You don't have to be Nordic to knit Nordic !

At long last

2011-09-21T02:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a very long time. These pictures I loaded quite awhile ago. I finished the sample shawl from Evelyn Clark's Icelandic Lace class at the 2nd Nordic Knitting Conference. It was a wonderful workshop.

I finished my sample mitten from the Latvian Mitten workshop also. That was one of the best workshops I ever attended. See the post from Sept. 19th 2009

Yarn Train

2010-02-14T21:49:00.001-08:00

Way overdue on my posting.... The Yarn Train was fabulous this year. Charisa is the driving force behind it with the Snohomish Knitters Guild, another brainchild of hers, sponsoring it. Thank you Charisa and volunteers !

Carol, her faithful companion.
Morgen and Debbie The ever smiling Kitty, a Knit Cafe' alum.

Linda and Jane
Kristin and her mom.
The wall of Koigu at Knit Purl
The shawl kit on the left was purchased by many, made of two types of lovely Shibui yarn

Katie who composed the wonderful "Train Song" which we all serenaded our fellow passengers with !
Yarn Train
Yarn Train Live

Waiting outside Voodoo Donut's with Debbie and Kitty. It was an hour in line before we could get inside to buy some of their tasty and trademark confections. Number one on the list was an actual "Voodoo" donut complete with a stickpin pretzel to curse some unlucky "b-----d" ! To think that donuts could inspire such devotion from fans around the world ! I was twice as lucky as Charisa had arranged to have their famous Bacon and Maple Bars delivered to the train station. Pretty good for how it sounds !

For more detailed stories of hijinks's upon the train see
Pulsh
The Knitting Mama

Tusen Takk !

2010-01-27T23:24:00.000-08:00

Thank you very much Liv, for the sample of Junik, the Faroese yarn you sent me, so I could see what it is like. Check out her Hobbyblog to see all the wonderful things she has created. I'm bringing the sample to the next Knit Cafe' for all to see. It's always fun to see Nordic yarns that are new to us.

I AM GOING TO ICELAND THIS SUMMER FOR A WEEK LONG KNITTING TOUR. I AM OVER THE MOON !
I can't wait to see this beautiful country, meet fellow knitters, and learn more about their traditions. Evelyn will be teaching a class on Icelandic Lace knitting, amongst the many other things we will be doing. YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Photos courtesy of Evelyn Clark Designs

OMG again !!

2010-01-01T21:31:00.000-08:00

Just before Christmas, I received a package in the mail from Evelyn with the shawl she had knit for me in it. It's made out of Misti Alpaca Lace which is dreamy soft. Thank you so much ! That was so thoughtful. It brightened me up after our recent loss.

Anna modeled this for me on Christmas Eve. We had a wonderful time at my sister Tina's house eating our traditional Swedish foods and opening presents.

My parent's nine grandchilden in order by age - Will, Anna, Elisabeth, Alex, Ryan, Marc, Jessa, Grant, and James. It took awhile to get these pictures taken as they wouldn't stop goofing off which recalled " The longer you do this, the longer you'll have to stand there", echoes from our parental past ! It is so wonderful to have us all together here in the Seattle area to share the holidays.

Jessa, Elisabeth, and Anna who made these yummy marzipan treats to share. It is so cute that they are so proud of their Swedish heritage.

Christmas Day was spent at our house with friends. Ryan helped make the dinner which was most appreciated by me.

Love you all !

Mari

2009-12-22T20:00:00.000-08:00

Mari
Spring 1996-December 21,2009

After a very brief illness, our dearest Mari passed away leaving us heartbroken. She spent thirteen wonderful, if not interesting years, with us. I adopted her from the Everett Animal Shelter where she was shivering in the corner of the pen, emaciated, and so sick. The vet figured she had been abused, abandoned, and had to eat manure just to survive. We had alot of behavior challenges ahead of us. I used to say she'd be the perfect dog if no one ever came to visit us ! She loved Anna, Ryan, and Marc so much I'd call them her "kids". She was shy, ladylike, and timid, like the whippet they thought she was partly. She certainly didn't take after the lab part as she hated water, as it's only fit to drink, not play in!
We will miss you terribly our "Woofer-woof, Martita, and Mars Bars"

"In a perfect world, every dog would have a home and every home would have a dog."

"I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive." - Gilda Radner

Her Journey's Just Begun

Don't think of her as gone away-
her journey has just begun
life holds many facets
the Earth is only one

Just think of her as resting
from the sorrows and the tears
in a place of warmth and comfort
where there are no days and years

Think how she must be wishing
that we could know today
how nothing but our sadness
can really pass away

And think of her as living
In the hearts of those she touched
For nothing loved is ever lost-
And she was loved so much.

- Ellen Brenneman

Half a century

2009-11-26T22:36:00.000-08:00

Thank you family, friends, and co-workers for helping me celebrate this landmark birthday. It's been a fun filled and interesting month. I know it's only a number, but it feels very surreal to think I've been here for 50 years !

Marcus Lowe, Anna Brita, and Ryan Michael
The greatest gift that's been given to me in my lifetime are these three. They are so goofy, caring, thoughtful, and always make me laugh - such a blessing. Love you all !!

While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about.
~Angela Schwindt

Co-workers treated me to a surprise birthday celebration at the Snoqualmie Casino where I lost $25 of my b-day money and feasted on all you can eat crab, clams, lobster, and more !
My extended family helped me celebrate on Thanksgiving with presents, and my favorite combination cake, Chocolate Raspberry Rhapsody.

Thank you so much Karen for the wonderful little trip you treated me to. We went to Winslow for two days, primarily to take a knitting workshop with Jared Flood, AKA Brooklyn Tweed
Churchmouse Yarns and Teas offered this, which included a book signing the night before with champagne and other treats. This shop is wonderful.
We ate FABULOUS foods at the Blackbird Bakery, Cafe Nola, and Harbor Public House

What a lovely young man and teacher. Friday afternoon we took his Beaumont Hat/Tam class.

Photos courtesy of Brooklyn Tweed

I finally found something I wanted to knit using the sample yarn Pam Allen sent me awhile back, Fresco, which I love. I chose the tam pattern which uses this brand of yarn anyway. So soft !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We ran up to Port Gamble which is a very quaint little town farther north. The highlight there is the very charming shop, The Artful Ewe

Such beautiful hand dyed yarns by Heidi, the owner. She has such wonderful taste in how she has set up her shop - I could stay for hours ! Of course had to buy some beautiful sock yarn (which is already buried in my house somewhere !).

Karen, you are a wonderful friend who is so generous and such fun to be around. Tusen tack !!

Heidi's young whippet. What a life staying in the lap of luxury ! I want to live in such a cozy space, sleeping on the comfy chair surrounded by beautiful things !

Just a bit of my stash. Wonderful handspun yarns by Kristin. Check out her Etsy shop
Allspunup

Someday, if I ever start knitting in earnest, I would love to knit Evelyn Clarks's shawl Deciduous

Knit Cafe

2009-09-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

Beth,
Thank you so much for the wonderful wristwarmers you designed-Lovely Lichen
They are great!

Sunny Barbara, dedicated museum volunteer !

Mary Ann with the hat she knit. This pattern was donated to the museum as a fundraiser by Ms. Lavold.
She also knit this lovely Lavold creation. Very pretty !

The shawl modeled by Evelyn.

Spent part of the day at the museum learning how to input data on some of the knitted pieces in the collection,first two boxes were Icelandic items. It's like a treasure hunt which I find quite fascinating ! Too bad I have to work or I'd be there almost everyday !

Signed up for a Danish cooking class with Anna Brita. Yum !

I like my barn so. Do you think the old farmers are rolling in their graves laughing at silly people like me who collect rusty farm implements, spend money on a falling down barn, and instead of something practical like cows, have miniature horses instead !

Ryan helped put this shadowbox together of items found under the floor during the renovation of the north end. It will hang out there with some other rusty items as Barn Art !

The previous owners left these very hefty parking stanchions chained to the side of the barn. I was going to put them free on Craigslist but we were joking that it's probably holding up the barn, which is leaning quite a bit to the east !

Even though the probability was high, there is no way I would have thought the barn was originally red with it's grayed out and peeling exterior. When Ry took off a board this showed thru - RED ! He is totally disgusted with me that I would even think of having it painted such an unoriginal color.

The guys in the new in and out Ryan fixed up for them.

Anna noticed this hawk sitting atop the covered chicken yard last weekend. It was looking for Sunday brunch! A birder was guessing, from the small picture, that it is a Sharp Shinned or Coopers Hawk.

Latvian Mitten Workshop

2009-09-19T23:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the three day Latvian mitten workshop. The museum brought out Sandy DeMaster and Mary Germain from Wisconsin. I met Sandy in 2005 when I took a week long Scandinavian knitting workshop from Carol Rhoades at Sievers School of Fiber Arts. Anyway, they spoke at the Seattle Knitters Guild the Wednesday before, fabulous presentation I might add, to which they brought many, many, mitten samples for us to drool over.
This was one of the most fun workshops I have been to and so very inspirational. There were four Latvian women in the class so it was very interesting to hear them exchange stories with Sandy and Mary about the country, food, symbolism, textiles, movies, etc.. There is so much I could write about, it would take days ! Some of the older Latvian women brought in Latvian goodies everyday and as usual the museum was trying to kill us off with Danish pastries and such !

Saturday and Sunday we worked on a lined mitten sample.

Sandy said these were knit for her by their Latvian mentor Irma. They have "barn protector" symbols on it. Since she raises Finnsheep Irma thought it would be a good thing to have. I want to knit a small pair to put in my barn !

Love the pattern and colors of this pair.

These mittens have the unusual cuffs featured in Mary's booklet "A Distorted View of Cuffs" Check out all the booklets they have to offer on Mary's profile.

Drinking this "Slim Chance" beer probably foretold the chances of getting my sample done !

Such tiny, tiny little mittens which I hear will be for sale at the Latvian Christmas Bazaar on November 7th-8th at the Latvian Cultural Center in Seattle. Can't wait !

Interesting Latvian beliefs about mittens

Mittens and socks should be knitted in summer, then they will be warm, soft and strong. /A. Zvejniece, Lubāna./

One should not wash new mittens when there is an old moon,
they will lose their color and let through the wind. /K. Zilbers, Meņģele./

One should not wipe their nose in a mitten. Whoever does that never gets rich. /J. Andriņš, Taurkalns./

One should not give their hand to another with a mitten on, otherwise they will give away their luck/A. Tidriķe, Pabažu jūrmala./

Link to Latvian mitten charts
Cimdu Raksti

Sock Summit

2009-09-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

I can't stop smiling :)

Belated Sock Summit news

Karen and I headed down Friday, arriving in the afternoon to check in. We tried to wander thru the marketplace, featuring 150 vendors, with what seemed like thousands of skeins of yarn ! It was pretty overwhelming !

Unfortunately I was coming down with a bad cold so didn't have much stamina the whole weekend. Thanks Karen for the cold care kit with Fisherman's Friend, tissue, bottled water, and OTC meds. Thanks also for still hanging out with me even though I was "Typhoid Mary" ! Evenings were spent in our plush hotel room having room service and laying low.

Saturday morning was Knitting with Speed and Efficiency with Stephanie Pearl McPhee which was interesting. I had not seen Irish Cottage knittng before. It's awkward at first, like trying to write with my left hand - pretty challenging. The afternoon was spent at a very bizarre lecture with a very well known person. It was so weird we had to leave before it ended.

Sunday morning was Beaded Cables with Sivia Harding. She is so cute !

