From the High North

Pinterest - I'm on!

2012-02-12T11:11:00.000+01:00

Having an Etsy store, I noticed some time back a new button on my pages; "Pin it". as I often do I went to twitter and asked friends what it is: "It's Pinterest, and you need an invitation". I left it there for a while, and someone invited me to join, but I did nothing about it. Too many urgent things to take care of. Yesterday I had a look at it again, and now I'm there.

One of the first thing I did was to make a board with styles and clothes I like. I have added the photos here. It's fun to surf the internet and collect all the nice and inspiering photos in just a click or two. I was warned by friend that Pinterest can be addictive, and I think that is a timely warning!

There are still functions that I don't know, but it was pretty easy to get started. I learn as I go along.

Here are some of the photos I have pinned on the boared I have called "My Style".

One could get the impression that I wish I lived in another time, but no. There are so many beautiful styles available today that we all can live in one "time" one day and a different time the next!

If you want to see more of my boards I am elineof on Pinterest. Looking forward to seeing you there!

There are no such day as ordinary days!

2012-01-15T12:50:00.002+01:00

The festive season is over and all thetrimming and fairy lights are packed away. January is back to work and back toroutine. Nature is sleeping and days are shorter. I don't really like the soundof it. I look for January remedies all the time. I brisk walk in cold nippingair on a clear winters day is just the thing for me on a weekend. Another greatway to cheer you up is to surround yourself with friends in a happy setting. Ithink many of don't do that often enough. I certainly feel that I have to tidyand clean and decorate and bake and you name it... before I can invite peoplearound for a little party. Lower the ambitions and look for quick fixes!

What matters is that we get together andlaugh a bit. Here are some of my favourite quick fixes to create a setting thatlifts us out to the daily routine.


A few fun effects makes an unforgettable setting!

Disposable table ware creates a new setting for everyone. There are so many fun and fantastic desings to choose from. I love the range from Talking Tables in England. Their cack stands and sandwich trays are made to lift the spirit!

Food is a must. You can ask everyone to bring something and keep in mind that you don't have to cook anything your self. You make the setting, friends bring the food.

If you feel like cooking I find Tablespoon.com one of many useful sites for tasty and quick recipes. At Rock UR Party you find many tips for planning, food and settings.

Drinks are easy to cater for. Either you buy or they bring. Why not try an afternoon tea party and brew a pot or two of classic tea?

Disposable table ware saves you a lot of time cleaning and allows you to create a new style without having to own five different sets of plates... and store them too. If you would like to throw a "clean start for the new year" party, check out the disposable table ware from Wasara.


Photo courtesy of branchhome.com

I hope you have found some inspiration to have a party! And a word of advice; make sure you get more energy form the party, than arranging it takes form you!

Make every day a little special.

Photo courtesy of marieclaireidees.com

A little treat

2011-12-21T12:06:00.001+01:00

It's Christmas and sweets are all around! I have a few favourites that I like to share with you. When I enjoy a cup of tea it's a treat to have a bicuit too. I found this recipe for gigerbread biscotti in the net some time ago and what I find! I even think they are slightly healthier that my favourite shortbreads.

Gingerbread Biscotti Recipe:

Set the oven temperatur to 175 C (350F)

3/4 cup (100 grams) walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (can also use pecans or hazelnuts)

1 cup (100 grams) old fashioned rolled oats

1 3/4 cups (225 grams) all purpose flour

3/4 cup (160 grams) dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

1/4 cup (60 ml) unsulphured molasses (such as Grandma's Molasses)

2 tablespoons light olive oil (or corn oil)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup (95 grams) dark or golden raisins

Mix togetherthe oats, flour, sugar and baking powder, baking soda and spices. In a separatebowl whisk together eggs, molasses. oil, add vanilla extract. In a mixer,slowly add the dry mix to the egg mix. When it is well mixed, add nuts andraisins and beat just until incorporated.

Transfer thedough onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough in half. Form eachhalf into a log about 30 cm (12") long and 5 cm (2") wide. Transferthe logs onto a baking sheet lined with greased paper. Bake for 30 min at 175 C(350F).

Reduce theoven heat to 150 C (300F)

Remove fromoven and cool on rack for about 10 min. Transfer the logs to a cutting boardand cut 2cm (3/4") slices on the diagonal. Place the biscottis, cut sidedown, on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes and turn the slices over onthe other side and bake for 5 to 8 minutes until dry and firm.

Cool on rackuntil completely cool.

The biscotti can be storedin airtight container for several weeks! Make a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy!

Merry Christmas

It's tea time!

2011-11-09T11:37:00.004+01:00

Call me old fashion, but I do like a propper tea! In a busy life style I value the small opportunitie to stop and relax. What better way to take a time out than to make a good, warming tasty cup of tea and enjoy it from a beautiful tea set?

Try to cut down on sugar these days, so coockies are not on the menue. I make exceptions for the weekend though, no regimes should be so hard that it can't be upheld!

I enjoy my cookies virtually during the week. Take a look at these works of art that I found on Etsy! I guess that I would not eat them is I had them, who could?! If you can't resist them got to Sweet Ambs on Etsy!

A beautiful mug is a must for a lovely tea time. I found this at Upscale Yard sale on Etsy.

Enjoy your tea!

The mushroom hunt is on!

2011-10-03T17:32:00.006+02:00

Autumn is a lovely time of the year. It's harvest time and time to get redy for a long indoor season. Last weekend we stayde at some friends nice little cabin in the woods. With no electricity and candles every where, great food on the table and nice wine it was set to be really nice. On Saturday, equiped with wicker baskets, we headed out into the mushroom forest. It was really foggy, and the forest took on a mysterious feel.

Our generous freinds gave all their catch to us, so the freezer is well stocked with mushroom and so are jars with dried ones! I will use the frozen mushroom for stwes and risotto. The dried is used in sauces and to add flavor.

I guess it was the weekend in the woods that inspierd me to pick uo the needle felthing when I got home and make acorns and mushrooms!

Long time - little blogging

2011-08-16T20:24:00.007+02:00

Here is just a quick update for you all. Summer has been really good and very unusual. We had the most wonderful time in the northern part of Norway, Lofoten, together with dear friends.

While we were there Oslo was hit by a terrorist bomb and our country experienced something no one thought could happen here. It was strange to return to Oslo, but there was a strong feeling of community and careing all around. The square in front of the Oslo Cathedral was filled with flowers. A young woman, Stine Renate Håheim, expressed it all "If one man can create that much hate, you can only imagine how much love we as a togetherness can create".

We had more lovely people visiting and they all helped us make this summer a very good one.

I hope you all had a great summer! I'll blog again soon.

An update from the summer cottage

2011-06-27T12:50:00.005+02:00

We have been living at the summer cottage since Easter, and so many things have happend here! The cottage has a new outside that we just finished painting. We have made some new beds for flowers and the blueberries, and I have had a go at casting things in concrete. ...and I have a new bench that wrapps around the tree!

In a garden some things never change. The peonies are the stars again, as they were the last year, and the year before...and before. Two years ago I devided a huge iris and now they have settled in their new places and look lovely and strong. We have the usual crops this year too; potatoes, peas, some onions, cabbage, brccoli and some runner beans.

The black currents are doing really well this year. I'm so glad for that because I love the tast of them. I plan to dry some and add to chocolate for Christmas. I should try some in short bread too.

We have plenty of rhubarb and I make a cordial that is so refreshing. This is how I make it:

About 2 kilo rhubarb cut into 2 cm parts.
1 liter water
1/2 kilo sugar.

Have the rhubarb in a large pot. When all the rhubarb has disntegrated strain off the juice. Return the juice to the pot and add the sugar and stir until all the sugar is disolved. Bottle the cordial and leave it out to cool. Store in the refrigirator. My keep for about two weeks.

I mix 1 part cordial with 2 parts water, and it is a very refreshing summer drink!

What is this glass for?

2011-05-22T13:42:00.007+02:00

Stopping by a charity shop the other day I came across this glass - and beeing me it is now mine.

But what on earth have I bought? I have no idea what this strange glass is. It stands about 5" tall and has a Chinese styled engraving. Sorry for the unclear photo.

If anyone can help me on this one I am very greatful. it looks very nice, and I think I will just have it as a decoration.

Birds and a new hobby.

2011-05-14T19:17:00.006+02:00

I was in town the other day and stopped by the craft store. I need all the spare time I have for knitting, so really, I should not have done that. Every time I come out from the craft store I have a hobby I didn't know I had. So what was it this time? Concrete casting! I allways wanted a natural looking bird bath. We have lots of birds in the garden and they get a treat, even in summer when food is plentyful for them. So you feed them - and thye need a drink too.

