New pattern

Denne kaller jeg Vikinghette.

Jeg sydde et par lignende i sommer, i lin,

og tenkte at kanskje den kunne strikkes også.

Tror denne kan bli god og varm,

utenpå jakken, eller kanskje inni?

Brukte latviske fletter på kantene,

men ellers lite mønster,

ville ha den enkel.

Viking Hoodie,

inspired by a linen custume I stitched, this summer.

Kan jeg få vise bort den minste mormor ungen

Hun har på seg lue og sko heklet av norske May.

Jeg kjøpte dette settet her i etsy butikken hennes,

og jeg falt pladask for disse fargene.

Og her er gulle jenta i andunge kostymet

som hun brukte på Halloween.

A few things..

The hat is done

and ready to be shipped off,

together with a pair of warm pants,

marvelous for colder weather.

And in our garden

we still have peppers..

At the moment they are roasting in the oven.

Great recipe for salsa:

8 Roma tomatoes

2 large Jalapenos

3 Garlic segments

Slice the tomatoes and the jalapenos` in two,

put them them on the rack,

skin up.
(Put the rack on top of a pan,
or it will be messy.
Legg alt på en rist, 
ha en langpanne under).

Put the garlic segments on the rack also,

but leave the skin on.

Roast it all under the broiler

until tomato skin turns brown.

Put it all in the blender,

add 2 tbls (spiseskjeer) of honey,

a pinch (klype) of salt,

juice of 1 lime,

and blend it.

Serve with corn chips

(and a cold beer..)

Rosie vottene

i en litt annen farge sammensetning.

De havner nok i skapet med de andre.

Der kan de ligge 

til den minste mormor ungen vokser i dem...

Rosie mittens

in a different colorway.

Yarn: Cascade 220 wool

Needles: 3.5 mm

The third sweater

is not my favorite...

It is originally a Dale pattern,

but I altered it a bit.

With some yarn from my stash

and some new,

it got a bit busy.

Oh well,

I can always make another..

Have a nice weekend!

Mista litt inspirasjon underveis 

på denne genseren til minste sviska.

Var ikke helt fornøyd med farge valget.

Men garnet er herlig,

Dale baby ull,

elsker å strikke barne tøy i det garnet!

God helg alle sammen!

The second sweater

is also an old pattern from Sandnes Garn.

I like to experiment

and chose this blue,

with green and red accent colors.

The original, however,
had very traditional colors,

grey background color,

also very pretty!

Yarn: Cascade Superwash

Needles: 3 and 3,5 mm

I will have to knit a hat to go with it,

 it will hopfully be on my needles by this weekend...

Som jeg skrev i går 

så har jeg nettopp montert 3 barne gensere.

Det var like godt å hoppe i det som å krype i det,

for sånne monterings prosjekter 

kan ofte ble liggende en stund i garnkurven.

Dette er genser nr. 2, 

den tredje genseren kommer i morgen.

This weekend I sat down, outside, enjoying the beautiful weather

...and assambled 3 sweaters.

All of them fairly small.

I will show the first one today,

and the other two will follow in a day or so.

This first one, size 2 years, is called Setesdal,

and the pattern is from one of

Sandnes Ullvare's older catalogs.

After getting the "thumbs up" by a representative

from the yarn factory,

I translated this pattern to English this summer.

This, and a couple of other old patterns,

was used to teach a local knitting class

here in North Houston.

The yarn used is Mountain Mohair,

100% wool, from Green Mountain.

Needles 3 and 3.5 mm.

Ei kjekk liten kofte for en 2 åring.

Mønsteret er fra en gammel Sandnes Ullvare katalog,

og det kalles i katalogen for Setesdal.

Neste kofte blir lagt til i morgen...

My daughters new blog

She work full day,

goes to school at night,

have a baby and a husband

at home,

- now she is blogging...

 Ingrid sin nye blogg

Halfway in to October

...and this is my first entry this month.

To my defense,

I have had 3 girlfriends visiting me from Norway

for 2 weeks!

We have had so much fun,

lots of girl talk,

lots of laughter.

These Norwegian girls can shop!!!

Every day they had a load like this.

Shop until they drop, lol,

and fell asleep,

all exhausted, in the sofa at night!

However,

we also visited the Renaissance Festival.

This guy welcomed us right inside the gate.

He was very serious,

and didn't talk much.

One could visit the Tarot reader,

or get a Henna Tatoo.

My friends also shopped, -more, off course...

Busy packing mitten kits

This is some of what's been done lately.

It seems like I have so many things going on,

and I am creating UFO's.

I get side tracked,

and start something new.

