Linnea 'Ea' quilts...

Today we've spent a fairly typical Christmas at my parents: ate a LOT of things, played some boardgames and then ate some more on/off. Good thing I wore my new dress! It was suprisingly comfy 'to eat in'. I think I have to figure out a way to take it in even more or add shoulder straps, because it almost falls off me! My brother Harald, Micke and then Birgitta. She's one of my family's oldest acquaintances. Harald - very typically - can't behave on a photo. This is all the LEFTOVERS after we'd finished eating... Like my dad said; "[He] doesn't know how to cook for any less than 25 people at any given time". So... this year's Christmas dinner left leftovers for at least 20 people. Dad still had more "lådor" that could be put in the oven... For those of you unfamiliar with the Christmas buffé of our family, then I can say it includes A LOT of EVERYTHING. The years that me and Micke have spent in Turku - just the two ...

Finally - it is ready! My Eorme blanket. Since I am like everybody else that crochets and just hate to join done crochet squares, it felt like it took friggin forever  to make. Hello, my name is Eorme. She made me wear fringes, even though she hates fringes. In retrospect, the most funny thing about this project is that it actually started out as a tunic. Yes, a tunic. But about halfway through (or up, as you were suppose to knit it from down to up) I just got fed up with the project, frogged the whole thing and put the yarn aside. This was during the winter of 2010. Then, I read the book “200 crochet blocks” by author Jan Eaton , and thought that it had been some time ago since my last crochet block blanket. Thank you Linda for recommending it ! The pattern I wanted to use is called " Fudge ". So, off I went to buy more yarn, and typically enough the Novita yarn company didn’t produce Novita Luxus Cotton anymore. It's like my Mom has always told me:...

Ponder the phrase "..., if you want to." I've been homehome (meaning, at my parents) the entire weekend. I spent some time with my parents, some time with Emmis, and some time with my own thoughts. Me and Emmis went through the Arts and Crafts fair like two crafters who suddenly realized that there wasn't a whole lot for them there. I searched for some very specific thing, and not finding them left me slightly feeling like a sail without wind. Since it was Friday, there were a lot of teachers with their classes. I think there were both kids from elementary and secondary school there.  Either way, there were a LOT of people. Best thing though, was that they DID have small workshops with different themes. This was about using a potter's wheel. This one was - I think - about different techniques when spinning yarn.  One thing I did notice, was that a lot of booths had "ethnic" inspired crafts. The more color, the better. Quite a c...

Even though the Crafts' fair in Tampere is the biggest Craft-related event held every year in Finland, I've only ever been to the fairs in Helsinki and Turku. Next year, if I get anyone to go with or get someone to go with me, I actually might go to the one in Tampere. But that will take slightly more planning on my part than going to the one in Helsinki: asking some friends and just take an early morning train. This year, however, is slightly different. Because this is the first time I've actually got a free ticket! I never win any competitions or lotteries, so maybe this is just my reward for having good karma. Nevertheless, thank you so much Sinelli! Sinelli is one of the bigger Arts and Crafts stores found e.g. in Helsinki. And it also happens to be one of my favorites.

There's a lot of quotes flying around the internet that are somehow related to bad news and such. I will not quote any, because a while ago I heard someone say how "you can quote famous sayings and people all you want, but that doesn't make you any smarter". This really made me more cynic. And I think it's bad, because I don't want to become a bitter and depressed woman. But what I'm gonna rant about today is the fact that somehow bad news still always manage to come in triplicates. First, I lost my laptop. Accidentally, but non the less still a big catastrophe. Especially since it will take a long time for me to get it replaced with a new one. Then I heard that the group I dance tango in might not have locale for us dancers next year, and thus all that lovely group activity (all the boogie woogie, lindy hop and argentine tango) will cease. And today, I found out that my favorite café here in Turku, Bossaliina , will also cease to exist. Which a...

Too bad that I was in Italy the second-to-last day the course was held. Actually, I missed the last day too, but that was because I had the flu... but the teacher suddenly had to call in for some sick-leave, so everyone else missed it too. Which was so not what I wanted. I wanted to make more stuff, and see how the salt-dough pieces I had made turned out. Anyway, today and next Monday one of the other teachers were there to supervise, so I went and got my salt-dough stuff and dropped off all the jewelry that I wanted to show in the course's own arts & crafts exhibition. They're in the photo here under; some buttons (both in Millefiori-technique and in plain modeling clay), two necklaces (one without a lock because I've run out of nice ones...) and two pair of earrings. Not much, but the rest of my pieces were... not up to such a standard that I would like to show off with them. In short - they're ugly . It's my technical term for things-I-did-some...

...but SHIT! Warm blackcurrant juice, meet laptop. Laptop, meet ZZZZZZIUMBCRASH! And then, say hello to Mr Paper. This was SO what I didn't need.

Italy day 1 review: Trip around city Didn't buy toothpaste! Italy day 2 review: Walk around town Fontana di trevi Piazza navona Ate at cemma on via de soldati Shop at spar - finally got toothpaste! And tetra pak wine in trip sizes... Villa borgese art and park. Took some videos! Getting thrown off the Spanish steps by civilian police! Eating bread, olives and wine in hotel room Italy day 3 review: Vatican city Art and sculptures Castel san angelo Haralds presskort Took some videos Italy day 4 review: Tivoli and villa d'este, but not for Micke! Micke's sick, he's got the flu! Got to stay at the hotel, recuperating. Ate at defronte à Italy day 5 review: Our trip to Nemi, before heading to the late evening flight. Monday rush hour (at 16) why are the roads so narrow? Is it because they don't need to plow any snow? Best mountain-valley view ever at Nemi. The crater is enormous. And for the first time the entire trip - me and Mike...