So here I am; birds, a new hobby and the wish for a bird bath. I saw once someone making stepping stones form a rhubarb leaf, so that was my mould. I picked the biggest I have, shaped it over a sack of sand, coated it in oil and then the concrete. waited and waited....An volà! A bird bath! ...with only two leakages. By and large, considering it is the first go, I'm really happy with it. The proof of the pudding is what the birds do.

My best china

2011-04-13T12:59:00.005+02:00

My cupboard holds a few things I don't use often. I just had a look through the cups and glasses there and some had to go. However, my best china will stay. I don't use it often. Firstly, because they are not made for modern use where mugs and coffee-on-the-go is the rule. Secondly, because guests avoid them! I think I would do the same as a guest. Who wants to break the hostess heirloom porcelain if they can go for something less valuable and un replaceable?

When I take it out and offer guests a cup of coffee presented in the best way I can manage, I keep in mind that things can happen. I have to balance the pleasure of using them with the desire to keep them for ever. It makes me happy to see guests enjoy a cup of coffee form my beautiful cups!

The make of these extravagant cups and plates are Royal Epiag. Originally made in Czechoslovakia but since my cups were made during the second World War, the Czechoslovakia name is blacked out and "made in Germany" is stamped on.

I got these lovely set from my father’s aunt who studied dentistry in Germany right after the war. She was one of my countries first female dentists. I cherish the cups doe so many reasons.

Why not invite a few good friends around for a lovely coffee event and some nice raspberry and chocolate cookies? Here is my favourite recipe:

Ingredientes for about Raspberry and Choocolate cookies (makes 24).
1 cup whole almonds
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup oat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup light oil, such as safflower or canola
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup chocolate chips, preferably dark bittersweet
2 tablespoons raspberry preserves

1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Process almonds in a blender in 2 batches until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl and add flour, oat flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk oil, maple syrup, apple juice, almond and vanilla extracts in a medium bowl.

3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; stir to combine. Use your hands to knead the dough together; add 1 to 2 tablespoons additional apple juice if the mixture is too crumbly.

4. Form level tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and place on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Gently flatten each ball into a disk, then make an indentation in the center using your thumb or a small spoon. Place a few chocolate chips in each indentation, then cover with 1/4 teaspoon preserves.

5. Bake the cookies, one batch at a time, until golden around the edges, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy the party!

Window shopping in Barcelona, Spain

2011-03-30T14:57:00.014+02:00

Some weeks ago I had a few lovely days in Barcelona. It was the first time I was there for some days and exploring the Catalan capital was a real treat! It was literary a treat as lovely chocolate is easy to come by either in a cup as a thick rich drink or solid yummy pieces.

Lovely food is found everywhere. The Ham Iberico is famous and my souvenirs were mostly food related.

Strolling along the streets and taking in some of Gaudi’s architecture is a must, as is to search out the specialty stores.

I fell in love with the brass hardware store Bolibar and their Arte Deco range. Around the Cathedral I came across an old candle making store and a beautiful paper store selling wonderful handmade books.

I could have spent the day in the mask making shop, but at the time I was there I fancied a hot chocolate and as it happened to be, I was very close to the Chocolate Museum and their restaurant…

I hope to be back in Barcelona soon. Oh.... and did I mention the shoe shops? ... and the nice wine and cava...

What a wonderful time of the year!

2010-12-19T14:04:00.006+01:00

I love Christmas and all that comes with it. Baking gingerbread and my honney coockies, inviting friends and family for candle lit dinners. What would Christmas be without friends and family? It would not be half as nice. I was just reminded how much friends, near and far, makes the season bright. My friend Annette just send me two of her lovely textile sculptures; baby squirrle Bud and his play mate. Annette spends a lot of time helping animals in need, in particular rabbits. She selles her unique textile sculptures on Etsy. Her devotion to help animals reminds me that there is so much we can do for each other, for the animals and for the environment. All of us have something to offer, a good thing to keep in mind at Christmas and the rest of the year.

In Norway we celebrate on Christmas Eve. At 5pm the bells talls for Christmas and we sit down for the dinner. Each part of the country have their own traditional dinner. Costal regions have cod (fresh or prepared with lye, Lutefisk), cured rack of lamb, pork steak or rib. Desert is often whip cream with sweet rice or cloudberries. I love the latter.

After dinner we open the presents. One get the task of reading tags and we all watch each present being opened. It can take hours in my family, and it's so enjoyable!

We have had snow since early November and it's really cold; a white Christmas is guaranteed! I hope you will have a Happy Christmas!

Impressions from New York City.

2010-11-30T18:59:00.010+01:00

I have just spent a few months in the US and during my stay we went to New York City for a few days. Needless to say, I enjoyed every minute of it! We had left the guide book at home and just let our fancy take us around. I had my camera at hand and will share some of my impressions and adventures with you here.

At the shops at Columbus Circle these beautiful stars hang form the tall ceiling and made a
wonderful sight as they changed colours.

New York is a paradise for everyone and I found a pice of my paradise in the Garment District. The button shop I wanted to visit was closed, but I found consolation in the trimming shops! This wonderful shop called Tinsel Trading Company, was not just a great shop with a fantastic history, the people there were wonderful too!

We did some of the very touristy things too. Sunset at the Empier State building, watched the ice skaters at Rockefeller Centre while we had a great lunch, went to Time Square - just to say it was too busy for our taste! We had so much fun. New York before Christmas is as wonderful as New York at any time of the year!

As allway when I am in New York I end up feeling I had too little time there. I decided not to feel that way this time. The fact that New York has so much in stall for all is why we long to go back as soon as we have left!

Imaginary shopping

2010-09-23T20:05:00.010+02:00

When browsing around on Etsy reality leaves me some times. Looking at the wonderful things made with love and care I loose track of what I need and what I actually would wear - I just start dreaming. It's like entering another world for a moment. I get lost in texture, luster, colours and it all melts together and I am in a setting where home is never left without this beautiful top hat. In the evening there are parties and no dress is too elaborate! Oh - if only! I make Treasuries on Etsy when I dream too, I called it "Have a Ball".
The other day I looked up some quotes about dreams and there are differnt takes on this state of mind.

“The only thing that will stop you from fulfilling your dreams is you.” said Tom Bradley.

While Oscar Wild, not surprisingly, had a more down to earth look on dreamers:

“A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”

I think I like this the best:

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.

- Harriet Tubman

Keep dreaming my friends!

The weekend in England.

2010-09-02T20:47:00.011+02:00

In case you wondered; I had a great weekend in England! Friday I had the afternoon in London looking around my favourite shops and buying all the things I need for the launch party I will host when my knitting design will beVogue Knitting (on sale November 9). I bought a paper cake stand, flags for nibbles, cutefloral paper plates and even a fun box with talking point cards (not that I think we will be needing them...).

Brave people as we are we had rentet a car in central London on a Friday afternoon (even a Bank Holiday weekend). When we asked the lady at the desk for directions out of London she told us politely that she had no idea!!!

Oh well, we managed, got stuck in trafick well past Oxford, but all the hassle was soooo very worth it. We arrived hungry and tired at The Bull in Burford just in time for dinner. We got a warm welcome and lovely room and an excellent dinner. If you don't know much about Burford just take a look at this photo from the High Street.

Saturday we meet up with some lovely freinds and had a wonderful time with them. Late after noon we went for a walk to a neighbouring village Swinbeook and had a drink at the pub. After a brisk walk along River Windruch we were back in Burford for another lovely dinner at The Bull.

I had my romage around charity shops, a craft market, I had the at Liberty and many nice conversations with people I met. I could have stayed for a very long time, I even found a house I would have loved to live in in Burton on the Water (last picture)!
On Sunday we headed home. We had a flight at 8pm which gave us plenty of time to make something of the Sunday too. Back home about midnight and I had a feeling we had been away for a week - not just a weekend!

Weekend in England

2010-08-26T12:49:00.001+02:00

Oh joy! I'm tagging along as my husband is going to London for a meeting. Since we are there on a Friday why not spend the weekend? London can be stressfull if relaxing is an issue, so we will head for lovely Cotswolds!

Being excited about the trip I put together a treasury on Etsy. Share my joy!

Click the treasury to see the original on Etsy and get access to all the wonderful shops.

A last farewell to an old friend.

2010-08-16T19:40:00.008+02:00

Last weekend I said good bye to my teddy bear that I had since I was 7 years old. I bought him in Germany on a summer holiday with the family. I had saved money for a year to buy toys in the big stores in Hamburg. I found a teddy and named him Theodor Heuss, after a german Bundeskanzler. He is an evidence of my early interest in politics too... oh - he has been with me trough so many things.

When I picked up Theodor while cleaning I saw that his fur was falling off. The stuffing had lost it's strength years ago, and moth had made his thoung pireced. What to do then with an old friend? I found out time had run out for him. I had to write this blop post to give him the last tribute. I hope I wan't have nightmares about him in the garbage bin...