The Luminary Panel was amazing !
MCs Tina and Stephanie with Lucy Neatby, Cat Bordhi, Deborah Robson, Anna Zilboorg, Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Meg Swansen, Barbara Walker, Judith MacKenzie McCuin, and Nancy Bush!

I've always wanted to make pickles but didn't want to deal with the canning. Watched a great episode of Good Eats with five different recipes for refrigerator pickles. These are so wonderful,it took us less than fifteen minutes to whip out a batch of B and Bs, and Summer Fruits, each. My friend Beth, getting a country fix away from her city condo.

Marc helped pick blackberries with DC and Sherman. They loved them as much as we did ! More pictures of the guys to come.

Out of the eleven chicks that hatched I ended up with TEN ROOSTERS !! What are the flippin' odds for that ! Found homes for all but two, those will be gone soon I hope. Two roosters crowing at all hours is really annoying.

The more excited the rooster gets, the higher his voice goes. He's got a little bit of a Barney Fife quality to him.
Jeff Foxworthy

(Have Foxworthy in my genealogy, maybe that's why I like being a hayseed!)

OMG !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-09-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

I received an e-mail from Evelyn Clark this past week. When I opened it I was stunned. It made me so happy I started to cry.

Photo courtesy of Evelyn Clark Designs

Karin Lace Shawl

I called Charlotte, education director at the museum, right away and started shrieking OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG, OMG without an introduction. I'm pretty sure she understands why I went TOTALLY NUTS. What a wonderful and touching gift. This is so unbelievably nice.

My Sock Summit post just had to wait until another day.

More from the farm

2009-08-01T16:25:00.000-07:00

The house facing west. My sister thought it looked like a one room schoolhouse when she came over the first time. There isn't any special architectural detail, perhaps what little it had was stripped during the approximately 1950's remodel.

The new roof on the north side. This barn looks so much better now. Need to find the before pictures. So glad this is done so there isn't any chance of it collapsing in a heavy snow next winter. Have to decide whether to paint it the typical red or be more adventuresome. I'm having fun looking for "barn art" such as this old plow horse harness.

Ryan, Marc, and I are working on the floor on the north side so we can have shelter for the minis, DC and Sherman, who are being boarded at Cindy's. I can't wait to see them galloping in the new pasture ! The floor is in really bad shape due to the roof leaking for many years. Ryan is trying to reuse what he can and build a divider for the stall area.

Marc and I have been trying to level the dirt between the hand hewn floor joists and have found a few items of interest. Of course he can't stop goofing off to get a regular picture !

First, a scrap of newspaper dated August 21, 1917 with what looks like part of the word "Peace" Just to think that WWI was raging at the time.

Also, this mysterious iron implement.

What could it be ?
Going thru this restoration is SO COOL !!!!!!!!!

The barn ghost made an appearance ! Marc tried throwing himself in view as I was trying to snap a picture of the floor.

Ry hard at work. It must be old growth cedar as he's finding it really hard to pull nails. Two broken hammers attest to that !

Wennie surveying the scene.

It's been a very warm summer. Only got one raised bed weeded which was planted with eggplant, zucchini, lemon cucumbers, tomatoes, and three kinds of potatoes.

Fresh eggs, two of which are blue ! The two hens are half "Easter Egg" chickens which can lay pale green, blue, cream, or pink eggs.

This beautiful poppy self seeded next to the house.

The Wenster

Nothing new fiber wise. In January an older woman brought a box of books to sell at the Knit Cafe'. There was a very audible gasp when she pulled this out. OMG, it's an Icelandic mitten book published in 1981 by the Icelandic Handicraft Society. This book is scarcer than hen's teeth !

SOCK SUMMIT NEXT WEEKEND !

Hotter than Hades

2009-07-30T23:11:00.000-07:00

Remember when we were complaining about the cold ?

(photo courtesy of Karen C.)

103F
39.44C

What a heat wave. Anything over 72F/22.2C I'm usually whining. This is way too much, it needs to cool down. There is nary a fan to be found in Western Washington. As soon as more arrive in the stores I'm stockpiling !

Don't knock the weather. If it didn't change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn't start a conversation.
Kin Hubbard (1868 - 1930)

Fiber related exercise !
At Karen's a few weekends ago to dye with Kool Aid.

Three Black Cherries and an Orange reminds me of Antique Rose.

Started a simple sock pattern with this KA multi-color skein. Looks pretty interesting for a first try at variegated. Thanks Karen !

My sweet little Betsy

I claim this fan !

How ladylike !

Karin's Folly

2009-07-11T00:37:00.000-07:00

The east side of my new little home situated on three acres.

The mudroom
My parent's old Kitchen Queen with Luciano sitting atop.

I am the crazy person who's first priority is to fix up the barn ! Tim jacked up the north side and the roofers are working on it this week. I'm assuming it was built around 1914 when the house was.
I always wanted an old barn like the one on my great grandparent's homestead in Custer. I loved playing in the hay bales with my brothers, the heart shaped face of a barn owl peering down upon us from the rafters. Never in a million years did I think I would actually own one. Helluva way to get one.

My "Nightmare Before Christmas" tree which I think is an ex cherry. I've planted the climbing rose "Paul's Himalayan Musk", Golden Hops, and Clematis Montana at the base hoping they will cover it in a blanket of color in years to come.

The previous owner planted lovely flower beds. The red Monarda (Bee Balm) is very popular with the hummingbirds. Last Sunday I sat under the mountain ash for an hour watching them dive bomb each other and zoom from flower to flower.

"I feel the breath of the summer night,
Aromatic fire:
The trees, the vines, the flowers are astir
With tender desire."
-Elizabeth Stoddard
(1823-1902)

Beautiful sunsets (which are hard to capture on an inexpensive digital camera !)

Mari and her kid Marc.

She's discovered that the new fountain/birdbath provides her with another means of refreshment during these hot days !

The barn has a henhouse so the next logical step was to get two bantie hens and twelve eggs for them to sit upon, which they did with fierce determination. Twenty one days later these cute little Silkie chicks made their appearance.

I love living here.

Happy Graduation Day !

2009-06-23T15:48:00.000-07:00

My youngest has graduated ! Congratulations Marky Marc ! Luv u !

Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a preparation for life; education is life itself.
John Dewey

Marcus and Anna.

Marcus and his best friend since kindergarten, Stevan

O the joy of youth !

Ryan and Marc decided a few years ago that they wouldn't have to go to each other's graduation ceremony due to extreme boredom. Going to Anna's was excruciating enough hence no pictures of Ry !

Nothing but heaven itself is better than a friend who is really a friend.
Plautus

Thank you C.R. for the link to Celtic Memory Yarns and it's beautiful pictures of Iceland. This would be my dream vacation !

Thank you Karen for the lovely gloves you brought back from Norway. I will be very stylin' next winter !
Thanks also for getting me into a future Cookie A. workshop and the Sock Summit. You're the best !

Farewell

2009-06-06T15:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a stressful few months. It was too hard to stay in a home with so many memories with bad, overtaking the good. I decided to start a new chapter in my life by selling my home of 24 years. They say your home looks the way you've always wanted it when you've finished it to sell. No kidding.

My little red house which I always hoped looked a little bit Swedish !

The cottage style green house built from old windows

Ryan did a wonderful job refinishing the pine floors. Many thanks to Anna,Ryan, Marc, family,friends/hired hands Cindy and Tim for everything they did to whip this place into shape. The transformation was astounding.

A very excited young couple is buying it for their first home.

A new adventure starts with the purchase of a small 1914 farmhouse and barn on three acres. In the mad rush towards the end of packing, my camera was put in an unknown box in the very full garage, so no pictures of this place yet :(
More later............

Nordic Knitting Conference Part Two

2009-04-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

First of all many thanks to Tuulia for this gorgeous Laminaria shawl which she dyed, spun, and knit for me. Tusen Tack ! I LOVE it. She is a very talented designer of knitwear. Check out her Ravelry page !
(Photo courtesy of Knitlob's Lair)

More Conference news
Saturday night was the banquet where Katarina was the guest speaker. I knew she designed for IKEA, Linum, Rörstrand, Svensk Slöjd, etc., but I had no idea the breadth of her work which has also included working with fashion designers from Europe and Japan, plus much more. Most of the textiles I've bought from IKEA are designed by her. I would love to get my hands on some of her porcelain pieces ! The power point presentation was amazing ! I so hope she can be brought back to teach some of her Swedish traditional classes and it would be fabulous if the museum could have an exhibit of just her work. I wish I had a picture of the wedding dress that she and her design partner created for the DoRedo project out of 24 white sweaters from the Salvation Army. Wow ! (Photo courtesy of Svensk Slöjd)
Many thanks to the Nordic Heritage Museum, especially Charlotte (my fiber workshop enabler !), for bringing this all together. It's been a truly amazing experience.

Sunday was Modern Icelandic Lace with Evelyn Clark. Thank goodness Karen and Alex were flanking me to help fix all my mistakes and get me back on track. Evelyn had a turn at my sampler also ! She is a fantastic teacher. She brought all the Icelandic samples she has knit plus one shawl she bought off of Ebay for less than $20 I believe. Fleece and handspun examples, Icelandic knitting books, plus a DVD were also displayed. She took us on a little field trip to see the Icelandic lace pieces in the museum. Jätte kul !
Here she is wearing her Deciduous shawl. I love this one and want to try it for my first big lace project.

Karen showing off her sampler. You have been so kind to me and your infectious personality makes me forget my sorrows for just awhile.

Thank you Donna for this lovely little heart. It's so sweet.

Off to pack some more ................

Of any stopping place in life, it is good to ask whether it will be a good place from which to go on as well as a good place to remain.

Mary Catherine Bateson

Nordic Knitting Conference Part One

2009-04-10T16:36:00.001-07:00

I was so excited the first day of the Conference I was pinging off the walls !
My first days class was Marianne Isager's Entrelac. What a charming and delightful woman. I heard her speak a few evenings earlier at the Seattle Knitters Guild. She has lead a very interesting life traveling the world and drawing her inspirations from such diverse sources as South America, Africa, Japan, and beyond. Our class project was a mitten using Domino, Domino/Shadow, a Chevron stripe, and Entrelac. Very clever ! Look at her fab slip stitch vest. Churchmouse Yarn and Tea and Knit Purl now carry some of her yarns. Three of her books are coming out in English thru Interweave this Spring.

Saturday was Katarina Brieditis with DoRedo. She is so cute and fun to be around and has to be one of the most all around creative people I've ever met. For this class she showed many great examples from her project and talked about using every last scrap of felted sweaters one possbily could. I wish I had taken a picture of the necklace she was wearing using black brand sweater labels. I certainly pointed it out to a number of people. "Hi, this is Katarina Brieiditis - enough with the introductions - LOOK at her very clever necklace !" Tokig Americaner

The mitten is from an angora sweater.

Alex is a blast !

My SIL Karen helping out Anna, who loved this class. It was so cute when she called me that night all excited about DoRedo and then the next day from Pacific Fabrics where she was picking up supplies. She's made a handbag, a pair of mittens, and a decorative collar already. Karen really enjoyed it also creating a pair of mittens and a handbag. We hope to have a DoRedo party in the future.

My project using a sweater I found at Value Village. It already had enough pattern to it so didn't do any beading or embroidery but Katarina helped me add the fringe using DoRedo yarn.

To be continued .........................

Inga has a new sister

2009-03-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

It's been over a month since my last entry. How to catch up is slowing me down so it will be little bits at a time.