Not good...

A friend of mine popped by the other day,

and we dug out some old, pieced, blocks,

that I had tucked away several years ago.
She offered to take them home

and put them together for me,

so now they are ready for quilting.

Thank you so very much!

I actually used to quilt a lot,

but as I started to get far sighted,

and needed glasses to see the small stitches,

I lost interest.

To bad...

I still have unfinished quilting projects

sitting in my sewing room.

Maybe its time to dig them out and finish them..

Very happy notification!

The "Helene pattern" (right column)

has sold pretty good, on and off.

So far I have been able to donate $ 839

to cancer research.

That is, with today's currency, 

 about kr. 5000 (Norwegian kroner).

I think this is great!!

Thanks to everybody who have helped donating

by buying this pattern.
The pattern has also sold in Norway,
thanks to "Irenesol".
I am not sure about how much money
she has been able to donate,
but here is an article she wrote about it.

I can let you know

that my sister, Helene,

is a breast cancer survivor

and at the moment she is

waiting for reconstructing surgery.

Dette mønsteret har til nå 

innkassert nesten 5000 kroner.

Hele beløpet har porsjonsvis

blitt donert

til M D Anderson kreft sykehus,

øremerket kreft forskning.

Alle monner drar!

Da var det gjort..

20 par er ferdig.
Ble litt lei underveis,
men det var kjekt å se resultatet.


Flere ting har blitt satt på "vent"
mens miniatyr strikkingen foregikk.
Så jeg der er ingen fare for
at jeg skulle bli arbeidsløs med det første.


Idag har været vært herlig.
Forsatt svært varmt,
men ikke så trykkende som tidligere i sommer.

Disse keramikk soppene
er en nyanskaffelse.
Hadde lyst til å vise dem frem.


De frisker opp litt mellom buskene,
nå når meste parten av sommer blomstene
har gitt opp for i år.
Snart kan vi plante for vinteren.
Fiolene pleier å ankomme i oktober/november.

Ha en fin uke!

Not much to say.
It has been a slow going weekend.
However, I did finish my goal
20 pair of miniature mittens.

Have a great week every body!

Blue is beautiful

Blue is one of my favorite colors,
so many beautiful shades...


This is the second shawl
using this KnitPick yarn and this
free Drops pattern.
My first shawl is here.
The yarn is a thin wool yarn,
and the shawl feels very light.


Its a great project to travel with.
You knit one little square at the time,
picking up stitches from the sides
of the previous squares.


I always get cold on airplanes,
so the knit project had a double purpose,
keep my hands busy,
and to cover myself when I felt cold!

But with new project awaiting,
this one finally got finished!

Jeg elsker disse fargene,
svært sommerlig synes jeg.
For kjølige sommerkvelder i Norge kanskje...
Mønster er fra Drops,
jeg har strikket begge mine
(det første er her)
med garn fra KnitPicks.

Still a long time until Christmas

..and I believe these will look better on the tree,
than on my toes....


The goal is 20 pair!
So far I have about nine..


Good weather today,
hot, but OK.


The cup-holders sure work great for yarn,


and to keep the different strands untangled.

Skal strikke opp noen par med miniatyr votter,
målet er 20 par..
Kjenner at jeg begynner å bli lei allerede,
så jeg må ha det litt "løye" underveis..

Jakke fra farmor

Denne har farmoren til odelsklumpen strikket.
Han fikk den til 2 årsdagen sin.
Er den ikke flott?!!


Helt nydelig strikket,
og sjekk de fine båndene.


Tror det er en slags Bergens genser...
(korrekt meg gjerne her!)

The baby jacket that got used one time...

We had a cold enough day in Norway
this summer,
cold enough to wear mormors knitted jacket.


Made for a smaller baby,
it was a little snug for our little Kaja,
so I am guessing it will be put away after this.

Another EZ

This one for a friends newborn son,
Drew is his name..
Living in Texas
it might not ever be used though...


I am not sure how many I have knitted,
but the pattern is very easy going
for "mindless knitting".


This color combination feels soothing to me.


The buttons I found at Twisted Yarn,
my local yarn store.

Showing off a cute jacket

I took these pictures a few weeks ago,
and wanted to show off this very cute knitted jacket.
And off course also the cutest little guy ever,
modeling it!


It is made by coffelady,
A Norwegian woman,
living in the northern part of the US,
and who has a great shop at Etsy.


Great jacket for a chilly Norwegian summer day.

Viking inspired wedding for my daughter and her husband

I have been slow going
with the knitting needles this summer,
do to lots of preparations for my daughters wedding.


