bought new Christmas ornaments for several years - no new Maileg nisser or any Noilly Noël figurines like I used to. And it's actually true.

So with that in mind - and forgetting all about the beautiful angles from Karina Bækkelund (which arrived yesterday and they are SO lovely!) - I bought the most wonderful knitted and felted Christmas DIY set from Sort Lakrids.

I know that I will love to look at it all for many years ahead, without getting bored of it. And most importanly it will make me smile.

Photo from Sort Lakrids

The Christmas set is made by Theresa Jessing and Line Dyrholm. Both artists whom I love for their unique way of expressing themselves.

Hopefully I will be cutting and sewing in a matter of days...

Photo from Sort Lakrids

She's back!!

It was with much joy that I read this post on Ida's blog Midtimellem . ( An inspirering and wonderful blog by the way).

Because Ida had fabulous news to tell about the illustrator Karina Bækkelund, whom I admire tremendously for her brilliant work.
A while ago Karina closed her Amio shop and I thought that it was a huge shame, but I'm sure that she had a good reason to do so.

Photo from Karina Bækkenlund's Amioshop

BUT now she has reopened her shop! I'm really delighted that Ida told about it on her blog, because I have been keeping an eye on Karina's shop for months, but at a point I stopped checking it out.

Today it was time to act immediately before all of the beautiful things were sold out. So hopefully these 2 fine angles will hang in my home in a little while.

Photo from Karina Bækkenlund's Amioshop

If you like Karina's gentle angles and gorgeous squirrels, you have the exclusive opportunity to win some of her work in the giveaway, which Ida is having at her blog at the moment. You can enter the competition right here...

I still LOVE...

Photo from Kate Wilson

..the way Kate Wilson's little birds keep on exploring life - always looking so chic.

First a fine necklace...

...and then a lot of beautiful felt and some gorgeous buttons.

I can hardly believe the luck I have had lately.

It was at Jeanette's blog that I won the fine the necklace - and a lovely pair of earrings which she added in the package.
Jeanette creates jewellery and buttons herself in all kinds of shapes, patterns and colors. She uses polymer clay for her work. I have dreamt of making buttons in polymer clay, and I remember buying premade rolls, which I just had to cut into slices to make buttons. (It sounds simple but somehow my buttons turned out very poorly. I have no doubt that I was to blame and not the clay!).

So isn't it wonderful that people like Jeanette can create beauties in polymer clay for us to buy?

Photo from Katja's blog

The beautiful felt and the buttons, I won because of an idea I left in a comment at Kajsa's blog. You all know that I absolutely adore Kajsa's work - her ideas and the way she chooses colours for her amazing quilts and little Tomter.
Kajsa's sponsor Kirsty at Big Fish had generously donated the fine things for a give away, and to enter the contest one had to describe what one would make with the materials.

And fortune smiled upon me.

It almost feels a bit like Christmas...

For only 25 Danish kroner

...you can buy the new 2012 calender from Skals - Højskolen for design og håndarbejde.

Photo from Skals - Skolen for design og håndarbejde

It's always a highlight to me, when their calender gets revealed. And I truely enjoy having the calender, and it's numerous beautiful photos and recipes, hanging on my kitchen wall throughtout the year.

The calender can be bought directly at the school for 25 Danish kroners, which is about 4-5$. To that you must add shipping costs as well.