I love my little Inga but driving around in 14 degree weather scraping ice off the inside of the windshield was too, too much. It felt like days before my fingertips thawed out ! I hit Craigslist and found "Berit" my 1998 Volvo XC. It has HEATED seats !!! How wonderful is that ! Inga will be my summer car, and Berit my winter car.

The Nordic Knitting Conference is next week. Wow, it's coming up fast. The Seattle Times wrote a lovely article on the Lavold exhibit. It is stunning and very fascinating regarding the Viking artifacts and inspirations. I took her three hour Basic Viking Knits class and enjoyed it very much. I'm so glad a knitting related exhibit is being held during this Conference.

Thank you Barbro for designing this hat pattern for the Conference. It's perfect ! Shown here with Anna and her friend Liz. It will go in the goodie tote bag and be for sale in the gift shop. Utmärkt !

I've taken a huge step in changing my living situation this month which has me very apprehensive. More on that later.

Today is not yesterday: we ourselves change; how can our works and thoughts, if they are always to be the fittest, continue always the same? Change, indeed is painful; yet ever needful; and if memory have its force and worth, so also has hope.

Thomas Carlyle
1795-1881, Scottish Philosopher, Author

Gray skies are gonna clear up ( I hope ! )

2009-01-25T10:25:00.000-08:00

I awoke this morning to a blanket of snow and it's still gently falling. I'm starting to yearn for spring, bright green shoots poking thru the earth, and the warmth of the sun. I love living here, and couldn't think of moving anywhere else, but as I get older I now understand why people become snowbirds.

Inga pictured after the last snowfall, my little rolling igloo !

It's still hard to concentrate even after two years. I have been experiencing more fatigue which hampers my ability to perform little tasks. Spinning has been put on hold and it seems to take forever to knit any project. I started the "Northern Lights" scarf pattern by Marilyn Van Keppel which is in the Nordic Knits booklet. It's supposed to be based on an Icelandic design called "rose trellis". I'm using Koigu and Nature's Palette

Betsy, the cuddlebug

Mari loves her "kids", especially Ryan with whom she sleeps with every night.

Wennie, the "corgster"

"The girls" Anna, and her cousins Jessa and Elisabeth.
It is so heartwarming to see how close they have become.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow !

2008-12-31T23:12:00.000-08:00

Thank you Karen for this lovely picture taken from your home.

Happy New Year !
Gott Nytt År !

The new year begins in a snow-storm of white vows.
George William Curtis

The Dead of Winter
by Samuel Menashe

In my coat I sit
At the window sill
Wintering with snow
That did not melt
It fell long ago
At night, by stealth
I was where I am
When the snow began

A Winter's Rose

2008-12-07T21:49:00.000-08:00

A beautiful December rose "Graham Thomas"

Cindy put in a new decorative arbor gate for "the girls" How fancy !

How I wish I could relax like Betsy :)

Another thrift store find, a child's sweater, which will be going to someone in Karen's family.
Heja Norge !

While digging thru boxes I found the first sweater I ever knit. Of course it's Lopi, as it was the 70's ! I was very surprised to find it as I assumed it was lost in the fire. Anna is not here to model for me so Marc stepped in. What a goofball ! "Ow Mom, this is scratchy"

Yes, I also knit a Cowichan sweater for my godson who was four at the time. I followed the trends !

I met Carla and Hilly thru Ravelry. They wanted to purchase the Nordic Knits booklet so we set up an exchange. Carla had written an article on Twined Knitting for "Handwerken Zonder Grenzen" which Hilly was kind enough to send. Carla sent this lovely mohair yarn spun in Denmark. The fiber came from her friends herd which she gets to play and cuddle with she said. Very fun and thoughtful.

The Lavold workshops are filling up at the Museum. I'm signed up for the three hour Basic Viking Knits.

The registrations are coming in for the Nordic Knitting Conference. ONE LADY IS COMING FROM HONG KONG !!!!!! I have signed up for classes with Katarina Brieditis, Mariane Isager, and Evelyn Clark. CAN'T WAIT !!

Wonderful Finnish Designs

2008-11-19T00:54:00.000-08:00

My camera has gone AWOL so I must use other resources. Hope I find it soon :(
Karen and I took a Kainu mitten class at the Museum taught by Tuulia. She hand dyed the yarns and made up kits for us to work with. It was a very enjoyable class.
The mitten I started is too big so I bought a set of half size needles to try.
(Photo courtesy of Tuulia)

Afterwards we joined the Knitters Cafe' in progress. Evelyn brought this bag to show and Karen and I fell in love with it. She found this on Etsy thru a Finnish vendor
Kukkilinutu

My bag

Karen's bag

Another Etsy purchase - Celtic Knot Wool Diz
Magic Stix Fibers

All the way from Paris, France sbarao !

Check out Barbro's blog to see her cute mittens !

I'm 49 now, one year away from the big one ! Thanks, Karen, Debbie, Cindy, and my family for helping me celebrate.

Thanks Karen, for amongst other fun things,the little handcrafted sheep you made for me. (She's the one in the middle !)

Up until then it had been an emotional month of unknown reason.

Inner Turmoil Surfacing

Inner turmoil surfacing in
unexpected places while
no one sees the loneliness through
the windows. When
will the turmoil surfacing
and the questions burning
cease to undermine
what is entwined with
My tranquility? .............How
do those who claim to know
what fulfils the human soul
explain through learned verses
The truth that lies beneath the surface?
Yet those who claim to know what fulfils
This human soul, possess not
the desire or what is required to search
for the inner turmoil surfacing in
Unexpected places while
No one sees
The loneliness……..

Melanie Mohammad

Bellingham

2008-11-17T01:20:00.000-08:00

At the end of October Tuulia , Katie ,Charisa , Nicole , and I went to Bellingham to attend a spin in, shop, and have a mini workshop on Tuulia's top down, seamless sweater. We stayed with Katie's parents who were lovely hosts. Great photos of this trip are on their blogs.

Brünnhilde's locks of lovely fiber !

Thanks Katie for organizing this.

Nicole, the spin doctor, trying to make a diagnosis after Polina continues to creak like an old ship.

How adorable !

Photographers at work !

Comes autumn...
with its addendum of moods and colours
and as nature unfurls its myriad of jewels
there be majique
of ineffable bounty
widening eyes, and broadening smiles
reminding us all of the credence that lies
in that ole cliche:
''change is good.'' (edited)

Frank James Ryan, Jr

My baby girl

2008-11-03T02:05:00.000-08:00

My baby girl turned 22 last month. She is moving out next weekend to start a new chapter in her life. She is so unlike me, positive, personable, with a sunny smile.
Where has the time gone ?
She was kind enough to help out for two days at the spinning workshop. Thanks Anna !

In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous.
Aristotle
Beth, my friend since high school, took me to her parent's condo for a weekend away on Whidbey Island. The beach close by was so beautiful, the fragrant salt air and the warmth of the sun made for a very pleasant walk.

Last weekend was a girls getaway to Bellingham. Next post will be all about it.The Spin Drifters had a spin in which included vendors. I did my fair share of shopping, my bit to support local farmers ! I won a door prize of New Zealand Corriedale fleece from Penelope Fibre Arts Boy, did that make me happy !

Alpaca which I want to blend with Finn.

I couldn't resist buying three Icelandic lamb fleeces from Wake Robin Farm. These two lovely colors, plus a black with gray at the cut end.

Brought them over to Michael and Heather's house where Bandit and Sadie were quite interested, and puzzled, about why they weren't moving. Hey, aren't we supposed to be herding these ?

Score !

2008-10-21T15:25:00.000-07:00

In my life I've never scored a great deal or find at a thrift store - UNTIL NOW !! This Oleana sweater was found at Value Village in Seattle for $6.99 !! I could see the sleeve from the down the aisle and KNEW what it was. YAY !! Pat bought it from me as she is an even bigger fan of Solveig Hisdal than I. Modelled here by my sister Tina, who was kind enough to let me stay at her place during the three day Scandinavian workshop at the Museum

I LOVED the workshop ! Again, so much fibery goodness, history, fellowship, and inspiring samples. Carol Rhoades is an excellent instructor. I've taken her Spinning for Socks and Spinning for Fair Isle, Aran, and Guernsey workshops also.

The first day we played with Norwegian Spelsau fleeces. Wow, such long hair like fibers which we pulled away from the undercoat. Experimented with various prep and spinning methods. COOL !

Saturday was Gotland fleeces and Twined Knitting. The one on the far right is a Gotland/Corriedale cross from New Zealand. The locks just bloomed open when worked with.

Sunday was Finnsheep and angora for Bohus style knitting. It was the first time I've carded and spun angora and I loved it.
We also tried a little Lovikka yarn spinning. It is so tricky to try and get such a very lightly spun bulky single from the rolag. I need to practice, practice, practice ! I hear you can ply two pencil rovings together and get the same effect :)

I should have taken more copious notes ! We learned to use the carders to get a combed like roving. I think she said the technique came from an Icelandic book.

There were so many wonderful samples but in deference to the designer I will just keep the pictures to myself. This mitten though was knit with the Two End technique using this Wool/Silk/Mohair pencil roving. It made a dense but lighter fabric.

A classmate raises Shetlands, Scottish Black Face, and Gotland/Finn crosses. She brought nine fleeces to sell. I came home with one and trotted over to Gretchen's Wool Mill to have it washed. She'll card half of it and leave the rest for me to play with. It's a lovely gray with light tips.

Fiber addiction has been much lamented upon by others and admittedly I've fallen under it's spell. Perhaps I should leave my checkbook home next time :)

Beading

2008-09-27T18:24:00.000-07:00

Karen and I took a fun class at Village Yarn and Tea a few weeks ago from Debbie Abrahams. She hails from Great Britain and works with Rowan. Her latest book is

She's a very charming and upbeat person who is a great instructor.

We received kits to make this little bag. Felt like a dope as I was making little mistakes all the time which slowed me down. I'm almost done with the front.

Fellow student Debbie

Thanks for helping me out Karen !!

A true friend is someone who thinks you are a good egg even though she knows you are slightly cracked

Bernard Meltzer

"Thorpe"
My first top down hat using Trendsetter "Boboli" A coworker kept after me to knit her a hat with flaps - she wore me down !

My first three ply. I love, love, love BFL !

Garner up pleasant thoughts in your mind, for pleasant thoughts make pleasant lives.

John Wilkins

Mt Pilchuck

2008-09-22T22:24:00.000-07:00

I was going to post about my recent beading class, handspun, trip to Whidbey Island, but that is to wait for another day. After seeing the kids pictures from their hike up Mt. Pilchuck (5,324 ft - 1,623 m)I had to share these lovely images

One touch of nature...makes all the world kin.

William Shakespeare
From left to right
Colton, Anna, Stevan, Forrester, with Marc in front.

They hiked up late afternoon on Friday and spent the night in this former fire lookout tower on the very top.

Three Fingers Mountain (6,854ft - 2,089m)
floating above the clouds.

That's one heck of a drop behind Forrester !

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.

John Muir

Fall

2008-09-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

Love is a fruit in season at all times, and in reach of every hand.

Mother Teresa

Joined this fleece study on Ravelry thru what else Fleecestudy !
I received 12 different 2oz. fleece samples, plus a notebook with information about the various breeds, along with sample cards to keep track of my work. Cool !!

It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.

Lewis Grizzard

The greenhouse under repair.

Life

2008-08-30T10:01:00.001-07:00

To the soul, there is hardly anything more healing than friendship.
Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852)

Thank you Amber.

Thank you Barbro for the Forest sheep of Värmland fleece you gave me on my trip to Sweden. I love it. Kristin was kind enough to lend me her carder to prep it. I laid some locks on the batt to show the color variation.