There's this joke that goes like this: ...so the undertaker said: "I wanted to change jobs and become a chimney sweeper, but I just couln't stop coffin! With this joke, I'm telling you folks that I'm getting back into bed. The way we're both coughing here at home, Micke and me, I guess it's only for our own good to just rest. Thank the goddess we did have enough energy to go shopping for toilet paper! Now that - and more tissue paper! - were sorely missed for 2 days... You should see my nose; it looks like it has had a bad acid peel. Drinking warm blackcurrant juice. It feels like it (and tea!) has been on the "menu" now for far too long.

There's something to be said for Italian design. The things we got to see in Rome, Tivoli and Nemi were certainly of divided styles. It struck me, while we were eating (oh dear goddess did we EAT in Italy!) that every country must have certain "designed things" that every family must sort of "just know about". In Finland, I think that happens to be Marimekko's 'Unikko'-flower pattern , Arabia/Kaj Frank's 'Teema' glasses and plates , and Fiskars' scissors . In Italy, I think I came across these pieces: I think I've seen them before somewhere, but I can't remember the brand. Look at the fork - I think it has those indentations on the sides to help you grab spagetti easier.

While we were in the Vatican, we managed to walk pass and through every single souvenir shop/stop that they had along the designated route. How typically Finnish: go on the tour and buy the souvenirs afterwards, not during. *sigh* But, we were graciously allowed to walk back - thanks to a really nice security guard - so I got to buy two rosaries (one bracelet for 3 € and one necklace for 8 €) for 11 €. Well, I'm not intending to offend any catholic prayer rituals here, but I bought them so that I could make my own "Roman prayer bracelet" when I got home. I took apart both today made charms from all but 40 of the beads and the bigger cross, made a chain from 58 pre-cut jump rings and a toggle clasp, and made a bracelet. My own memories of Rome and the Vatican, on one bracelet. Made from scratch. The original design idea came I got from the book " Mastering the Art of Beading " by Genevieve A Sterbenz. A most terrific book I might add. The piece I got ...

Iuh, it's raining! Lots! But, we'll be home in Turku in a few hours, so it's okay. Thank goodness we get to nap/sleep on the bus, me and Mikael. Finnish ground. More wet than the Italian one. Thank you Captain! Have a good night :)

After the guided tour around town, our lunch today was much more opulent than yesterday. At L'Osteria dè Memmo, at Via de Soldati, we once again got to eat a ton of food. To eat Italian is to eat a plate of vegetables/cold cuts, one plate of pasta and/or varm food, then dessert and for last some coffee. Basically, it was a buffé but we had plates going around our table. The interior of the restaurant. Brother (the vegetarian) getting different dishes that us. Mom looks weird behind him:P And I have GOT to learn how to take pretty food photos!

This was the final stop on our tour, the Piazza Navina. The three fountains here are truly splendid, and are all made by Bernini. While we're waiting for the others in the group to join up, we're resting our legs by the foot of the last fountain. It's been looking like it could rain any minute now - we get small raindrops all the time. First fountain. Second fountain And thirs fountain.

One thing about Rome is definitely true. It's noisy. The street outside our hotel window didn't quiet down until 3 am. I got so stressed out about this that I got up and put in earplugs at 24 o'clock. Oh, I just noticed the thing about 3 am because Micke got up and used the toilet. It's loud. Real loud. Bring earplugs. I guarantee you, they're so worth it. The sheets in the bed is slightly odd too, because my eyes are itching like crazy because of them. Must be the laundry detergent. Or the fact that the blanket is really dusty. My scout friends will understand when I say I have "Lyan-näsa". My nose is more a running faucet than the faucet in the bathroom. Oh, and about that. I'll tell you later about our claustophobic shower of torture. But I still like our hotel. Despite the dust. And everything. We're going for a guided tour today, which will take us from the Spanish stairs, via at least Partenon and then to the restaurant w...

And it's a Spar. Wee :) We found pasta, tomato sauce and wine. And EVERYTHING is cheaper than in Finland. Because you might need these when you get blisters? Downstairs was the wine room... And their pasta aisle was huuuuge. Even the storefronts are way nicer that in Finland. Mikael and Harald posing by the tomato sauce aisle. Because...pasta and tomato sauce!

Todays walkies brought us to the following sites. I'll post pictures in a later post. Fontana di Trevia Piazza del Parlamento with the parlament (nice doors with angel statues) Piazza Magdalena, then via Via Pantheon to Pantheon. Piazza della Minerva, then Corso Vittorio Emmanuelle, until we got to Piazza del Gesù. From there down to the magnifically white Il Vittorio. Then we wandered down the old road Via dei Fori Imperiali, saw a bit of Forum Romanum frim above and got to Colisseum. But Forum Romanum and Colosseum had already closed, so we instead braved Rome's "metropolitano" or underground. We took the metro from Colosseum to Termini (the great train station), and from there to Piazza di Spagna. During rush hour, non the less. We survived! And we had FUN! Just me, Micke and my brother Harald. After we had a pause back at the hotel, we ate very expensively at a place called Blanko. Iuh! Although the place was nice. Real nice. Did I mention it was pric...

Here's our hotel, the Hotel San Carlo. And here is the lunch restaurant. And my brother -once again- being an ass about me taking photos. Dessert was nice. Berry pie :) Sadly, we didn't get to eat outside. And more dessert?!!? Had a laugh at this, actually. Us getting ready for walk around town. Mmmm, pasta for lunch. And bruscetta. And coffee (espresso, for us from Finland) The restaurant was really lovely.

Huge, oppulent .... and wet. This artist was sketching the fountain and the people surrounding it. Opulent. Can't describe it anyway else.