Linnea 'Ea' quilts...

"Sharing" has somehow evolved itself to become one of the more important words in our western culture after the year 2000. But, don't be alarmed and click "next", I won't even try to summarize or comment on the whole concept of social networking or online/irl community sharing. That's a blogpost for another day. Preferably a rainy one. What I want to say, instead, is just a tiny comment on something I read yesterday. On one of the blogs I read, someone wrote how [it would be nice to have someone to share stuff with, like all those in relationships do]. After being together with Micke now for 1738 days (thats 4 years, 9 months and 2 days if I include today) (I needed this to do the calc) , I must say there are still some things I don't share with him. Mostly it's silly stuff * , but there is one thing you do learn pretty quickly about sharing things is relationship. It's that guys worry. Like, all the time. And, since their nature wan...

When you wrap up e.g. Christmas presents, and want to turn the packaging even more fancy, you can put one of those pretty bows (that look a little bit like stars) on the wrapping ribbon. Well, turns out that there is a way to do them that doesn't make you go all berserk after 10 min of trying. Again, it was a trick. It always is. Again, I was just browsing through peoples updates on Facebook, when I came across this ad on Lankabaari 's Fb page: Clower Bow maker, now only... ( click here to go to Lankabaari's web shop ) I looked at the picture, and then something said "ping!" in my head. Over to YouTube, where I came across this great video: Again, "ping!" in my head, and a little while later I had cut some stencils out of some leftover soft plastic, that had previously been used for a book cover. My new stencils. Don't mind the done bow in the upper right corner, I'll get to that in a while. But, remember it. The ingredients. ...

Still snow, but -10 degrees C now. Much better than 0 degrees. Otherwise, this teeny tiny slope turns into a chute from hell. There are times when all you do is try to keep up with all the things you are supposed to do. Some do this absolutely beatifically, while others manage... well, not so greatly. I used to be one of the former, but now I've gradually devolved into this creature that has either too little or too much to manage, and thus it seems as if nothing is managed at all. I've come across the same theme in some of the blogs I read via Google Reader. Micromanaging, that is. Or just keeping oneself afloat, when life just wants to (seemingly) run you over like a steamroller. But, about managing. Someone I know does this by making lists . She even writes these lists on her blog. I've speculated upon this, and I think it means that her mind must either be very logical (therefore very smart) or very post-it-ty * . I definitely think she's in the former grou...

I'm sorry if people are, by now at least, feeling as if I'm spamming their rss-feeds. Feel free to jump ahead, if you're so inclined. This Saturday was spent with Ida and Mimi, first having a super lovely Austrian-inspired dinner of bratwurst/potato salad and wine, then doing crafts until 3:30 in the morning. Tiring, yes, but oh so satisfying. There's much you can do around a dinner table. While Ida was kept busy writing her BA-thesis and cursing her computer * , Mimi was sewing on her Star Wars hat and I was just fooling around with making jewelry. I told them about the button challenge , and later on Ida and I came up with some really cool designs. Here's some pictures of what we made during the evening. * I later helped her, by pointing out that she could increase the virtual memory amount for Windows. Suddenly, the computer started working like a charm :) I was so glad to be able to help! Green wooden necklace with Chinese button knots. Charm bracel...

These are my contributions to "the button challenge"or MaMa haaste nro 1 : Red button necklace. Red button ring. The necklace was a trial and error kind of thing; it started out as one thing, but ended up as a blend of ' satin cord meets jump rings '. The button knot on the cord is one I've used before on jewelry, and I learned it from the book by Suzen Millodot. You can see similar stuff on her webpage :) The ring was inspired by two things: ArtsyCrafty babe's flower button brooch , and Jokkemaa's rainbow ring . Although I only noticed first now, while writing this down, that I think Jokkemaa might have used a very similar macramé-style of making the 'ring around the finger part' of her ring. 

I'm sure you know the concept six degrees of separation , but I'll still say this. I follow some blogs, using Goggle reader. One of them is Jokkemaa , whose blog I started following because someone in my knitting circle happened to refer to her blog sometime ago. Jokkemaa had this post about a button ring she'd made , and she'd written how this was part of a challenge found on the blog of 37 tuntia vuorokaudessa . The challenge itself was pretty straightforward and simple: make something with buttons out of found things in your own stash of arts and crafts-stuff. I thought "why not?", and then remember I had bought some red buttons from a flea market. And I actually had thought about turning them into a necklace, or earrings. For inspiration, I once again looked at Ellen Gerritse's design button necklace (Leaping copper collar) in Contemporary Bead & Wire jewelry" . The way she's put the "beads" (buttons) together is really i...