I had Theodor for nearly 40 years! How much history an old teddy can carry and how much comfort.

The artist in the family

2010-08-12T10:50:00.009+02:00

In my family there are a handful of people with artistic talents. My cousin Hanne is the only one to make it all the way to being an artist. Last week she opened her first exhibition! It's at Gallery Soft in Oslo. I knew it would be good, and it was actually fantastic! I am the happy owner of several of her drawings and paintings (made on her own hand made paper).

Her work is an animation based on her larger work called the "Insel Freyhaus’ archive". It's all about information and how collect information and use it. The marionette, drawings and paper backdrops are all made by her and make a dreamy setting. The message is philosophical, at the same time as it has a good story and a great character in the old archivist (the picture on the left). On top of the more philosophical thinking of the archivist, there a lot of facts given about spiders and their daily life that put's a perspective on any routine life.

The exhibition is called "Morphology in the Morning". Needless to say I am very proud of Hanne!

Oh... did I tell you!?

2010-07-25T18:46:00.004+02:00

One of my knitting designs will be published in Designer Knitting Magazine (Vogue Knitting) this winter! It's the first pattern of mine that will be published and I'm so excited about it! One of my deisgns in a glossy knitting fashion magazine with HQ in New York City - that's a big thing for me with a day job in public administration in Oslo and no formal background in designing!

You can read more about the design and the process on my knitting blog EO-NO.

..another visit to the thrift store.

2010-06-19T12:37:00.004+02:00

It's Saturday and the weaterh is not summer like. What to do? After a nice latte at the local coffee shop I crossed the road to have a look in my favourite thrift store. Not that I need any thing. I found this lovely ceramic tea caddy with a wooden stopper. I will take it to the summer house and replace the tin box I use there. The other day I was surfing a site with second hand things, and found this beautiful brown transferware plates. I contacted a nice young woman who said she was going to be in my neighbourhood the day after and could bring it. How could I resist? I got eight dinner plates, five desert bowls, four side plates and a very pretty serving bowl! I collect brown transferware for the summer house and red for home.

I love to buy second hand when I need things, as it is good for the environment to reuse. It gives people jobs and rais money for good causes, and I get unique things! My teddy Berkeley found a good bed in the serving bowl!

A bed for the night

2010-06-08T13:15:00.006+02:00

All creatures in the garden should be treated as special guests. I came across a bee hotel on Etsy a week ago. To me it was a whole new concept all though I had read a bit about caring for the insects in the garden. The bee hotel is now on its way from Mike in Scotland to my garden.

On a trip to Durbach in South Germany last week I saw bee hotels, or rather insect houses, at the museum!

It's such a basic thing to care for the beneficial insects of the garden. They work for us to pollinate plants and make our toil bear fruits - literary!

Modern transferware

2010-05-12T19:42:00.005+02:00

I was in Copenhagen in Denmark the other day and found this little bowl. It's not the old way of doing transferware, but I fell for the idea and the inscription! It's made by Anne Black and Miss Dotty.

I think I will make some glaced nuts to put in it!

Here is what you need;

1 egg white
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 pound walnut halves (or any other nuts you like!)

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Stir in brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and vanilla. Add nuts, and stir to coat. Spread evenly onto prepared pan.
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until well toasted and golden brown. Remove from oven, and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Enjoy with a nice drik and some good friends and family!

Transferware at the summer house.

2010-05-06T20:12:00.004+02:00

We have started the summer season very early this year. Our summer house is a great place to get away from the city, even if it's not summer yet. It was a delight to meet my brown and white transferware again as well. So far it's a small collection (in use), but I allways keep an eye out for more plates! I have posted some pictures of some of the plates. Enjoy!

I also have a black and white saucer that is hanging on the wall. It's marked "Cairo" on the back and I think it is very charming on the striped wallpaper.

I use all my pates. The summer house is small and I have not much room for storing a collection. The best way to appreciate the plates are to use them I think. If one breaks I will be sad, but then again it's just a plate.

First Spring Day!

2010-04-13T21:03:00.014+02:00

The last weekend was the first sign of warm weather we have had since last year. Nearly all the snow is gone and we all know what is going to happen; summer!

Here is a beautiful left over from last year. The dead flower heads looks beautiful in the bright spring sun! And to our delight the crocuses are sharing their beauty as you can see at the bottom of this post.

On days like the these we set off to our summer house. It's a 20 minutes bike ride uphill. Last weekend we just enjoyed the warm weather, sat in the sun and did a bit of spring cleaning in the garden. We had friends comming and made waffles!

Here is the waffle recipe;

100 g/ 3,5 oz melted butter
4 eggs
4 1/2 tbls sugar
5 dl/ 2 cups wheat flour
1/2 ts baking soda
5 dl/ 2 cups milk
Half a tea spoon for ground cardamom.

Mix all the ingrediens and leave some milk to adjust the thickness. Whisk until the batter is smoothe. Leave it to rest for 15 minutes. Pour a ladel full of batter into the pre heated waffle iron. Check to see when the waffle is golden and take it out, and pour in batter for the next one. It will make about 15 waffles.

We like ours with jam and sour cream or the brown Norwegian goat chesse. You probably have your favourite! Enjoy!

Planting pots made!

2010-04-06T16:12:00.004+02:00

I love recycling and this little wooden pot maker turns newspaper into excellent planting pots in no time at all.

I made about 20 of them and have filled them up with compost and seeds! When the seedlings are ready to be planted out I just take the whole pot and dig it down. It will decompose and returne to the cycle of nature!

I found a few on Etsy selling pot makers. You can try DRYAD WOODTURNING if you like to get one.

Window Sill Farmer!

2010-04-02T11:47:00.003+02:00

We did check in on the summer house yesterday and it didn't look much like summer there at all. It's still a lot of snow and the ground is frozen solid. The good thing is that it's spring and conditions will change fast now.

Today I will start preparing for summer! I have got the propogaters, seeds and soil out and will start my vegetables and summer flowers on the warm and bright window sills! Tomatos, cucumbers, salad, bell pepper, decorative grass (never tried these before!) and flowers are to get a head start!

Longing for spring and summer!

2010-03-20T22:33:00.004+01:00

Last Friday we had the first day of rain this year. It washed away a lot of snow, and left behind a grey surface in the city (which is Oslo). Some how this is the best and the worst part of spring. The ground is still frosen and no plants have appeard. On the other hand the sun is warming every heart and soul and tells us it will melt frosen ground and bring back life to the dull grey surfaces.

As most of my readers know, we do have a summer house on the outskirt of the city. I will soon plant seeds on the window sill that will be ready to go out when the last chance of frost is over. It's a time full of changes - and to the better!

Here is a picture of my peonies taken last summer. Can't wait to greet them this summer!

Saturday is work day.

2010-03-13T20:57:00.005+01:00

It's not going to the office and spend the day there! It's all the other things I love to do. Knitting is one of them. A while back I started making patterns of my original designs. And that is work, fun work. It takes a lot of consentration to make sure that every one that picks up the pattern and work their way trough it will get the same result as me. I have to describe in detail what I did. When I have that right, it's the needle sizes, gauge, descriptions of stitches and so on. At the end the whole thing must be presented in an attractive way.

Today I did all that to my spring design; the Paris Scarf. I'm very proud of today's work and hope those who knit it are happy with the result of their labour - that adds value to work I did today! If you like to have a go at the scart you find it in my Etsy Store. Did I tell you how great it feels to see my designs knitted by others?

A new transferware plate in the collection!

2010-03-12T15:38:00.005+01:00

I hade time to stop by my favourite charity store today, and it never fails me! I found a beautiful transferware plate in purple. I have never seen this coulour in Norway before, so it was a real thrill! The plate looks brand new and have probably had a lovely place on someones wall. Now it will have a place on mine.

For the record it's made by Johnson Bros and is called Olde English Countryside.

Spring Raffle to help Bunnies!

2010-03-10T20:47:00.006+01:00

I love the thrill of having a lottery or raffle ticket from time to time. It's that feeling of excitment and that luck can come my way. Why not put down a few dollars/pounds/euros or what ever your currency, to get excited about a chance outcome in the future.

If you get raffle ticket at Buckeye House Rabbit Rescue you can win a fabolous bag made by my dear friend Annette. At the same time you help great people doing a great job for rabbits in need. Tickets cost $1 each and you may buy as many as you wish. All entries must be in no later than March 25, 2010. The bag is called Arabella bag after Annette's rescued rabbit.

Annette has a great shop on Etsy called The Dragon House of Yuen.

New Fashion Magazine for Teddies!

2010-02-28T21:14:00.006+01:00

My friends Snuffy Norton and Jed Bramwell are ready to launch the first fashion magazine for teddy bears in the world! Snuffy is the teddy behind the fashion brand Bearmani, so we can expect cuttin edge haut couture from page 1!