There is a funky video on YouTube showing how to use a drum carder. Rexene is pretty entertaining ! It was great to see how to blend, clean, and more.

Started a baby bolero jacket using Queensland "Cotsoy" It's 50/50 cotton and soy. It is sooooo soft. I figured a good way to learn about sweater construction was to knit up various styles of baby sweaters. Not so intimidating as an adult sweater.

We had the shortest summer ever ! Two weeks of nice weather maybe ? As my father said about the climate here " If summer falls on the weekend we all go to the beach !"
No kidding. I miss him so much. He brought so many unique experiences with his Renaissance style of life to me. One of his wood carvings which was carved directly into a cedar stump in our yard. It's from an illustration of the "Tortoise and the Hare" from James Thurber's "Fables for Our Time"

Well, if I called the wrong number, why did you answer the phone?

There are two kinds of light--the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.

Why do you have to be a nonconformist like everybody else?

He who hesitates is sometimes saved.

All human beings should try to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why.

Let us not look back in anger, nor forward in fear, but around in awareness.

I am not a cat man, but a dog man, and all felines can tell this at a glance - a sharp, vindictive glance

This and That

2008-08-23T16:39:00.000-07:00

Etsy is a dangerous place to go window shopping ! There is too much fun stuff to look at and it's very hard to resist sometimes as evidenced by this purchase of Tencel "Prairie" from Exclusively Linda Lee

Dogs laugh, but they laugh with their tails.

Max Eastman

The dog lives for the day, the hour, even the moment.

Robert Falcon Scott

What a life ! Betsy is such a snugga puppy. Here she is cuddled up to Marc. She makes me smile ! Actually they both do !

Anna, looking lovely ,heading out for a wedding.

Dave and Trella came out this morning to take away some firewood for me and afterwards we had a little jam session on our nyckelharpas. I hadn't played mine in several years so was pretty rusty to begin with. It's a very unique instrument which I should start playing again. For more information on this check out the American Nyckelharpa Association

Spun up BFL roving for an Allspunup Ravelry Spin along. Would like to learn how to Navajo ply this.
I don't know why I can't get going on any knitting projects. What is wrong with me ?

Katie was great enough to organize a "Knitters for Obama" fundraiser. Inga is helping me carry the message

Melancholy

2008-08-16T13:19:00.000-07:00

My little red house with the Carl Larson accents on the porch which I hope makes this look at least a little Swedish.

It has been quite painful to look about my home of late and try to decide what to do. It's been a part of my life since 1984, loaded with many memories both good and bad. Can I afford to stay here, do I have the mental strength, can I take care of it ? First in order is to fix it up in either case. Lots of conflicting emotions. I wish there was an easy answer................

Your heart says stay and battle the pain, but your mind says leave for all this isn't needed, broken into pieces for that one an only. But follow your heart because the heart can only take so much.

Jamila M. Allen

Hired friends Cindy and Tim to start chipping away at the many, many projects that need attending to.
When Cindy tore the overgrown plants away from the foundation these were still there, fragments of glass and char from the fire when the firefighters smashed windows and burnt wood tumbled from the roof. It was so horrible to watch it going up in flames. We ended up with a nicer house but what a way to get it.

The kids have been helping with the dejunking and yard work. Marc got carried away with the pruning here ! It was a 20 year old overgrown honeysuckle. He got tired of using pruners and started hacking away at it with a Civil War reproduction sword. Oh my, that was a shock to come home to !

Mia staying cool in the shade. Quite a head of hair !!

I have many things to be thankful for and need to remind myself at times like these.
Caring family, friends, and coworkers, loving children who make me laugh when I don't feel like I can anymore, a roof over my head, a wonderful job which I wouldn't trade for the world, and so much more.

We are so often caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey, especially the goodness of the people we meet on the way. Appreciation is a wonderful feeling, don't overlook it.

Source Unknown

I am drawn to this pair of Latvian mittens from the exhibit. It's faded appearance evoking thoughts of times past.

Purchased this lovely Jacob/Romney fleece from
Katie who was having a little destash sale.

Sunday Fun

2008-07-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

Sunday was spent with Karen and Katie first at the Museum to see the Latvian exhibit before it closed the next day. That was my fifth time! Every time I went I noticed something new. Afterwards we went to the Fiber Gallery for some fiber therapy. Of course I didn't need anymore yarn but I couldn't resist Lavold's Silky Wool in a stunning red color.
On another note - thanks Katie for your fundraising efforts for Obama !!

Click on pictures for a closer look

Later Karen and I went to see "Mamma Mia" which was hysterical ! It's so campy it's fun. Some of the singing was pretty bad which caused us to break into a fit of giggles every time this person opened their mouth. You'll have to go see it to find out who !

Fiber Heaven

2008-07-23T23:13:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I went to a three day workshop on Spinning for Aran, Gansey, and Fair Isle taught by Carol Huebscher Rhoades. I loved it ! It was my first such one so I was rather nervous about my lack of experience. It was a pretty relaxed atmosphere so nothing to worry about. I loved hearing all about the traditions, histories, breeds of sheep, and techniques. Some of the lovely samples knit from her handspun.

Carol also handed out wonderful fiber samples which had me drooling. As one of my classmates said it makes you want to jump into a swimming pool full of wool - without the water of course !

The dark is UK BFL and the white US. Heavenly soft.

4 samples of Shetland. Other sample fleeces included Cheviot, Scottish Mule, Galway, and primitive Shetland.

This was held out in Preston at Suzanne Pedersen's house which is lovely and she provided such lovely meals and refreshments. Wish I had taken pictures of her home and garden.

The Latvian Exhibit is ending this Sunday. I've seen it four times and will be seeing it again this weekend ! I was given permission to take pictures which I'll try and post a few at a time. These textiles are stunning.

I can't describe how much joy these forms of textile "art" bring me no matter the country. The beauty, love, and care that seems to come to the surface when I look upon them and think of the generations that went before amazes me.

Summer Roses

2008-07-12T13:57:00.000-07:00

Your hands hold roses always in a way that says
They are not only yours; the beautiful changes
In such kind ways,
Wishing ever to sunder
Things and things’ selves for a second finding, to lose
For a moment all that it touches back to wonder.

Richard Wilber

It is a quiet weekend. The kids left over a week ago for their annual 4H trip to San Juan Island. The sun has finally decided to shine more than one day in a row. The temp is perfect with a slight breeze. Went about the yard this morning taking pictures of some of the roses. If these roses can grow in this very neglected yard with little care they have to be some of the hardiest ever for this area.

Inga still makes me smile. She was in the shop for some major overhauls but she sounds and drives alot better. Between two cars there has been around $7,000 (choke) in car repair bills in the last six months. Just when you think there can't be any other major thing to go wrong it does :(
Driving around with her I've had people flash peace signs, honk and wave, call her a classic. With the "Slug Bug no hits back" when kids see her they start pummeling each other, here in the driveway or out on the road. I have never named a car before but here she is. People at work think she's very cute and ask about her almost daily. Just had to buy this license plate holder at the museum. I'm nuts over Sweden !

Mari, our eleven year old Lab/Whippet mix. I picked her up at the pound when she was around six months old. She was emaciated and shivering in the corner with her sad brown eyes. The vet figured she'd been abused,abandoned, and had resorted to eating manure to survive. She was very sick. I used to say she would be the best dog ever if no one came to visit. She was very nervous and unpredictable when anyone came around. She has mellowed quite a bit the last few years. It took almost nine years for that to happen. She loves "her kids" and is ecstatic when they wake up in the morning or come home from being out and about. She still plays like a puppy despite the gray around her muzzle. She takes after the Whippet side, certainly not the Lab side. She's very ladylike and water is only fit to drink, not to play in. Her silly names are - Mari Woof, Martita, Mari Woofer Woof, and Mars Bars.

The latest skein using BFL from :) Kristin.
I was up at 7AM and after making coffee headed right to the wheel !

I have not done much knitting. I am so embarrassed by all my UFO's that one day will pull them all out and count to perhaps, shame me into finishing them. My next life I'm coming back as an organized person

Finally

2008-06-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

It's been the dampest, chilliest June I've ever remembered. A few weeks ago the news said it was warmer in Siberia than it was here ! Finally it's beautiful, sunny, and warm. The sunlight shining thru the leaves in the garden gives the plants a wonderful bright glow.

I was contacted by Pam Allen, now at Classic Elite Yarns, about some pictures of Sirkka Könönens work I had sent her while at Interweave. She loved the colorwork, as do I. She sent me some samples of their new Fall yarn "Fresco" created especially for colorwork. It's a blend of 60% wool, 30% baby alpaca, 10% angora and will come in 35-40 colors ! It feels wonderfully soft and I can't wait to find just the right project for it. It's my favorite shade of blue and natural.
Thank you Pam !!!

Thank you Barbro for arranging to buy and ship these books for me. I seriously have a problem here ! You are my personal Swedish enabler !

All things fiber

2008-06-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

An idyllic scene of Freisian sheep grazing in the pasture.
A few weekends ago an afternoon was spent at the Fiber Frolic at Gretchen's Wool Mill.
Women spinning on the back deck, the whirl of wheels, the exchange of gentle conversation, and the sharing of ideas all made for a lovely day.

A month ago my two fleeces arrived from Wee Croft Finnsheep As soon as I opened the box I dove my hands into the lovely lanolin fiber and the scent made me miss not having sheep.

They are GORGEOUS. I love the silvery bits in the light fleece "Lilac"
"Sadie" is the other.

It's hard not to be self critical of my early attempts at spinning. Don't look too closely ! I'm not usually an orange person but I was drawn to this cherry/orange combo from Allspunup

Stop and smell the flowers

2008-05-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

The thoughts we choose to think are the tools we use to paint the canvas of our lives.

Louise Hay
Ryan set up the waterfall for me yesterday. The sound of trickling water is so soothing as I sit here and type.
Thank you Cindy for being so kind to take me to Flower World yesterday and plant up my pots.

Was up at Cindy's a few weeks ago. Sammy in his new cut getting ready to go to the trainers.
Their newest unnamed colt who's adorable.

I love barn swallows.

Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows.

Helen Keller

Very cute bag I bought on Etsy. Only $12 and Swedish colors to boot !
Little Sisters Creations

Earlier in the week met with Kristin and Tuulia. A fun morning of spinning, knitting, dyeing, and talk of Mr. Darcy who makes at least two of us drool !

Thanks Kristin for overdyeing this tweedy alpaca for me. Love the electric blue.

Life in general

2008-05-24T13:20:00.000-07:00

The sun feels so good today. I have five days off to revel in it. For whatever reason my nerves are shot and the last few days even Inga couldn't make me smile. Sunshine should help though. Tried to putter outside this morning and groom DC and Sherman. Cheery Welsh poppies are blooming all over the backyard. My landscaping plan is the "Back to Nature" look !

Took a great mitten class from Tuulia
at the museum.

Aili's mittens
It's a fun and fast pattern. Used my all time favorite general purpose yarn Berocco Ultra Alpaca. It's heavenly soft and I didn't realize until I got to class that I chose Finnish colors !

Some of the samples she brought to show us.

My favorite- Kainuu mittens

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T12:58:00.000-07:00

It's quiet here today. Ryan is at work, Marc is sleeping, and Anna is babysitting next door. No big plans for the day except for a nice dinner of Fettuccine and Clam Sauce, amongst other things, prepared by them. I like these kind of low key days.

This is Ryan's latest. He will be entering it into the Night of the Arts Snohomish School District wide arts contest later this month. It's from a photo taken on a 4H cross country ski trip from a few years ago. It's lovely of course !