The real Queen of the Tea Cosies would be proud, I'm sure, of me being a loyal subject inspired by her. Although my tea cosies are nowhere near her lovely designs. My (new) white teapot needed a cozy, and I had (finally!) this weekend gotten the yarn I wanted to use. Only thing left was some crocheting Two for tea, tea for two. Tea for two by the TV. TV-tea :) Actually, it's Darjeeling. Say hello to Miss White. Oh! She even wants to show her other side. Pattern : The pattern I used is found on Ravelry, and the design is by Ella Jensen , and it's called "Short and Stout" .   I had to modify the stitch count slightly, because otherwise it wouldn't have been a tight fit. The button is one I bought in a pack at a flea market. Yarn 1,5 skein of Garnstudio's Drops Paris (white, 16), cost 2,25€/skein. Crochet hook 5 mm

... than being greeted by the words Datorn har återställt efter ett allvarligt fel when you turn on your computer. Apparently, the driver for the screen had suddenly stopped responding, and with it the resolution got reset back to 480x640. Ni-i.-i-ce. As in. Not. Thank goodness though it's something you can fix on your own. Otherwise, it would be pretty much like in the web-comic xkcd . I think Randall Munroe is great. Now you go and enjoy his humor too :)

Something is dying outside, and it doesn't smell nice. Before you get all shocked, I immediately confess that I'm talking about the snow . The weather has suddenly turned to "fake-spring", bringing us a lousy 0 degrees C and moist air. So, all the snow is dying. It's dripping from every roof, making puddles on the sidewalks, making folks walk like ducks (both to stay afloat and to keep themselves from slipping) and freezing. It feels a lot colder when the air is moist, than when it's really cold (below zero). Old snow, dying, smells awful. All the things that were hidden in the heaps are slowly coming forth, and with the humid air it feel pretty much like walking into a fine mist of dispersed yuck. Old snow, dying, looks pretty awful too. All gray, and the different colors between black and brown. Oh, a spot of yellow at some places (dogs, gotta love them), but a pretty boring color scheme otherwise. Combined with the gray overcast sky, it's pretty h...

Oh me gosh. What a weekend! Hence the choice of headline. It was either that or "Partying like crazy with people you went to school with when you were little". I chose the one above. I think the school reunion party was a huge success. I seriously everyone who attended had fun. Kudos to the organizers. It couldn't have been too easy, even though many of us could be found on Facebook. Although... ... the location we had the dinner at was quite cold and drafty. Old building, winter (-17 degrees C outside), you do the math. Next time, I'll bring my ugliest but warmest woollen sweater. ... the "högstadie-limu-disko" dance after the dinner was a bit like the real thing. First, no one wants to dance, but after someone starts to, it's suddenly "okay" for everyone. The 'coolest' girls will still wait until the 3 last dances. I, on the other hand, was one of the 3 first. \o/ I'm so uncool. ... perhaps they should have *suggested* a bar...

Today I spent the morning and midday by taking the train with Emma and her mom to Åggelby. There we went to this yarn store called Lankamaailma . They "just happened" to have a yarn sale. They had a huge variety of yarn in different fibers, and I think I just have to try (sometime in the future) to use either milk or soy protein fiber yarn. They sure felt nice to the touch. ALE is not beer! It stands for "Alennusmyynti", or sale. It's "realisation" or rea in Swedish. And this is just ONE row. You should see the other 5. This evening, I'll be attending my middle school reunion. The picture is of me going to the party. I'm man-repelling a bit, but since I already have a man (!) I don't consider this a problem. Hope he doesn't either. Especially since he's not present. I called him some hours before I left for the party, and the big news he had to tell were that he had eaten a HUGE takeout pizza and gotten a stomach ache. Tha...

Today, I'll be travelling to Kirkkonummi. I decided early on to take an early train, so it was lunch with Micke at 11, and then departure at 12 o'clock. It's nice to live quite close a train station. The train got delayed by 9 minutes (... I don't consider this to be a major catastrophe), but my folks still didn't have to wait terribly long for me at Helsinki central railway station. White snow, white Helsinki Cathedral. Mom and Dad wanted to see this art exhibition at the Bank of Finland today, but when we arrived, the queue was almost as long as halfway around the building. Bank of Finland. So we went to lunch instead. There's this restaurant called Zinnkeller quite close to the bank, so Germanic cuisine was on the menu. Me and Mom had fish, and Dad had the Wienershnitzel (of course). Sorry guys, I took a stealthy picture of you at your best :) After we'd gotten home to Kirkkonummi, I got invited over to Emma's place. And, as if it coul...

Exciting stuff on such a regular Thursday! First, I got to do the washing. Boy, the clothes pile that needs to go into the washing machine just doesn't get  any smaller! Why is that, I wonder...? And why are always my best lingerie and 'good' clothes there when I want them. *sigh* And the poor machine is STILL making these awful sounds. It sounds like it's on it's last centrifuge every time. It helps to not over-load it, but I can still "see" a repairman in our future... Secondly, the knitting circle " Nekku " that I knit/crochet/make-stuff in at the café Bossaliina had a visit from a reporter from Aamuset today. She interviewed us girls, and asked simple things like "what are you currently knitting/making?", "do you also like other activities, like cooking?". We also had a small poll as to how many people had taken coffee/tea/other beverage to go along with the knitting. If I remember correctly, tea won. Yay! And I, po...

Best thing with Wednesday, is that I get to spend some time in the sofa with Micke, just watching TV. We usually watch both " CSI " and " Fringe ". It also allows me to actually sit a while and do nothing , while still indulging in some knitting/other thing. That way, I fool myself, because I'm both doing something and trying to relax. Added bonus of snuggle up to warm boyfriend/tea server/remote control wielder is also very much appreciated.