I wish Snuffy and Jed all the best with the new magazine Fauxgue.

Tartan Fabric and some food!

2010-02-24T11:21:00.008+01:00

"Share your strengths, not your weaknesses" is a saying, but somethimes a weakness is worth sharing! One of mine is wool tartan fabrics. I find it so facinating that I buy meters without knowing what to use it for. I have four beautiful tartan fabrics that I right now are trying to figure out what to make with. I want to make a work dress and use some of the tartan as details - but I have no clear idea of the end result! If you have good ideas of how to use these tartans in a clever way I would love to hear it!

I did use some of my tartant to upcycle a chair I found among damaged and old furnitures. I painted it glossy white and covered it in "Scottish Rugby Union" tartan. The sports connection here is purley conicidential! The chair was very damaged when I found it. It had a dark wooden frame and black leather back and seat. With paint, metal brackets and tartan fabric it got a second life!

On an other note, I would love to share a great recipe with you! Yesterday I was wondering what to have for dinner. Being low on iron I had bought some spinach. I made a mash with potatoes, spinach and spring onion. It turned out yummy!

Potatoes and Spinach Mash
8 potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
1 big pack of spinach, (you can use frozen)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 pt. sour cream
2 spring onions, sloced
1 c. shredded parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes, fry the spring onions, garlic and the spinach in a bit of oil until the spinach "collaps". Mash the potatose toghether with the spinach mix and sour cream. Stir in the parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper to taste! We had some great artisane sausages with the mash!

The Story Behind the Banner

2010-02-18T21:38:00.020+01:00

You might have looked at the banner of my blog and wondered if it is that icy cold where I live. The fact is that the picture is not at all from where I live. It's from Greenland. I was there a year and a bit ago and took the picture while on a boat trip in the Disco Bay. It was late afternoon and the sun had just set when I shot this picture. It's not manipulated at all!

I wisited the town of Ilulisat. It's a inuit town and fishing is their main income. An hours walk from town you can enjoy the view of the Icefjord. This fjord produces ice bergs like few other places. The reason beeing that the fjord is very deep and the parts of the Greenland Ice Cap that breaks off into this fjors are the size of a city block of buildings - over the sea surface! While visiting Ilulisat I made the walk and found myself all on my own in this most spectacular scenery I can imagin!

Nature is present everywhere and all the time in Greenland. It's a perfect place to have unique experiences of your self and nature!

The people of Greenland are very friendly and they are proud of their traditions as they have all reasons to be. They have made a living in one of the least producing environments on earth and I admier their respect for nature. It's sad to know that our mass consumption style of living is destroying their way of living. The effect of climate changes are strongest in the Artic region. Man made toxins are accumulated in sea mamals to such an exstend that the inuits are recommended to eat seal and whale meat only a few times a month and sometimes not at all. We should all do our part to live in a way that doesn't kill the planet.

To end on a more cheerful note, the saying in Ilulisat is that there are twice as many dogs as people in town. And here are a few.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-12T15:49:00.004+01:00

Warm Valentine greetings to all my readers!

I got the Sunshine Award!

2010-02-09T09:36:00.004+01:00

Thank you Dreamspirations Gallery for this award! It makes me happy to know that you find my blog creative and inspiering! I guess the hope of every blogger is to add some value to other peoples day.

The rules for accepting the award:Put the logo on your blog or within your post.Pass the award onto 12 bloggers.Link the nominees within your post.Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog. Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

I give the award to: Happyknits, All Things Tangled, my friend Tommye at I'd Rather be Stitching, Cabin + Cub, QueerJoe's Knitting Blog, the lovely Julie at Fiddlestick, Nancy and her lovely blog Nancy's Daily Dish, my dear friend Annette at Dragon House of Yuen, Meerschwein Extraordinaire, Good Home Construction and Glamorosi

You all add something to my day when I visit your blogs!

The Honest Scrap Award

2010-02-07T18:00:00.006+01:00

This is something that goes from blog to blog. I was challanged by Henry, my dear friend from Twitter to do all the things this award involves. It's to write ten things about myself you didn't know, and then pass the award to ten other people. Here I go:

1. I have 15 pairs of running shoes

2. I don't like Coca Cola
3. I really like the film "Gladiator"

4. Margaret Elphinstone is one of my favourite authors (read "Voyager")

5. I love to travel by train!

6. Recycle, reuse and think green is what I try to do

7. I don't floss as often as my dentist tells me...

8. I dream of having a huge Victorian greenhouse one day

9. Reading catlaougs in the tub is heaven!

10. I don't have a car

...so now you know!!!

Here are the ten lucky ones:

@danapixie,

@OllyTed

@GeorgeTheDuck

@NiftyKnits

@rumblepurr

@ZackRabbit

@Kolo_Martin

@SockMonkeyBlues

@flicka47

@Aska_Alaska

Thrift store finds!

2010-02-06T14:34:00.014+01:00

Saturdays are great days! Today we had breakfast at a local coffee shop, sitting by the window and watching the world wake up. Afterwards we made a stroll to another part of town and just had a look around. I stopped in a few thrift shops and found some transferware plates. I collect red and white and all plates at home are second hand red and whites! At the summer house I have started a collection of brown and white. Today a found two, they are made by Villeroy and Boch and are called "Burgenland".

I also found a few things that I could not leave behind (...as if I did't have enough...). One was this beautiful plate by Adam's whith an add for the litographer on the back.

The other were six small dishes for nuts or other snack.

I have a weakness for transferware. It has a historical and cultural dimension, often telling a lot about the time it was made. I also find the way they are made very interesting. If you would like to read about this my friend Nancy has a great blog post on Transferware and how it is made.

She also sell some beautiful transferware on Etsy.

My knitting is featured on Glamorosi's blog!

2010-02-04T19:34:00.001+01:00

Glamorosi: Things I Love: Red Lacy Leaf Capelet by Eline

I allways feel honoured when people like my things enough to blog about it! It makes me happy! Thank you so much Glamorosi!

Sunday is desert day!

2010-01-31T15:37:00.004+01:00

It's mid winter in Oslo (-12C today), and despite that we made a walk to the alotment garden today. It's nice to check that all is fine and it's a reminder that in a couple of months snow will melt and things will start to grow. We were out for about three hours and that qualifies for desert!

When I got home I made Tiramisu. It would have been better if I did it yesterday, but I bet it tast good tonight too!

Here is the recipe:

You need:

6 fresh egg yolks - room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2 small containers Mascarpone - room temperature
2 packages of Ladyfingers
1/2 cup Amaretto di Saronno
4 cups Espresso - cooled
cocoa for garnish

Directions:

In a mixer, add egg yolks & sugar. Using the whisk attachment, mix for 5 minutes until eggs are creamy, fluffy and light in color.
Add mascarpone and continue to mix until smooth & creamy. Add 1/4 cup of the Amaretto & mix until smooth.
In a separate dish, pour the cooled espresso & remaining 1/4 cup of Amaretto. Lightly dip your ladyfingers into espresso mixture & then transfer to a 9 x 12 baking dish until bottom is completely lined (cut/break the ladyfingers if necessary).

Spread 1/2 of the cream mixture on top of ladyfingers. Add a second layer of dipped ladyfingers. Spread remaining cream on top.

Cover your dish with plastic wrap & refrigerate over night.
Before serving lightly dust top with cocoa powder.

Enjoy it!

Work in progress!

2010-01-30T13:14:00.004+01:00

I have a job that requires a formal outfit. I like to dress for work, and often want to do the little extra. As my line of work is dominated by men is suites and power dressing I was thinking that I could wear ties too!

Here is my go at a tie garment. If anyone have ideas of how to make it fit, especially at the back, I would love to hear from you!

Woolly Ted is traveling!

2010-01-27T10:38:00.007+01:00

My needle felted Woolly Ted is traveling the internet. He has allways wanted to see the world, and for a small bear with his heart in his paws this is a good way to do it.

Here are some of his exciting stops:

HJM Art Gallery Blog, The Ardent Sparrow and Bayan Hippo Handmade

I have become so fond of this little creature that I will have to make an other one for my self to keep.

Beat the winter blues!

2010-01-26T18:25:00.007+01:00

It's the time of the year when everythig seems far away. The twinkle of Cristmas is past and the lush and light spring seems too fra away right now. It's time to think of the small additions you can make to every day to brighten it up! I light candles in the evening even on weekdays and light the fire place just for the cosy feeling.
Here are some more of my remedies;

Looking at pictures from nice vacations
Make some cinnabons and invite friends to eat them with you!
Start planning what to sow in the garden for summer.
Play in the snow.
Take a warm bath and add some lovely oils.
Enjoy winter for what it is!

I would love to hear about your remedies!