Started yet more projects. The mitten is knit from yarn given to me by Heather, who brought it back from Cortes Island. Borrowed ideas from Ravelry taken from the Instant and Lovikka mittens. I don't have much confidence trying to come up with little design ideas myself. Tried to embroider it with Ullcentrum yarn from a pattern in "Scandinavian Embroidery by Edith Nielsen". Not sure if I like the way it's turning out but then again I'm pretty self critical.

The inspiration for this scarf was from a lace mat in the Finland Room at the Museum.
I'm using Crystal Palace Yarns - Panda Wool "Ultramarine" I hope I can keep on track for this project. Having a pharmaceutical lobotomy kinda makes it a challenge !!
Would love to become proficient with lace knitting someday.

Olwena AKA Wennie, Wenners, Wrenniekins, Wenster, Cutesy girl, and my little Corgi.
Goofy names thought up by all of us.
She loves to "play toy". Wanted to capture the joy on her face when she brought me this sock to play tug of war and fetch with. Ahem.... bad habit to promote ripping up socks and all :) She doesn't do it very often but with that happy face she can get away with it ! She's pretty spoiled. Did someone say Cesar Millan ?

Hope springs eternal

2008-05-04T23:48:00.000-07:00

Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.

Rachel Carson

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.

Marcel Proust

Life

2008-05-03T16:40:00.001-07:00

Here's another proud mother moment. Ryan's painting, the one he entered in the Junior Federal Duck Stamp Contest, came in second out of 178. WOW, it almost got to go to Washington, DC. Pretty cool. It's now hanging at the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. Time for a field trip !

Anna and two of her cousins are taking Swedish lessons at the Museum. Their enthusiasm is so cute. Anna has Post It notes all over the house. This one made me laugh.It's kinda hard to see but she put one on a fading tulip I had here in a vase.

I've fallen way behind in posting pictures. These were taken at a B&B knitters meeting. Linda's Noro Felted fish, Kristin's hand dyed, Navajo Plied sock, Katie wearing a shawl knit by Kristin of dyed reclaimed yarn, and Katie's felted slippers.

I LOVE this little knitting bag from ZigZagStitches on Etsy.com

My second skein that I've spun. It's brown lambs wool which I bought thru the Oregon Wool Growers. It's very soft and luxurious. It did have quite a bit of vegetative matter in it though.

It's been very hard emotionally the last two weeks. God, it hurts alot. When will this ever subside ?

WHEN I compare
What I have lost with what I have gained,
What I have missed with what attained,
Little room do I find for pride.

I am aware
How many days have been idly spent;
How like an arrow the good intent
Has fallen short or been turned aside.

But who shall dare
To measure loss and gain in this wise?
Defeat may be victory in disguise;
The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Where is Spring ?

2008-04-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Nature has no mercy at all. Nature says, ''I'm going to snow. If you have on a bikini and no snowshoes, that's tough. I am going to snow anyway.''

Maya Angelou
1928-, African-American poet, Writer, Performer

What ?

I don't remember ever seeing snow this late in the year. They predicted around an inch of snow and yesterday it dumped 8". It is now melting but it's still snowing in fits and spurts. The blue luminous light of it at night upon the heavy laden branches was beautiful. Wish I could have captured it with my camera

The power was out this morning. I'm so thankful for this little Norwegian propane stove which works no matter what. Atop it is a raku piece Ryan made years ago in 4H. It's supposed to be a Wood Duck. He can't understand why I want to keep it. I love everything my children create and it's too precious to throw away.

I LOVE Corgi's. Wennie is not a shining example of the intelligence of the breed.We all think she's adorable though and that makes up for the times she seems to be one brick short of a load. I love my dogs as they are always glad to see me no matter what.

Lord, please let me be half the woman my dog thinks I am

unknown

Cats are smarter than dogs. You can not get eight cats to pull a sled through snow.

Jeff Valdez

Fan, det var dumt. Wennie had her own little fiber fest. In this case she was smarter than I am !

This is my idea of a mid-life crisis. No red Ferrari for me but a cute little bug.
My first car was a 69' and I loved it. A wave of nostalgia swept over me last week and I found this 74' on Craigslist. Anna helped me buy it. She needs alot of work but I'm hoping Bjorn will be able to fix it bit by bit.
I picked up Ryan from work last week to which he had to say it was the smallest car he's ever been in. It's not quite a clown car but close ! Her name is Inga !

Confession

2008-04-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

It's been sixteen days since my last cup of coffee...............
My acupuncturist and health coach Dr. Martin has been after me for three months to give up coffee. WHAT Doc ? I'm half Swedish and I live in the PNW ! You're killing me here. It's sacrilege to even broach the subject ! For the greater good I acquiesced, but I sure do miss a good hot cup of coffee, especially on a cold and snowy day.

Spring Hope (A Rispetto)

As sky turns blue in early spring
with warming sun of nature's call
the earth in thaw begins to sing
and rumbles sprouts both big and small.

When first they come full bursting through,
all bold and green in their debut;
such innocence of fresh new life
brings hope to man through earthly strife.

Pamela A. Lamppa

Cindy and I went to Karen's for a knit and spin night a few weekends ago. Cindy had shaved the heads of a few of her yearling miniature horses and saved the hair. It's very soft and downy. Karen is spinning some here. It might have to be blended with wool for optimum results. Fun though to think we might have mini yarn to knit with.

Ryan's lastest oil painting is of a Pintail. He enters the Junior Federal Duck Stamp contest every year but this will be his last. Perhaps he will continue in the Adult Division. Wow, for a kid who doesn't spend much time working on his craft he does pretty well.

Spring has sprung

2008-03-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

In Life's Garden

Count your garden by the flowers
Never by the leaves that fall;
Count your days by golden hours;
Don't remember clouds at all;
Count your nights by stars not shadows
Count your life by smiles not tears.
And to bring you joy this day
Count your age by friends not years.
Author Unknown

What a life !! Betsy relaxing with Ry. She is quite the snugga puppy.
She and I are soul mates as we love to eat too much, expend little energy, and relax on the comfy couch !

My second attempt at spinning using the Merino roving given to me by Heidi at the Artful Ewe when I bought my Kromski wheel.

The 2009 Nordic Knitting Conference is in the beginning stages. Teachers lined up so far are Pat Brunner, Beth Brown-Reinsel, Nancy Bush, Marianne Isager, and Katarina Brieditis. This is very exciting !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nordic Knitters Swap

2008-03-03T23:27:00.000-08:00

I joined Nordic Knitters on Ravelry. They are nice enough to let Nordic wannabe's participate ! A swap was organized and I was given a partner in Norway. Tone sent me these wonderful items. I LOVE these shades of blue Rauma. Milk chocolate is my favorite, and the buttons are beautiful. I hope your package gets there soon. It's been great writing back and forth.
Thanks Tone !

Is it a blessing or a curse to have someone in your knitting group who hand dyes roving ? I'm putting her sons thru college at this rate ! She's even done custom colors for me. Thanks Kristen !
She sells these plus handspun yarn thru Etsy as
Allspunup
These remind me of glowing embers.

Not much knitting getting done. Don't know why I'm having this lackadaisical spirit.
The rain has returned. Spring has begun though as the frogs are singing at night and the bulbs are just pushing their way out of the cold and damp soil.

Anna and Marc at a 1920's themed birthday party for friend Elizabeth. They were really getting into the spirit !

The sun feels so good

2008-02-24T11:58:00.000-08:00

Even for a person raised here, this winter has been very hard. Never ending rain and cloudy skies in which the damp and the gray permeated everything. Yesterday was heavenly. I had forgotten what that glowing orb in the sky was ! Went about the yard taking pictures of the light and shadows.

"Awakening"
Hark the awakening of sounds!
The gentle humming of bumblebees,
birds singing a magnificent chorus,
a multitude of sonnets to the sky.

Creatures bathing in the golden rays,
Sweet smells filling the pure air,
erasing the harshness of winter.

Replacing those endless days
of cold darkness and longing
with soft touches and mild melodies.
Heralding pleasure to all senses.

By Rynya
(edited)

Hard to see the view from our porch in this picture but on a clear day we can see White Horse, Three Fingers, and Pilchuck peaks in their shining white mantles.

The boys meet their new neighbor. Sherman has high hopes for a blossoming romance !
Where's the step stool ?

Purchases from the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat Marketplace. Had a wonderful time with Charisa, Linda, and Kristin shopping there last weekend. So much lovely fiber and great company !

Easier to care for than an actual Angora rabbit but just as lovely to pet !
Local hand spun from Kelley's Klann

Hand dyed roving from Heidi of

The Artful Ewe

BFL

Gorgeous Silk/Merino in which the colors just glow. It's practically a work of art !
Natural light

With flash

Long Cut Scarf pattern from Ravelry using my Etsy purchased Angora/Wool thick and thin by Robin Dodge.

Yesterday I went to use my gift certificate from Karen at Country Yarns of Snohomish.
Chose this Wool in Woods Cameo "Rosebud" It has a lovely drape to it. This company was bought out by Cherry Tree Hill and alot of their yarns are no longer available :(
Thanks Karen !!

My So Called Scarf

2008-02-10T12:12:00.000-08:00

I jumped on the "My So Called Scarf" bandwagon along with many other Ravelers. It's a great and easy pattern from

Sheep in the City
First I tried using CPY Taos but decided I liked the look of the Manos shown in the original. The Taos will make a lovely hat instead.

I purchased this Manos Silk Blend, with this scarf in mind, on a day trip with Karen C.. She brought me to a great little shop in Bellingham called

Apple Yarns
It has a fantastic selection. Couldn't walk out of there without buying something ! I like the way the color mottles throughout giving it a more woven look.

Thanks for the socks !

Besides Ravelry, I love cruising thru

Etsy Shops "Your place to buy and sell all things handmade"
Found this wool/angora handspun by Robin Dodge of One Sheep Hill. It's called "Black Ice" The color reminds me of the glacial ice in the background.

Picture courtesy of

Natures Mighty Pictures
Iceland

From my stash.

Schaefer Elaine "Indira Gandhi"

Farmhouse Lumpy Bumpy "Rhythm and Blues"

With three dogs this rings quite true !

OMG

2008-01-27T19:55:00.000-08:00

Charisa organized a fabulous train trip to Portland to visit three yarn shops, Powells Bookstore, and everything in between !!! There was a full train car of happy, happy, knitters and on the way back shoppers !! She did a great job and it was the most fun I've had in a long time. She arranged a 20% discount at two stores, and a free skein of yarn at the other. There was no sales tax to boot !! Scones, tea, and hot cider were set out at my personal favorite, Dublin Bay. They have a wonderful selection, great ambiance, and very kind and courteous staff.
(Except for the Koigu wall all store photos are courtesy of the respective shops)

The famous wall of Koigu at Knit Purl.

Knit Knot is a charming small shop which included local handspun.

I could write all day about this wonderful trip. Can't wait until next year !!Thanks Charisa !!

My train buddies in the rear of the car. Aren't we glowing ?

Charisa, the wunderkind, on the left.

I should be on a yarn diet but I couldn't resist this Sea Silk at Dublin Bay. It is gorgeous !!

Saturday was spent with friend Karen in Edmonds. We had lunch first at Chantrelles where we both had the world's messiest sandwiches !!
Afterwards we went to Spin A Yarn and perused their vast selection.

She gave me this absolutely fabulous gift basket as a belated Xmas present. Thank you Karen for your generosity and thoughtfulness. It was like Xmas morning all over again !

