I am working...

...with the stuff that's not so fun.

Weaving in all the threads,
cutting up the front and arm openings,
so that I can attach the sleeves
and knit the edge around the neck and front opening.


The hat is almost done, I had to redo it,
I didn't like the way it came out even though I followed the pattern.
Maybe I'll make some socks and/or mittens also.

Holder på med å feste trådene på den lille jakken.
Lua ble for stor synes jeg,
og fellingen ble ikke noe særlig fin.
Fulgte mønsteret,
men likte ikke resultatet.
Har rekket opp, og er nå nesten ferdig.

Treat from Norway...

Yesterday I received I great gift!
"Seigemenn",
some sticky, Jello like, sugar dipped candy.
Don't know how to explain them,
but they are gooood!
At home,
most people spend their Easter vacation in the mountains skiing,
so for this occasion,
the "Seigemenn" where formed with skies on their feet,
adorable!
I also got my favorite chocolate from Freia,
milk chocolate and milk chocolate with walnuts.
Yommy!!


Fikk seigemenner og sjokolade fra Norge i går.
Det var en kjempeoverraskelse!
Mor og datter spiste nok litt mer enn det som er regnet for sundt....

Monday this week...

was 2 years ago since I lost my mother.
What can I say, my heart is still broken...

Today, driving my car, I was listening to this song by IL DIVO.
It is so beautiful, I just have to share it:

Mama thank you for who I am
Thank you for all the things I'm not
Forgive me for the words unsaid
For the times I forgot

Mama remember all my life
You showed me love, you sacrified
Think of those young and early days
How I've changed - along the way

And I know you belived
And I know you had dreams
And I'm sorry it took all this time to see
That I am where I am because of your truth
I miss you, I miss you

Mama forgive me the times you cried
Forgive me for not making right
All of the storms I may have caused
And I've been wrong, dry your eyes

Mama I hope this makes you smile
I hope you're happy with my life
At peace with every choice I made
How I've changed - along the way
And I know you believed in all my dreams
And I owe it all to you, Mama

- and yes, I miss you

Stripes and lace

I added a couple of small details,
and the jacket is done.

I didn't have a pattern for this,
but the size came out OK,

probably 3 months.


I thought it need to be tied on the inside also,
and the lace-edge is crochet.


Jakken er ferdig,
knyttet både på innsiden og utsiden.
Hadde ikke mønster til denne,
men den ser ut som ca. str. 3 mnd.
Heklet kant rundt til slutt.


Here is a cute little top I bought in Mexico.
Its so fine, the fabric is thin cotton,
just like old fashion handkerchiefs.
Around the neck and sleeves is this delicate crochet edge .


En nydelig liten baby trøye,
kjøpt i Mexico.
Stoffet er som i et "gammeldags" lommetørkle,
tynnt og delikat.
Den har en fin heklet kant rundt ermer og halslinning.

I am soooo exited!

With a lot of help from Coffeelady and Hege,
I changed the language on my computer,
and can finally write the letters: ÆØÅ
In Norwegian we have these three extra letters
just to make the language a little more complicated...
Thank you, both of you!

Endelig har jeg funnet ut
hvordan jeg kan få skrive norske bokstaver på dette tastaturet.
Etter at jeg skiftet fra Mac'en til laptop,
fikk jeg det bare ikke til.
Så nå er det slutt på knotingen håper jeg.

Buttermilk and Cinnamon cake

Yesterday I had a group of Norwegian friends visiting.
There is quite a few Norwegians in Houston,
due to the oil business.
Groups has formed in different areas of town,
forming new friendships and making the transition easier.
In my group everybody brings a little something to eat.
We meet in each others homes,
and yesterday we where about ten girls here.


I made this very easy cake,
it has no eggs,
and here is the recipe:


1 liter buttermilk
4 cups sugar
6 cups flour
4 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup melted butter (margarine)
3 tsp baking soda (mixed with a little buttermilk)
350F for 45 min.

Alternate wet and dry,
and mix well,


poor into a lined large oven pan.

In preheated oven,
cook for 45 min - 350F

When done, let it cool about 45 min - 1 hour
before putting the "chocolate-glaze" on:

Chocolate topping:
1 tsp vanilla sugar (vanilla concentrate}
1 tbsp cocoa
1 stick softened butter (about 100gr) I use margarine
250 gr powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp coffee

Sprinkle coconut on top.

It is very good warm!
Enjoy!!


Jeg hadde 10 norske jenter paa besoek i gaar.
Det er mange av oss her i Houston pga all olje virksomheten her.
Forskjellige grupper moetes i forskjellige omraader av byen,
ettersom hvor en bor.

Vi samles av og til hjemme hos hverandre,
og pleier ta med oss litt hver til aa "bite i".
Her er oppskriften til kaka vi spiste,
veldig enkel, ingen egg:

1 liter sur melk
4 kopper sukker
6 kopper mel
4 ss kanel
1 kopp smeltet smoer (margarin er ok)
3 ts natron (mikses i litt av surmelken)

Miks alt godt sammen,
alterner toerrt og vaatt.