Here is my Cinnabon recipe!
12 Servings
4 tb Melted butter
4 tb Water
1/2 Box instant vanilla pudding -(1/2 of a 3.4oz. box)
1 cup Milk
1 Egg; (beaten)
1 tb Sugar
1/2 ts Salt
4 cups Bread flour
2 1/2 ts Active dry yeast

Fill with:
1/2 cup Softened butter
1 cup Brown sugar
2 ts Cinnamon (or a bit more!)

ROLLS: Place ingredients in bread machine. Set for dough cycle (about 1 hr. 30 minutes in my machine). After complete on dough cycle remove from machine & roll out to 17 x 10 (approx) rectangle. FILLING: Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread softened butter over dough. Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over top. Roll tightly from long end pinching edges closed when completely rolled. Slice rolled dough into 1/2" slices (or larger if a larger bun is preferred ).Place into greased cake pans. ( I use 3 - 9" pans ) I usually get 19 - 20 buns from this. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 350 for 15 - 20 minutes until golden. Do not overbake.

FROST with: 4 oz cream cheese (softened), 1/4 C butter (softened), 1 1/2 C confectioners sugar 2 tblsp maple syrup and 1 1/2 tsp milk SPREAD on very warm rolls.

My Tea Party made an Etsy Front Page

2010-01-18T17:20:00.007+01:00

I made a treasury of some of my favourite sellers and presented it as a tea party. We had a great time! The menue was simple but tasty; tea and shortbread. Here is the recipe for the shortbread:

You need:

2 cups butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

This is what you do:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Cream butter and brown sugar. Add 3 to 3 3/4 cups flour. Mix well.
Sprinkle board with the remaining flour. Knead for 5 minutes, adding enough flour to make a soft dough. Roll to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut into 3x1 inch strips. Prick with fork and place on ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Enjoy with tea and friends!

Here are some of my favourite stores on Etsy (all in the treasury); L'araignee Design, Mid Century Modern Jewlery + Object, English Transferware, Fresh Vintage, Barbara Macleod Jewellery, sohomode, Drowning in cuteness, Poodlebreath, Dragon House of Yuen, TJB Designs,
NiftyKnits and Frensh Kissed.

...and if you feel like some sparkeing wine I just read that it combines well with shortbred!

Slippers for toasty toes!

2010-01-10T18:24:00.003+01:00

As it is too clod outside to go for a run or even a long walk I finally knitted a pair of slippers I have had in mind for a while. At the same time as knitting I made the pattern. They
turned out well I think.

To make a knitting pattern is time consuming, but once it's done it's done! Now everyone kan knit them for themselves or loved ones.

The side is knitted in Brioche stitches, which is fearly new to me. It was fun to test it out in a project and I'm sure it will appear in other projects too.

They came

2010-01-08T09:58:00.004+01:00

In good Norwegian traditions I put out some oat for the birds for Christmas. I put it at the front of the appartment because it would look good from the street. My intention was to move it to the back after the holidays, because that's where the birds are. It turned out I didn't have to. The other day I saw lots of activity on the little veranda and these cute biridies were having a feast on oat!

Traditional Norwegian Decorative Painting

2010-01-03T12:21:00.029+01:00

I was at the wonderful old "Tuddal Høyfjellshotell" for New Year. It's a great family run hotel full of Norwegian traditions. One of these is called Rosemaling (rose painting). At Tuddal I took some pictures to show you what this old decorative painting is all about.

Rosemaling is a form of decorative flower painting that originated in eastern Norway around 1750, when continetal Baroque and Rococo artistic styles of the upper class, were introduced into Norway's rural culture. It's a typical rural and lower class expression, and since Norway had a very small upper class at the time the decorative art sometimes held very high quality.
Rosemaling was used on many items. Most common today are cupboards like the one on the left and above. Often they where dated and a monogram of the owner (not the painter) was added.

At Tuddal they have many chairs made form a solid log called kubbestol. They are a long standing tradition of rural Norway and many of them where painted with Rosemaling.

Here you can see two different Kubbestol. The size of the chair depends on the size of the tree it was made form.

At Tuddal they had one Kubbestol that I fell for! It's modern and the colours of the painting looks likes the national customs of the area.

Wooden chests are another typical item that has survived the test of time. They are big and was used by young girls to store their embroidered linnen they would bring into their marriage. The chest would be dated and the monograms of the married couple would be painted on. I am the lucky owner of one that is dated 1814 and 1824, which I think is the date of birth of groom and bride.
It was commen to decorate doors, walls and ceilings too. At Tuddal there are some pretty paintings on the doors. The are painted on bare wood. Most often the wood is painted first. Even the ceilings got a touch of Rosemaling.

Many smaller objects were painted too. Small wall hanging cupboards like this one are common, and popular with collectors since they fit nicely into a modern living room.

If you like traditions, warm welcomes, great food and stunning nature I can highly recommend Tuddal Høyfjellshotell. We had a great stay and I got a chance to have a close look at the Norwegian treadition of rose painting. Some people are still keepig this beautiful tradition alive today!

Results of the Online Shopping Poll

2010-01-03T12:11:00.005+01:00

I ran a poll in December where I asked if you shop online for Christmas presents. And you do!
65% responded that they do, and with 25% buying some gifts online, a lot of gifts were bought on the internet. Only 9% did not buy gifts online. I hope they make all the gifts them selves, as home made gifts are some of the best ones I think. Christmas is over and I thank you for answering the poll.
Happy New Year, I hope it will be a good one for all of us!

Etsy Treasury

2009-12-29T10:37:00.005+01:00

I was browsing some of my (many) favourite shops on Etsy the other day and while doing so I put together a treasury. To my surprise it appeared on the front page! I'm so happy for the the people who got their beautiful work posted on the Etsy front page for one hour. It's much deserved and I hope it resulted in something good!

If you want to brows their shops you can just click the links below;
http://www.etsy.com/shop/FleurBonheur (pretty prints)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/piperewan (great accessories)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MurielleKnitwear (fantastic knitting)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/enchantedbeads (great jewlery)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/dragonhouseofyuen (soft fabric hares comes alive)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/BunkFossStudio (lovely photos)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/dedeetsyshop (stylish cushions)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/grassrootsdesign (fantastic pottery)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/donnageissler (dreamy photos)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/TJBdesigns (sissors and knitting accessories with that little extra)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/larimeloom (oh so lovely clothes)
http://www.etsy.com/shop/ALYdesigns (pearls made very pretty)

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-22T14:56:00.002+01:00

I wish all my wonderful readers Happy Holidays and New Year!

Thank you for reading my blog and I hope to see you next year too.

Enjoy the joys of the season.

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-19T18:47:00.009+01:00

Today we vent to our summer house to see that all is fine there. After running into a deer looking for food, we found everything to be in order. It's a very clod day and with -14 celcius on the inside and the outside we didn't stay long! I took some pictures since a lot of you have seen how it looks like in the summer season.
It was tempting to put some wood in the burner and make some hot chocolate, but as you can see from the pictures of the window it will take some time before the hot chocolate can be enjoyed in comforet! We did go home and had tea and short bread!

Finally snow in Oslo!

2009-12-16T16:36:00.003+01:00

After months of dark and dull days we finally got some snow. At this tmen of the year we have very little day light and the snow helps make the day brigther! I took this picture on my way home form work early the other day.

A weekend in South England

2009-12-12T18:05:00.003+01:00

Last weekend I was in the West Sussexs for a conference and took some days off. In a rented car we had a great time! We visited Petsworth, a charming old market town prepareing for Christmas. We stayed a night at a great old hotel in Midhurst and meet some very lovely people! The lovely country side and the charming villages made us agree to go back soon.

We have a winner!

2009-11-28T23:54:00.004+01:00

Woollypal is going to travel to the US it looks like. Congratulations to Yoda the Dog for having the right answer at the PepiPawty's quiz!

Win Woollypal at the PawPawty!!!

2009-11-24T20:31:00.019+01:00

Don't you know what the PawPawty is? I'll help you; it's a virtual ‘party’ held once a month on Twitter where anipals and the rest of us have fun and raise money for animal charities. It is like having a real ‘party’ but everything takes place in the twitterverse. There are lots of new pals to meet, fun pawty food and drinks as well as music to listen to. We share photos, sing, dance and have contests where you can win great prizes!

This weekend the organizors raise money for several animal shelters around the world! Learn more here; SantaPaws

Here is one of many prizes for the PawPawty to be held on November 28th & 29th. It's the Woollypal! She is related to all the Woollies and some can be found in my Etsy store.

Two new Woolly creatures!

2009-11-16T16:46:00.012+01:00

Miss Snow Woolly was hard to make. We tried on so many carrots before she like her look in the mirror. She thinks there is a Miss Snowwoman competition out there. If you know about any - please let us know!