Christmas Fairy

2008-01-12T21:56:00.000-08:00

The Christmas Fairy came again this year to wrap our porches with aromatic fir, cedar, hemlock, and holly. I cried when I came home and found our home festooned with such greenery. Thank you Cindy !!

Anna and friends went cross country skiing a few weeks ago in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.

With long time friend Dustin

We went to Cindy's last weekend to see the minis. Tess, the "blonde", with a happening doo !

Sammy and Spotman nose to nose.

Started Barbro's Star of the Forest Mitten pattern using Lorna's Laces "Blackwatch" and Toots LeBlanc Angora/Wool. Had to rip it out as it was too big :(
I LOVE the way the Toots LeBlanc yarn feels !

Julafton

2007-12-31T21:30:00.000-08:00

Uncounted Blessings

Whenever we gather together,
The words are not easy to find,
But love speaks a common language
When people have ties that bind.
We don't always say what we're feeling
As often as families should;
We don't count our blessings out loud,
But somehow they're understood.
We know that we're thankful for living
With the comfort of each other's care;
We're grateful for memories and stories,
And the jokes that our family shares.
We might leave a promise unspoken,
But we know that we're loyal and true;
We can count on companions through life,
In the sunshine and shadows, too.
We might show some special attention
To a stranger, acquaintance, or guest,
But we never forget in our hearts
About those that we really love best.
These blessings can never be counted
Like money or gold dividends;
They can only be shared as the love
That exists when families are friends.

Jill Wolf

Xmas Eve was here. We keep the long standing family tradition of what we imagine a Swedish Julafton should be.
Pickled herring, meatballs, potato sausage, cucumber salad, flat bread, and more.
It was a relaxing time with friends and family.

Life is full of many blessings

2007-12-22T10:12:00.000-08:00

Thankful
Some days, we forget to look around us,
Some days, we can't see the joy that surrounds us,
so caught up inside ourselves,
we take when we should give,
so for tonight we pray for,
what we know can be,
and on this day we hope for,
what we still can't see,
It's up to us, to be the change,
and even though we all can still do more,
there's so much to be thankful for,
look beyond ourselves,
there's so much sorrow,
it's way to late to say, I'll cry tomorrow
each of us must find our truth,
it's so long overdue,
so for tonight we pray for,

what we know can be,
and everyday, we hope for,
what we still can't see,
it's up to us, to be the change,
and even though we all can still do more,
there's so much to be thankful for,
even with our differences,
there is a place WE'RE all connected,
each of us can find each others light,
So for tonight, we pray for
what we know can be,
and on this day, we hope for,
what we still can't see,
it's up to us, to be the change,
and even though this world NEEDS so much more
there's so much to be thankful for.

David Foster, Carole Bayer, Richard Page

Xmas is coming too soon !!

2007-12-14T23:45:00.000-08:00

Can't believe Christmas is just over a week away. My next life I'm coming back as an organized person ! I'm not ready at all but it will work out though, always has. Anna is helping with shopping which I really appreciate. Christmas will be different this year.....

"Men's courses will foreshadow certain ends, to which, if persevered in, they must lead," said Scrooge. "But if the courses be departed from, the ends will change. Say it is thus with what you show me!"
- A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

Marc and Anna cutting our tree. Marc looking very fashionable in shorts and friend Elizabeth's coat ! He lives in shorts year round, has since a young child. People are quite puzzled why I "let" him but he's happy.

Multidirectional diagonal scarf I made with two of my favorite yarns
Farmhouse Lumpy Bumpy
and Berocco Ultra Alpaca
Found the pattern on Ravelry.com
The colorway is "Autumn" but it looks very Christmasy to me. Just noticed I didn't finish it properly. Oh well....

B&B holiday party was last week at Charisa's house. Didn't get a picture of her at the party so grabbed this one off her Ravelry profile. Was very fun and as always great to see other peoples projects.

Custom dyed Merino roving purchased from Kristin who's in the group. She sells as Allspunup on Etsy.com Great colors !! Will be interesting to see how it spins up.

See what came in the mail today from my e-mail buddy Ulla ! We met in 1994 when I was trying to research the surname Winroth. Her name popped up in the search engine. We are not related but have been writing ever since. She lives in Örebro with her sambo Calle. She always finds her cute Christmas presents at area craft fairs, wanting to support the local artisans. Calle's ancestral home is in Järvsö. We met them on our trip in 2006. It was great to finally meet after corresponding so long.
It's wonderful how the Internet can bring people together from across the globe.

Hood Canal

2007-11-27T02:04:00.000-08:00

It was good to sleep in this morning. They predict snow which we don't get very often so I hope it does ! Listening to Josh Groban's new Xmas CD "Noel" I"ll be home for Christmas is a touching rendition which brings a tear to my eye. I wish the album was more classical than pop but it's growing on me.

Friend Cindy took me to a family cabin on Hood Canal last weekend to celebrate my birthday. It is in a lovely location. It was pretty chilly though as there is no heater in the living area. We wore many layers and tried to coax the fire into providing a little more warmth. Stopped at Linda's Knit and Stitch in Silverdale on the way. It is a charming shop. Had to buy at least one skein - Farmhouse Lumpy Bumpy "Autumn" Watched DVDs, knit, and partook of the wonderful food that Cindy made. Thanks Cindy !!

Mist floating on the water, slowly burning off as the morning went on.

Finished a cloche hat to give to Anna for Xmas. Making a pair of fingerless mitts to match. Used Farmhouse Lumpy Bumpy "Rhythm and Blues" I really like that yarn

These came this week from AnneSofie of Slöjdmagasinet.nu. Was very happy to get them. My Nordic knitting book collection is slowly growing.

Landmark Passage

2007-11-18T15:25:00.000-08:00

Oh, they make me smile. When Ryan was driving us all up to take their written drivers test Marc was teasing him by talking in a monotone voice like a drivers ed instructor "Please accelerate evenly when going thru a turn", "Slow down please, you are exceeding the speed limit", "I said left not right". Ryan smiled, I was laughing so. Friday they took their driving test. The woman who gave their test one after another looked pretty serious and grumpy when they started. Afterwards she came up to me, smiled, and said " Your boys are great" That just warmed my heart. They PASSED ! Marc looks rather like Leonard Nimoy in this pic I think :) They are both such goofballs. Anna is pretty cheery and goofy in her own right.

There is no friendship, no love, like that of the parent for the child.
Henry Ward Beecher

Donna gave me this wonderful yarn she brought back from Sweden on one of her trips. It's from Wåhlstedts Textiles. Used a little Berocco Ultra Alpaca on the bottom.

Used parts from patterns I had done earlier from Kids Knits and Blue Sky Alpacas.

Even if I weren't having a "pharmaceutical lobotomy" I am not a technical knitter. I jump from project to project just learning a little bit as I go. It gets pretty intimidating to be around people who are "knitting techies". There is so much to learn. "One day at a time", "Rome wasn't built in a day", " All good things come to those who wait" !!

Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

I am thinking of doing the "Jaywalker Scarf" pattern I found on Ravelry.com with these two Claudia's Hand Painted "Midnight". They are from the same dye lot but so different in color !

Ravelry.com

2007-11-11T14:44:00.000-08:00

Just spent the morning setting up a new group on Ravelry called "Wermland Sticka" Within two minutes a woman from Germany joined ! I'm looking forward to meeting people thru there and seeing their projects. Ravelry is the greatest !!!!

Here is the progress on my Faroese footlet. It's hard being brain dead. I just couldn't grasp how to get the pattern going on the sides. I'll have to make the same mistakes on the other one so they'll match ! It feels very nice with the Ultra Alpaca and Barbro's homespun. I hope it fits !

Finished my simple Ullcentrum Shawl. The yarn was a gift from Irene. Thanks again !!

The shawl pin didn't show up very well in the last post so tried again. Here's the link to see more of her lovely creations.

Karin's Designs

What would I do without friends and family..............

The Gift Of Friends
by Karin Schaefer

There are days when
bubbling from us comes
the innocent child within,
who giggles at the little things
and wears a silly grin.

There are days when
melancholy comes to
visit for a while;
the mind feels tired, the body weak;
we have no strength to smile.

There are days when
joy abundant
grabs a hold of you and me;
wraps us up in all it's splendor,
lifts us up and sets us free.

There are days when
sorrow wraps us
in its cloak of grief and fear,
'till our hearts ache to the breaking,
'till our eyes can't shed a tear.

There are days when
love bestows us
with its wonderment and light;
with its beauty and its mystery,
its power and its might.

And there are days when
life rewards us
and seems to make amends
by granting us a marvelous gift,
the precious gift of Friends.

Reflections

2007-11-06T23:34:00.000-08:00

Like love, grief fades in and out.

Mason Cooley

It's been a year since our lives changed drastically. I keep wanting to wake up and find that nothing ever happened, even after a year. The effect of another person's addictions can be so heartbreaking, emotionally wrenching, permeate almost every aspect of our lives. We did not ask to be in this situation yet here we are trying to pick up the pieces. My heart aches so for my children having been exposed to this. "It's not what happens to you, but how you react" I try and keep that in my thoughts but it is a struggle. It does take time to heal and we are so blessed with family, friends, and counselors who try and support us thru this.

Our destiny, our being's heart and home,
Is with infinitude, and only there;
With hope it is, hope that can never die,

William Wordsworth

"Graham Thomas" blooms on even into November.

Thank you Barbro for the booklet and the wonderful wristwarmers !
Bought these shawl pins from a friend of hers when I saw them on her blog.
I love hearts. One will be a birthday present for my oldest sister who has taken up knitting again.

Finally broke down and bought a Kromski wheel. I so look forward to learning more about this craft from friend Karen and Heidi at The Artful Ewe
Found this Gotland/Silk blend on Etsy.com

To those who keep their hearts their own
The winter is the spring.

John Clare

Faroese Footlets Nordic Knitting Conference

2007-10-31T13:00:00.000-07:00

Took the Faroese Footlet class with my new friend Donna. It's amazing how the Internet brings people together. We met because of Barbro and her blog.
Anyway, it was taught by Marilyn Van Keppel. Here are some of her examples. During lunch she showed an interesting travel video on the Faroe Islands.

I started my first one with Barbro's homespun and Berocco Ultra Alpaca

This is what Pat Brunner was working on in her free time at the Conference, one of her own designs.

The Museum gave board members a nice gift certificate for Acorn Street. Had a blast shopping with my 15% off coupon.

Sammy aka "Life in the Fast Lane" with his mother Poco. He's only five months old and almost as tall as she is !

Vivian Høxbro Nordic Knitting Conference

2007-10-26T19:46:00.001-07:00

It made the Seattle Times !

Took the Danish Nightshirt from Falster on the third day of the Conference. Half of the joy for me in these classes is hearing the history and stories behid these tradtitions. I knew I was going to have a hard time with the technique as my thought process is pretty shot but I loved it anyway. It's hard to see the detail in the photos but I hope someday to try this style in a smaller project. She is a very kind, gracious, and patient teacher.
Ms. Sundbø remembered seeing a nightshirt in the museum's collection a few years ago so that was found and brought out for viewing.

Pat Brunner, Conference board member, pattern designer, and booklet editor, looking lovley in this jacket.

The much bandied about tote !!

I just got on Ravelry.com and LOVE it !

Cindy giving Rita a good scritch. She's adorable !
Lovely Rita mini maid, nothing can come between us,
give us a wink and make me think of you........