Stekes paa 180 gr C i 45 minutter

La kaka sitte litt foer du tar paa fyllet,

Sjokolade fyll:
1 ts vaniljesukker
1 ss kakao
100 gr mykt smoer
250 gr melis
3-4 ss kaffe

Sprinkle kokos over

Kaka smaker veldig godt naar den enda er litt varm...
Lykke til!

OK,- en vott er ferdig...

Det var visst paa tide...
Jeg har nok garn til et ekstra par,
men kanskje snur jeg litt paa farge kombinasjonen.
Disse vottene er stoerre enn "vanlige"votter
som jeg har strikket tidligere.
Vristen en en god del lengre.
Her er moensteret.
Garn: Cascade 220.


One mitten is done,
and I really like the colors if I may say....
I also have quite a bit yarn left,
so maybe I will make a pair
with the green and turquoise as the main color...
This shape is different from any mittens I have made before,
its quite large,
especially the piece from the CO to where the thumb begin.
Here is the pattern.
Yarn: Cascade 220.

Paa jakt - hunting...

Just had to post this picture of my daughters cat Simba...

She is a good photographer!

And by the way....

The vacation is over for now,
and we are back home,
getting ready for Easter
and visitors from Norway!

Just wanted to show this last thing, it's so cool...


These are real flowers,
Hibiscus (Hawaii rose).
The maid picked flowers every morning,
and decorated our pillows after making the bed,
- every day!!
I thought it was very creative..

Ull votter i varmen...

I found this pattern at Knitty.
The colors are a little different,
I was trying to use from my stash.


Fant dette moensteret hos Knitty.
Liker i grunnen begge farge kombinasjonene,
men jeg proever aa faa brukt noe jeg hadde liggende,
og ville ikke kjoepe nytt.

Pastels

I'm knitting, I'm knitting...
The sand and pale blue cotton yarn is being worked on.
It will be a very small jacket,
fitting a tiny person...



The sand color matching the sand under my feet.
The blue is the sky and the ocean...

Lyseblaatt og beige,
nydelig sammen synes jeg.
Det blir en ny liten jakke ut av dette garnet,
strikket paa (og inspirert av?) stranden
paa vestkysten av Mexico.

Spring Brake in Mexico

The waves are huge,
sun is shining,

people are friendly,
food is good,
and the flowers are gorgeous!



I am knitting by the pool,
pictures soon...

My friends garden

I visited my friend yesterday,
and I just wanted to share her beautiful garden with you..

Spring is definitely in the air,


and in the ground..


The birds where singing,
and we where enjoying a glass of wine
in these lush surroundings.


Besoekte en venninne i gaar,
og hagen hennes var full av fioler,
et fantastisk syn!
Under er et appelsintre fra en av terrasse pottene...

Digging in my cabinets...

pulling out fabrics,
I found Winnie the Pooh!


Jeg fant Ole Brum og masse annet fint stoff,
som jeg har gjemt paa for en passende anledning.
Anledningen er her...
Etter vinterferien settes ide-hetten paa hodet,
for naa skal baby sengen fikses.

I have got measurements for the baby crib,
and mattress,
so after Spring Brake I will get started with this fun project!


I think it can be cute,
love the combination of pale blue and champagne.


The little pillow and baby blanket I had made earlier,
for sale, accompanying my baby boots.


They will work good with these fabrics.


And in my chest,
I found some yarn too!
I promise,
it will be used for something,
...we'll see...

Moving slowly forward

This pattern is also from Dale of Norway.
I have found several cute outfits here that I would love to make.

In this case I changed the main color to navy,

but kept red, yellow and blue as accent colors.
I still have to work on the sleeves.

Jakken er snart ferdig, har kun armene igjen.
Moensteret er fra Dale Ull,
funnet i Baby hefte nr.139.

Saturdays hat

My nephew's favorite colors are green and blue,
he told me...
So a hat for him it will be!

The pattern came out of this book:
"Hats- Knitter's dozen"

Spring is around the corner...

I have this picture on my desk by the computer,
where I light a candle in the morning.


This is the time of the year when I can get pretty sentimental,
and think about "home" a lot.
But it's also happy thinking,
I am truly blessed with good memories!

I am thinking of snow, skiing and Easter...
- about sitting down on top of the mountain.
I am thinking of sitting on my wool mittens,
trying to stay out of the wind,
closing my eyes and turning my face to the sun.
Feeling the warmth....
I think of eating an orange and drinking my hot chocolate.

Looking at the incredible, beautiful, white blanket of snow,
that stretch out as far as my eye can see.
Away from everything, its overwhelmingly quiet.
Quiet, still, peaceful,
strengthening, re-powering, reloading...

Memories...

Both my parent birthdays where in the late winter/early spring,
they where both great skiers.
With lots of patients,
they dragged us children around in the mountains
from before we could walk.
Me in and old box, nailed to a pair of old skis.
No modern equipment in 1953...

In April the snow is melting...
It all collects in smaller streams,
and the river water by my childhood home is raising.

Later comes summer and swimming in the river,
but that's a different story...

I think of my parents,
and how they took care of us all,
how lucky we where....
...how I miss them...