It was a lot easier with Woolly the Christmas Ducky. He was happy with a hat and scarf. For some reasons he won't tell he dosen't like water - especially not cold water. Anyway - he is a happy ducky that loves Christmas and winter!

Woolly Ted and his Christmas tree

2009-11-16T14:42:00.005+01:00

A new member of the Woolly family came along yesterday. He is ready for Christmas and is often seen whith his very own Christmas tree...

A great success.

2009-11-09T14:54:00.004+01:00

Saturday I made some needle felt friends. And today they are all treavelig to new homes. What a great feedback that is for me. It makes me happy when people like what I make, and the Woollies have been such a fun experience! Thanks to all for the kind words about my work!

The Woolly family.

2009-11-08T18:35:00.009+01:00

I knit and knit, and yesterday I needed a break. I had a kit for needle felting, a craft I had never tried before. I very soon held Wooly the Sonwman in my hand! Eager to try one more little creature I made Woolly the Christmas Sheep (he sold the same day)Today I made Wooly Jr and Woolly the Christmas Bunny. Her job at Christmas is to deliver carrots to snowmen! The Wooly family are happy bunch and in now time at all they have got new homes all over the world!
...there went the Christmas items for my Etsy store....

...maybe knitting is not my craft after all... LOL.

Old become new!

2009-11-01T22:07:00.013+01:00

I have allways been facinated by needlecraft. In past times women put a lot of pride in making beautiful items as it refelcted one of the skills they were meassuerd by. The other day my local charity shop had some mini dollies.

To me it was like finding a hidden treasur! Guess who bought them all....

It's a shame to put away exquisite work like that, so I decided to give them a second life. So far I have made one hat. Here are some pictures for you to enjoy!

A visit to the Swedish Parliament

2009-10-30T11:06:00.010+01:00

My job takes me, from time to time, to Parliaments in Northern Europe. As these are not the the typical tourist attraction I will show some pictures I took while I was at the Swedish Parliament "Riksdagen" in Stockholm. The Parliament has two parts, one old and one new, as you can see from the picture of the exterior. It is situated on an island, and the high street (pedestrian) goes straight trough the centre of the buildings. If you have walked from the new town to the old town in Stockholm, chanses are you walked trough the Parliament. The assembly hall is in the new part, and has a beautiful modern tapstry as the focal point. The old part holds the first chaimber, which is not in use since the 1970s when the Parliament went from a two chaimer systen to one chaimer.

The hallway in the old part is where the King and Queen enter when the Parliament opens each autumn for a new session.

The pictures here are taken with my mobile phone hence the quality is not good, but I hope you get an impression.

First glimps of the new bathroom!

2009-10-23T20:54:00.007+02:00

Here is the first picture of the new bathroom! More will come soon.

Here is how it looked like a month ago;
http://thehighnorth.blogspot.com/2009_09_01_archive.html

Making progress - not socks yet.

2009-10-18T18:16:00.010+02:00

Last Friday the Auto Knitter (a cylider sock knitting machine from 1923) arrived. So no need to ask what I have been doing this weekend! Yesterday we managed to become friends, and the scarf you can see here was the result!

Today I wanted to master the trade of knitting heels. It's difficult and you can see the progress so far.

There are lots of helpful owners on old and new knitting machines on the internet, and even some tutorial videos on YouTube. I know of no other sock knittin machine in Norway, so I appreciate helpers on the web.
I'll keep you posted on the progress!

Pattern testing

2009-10-14T16:10:00.007+02:00

Some months ago I started to make patterns of my knitting designs. It's fun and challenging at the same time. The challege is to write down exactly what I do, so anyone who does the same end up with the same result as I did!

I have tested my patterns over and over again and that means knitting them. Here are the latest results of pattern testings. The top is great to wear and it's fun to knit (thankfully - as I have knitted it a few times now..). The same goes for the Lacy Leaf Capelet. I'm now looking for a yarn so I can knit that for the party season and wear with a dress!!!

My climate changes message bag

2009-10-11T16:03:00.008+02:00

Some years ago I assisted in making an exhibition on climate changes that was on display outside the Parliament in Norway. We made 8 big posters that on a plastic coated canvas. When the exhibition was to be taken down, I wondered what will happen to the posters? Non of the other parties wanted them, so I took them home nthinking that they had to be recycled in one way or the other.

What to do now I thought. I suddenly got the idea of making messenger bags. They all come with a message about climate changes and the consequences - they are really message bags! I have sold a few, have on for my self, and have more posters left for a rainy day.

The bag you see here is about the Northern Sea Rout that is opening up due to melting of the ice at the North Pole. I have posters about the threaths to polar bears, idigenous people, marine life and more. I look forward to make them! The ones I have made sold really fast, so probably I will only make custom orders, and not put them on Etsy. If you should be interested you can contact me, and keep in mind that the text on the posters are in Norwegian!

A short trip to Berlin

2009-10-08T12:42:00.009+02:00

This week I had a meeting in Berlin, and it allowed for some time to walk around and get to know the German capital better.

My meeting was in the parliament buildig, that you can see at the back (right). The building is a fantastic blend of old and new, as ti sits nicely on the bank of river Spree.

I walked past the Holocoust Monument on my way from Brandengurger Tor to Potsdamer Platz. The monument grows on me. I like it more and more each time i see it. It's a place where people can play and remember! There were a school class playnig around on this day, and they had ballons and became a fun part of the monument.
I hope I'll be back in Berlin soon!

Åland Island - the best of the Baltic Sea?

2009-10-02T17:35:00.012+02:00

Recently I was in Åland. It's hard to "be" in Åland, because the autonomus region consists of more thatn 6000 islands. Well, I was in Mariehamn the capital. Åland belongs to Finland, but they speak Swedish.
The islands have been Russians as well, but now the 30 000 inahbitants enjoy an autonomus status. Åland is a demilitarised area and very peacful place in the Baltic Sea. I was in Åland for business, but had some time to walk around and take some pictures!

Here you can see the beautiful new Culture Centre and the marina. I spotted a birch bench outside an offical building and just loved it!

Life without a bathroom...

2009-09-21T19:29:00.008+02:00

At 8:30 this morning a group of men called on our door. They are here to redecorate our bathroom. We were semi prepared in the way that we had talked about style, colours, bath tub and the like. What took us completely by surprise was that we will be without what the brochures call "sanitary systems" for four weeks.

I will not bother you with the details, but hopefully I will have some very nice pictures to show you of our new bathroom in four weeks time. Meanwhile I dream......

Recreating an old friend.

2009-09-17T18:16:00.012+02:00

The other day a good friend of mine came with one old battered mitten and looked very pleadingly at me. I'm the only one she knows who knit, and there was the old favourite mitten her grandma had made for her long time ago. Worn to pieces, only one left...

Could I make her new ones? Not wanting to let a good friend down I took the old faithful and said yes off course! The fact was that I have never knitted mittens before. That has changed now. It was fairly easy to copy what her grandma did years ago. I have not yet presented the mittens to my friend. The one thing I fear I have not been able to copy is the good old feeling of wearing the favourite mittens. They look the same but to they feel the same? Only my friend can tell!

The dress is finished!

2009-09-16T17:33:00.004+02:00

Today I wore the dress at work! I'm happy with it, but not sure it's finished... By that I mean that there are room for improvement. I think it turned out a bit dull. I will keep it as it is for a while, and maybe one day I just know what the final touches should be! On the pictue I have attached a velvet ribbon at the waist - it helped a bit.

A new dress is needed!

2009-09-14T18:27:00.005+02:00

Autumn is for me a time to dress up again after a summer in relaxed clothing. I love dresses that I can wear over a shirt or a turtleneck. I got the fabric from a friend and I guess she gave me some tartan fabric because I love that too!

Today I started making a dress to my liking. At time of writing it is work in progress, but here is a little pre view! I'll post the dress when it is finished!

You do exersice!

2009-09-09T10:48:00.005+02:00

The poll I ran on this blog about exercise is closed, and I want to share with you the results.
Only 7% of you do no exercise at all. You have a great potential for improvement!
17% of you swim to keep fit. 28% work out indoor. 32% ride a bike to stay on good terms with your heart. In my favourite category 46% marked running as the way to burn some calories, and 53% of you take advantage of the easiest exercise there is; walking!

For people who do not compete on a very high level, exercise is a matter of a strong and healthy heart. You could choose between several exercises as well as no exercise. The heart is the single most important muscle in the body, and just like a any muscles it needs to be strong and fit. Think about that the next time your heart beats at a racing speed - it get's stronger and stronger every time that happens!

Someone to do the job.

2009-09-05T15:38:00.006+02:00

Today I found a mannequin at a street market. I've been looking for one for ages, and today it happend! It means I do no longer have to bother friends and family (all though they are good looking) to model my knitting. I now have someone to do the job, and someone who does exactly what I say!