Nordic Knitting Conference Annemor Sundbø

2007-10-15T21:47:00.001-07:00

The first day of the Conference I was so pumped !! Took Annemor's Magic Knitting class and loved it ! Gloves don't seem as intimidating and it goes very fast. I loved hearing all the stories about traditions, beliefs, and superstitions. After I'm done with this entry I'm retreating to my room to start reading "Invisible Threads" Besides, the kids are trying to watch a horror movie and my Joshua Bell CD is detracting from their viewing pleasure !

Four fingers at once !

I chose black and blue. Are they done yet ? :)

Magic Creatures !

We love Sweden !!

2007-10-13T22:06:00.001-07:00

Barbro's friend Donna came up from California for the conference. It was great to meet her. She is a very kind and generous person.
During her stay we went to the Queen Mary Tea Room, Weaving Works, The Fiber Gallery, and Acorn Street. Other highlights were a trip to the locks and Ivars Salmon House. !

We share a love for Sweden and knitting. Thanks Donna for all your generosity !

More pictures from the Conference coming soon I hope !

My baby girl

2007-10-01T21:30:00.000-07:00

My baby girl turns 21 tomorrow. Hard to believe so much time has gone by. She is very excited to hit this landmark age. She's racing out first thing to get her new drivers license. Here she is wearing the YO diagonal scarf I made out of "Wool in the Woods-Cameo-Rainforest" She smiles often and has a great sense of humor.

Went to B&B knitters last week to learn about dyeing with Kool Aid from Charisa.
The first attempt with Knit Picks Yarn was tomato soup red and mottled I don't know what ! I also dyed some Jamieson's Charcoal with Grape. It came out a nice aubergine color which is hard to see in the photo. I tried redyeing the Knit Picks yarn with mixed results. Would love to get a cranberry red but it is better than tomato soup now ! I hear it's hard to photograph red so it shows it's true color. The mottled yarn is now darker. Will have to experiment more later !

Few helpful websites from Charisa.

Wool Festival Kool Aid

Gaea Creations

Spinning lessons

2007-09-28T21:46:00.000-07:00

Karen C. was kind enough to set up a spinning lesson at the

The Artful Ewe
in Port Gamble. It is a charming shop and Heidi, the owner, is very knowledge and friendly. Started with drop spindles and moved onto Kromski wheels. I love the old world look of them. I am coveting the Minstrel !

I brought my great grandmother's flax wheel to see if it was use able. Unfortunately it wouldn't draw in the yarn. I have been wanting to learn to spin for a long time so it was fantastic to finally get the chance.

This shop offers hand dyed roving, yarns, and much more.

Karen made me really laugh when she told me what her husband calls Alpacas-
Space Poodles !

Voted "Favorite pet from the planet Endor"

Coming soon- pictures of Karen's charming studio.

Couldn't resist

2007-09-13T23:07:00.000-07:00

Took Ryan down to Snohomish for his art class and discovered I'd FORGOTTEN my knitting ! Do I drive ten miles roundtrip to pick it up or pop into the local yarn shop ? Stopped at Country Yarns and had to buy a skein of Wool in the Woods Cameo (Rayon) "Rainforest" and the needles Theresa recommended - High Polish Clover Bamboo.
They feel so much nicer than the regular needles. Since my brain capacity has greatly diminished I asked for a simple scarf pattern. She suggested this K2tog and YO.
Svenska färger !! Not sure why they call this "Rainforest" as there is very little green, at least in this skein. Still, it feels nice and the color is great.

Dewy morning

2007-09-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

The mist hangs heavy this morning. Tis spider season and I almost walked into this web on the way to feed Sherman and DC. Spiders on dewy webs are pretty but not crawling on me ! Was curious to see how well it photographed with the digital camera.

Listening to "Celtic Women" with Luciano, the canary, singing in the background. It's quite peaceful.

My favorite tree, a crabapple called "Everest" It has big beautiful blossoms in the Spring and lovely salmon colored fruit in the Fall.

There is music in the meadows, in the air–
Autumn is here;
Skies are gray, but hearts are mellow,

—William Stanley Braithwaite, "A Lyric of Autumn,"

Went to "B&B" knitters last night which was fun. It's good to get out again even if I have to "fake it to make it"

Tried to create a link for this pattern like Barbro does on her blog but couldn't figure it out ! This comes from " Scandinavian Snow Sets" by Kajsa Lindquist, published in 1949 by Nomis Yarn Company. I'd like to try it some day with Bohus yarn and change to a flared cuff.

Just another day....

2007-09-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

Finished the Knitty.com "Askew" top for Anna but haven't blocked it yet. Perhaps I'm afraid when I do, I'll find it doesn't fit her ! This is odd but the colorway of this SWTC "Karaoke" yarn reminds me of tropical saltwater fish.

Went to Sweden for the first time in 1976 to visit my sister Melissa, who was studying in Uppsala. We went to Medelpad to visit relatives where I bought this cross-stitch kit in a Sundsvall hemsljöd. Wish I still had the directions so I could see where the pattern originated.

I'm going to try and start going back to the "B & B" knitters. I need to start getting out of my pity party and start really enjoying life again ! Easier said than done but it has to be so. Life goes on irregardless.
They are going to do some Kool Aid dyeing at the end of this month.
Charisa sent me some great links. I had never seen Kool Aid dyed gray yarn before. Very cool.
www.thepiper.com/fiberart/koolaid/images/colorchart-max.jpg/

Some of her handiwork.

http://charisa.smugmug.com/photos/140051029-M.jpg
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1289/1241449665_98d7e29007_b.jpg
I really want to try birch leaf dye also ! Too much fun stuff in the world and not enough time to do it in !

Tack och lov !

2007-09-08T23:27:00.000-07:00

Thank goodness the garage sale is OVER ! It was alot of work for the money but it was great to do to start dejunking the place. It really helps to have a set date to minimize the procastination. The rest of the stuff our neighbor is kindly taking to the Goodwill.Tomorrow I am going to relax !

Here is the cover design for the Nordic Knitting Conference booklet.

Patterns by
Pat Brunner
Evelyn Clark
Jody Grage
Vivian Høxbro
Elsebeth Lavold
Carol Rhoades
Terri Shea
Annemor Sundbø
Marilyn Van Keppel
Barbro Wilhelmsson

Another beautiful painting

2007-09-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

Ryan finished this lovely painting for his friend Emily. I was sorry to see it go out the door this evening. Would love to keep them all !

Went to wake him up one weekend and had to laugh. He put this t-shirt over his face to block the light out. What a sensitive boy !

I'm getting very excited for the Nordic Knitting Conference which is one month away. The booklet with the ten donated patterns is on it's way to the printer and last minute details are being worked on. I'm taking "Magic Knitting" with Annemor Sundbö, "Faroese Footlets" from Marilyn Van Keppel, and "Danish Nightshirt from Falster" from Vivian Höxbro.

Here's the Conference logo. We all wanted the "dancing grannies" and I asked for a heart to be incorporated. YAY !!

A Rose by any other name....

2007-08-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

Saw this pattern on the

Knit Purl website and had to buy it. I used the yarn Irene brought which was dyed by Barbro. It's a lapel pin. I think it turned out well and I love the color.

I took these pictures of Hälsingland sweaters at the museum in Härnösand last summer. Someday it would be nice to do one in that style.

The kids and I were working on the upstairs last weekend to look for garage sale items and Marc found this. He made me laugh " Hey Mom, don't I look ripped !". I am so blessed with my three children. They get along for the most part and have a great sense of humor.

Feels like Fall.....

2007-08-20T20:43:00.000-07:00

It's been cool and rainy lately. So many patients today said it feels like Fall already.

I finished my Koigu shawl. It's very simple but as someone said the color speaks for itself. It is such a wonderfully soft yarn and this colorway I love. I joke I can only do the simplest of projects, that they are the "popsicle stick art" of knitting. I so want to do some lace knitting but that will have to wait until the storm is over.

Thanks BW and KC for listening.

From my stash-Claudia's Hand Painted "Blue Sky"

Taken by Ryan, who has become a connoisseur of sunsets.

Noble Sunset

I’ve gazed upon the sunset
In all its glorious hues;
And understood its awesome power;
Its propensity to soothe.

The true measure of a person’s soul;
The legacy left behind;
Is akin to the masterful sunset,
And etched in spiritual shrine.

To be like that wondrous force;
To shine boldly with color and grace
In the last moments of one’s glory
Until nobly conceding the day.

James Holsey

Summer travels

2007-08-18T18:45:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it's mid August already. Haven't finished any projects lately and want to wait until I'm finished with my Koigu shawl before I take a picture. I have three shawls and one scarf going at once !

These are a few photos from Anna's trip to Sweden. We are made fun of when we go over there because we always have to make a pilgrimage to the ancestral cabin "Oxnedalen" that is no longer there. Last summer we couldn't find it as it was raining and we went too far into the woods. Cousin Leif found it and here he is with his two daughters Astrid and Agnes, Anna and her cousins, Jessa and Elisabeth, showing their mock glee for finding the pile of rocks (foundation).

A must for Jessa was a trip into Dalarna to see the Dala horse boutiques.

Elisabeth, Jessa, Tina, and cousin Per Ingemar

Anna bought these stylin' pieces in Stockholm !

DC Appaloosa Hat

2007-08-02T23:10:00.000-07:00

I know my kids think I'm quite odd, but they are good
natured about it, making me laugh with their teasing.
Marc is wondering why I would knit a "horse" hat named
after our mini DC. He was kind enough to model it for
me though. DC is thrilled as you can tell ! He used to
be a real rascal when a baby, so his former owners
named him DC for Devil Child, I've changed it to Darn
Cute ! He is very mild- mannered. Anyway, this was the first time
I've used duplicate stitches. Still have to finish the
back. The kit came from

Kids Knits with "Dale of Norway Yarn".

Ryan, Anna, and Marc

This is the yarn Irene gave me this summer which was hand dyed by Barbro. It is very soft and the color reminds me of blackberry/raspberry swirled sorbet.

Emotional stress still has it's tentacles firmly entwined in my brain, I can only do the simplest of patterns. This too shall pass I hope.........

God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you. So we say with confidence,
The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
Hebrews 13

"För Gud har sagt: Jag kommer aldrig att överge dig eller svika dig.
Det är därför som vi utan minsta tvekan eller oro kan säga: Herren hjälper mig, och jag är inte rädd för något som människor kan göra mot mig."
Hebreerbrevet 13

Thank you LJ

We had a board meeting last weekend for the Nordic Knitting Conference. There are only eight class slots open out of three hundred plus. This is very exciting !

Lycklig Resa !

2007-07-26T12:53:00.000-07:00

Daughter Anna, nieces Elisabeth and Jessa, and sister Tina ready to leave for the airport on their Scandinavian adventure ! Wish I was with them !
July 19th

Taken in Dalarna by Cousin Per Ingemar
July 24th

Koigu KPPPM 105D
Reminds me of an antique Victorian Christmas - faded velvet, burnished gold, the tree,......

What Is to Come

WHAT is to come we know not. But we know
That what has been was good--was good to show,
Better to hide, and best of all to bear.
We are the masters of the days that were;
We have lived, we have loved, we have suffered...even so.

Shall we not take the ebb who had the flow?
Life was our friend? Now, if it be our foe--
Dear, though it spoil and break us! --need we care
What is to come?

Let the great winds their worst and wildest blow,
Or the gold weather round us mellow slow;
We have fulfilled ourselves, and we can dare
And we can conquer, though we may not share
In the rich quiet of the afterglow
What is to come.

William Ernest Henley

Lavender Festival

2007-07-23T13:04:00.000-07:00

...To lift the spirit, cheer the heart and make all sweet.