Tuesday was such an awfully tiring day. It felt as if I walked around in a stupor the whole day. But non the less, I went to this year's first dance practice. It was foxtrot, and I think it did me some good. It didn't matter that I had learned a lot of it at that dance camp in Taivassalo last autumn/winter, because I did need the repetition. Had totally forgotten how to do the half-point turn. Didn't help that I was tired, either. I couldn't concentrate as well as I should have. Dancing usually gives yo a buzz, but it didn't come this time. I did come home really late though, because I stayed a while and talked with Tuula, and I think it was because of this, plus some stress, that her brother forgot his sweater, wallet and keys inside. The security guard on call had to come from 15 km away to open the door. Not so nice, but it was nicer because we all stayed to wait for him to get there. And Esko got his stuff, so it was okay. The preliminary dance program for...

Some people find it terribly important to comment upon the fact that the week starts with a "Monday". And how a "Monday" usually depicts a day filled with failure, dread, depression and/or lack of energy. Some people have serious "Monday depressions" (swe. måndagsmorkkis). But this post isn't about my 'måndagsmorkkis'. Au contraîre, because even though I ate bad food on Sunday and didn't have a good night's worth of sleep, I'm still gonna try to make this a good day. No, not good... a splendid day. How about that. Even though my stomach (and the things attached to it...) hates my, well, guts. Literally. ö_ö (this is supposed to symbolize how I look innocently blinking my eyes) And now, for something completely different. My brother got himself a cat, even though he's allergic. This cat is named after the Russian word for "meat pirogue": Camca (the c is said like an s). Or something close to that, I don't kn...

One of the founding members of (pieni) Neulekerho Nekku posted today on her own blog about her "non-fave" areas of arts and crafts. See, it does look impressive when you write founding member , or doesn't it Ikomi? :) These "non-fave" things are supposed to be things and techniques that you yourself haven't yet wanted to try out, because of lack of time/childhood traumas/other personal reasons etc. The reason for the list is that YOU are supposed to try out these techniques during this year, and see if they were as bad/awful/armageddon as you imagined them to be. The queen bee herself listed the following techniques: Here comes my list of things to try: Knitted colorwork (Fair-isle knitting) Cross stitching Quilting China painting Felting/Needle Felting Embroidery Scrapbooking I must say, she has me at a disadvantage, because out of these I've already tried out the 4 techniques I've underlined (see the list). I've made 2 quilts (nr ...

Seriously, it gets cold if you sit still for long hours (reading, writing on the computer). I, who at first were a little skeptic about wrist warmers, must say that I love these. Last Tuesday, Pingevin was to Turku for a short visit, and I went with her to Käsityö-Elisa (a local yarn store) to see what they had on January sale. I lucked out, and found one skein of red, bulky wool/acrylic yarn. One done, half the yarn on the skein left. Tadaa! Done! Pattern : My own.  Worked as a rectangle, not in the round, mainly because I didn’t have 5 8mm needles.  Cast on 18 st Row 1-8: Ribbstitch (K1,P1…) Row 9-39:  Knit one row, Purl one row… Row 40-49: Ribbstitch Long side towards one another, and sew together but leave 6-8 rows "open" in the seam for your thumb to peek out. The decorations (the hearts) were done by using a felting needle. Yarn 1 skein of red Rhiana Big (by Gedifra), cost 3 euros. Needles 8 mm

I've looked through my stash of yarns. I've even organized it a bit, mainly to know what's actually just lint and what's "real" usable yarn. It took an entire afternoon, even though I didn't put up any of it on my "stash" page on Ravelry . I realize I have yarn and crochet thread that I have no idea what they're made of, if they're washable above 40 degrees C, etc. Yarn being organized... on the sofa in Micke's work-room. There was -honestly!- no other room to do it in. I needed the extra light...   Cute, but not really my colors. Exept maybe the browns. Summa summarum: There's a lot of really funny looking crochet and cotton yarn (inherited from aunt and grannies) that I should try to  come up with projects for. Most of these have colors that ... aren't colors I would have chosen myself. Ideas are needed, must get creative..... how else to "get rid" of them? Can't throw them away after all, that ...

First post of the new year 2011. In the kitchen, coffee is being brewed for Micke. I've cleaned up, a little, and done some of the dishes. In the living room, Micke is lying on the brown sofa, reading the second book in the Millenium-trilogy. He's got a headache, and has been feeling cold all morning. Not that I can see how that's possible, with all the socks/blankets/pillows around him. The waste basket beside him on the floor is slowly being filled with used tissues. His nose is like Rudolf's. In the bathroom, the washing machine is humming. There's at least 4 more loads of laundry that needs to be done. Most of it is bed linen. Fever is not nice. The whole house desperately needs to be cleaned, but  I'm going to go easy on myself and NOT start doing  that now. I need to get better first. Until then, the dust can rejoice and have parties in every corner and under the sofas. Little do they know...  *evil little smile* In other words, new year is a Sat...