I often model my own knitting which means I need someone to take the pictures. I love to get help, but it's great to know that now I can work when I have the time and not have to wait for other people to show up.

The future looks bright!

Something to put it in.

2009-08-31T17:25:00.006+02:00

As a knitter I sometimes feel surounded by yarn. Plastic bags from the yarn store is the most convinient way to store it, but it's not good looking! I made a few baskets to store my knitting and yarn. In addition to looing good these bags have no hard parts where the yarn can get stuck while knitting! I sell some of them in my Etsy shop.

The baskets are reversible, and one side is oilcloth. It's easy to clean them, and yyou can even use them as a fruit basket by folding it down half way! There are no end to the possible use for these versatile things. Best of all - you can fold it flat when you don't use it.

Socks anyone?

2009-08-29T23:04:00.003+02:00

Look what I just bought!
My Auto Knitter, that will turn out one pair of socs after the other, will have to travel from Canada to me in Norway. It's a miracle to me that all these parts (that I have to put together) will make beautiful warm socks! I can't wait to get my new old machine!

Etsy Front Page 8/27/09 elineof

2009-08-29T13:24:00.001+02:00

Etsy Front Page 8/27/09 elineof
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers

My treasury made it to the front page the other day. I allways become happy when people like what I put together.

Good bye to my best running shoes ever!

2009-08-28T12:44:00.006+02:00

My Nike Skylon are now so old and worn that the only thing they are good for is filling up space. Well, they bring back memories as well... I have keept them for years after the sole had lost all it's cushing. We have had so many good runs togheter. They became a favourite for trails as well, as the outer sole has (read "had") a suction feel to slippy stones.

Many shoes have come and gone since I first bought Skylon, but non can match them. Thanks for all the fun and know that my heart beats stronger because of you.

NB; 10 days after I posted this I did a last run in them, and now they are gone...

PS; Nike please start produceing these again! Pleeeas.

House of Bermani

2009-08-26T16:01:00.005+02:00

Many teddy bears are naked, but that can change! Snuffy Bearmani will put an end to naked teddy bears with his fantastic fashion aimed at the disearning stuffed customer. Bearmani design ladies and mens fashion and have a good range of sleepwear too. I don't know if Snuffy can be seen on the cat walk, but you should take a look at House of Bearmani! All photos are from the web page of Bearmani.

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Old will be the new in our bathroom.

2009-08-24T17:20:00.009+02:00

We live in an appartment that dates from the late 1920s and many of the original fitures are still here. We like it and have grown fond of the style. It's time to redecorate the bathroom and we want to give it a feel of the 1920s, though we have no intention of trying to be purely authentic. It's a small bathroom with doors on to oposing walls, a bathtub and no windows.

The image is from Standard Sanitary Manufacturing Co.'s 1904 catalog.

I will spare you all for the before picture, and as of now there is no after picture. We are trying to find sources on bathroom decoration of the time the appartment was new, and appreciate very much any hints as to where to look. I found a great blog post with some great pictures on http://goodhomeconstruction.blogspot.com/

Wind powered knitting machine!

2009-08-21T11:44:00.003+02:00

This is just about as cool as it gets! I saw this machine on http://www.engadget.com and just had to spread the news!

The ingenious artist Merel Karhof has a solution for the ones who find knitting difficult and want a scarf. She has designed and invented a machine that knits all on its own, powered by wind. Called the Wind Knitting Factory the machine knits a scarf in about two hours, given a little wif of wind.

Read Merel Karhof's blog

Making a pattern to knit.

2009-08-20T15:49:00.003+02:00

Some weeks ago I made my first knitting pattern, and it felt like an achievement - for a while. Novelty wears off, and I realised that it’s a good idea to write down the pattern of another of my designs while it is fresh in my mind how I made the first one. It’s a lot of work for a beginner like me, and it’s time consuming. I nearly thought of it as too time consuming, until I realised that it takes less time than knitting the top it self!

TV production

2009-08-16T17:59:00.005+02:00

I love running and I’m also very fond of the sofa, especially when there is athletics on the TV. As some of my dear readers might have noticed I also love to knit and crochet. The passion for keeping hands busy when legs rest results in knitting and crocheting while watching TV.

The World Championship in Athletics is n in Berlin right now. I’m on the sofa watching and hands working. Last night I finished two of my popular runners beanies - in Halloween colours! I sell them in my Etsy store, and I hope the potential runner customer will appreciate the fact that it was made watching the qualifying heats for the 100m!

Read my contribution on Debbie's nice blog!

2009-08-13T16:47:00.005+02:00

Thaks to Debbi for posting my contribution on her blog. Debbie describes her self in this way: I'm a Paralegal by Profession and a Quilter by Passion! She is good at her passion, and I am sure she is as good at her profession. Take a look at her blog! Read my contribution about knitting called NEEDLES + WOOL = ME IN A NUTSHELL! http://www.quiltsgaloreandmore.blogspot.com/

Someone who peeked in told me that he was sure Debbies blog was for girls because it did have lots of pink. I think we are right by saying Debbie loves pink!

Happy reading!

Fabric Fantastic!

2009-08-12T16:04:00.005+02:00

I think no one with a sewing machine can walk past a fabric like this one. It caught my attention as I walked by a textile shop in Oslo, Norway. I didn't go in, but my mind immediately started to create tote bags in the fabric.

The day after I did go in, and when I discovered that it was vinyl coated and very durable I just had to have a few meters. Same evening the first tote bag was a reality! ...and there will be more!

The bag is available in my Etsy store www.elineof.etsy.com

Results of the Knitting Poll

2009-08-09T15:46:00.003+02:00

Thank you to all who voted in the knitting poll on this blog! It’s interesting to see the results. I asked it you knit, and your answers were;

62% of you knit and 13% don’t know how to. 17% would like to learn how to knit and 6% have other things to do.

In a society of mass production knitting makes it possible to make something original to wear. You can make anything from a simple scarf in your favourite colour to a complicated coat or dress. Whatever you knit you express yourself! Here I have knitted a rose brooch that I use on blazers or cardigans.

Happy knitting!

Finished!

2009-08-06T12:38:00.008+02:00

Just finished the lace sweater I wrote about on July 25^th.

http://thehighnorth.blogspot.com/2009/07/work-in-progress.html

You can see how small it was when the last stich was bound off! It looks like all the effort was for a too small top.

Then I soaked it in water and left to dry. A bit of ironing and voilá! It’s a beautiful sweater that goes as well with jeans as a skirt! I’m happy with the result and already on my next project!

Charity Shops Rules!

2009-08-05T12:14:00.003+02:00

I stoped by the local charity shop today and found these vintage sewing threads still in their box! It's amazing what you can find in charity shops. I like the charitable aspect about them, and there is a strong environmental aspect as well. It's written recycle all over what they do. Imagine all the benefits you contribute towards when shopping in charity shops - they rule!

Henry on knitting

2009-08-02T11:02:00.009+02:00

I have a very good friend called Henry. I met him on Twitter and he introdused himself as a clever bear from England that can use the computer. I soon learned that he had a go at knitting, something I like a lot. Henry writes his own words, and if you don't get the word at first you can say the sound out loud and it makes sense. Henry says that if the computer desides on his words, it would not be his words! So here is Henry on knitting in his own words;

When did you first knit, and what did you want to make?
i did start to do nittin bowt wun yeer agow. edwud wos dooin th nittin an i fort i wud elp im wen ee wos restin from it.

Do you have any favourite knitted garment?
i dussnt av ennyfing wot do be nittid. we do al shar ooooj cashmeer skarf an that do be nise an snuggly for us wen is kold

Do you like to knit?
i fort i wud like to nit but th stiks wos a bit big an aswel th wool did get in muddl

Any favourite knitting designers?
i do ownly no yoo wot do desine fings for nittin an they do luk reely complkaytid an aswel i fink they is for gerls

Do you have a next knitting project?
i not shor bowt that cos wen we did mayk blankis for doggis an kittis we did yews masheen an it wos eesya than nittin. if i did av nuvva gow wiv nittin i wud nit sumfing wot did be eezy. like skarf but i wud yews littl stiks aswel

Any favourite colours ?
i fink my fayrit cullas do be wuns wot luk nise wiv my ferr an they do be difrunt browns an creems an bayj aswel. i do like bloo but it dussnt reely luk nise wiv me. blak do be gud for wen is winta but red do be cheerful culla wen is dark an gray owtside. i like yello an perpul an lylak aswel uvva cullas

If you were to wish for a knitted thing, what would that be?
i fink it wud be nise to av wayst cote. i av seen them an i fink it wud be kool for me. i wuddnt like nittid trowsers cos they wud ich my legs. i fink an if i ad a at it wud av to av oles so my eers dint be skwoshdI thank Henry for taking time to talk with me on knitting!
If you want to get to know Henry and his friends (Edwud among them) better you can follow them on Twitter; http://twitter.com/henryandfriends and visit their "ome payj" at; http://www.henryandfriends.co.uk

I am Ms Twitter, Norway!