Kind friend and coworker Debbie treated me to the Lavender Festival in Sequim this past weekend. It was so relaxing and alot of fun. Eight Lavender farms were on the tour, plus a street fair in town. Everything made with lavender-cheesecake, ice tea, ice cream, BBQ sauce, lotions, soaps, candles, plus much, much, more. The fields were beautiful and the fragrance wafting everywhere smelled lovely.
We stayed at a charming bed and breakfast on a farm which has been in this family since 1870. We sat in the evenings on the big wrap around porch with a view of the Straight in the distance, knitting and watching the cows meander about. The smell of salt air is so wonderful. Ran into Port Townsend for a few hours and checked out two yarn shops. I managed not to buy anymore thank goodness ! Debbie picked up some Misti Alpaca to make a hat for her daughter.

A little pink amongst the lavender.

Hanged up in houses,
it doth very well attemper the aire,
coole and make fresh the place to the delight
and comfort of such as are therein.
~~By John Gerard, 1597.~~

My lavender products-linen water, honey, lavender citrus lotion, and candle.

Mother Alpaca and her nine day old son.

Debbie knitting while waiting for the ferry.

This came from Leena Riihivilla while I was gone. I couldn't resist ordering them ! They are beautiful.

The sun feels good

2007-07-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

Det är en ny lugn dag. Min lilla damm med vattenfall låter
behagfullt i bakgrunden, medan jag skriver. Vädret är perfekt. inte för varmt, inte för kallt.
I morse plockade jag lite smultron att ha i min smoothie. Dessa små
bär smakar så gott. (REALLY edited by PI)

Proverbs 18:4
4 The words of a man's mouth are deep waters,
but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

Ordspråksboken 18:4
4Orden i en mans mun äro såsom ett djupt vatten, såsom en flödande bäck, en vishetens källa.

Gallica ; Rosa Mundi
12th Century
Named after Fair Rosamund, the mistress of King Henry II of England
(Heirloom Roses)

Portulaca grandiflora ; Moss rose

Feverfew ; Tanacetum parthenium

Haven't progressed much with my knitting. This yarn is from my stash. I bought it at the Madrona Fiber Arts Retreat Marketplace. Lovely yarn created locally by Rainshadow Farm. Don't know why I'm in a purple phase !

Evelyn suggested awhile back that the nystpinne is an excellent way to wind up scrap yarn. Thanks again Barbro !

Knitting

Love dies
Knit one
Purl one
Cast off.

linda jenkinson

This sums it up !

Leviathans

2007-07-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

Anna, Ryan, and Marc are on the annual 4H Natural Resources Whale Watching trip on San Juan Island right now. It is a wonderful opportunity to see these wonderful creatures. It is awe inspiring to see them breach, swim under the boat, spy hop, and more. Cell phone service is pretty non-existent so haven't heard if they've seen any yet. They have the digital camera so no picture taking for me until they return on the 13th. Ryan started a painting of this sunset. It is looking wonderful so far.

Picture taken by Lee on San Juan Island 2006

A heart's sunset

Out over the ocean, its waves are silent where they lay; a magnificent orange orb of fire drops down to be swallowed by the ocean.
The orb's spears of light slice through the water.
Down and deeper it cuts
This is the magnificent beauty of the sunset.
Everyone has one in there heart.
Can you find your sunset?
A priceless sight that the heart can conjure,
as the orb seeps below the horizon, to the signify the dawning of the new day.
The new day will bring new changes and people.......

Natalie Vail

Pictures courtesy of the Center for Whale Research

Psalm 104:25-26

25 There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
26 There the ships go to and fro,
and the leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

Psaltaren 104:25-26

25 Se ock havet, det stora och vida:
ett tallöst vimmel rör sig däri,
djur både stora och små.
26 Där gå skeppen sin väg fram,
Leviatan, som du har skapat att leka däri

Happy 4th of July !

2007-07-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Climbing Rose "4th of July"

We ought not to look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dear-brought experience.
George Washington

Välkommen Irene !

2007-06-30T18:37:00.000-07:00

It was lovley to meet Irene this week ! We went to Let it Rain Yarn, Village Yarn and Tea, Ben Franklin Crafts, and to a knit together at Mary's house. Lovely conversation, food, and a chance to see each others projects.

Thank you Irene for the lovely skein of yarn that Barbro dyed, and thank you Barbro for the fun mug !

"I get by with a little
help from my friends."
- John Lennon

An especially hard week emotionally. Caring friends and family help how they can to salve the wounds. Why can life be so painful at times.......

Varför är du så bedrövad, min själ, och varför så orolig i mig ? Hoppas på Gud; ty jag skall åter få tacka honom, min frälsning och min Gud.

Why are you so downcast, O my soul ? Why are you disturbed within me ?
Put your hope in God , for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God. Psalm 44:23

David Austin rose " Graham Thomas" and Geranium "Ann Folkard"

"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. They are but trifles, to be sure but, scattered along life's pathway, the good they do is inconceivable."
- George Eliot

Time on Camano

2007-06-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

A kind friend lent me use of their Camano Island cabin for four days. The cabin sits on a bluff looking west over the water towards Langley. No phone, no cell phone service, and no TV - lots of peace and quiet in a beautiful setting. Plenty of time to read, knit, and explore the island , unfortunately I forgot the camera. One evening as the half moon reflected on the water I lay on the sofa listening to the haunting soundtrack of the movie " The Straight Story " It is the most poignant, gentle, and thought provoking movie I have ever seen.

Lucent Evening

Watching silent ripples play,
And ebbing waves dance,
I sit by the placid sea,
Lost in mesmerized trance.
Soft dabs of colour,
On distant walls of horizon;
A thousand auric shades,
Painted by the setting sun.

Collage of unsung melodies,
Resonate across the evening sky;
A lone sail in deep sea,
With masts full open, passes by.

Mystic breezes carry in,
Fragrances from the past;
Forgotten memories come fleeting,
Even as time slips in haste.

I wish time stood still,
This moment it would spare;
But some things are not meant to be,
And life goes on, wonder where.

Written by Ritesh Nair

I worked on my Ullcentrum shawl and this "Appaloosa Hat".
I found the pattern on www.kidsknits.com (to make this Nordic they sell all Dale of Norway yarn !). I changed the pattern to try and match the colors of DC, my mini Appy. I was going to embroider his official name on there but " Storm of the Century " is too long ! I'm going to try and duplicate stitch his Leopard spots on to finish. When he was born he had alot of black on him but he has the "greying gene" which means he will eventually turn all white except for the large dark spots.

Kids knits

Wild strawberries or Smultron came up thru the broken concrete patio

Sweet Mock Orange

Seven degrees of Nordic

2007-06-18T19:36:00.001-07:00

I love the DPN holders. What a great idea !
Seven degrees of Nordic knitting hmmm.... I received this CPY Panda Wool as a gift because of a Mitered (Domino) Shawl I was knitting. The sock pattern came thru a Swedish website called

http://www.garnkorgen.se/

Gratis mönster på Internet ( free pattern on the Internet ) but is from Michigan !

http://stitchesofviolet.blogspot.com/2004/12/old-shale-two-yarn-sock-pattern.html

Miniatyrhästar Sammy och Poco

Clematis " Dr. Ruppel " winding thru the vine maple in the backyard.

"But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine. "
Thomas Jefferson

A chilly day

2007-06-12T08:22:00.000-07:00

Slow progress on my Ullcentrum shawl. Very simple pattern which is good for me with my mindset these days. Feels lovely.

Our yard looks best in the Spring and early Summer with the rhodies, roses, and others at their peak. After that everything peters out ! My friends make fun of me for choosing plants because of their names ie: "Anna", "Karin", etc.. How can someone with Swedish heritage NOT have this rose in their garden though !

"Lichtkönigin Lucia or Lucia, Queen of Light " 1966

See how the buds are tinted with orange like a candle flame then open to a beautiful yellow.

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”
Henri Matisse

Friend Cindy introduced me to Antique Roses when we first met 16 years ago. Yes, most of them only bloom once a season but what a show !
This one seems the color of French Vanilla ice cream, Ghislaine the color of peach ice cream.

Albéric Barbier 1900

Ghislaine de Feligonde 1916

Anna and Morris foal "Seven"

Another Proud Mother Moment

2007-06-07T15:59:00.001-07:00

I received an e-mail last week from one of the art teachers at Snohomish High School with great news.Ryan had entered three oil paintings in the district wide "Night of the Arts" festival. His Järvsö Church painting took first and his Växbo Kvarn Mallard painting took third. The superintendent wants to buy the church painting for $300 to be part of the permanent art collection of the school district ! It will be professionaly framed and have a plaque with his name etched on it. Ryan was so sweet, he told the teacher he couldn't agree to selling the picture until he talked to me. He knew how much I love that painting. It's hard for me to let any of his art go but this was too exciting. We'll have a digital image taken of it and put on canvas like paper.

"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge ." Albert Einstein

Thank you Carol and Cathy !

From the museum in Härnösand.

This Sweet Briar Rose was said to be a favorite of Shakespeare. It's leaves smell sweetly of apples when brushed.

I'm in COLOR HEAVEN !!!!!!

2007-06-06T21:54:00.000-07:00

The replacement scarf came today from Sirkka Könönen. WOW, I have it wrapped around me and can't bear to take it off yet and put it away. Well, I did have it off long enough for Anna to model it.
It's been a hard week emotionally and this was just the thing to brighten me up.

At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
Albert Schweitzer

My first cable project

2007-06-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Alba Rose
Königin von Dänemark - Queen of Denmark
This wonderful rose thrives with minimal care. If it survives here it will survive anywhere !

This fun owl hat pattern came from www.ruthieknits.com
Mine is to the right of course. The darker gray is Berrocco Ultra Alpaca and the lighter is Plymouth Suri Merino. Owls are fascinating creatures to me. I especially like Barn Owls which we used to see in our great grandparents barn, their heart shaped faces peering down from the rafters as we played in the hay.

All the birds have flown up and gone;
A lonely cloud floats leisurely by.
We never tire of looking at each other -
Only the mountain and I.

Li Po

While in Sweden we went to Järvzoo which features animals from Scandinavia including these two owls or ugglar.

The BIGGEST thrill was to pet this baby moose in the childrens area ! How often do you get to do that ! This is a wonderful zoo and well worth the trip to see it.

Newest member of the Morris/Osborn family born last week "Sammy"

All is quiet

2007-05-27T16:26:00.000-07:00

Ett Glatt hjärta gör ansiktet ljust...

A happy heart makes the face cheerful...

Ordspråksboken/Proverbs 15:13

Det är tyst i huset den här helgen. Barnen for iväg för att campa i fredags och de kommer hem i kväll. Jag har inte mycket energi och jag har inte heller gjort mycket. Idag regnar det, så jag tänkte att jag skulle försöka att få mina stickningsmönster i ordning. På Internet finns många som man får gratis och jag skriver ut alldeles för många av dem ! Jag har börjat att lägga dem i anteckningarna. (edited by PI)

Betsy feels the same way I do this weekend !

I had a meeting at the Museum on Saturday. The gift shop is having a 20% off sale for members so I picked this up. I hadn't seen this in Swedish before !

Yesterday was gray but dry so spent a few minutes in the yard. Today it's been misting on and off. A perfect day to stay inside.
A native rose called "Nootka" I believe, is trying to take over the front yard !

Rosa Rugosa "Hansa" and Meadow Rue

When Karen C. and I stopped by Village Yarn and Tea a few weeks ago they had a sample of this knit out of Sea Silk ! We both thought it was a hoot. She wants to do one for her cousin who wears this kind of garment all the time. I don't know how anyone thinks this is comfortable !
Interweave Knits-Free Pattern