2009-07-31T15:33:00.003+02:00

I love Twitter, and apparantly have many friends there since someone told me to look at this;
http://tweeterwall.mallplace.com/walloffame/norway/mstwitter

It's fun because I have never been Miss anything.

Results of the Garden Poll

2009-07-30T12:28:00.004+02:00

The Garden Poll is closed and I would like to thank all of you who voted. I asked if you had a garden or not, and then I you would like to have one, or if you were happy nt to have a garden. 72% of you have a garden! 11% did not have and 16% of you would like to have one. None of you were happy not to have a garden.
Thank you for participating!

To bee or not to bee.

2009-07-28T17:42:00.013+02:00

Very eager for the growing season to begin last spring, I did buy a garden magazine that had free seeds attached. They where described as deep red velvet sunflowers. Here are four of them! What ever colour, they make me happy! They also make the wild bees around here happy. Bees are heading very close to the list of endangered insects due to extensive use of pesticides, large areas without food, climate changes and other reasons. It's nice to grow flowers that feeds the bees! Our food production relies on them!

Here are some facts about the ever importent busy bees:

http://www.saveourbees.org.uk/bee-facts.asp

And here you can read what gardners can do to save the bees;
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jul/25/save-bees-gardeners

A good morning.

2009-07-27T14:14:00.007+02:00

I got up early today, and had a cup of tea before the world got too busy. It's nice to sit on the porch with a good cup of tea watching the birds looking for breakfast in the trees and bushes in the garden.

After I had breakfast I harvested some garlic. It's the Chinese type that have just one bulb, and they are very tasty! The most amazing thing about them is that I didn't plant them this year. They must have grown from some that was left from last year! A pleasant surprise!

Work in progress

2009-07-25T13:03:00.003+02:00

Summer is not the best time for knitting for me as I use wool, and not cotton, it can be a sweaty experience! However, this summer is rainy and cool, so here I am knitting away on a lace sweater in fine wool yarn. I finished the body and one sleeve. When I have finished both sleeves I will put all parts on a long round needle and knit a ragland decrease in the lace pattern. I hope the result will be good. Cross your fingers for me! I'll show you the end result soon.

I made my first ever knitting pattern!

2009-07-24T20:58:00.011+02:00

For many years I have designed knitted accessories, skirts and tops, but never written down what I have done. When I have made a second one, I have just looked at the first I made, and that can hardly be called a pattern! Finally, I got around to write it all down and work it into a real pattern that I hope every one can use! My first ever knitting pattern is for a decorative collar/neck warmer.

I did write down what I did as I went along knitting. I modified a lace pattern form a chart and marked the modifications I made. When I finished the piece, I decided that this was so well documented that it had to be my first knitting pattern! I search the internet to see if I could learn form experienced people. And I could. I came across http://chezplum.com/blog/2009/06/11/tutorial-how-i-make-my-knitting-charts-for-lace/ who in a very detailed and understandable way explained how to make a lace chart based on a excel type program. Thank you so much Sylvie! She is an accomplished designer and her patterns are on sale at http://chezplum.com/

When the lace chart was made it was easy to write down the instruction for how to make the collar. When I had finished I realised the need for additional information. The obvious is yarn and needles, but size, skill level, amount of yarn needed, gauge and where to get the yarn I used in the model. I knit a lot in Icelandic wool and Gudrún in Iceland sell this wonderful yarn on Etsy; www.TheIcelandicWool.etsy.com

Late at night I had managed to make the word document into a PDF file, that can easily be send by email to customers, and posted it proudly in my Etsy store "The High North".

Happy knitting!

Fresh from the berry bush!

2009-07-19T20:57:00.015+02:00

I said I was going to write about the vegetables we grow, and I will. However, the berries are ripe now and so tempting to ..write about. And eat!
When we got this garden two years ago it had all the fruits and berries we could wish for, except cherries. We soon discovered that the plum tree didn't really produce much. The first year we had one plum, and it fell down in July.

As for berries we have raspberries, red currants and black currants and strawberries. We did as well buy a cherry tree. This year it gave some cherries, but the magpies we so much faster than us in getting them! A lesson learnt for next year.
In the spring we replanted the raspberries. They had been left to them self for very long, and weed was as plenty as raspberries. We had red and yellow berries last year. After replanting they all turn out to be yellow. I can't believe that we by accident just picked the yellow bushes. But it seems to be a funny fact.
Red currants grow on an old strong bush. This is the third year in a row that it is loaded with berries. The first year we were here we cut out some old branches and many new ones. We had no idea of what we did, we just wanted to stop the red currants bush from taking over the garden. We must have done something right!

We did a tidy-up in the strawberries as well, and they gave us treats for some weeks. It was very hot for the weeks they matured,

so they all did ripe at the same time. The most exciting fruit for us this season is the grapes. We bought a stock two years ago and now it shows signs of grapes! And oh! I nearly forgot to mention the blueberries! They are the American type and moved into our garden this spring. They seem happy here with lots of berries that are not yet ripe. Berries are very rewarding I think. I do very little to them and they give a lot back!

Allotments - an urban gardener's Paradise!

2009-07-15T22:29:00.002+02:00

It is said that the Romans where the first once to have allotment gardening, as a consequence of the city being over populated and people started to grow vegetables on the outskirt of Rome. Today many big cities like London, Berlin, Stockholm have allotments.

The characteristics of an allotment is that the ground is owned and managed amongst the gardeners. It is expected to take a turn in keeping the common areas nice and well kept. It’s also expected that each owner of an allotment is actively keeping her plot tidy and nice. This might sound strict, but for anyone with green fingers it is a great social place to live a garden dream in a crowded city.

Our allotment garden was built in the late 1920s. It is called Solvang Kolonihager. The whole area has 545 cottages and gardens like mine. It’s a little garden world with small roads, low hedges, cute cottages and many pretty gardens. There are no cars on the roads and a paradise for children and parents alike.

We grow some vegetables and fruits. I’ll write about that soon, so look in again!

A place in the sun.

2009-07-12T22:08:00.003+02:00

Two years ago we bought an allotment on the outskirt of Oslo. As they are not sold on the open market we had been waiting for more than six years to get one. What we got was a 40 m2 cottage and a 400 m2 garden 30 minutes on a push bike from the centre of Oslo, and 5 minutes to the woods and lakes beyond the city!

The closeness to the city is due to the fact that the area was developed into allotments in the 1920s. It was built as a place for the working class to be able to grow food and their children to get fresh air and escape from the small dark crowded apartments in the city.

At that time it was not allowed to grow flowers, or even to have a lawn! Today it's different. I will write more about the history of the allotment we are in soon. Meanwhile you can look at pictures of our cottage and garden, and read about allotment gardening on Wikipedia;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allotment_(gardening)

Peonies - "flower of riches and honour".

2009-07-10T12:45:00.001+02:00

It's hard not to love peonies. The size of the flower, the plentitude of petals and the fragrance makes them irresistable. The name peonycomes from the Greek Paeon or Paean. Apperently he was a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.

I have three different kinds of peonies in my garden. They have all been here a long time, befor I came here, so I don't know their names. But I do enjoy them every year when they do appear in early summer. Here are some of the peonies in my garden for you to enjoy! No wonder the Chinese call them the "flower of riches and honour".

In the shade under a tree.

2009-07-09T22:17:00.001+02:00

A perfect summer day is spent under a tree in the shade in my own garden. A cup of tea and a good book at hand will make the day perfect. I have allways wanted a tree seat, and so far it is in a shop in the UK, and not in my garden. You can have a closer look at it here; http://www.gardeniron.co.uk/product.asp?ref=4542

I did get myself a bench this year though, and I am very happy with it. It's solid granit and will last til the end of days! Here I can sit under the old apple tree in the afternoon sun! The summer cottage looks good in the low sun.

Another Etsy front page!

2009-02-18T17:27:00.002+01:00

Etsy Front Page 2/18/09 elineof
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers

The other day it was snowing all day in Oslo. After work I sat down by the computer and got a treasury on Etsy. After having fun finding great items, it was even more fun to see it on the front page this morning. Best of all; artist featured had sales form it!

This was my first Etsy Front Page!

2009-01-06T19:22:00.002+01:00

Etsy Front Page 1/5/09 elineof
Originally uploaded by Etsy Front Pagers

There are so many talented people selling things on Etsy, and there is a tool where one can put together 12 of your favourites in on display. This is called a Treasury. The administration pick from these treasuries to make the Etsy front page. January 5 mine was the front page for a while! Fun for me, and great for the taleted artists I display!