What a special experience it was!
All the guests dressed in "viking" inspired customs,
or traditional Norwegian outfits (bunad).


The couple were taken over the Kaupanger bay
in my sons very special wooden boat,
called "Åfjord seksring".


They are now happily off to a Honeymoon destination,
and I am back to my home away from home...

A bouquet of wild flowers

picked along the sea shore.
I am enjoying my days
in these beautiful surroundings

and with family!

Pretending to take a nap in "mormors" window cell.

"Odels-klumpen" koser seg i mormor sin vinduskarm

under oldemors filleteppe.

I am packing up

Yarn and needles,
and half my closet is packed.
I am ready to go on vacation, yeh!


But I will be back in not to long.
I wish you all a great summer,
were ever you are!

God sommer!

"Viking-wedding" is coming up soon

-and making the clothes are a work in progress...
The sewing machine is put away for now.


This is a small shirt for a 2 year old.
I just have some small adjustments left.


The hat was promised a long time ago,
and now when it is done,
I think it is to small for the person receiving it!


I guess that mean I have to make another.
The method is not knitting nor crocheting,
but "Needle binding".

Sweater

about size 2-3 years.


This is an old pattern from Sandnes Uldvare.
The book is called "Til Fjells nr. 6",
it also says "Barn/voksne 9908" in one of the corners.
I used Cascade Superwash,
and I am knitting it in a size 4 years.
However,
since the pattern is asking for Peer Gynt yarn,
my sweater came out smaller.
Which is OK, I wanted it to be a size 2 anyway.
Got to admit that my colors are a little un-traditional.

Have a Happy 4th of July!

Har noen gamle hefter fra Sandnes Uldvare,
og fant en del kjekke gensere.
Denne vil jeg strikke i første omgang,
så får jeg se om det blir flere etterhvert.
Jeg vil også teste ut forskjellige garn sorter.
Garnet jeg har brukt
er litt tynnere enn Peer Gynt,
som er brukt i originalen.

idé kroken: smått og søtt

idé kroken: smått og søtt

Rabbit, doll, rabbit?

Rabbit it is.

Simple, with no face.

Made with fabric remnants
and cotton yarn.

Ikke fille-dukke,
men fille-kanin!

There is a loose plan behind these pieces

Maybe it will turn in to something
by the end of the day...

I love weekends at home

We have traveled a lot lately,
so this weekend was spent in the back yard.

Towels form my hometown

No plans, just relaxing, and then..
even better, - my husband loves to cook.
What can I say,
it was Fathers Day yesterday,
and how could I not let him do what he love so much!


I grabbed my basket,
found some mindless knitting,
and enjoyed the day!


However,
IT IS HOT HERE!


It`s a release every time the sun goes behind a cloud...


About 38 C (98-99 F).
So cooling off in the pool about every 5 minutes,
is the only way to survive a day outside
this time of the year.

Frog perspective

Unless one prefer being inside in air condition.

Our youngest off spring do exactly that,
stays inside.
Don`t like the heat,
tired of swimming...

Have a great week!

Not my mom,

but my good friends mom,
left us for her final journey,
yesterday.
She was way to young,
but could not fight her sickness any longer.


I would like to share this poem with you,
especially you who have experienced the loss of a mother.
I think it is very beautiful.

God looked around his garden-
and found an empty place.
He then looked down upon the earth
and saw my mom`s tired face.

He put his arms around her
and lifted her to rest.
God`s garden must be beautiful-
He only takes the best.

He saw her road was getting rough
and the hills were hard to climb.
So He closed her weary eyelids
and whispered; Peace Be Thine.

It broke my heart to lose my mom,
but she did not go alone..
For part of me went with her
the day God called her home.


I don`t know the authors name

Just back from Colorado

and the area around Estes Park.
We have found our paradise in the United States..
This is our second time here,
and we will be back for sure!


It is just a short flight from Texas,
and we loved to get away from the heat for a while.


We were able to drive into the Rocky Mountain National Park,
to view all these beautiful sights,


the Elks,


the mountains,


it was refreshing and "medicine for the soul"!

As an extra plus and ingredient to our trip,
we visited the "Wool Market" in Estes Park.
Lots of different sources of yarn,
homespun and home colored yarn was presented!


This vendor specialized in sheep wool.
She make some fantastic felted dolls,
and have had them represented at the Smithsonian.


My yarn and wool stash is now a "little bit" larger,
limited to what I could get in my suitcase
for the trip home.

We stayed here just long enough to be able to
explore the surrounding areas of Estes Park.


This is one of 3-4 trading posts in nearby Glen Haven.


This cute little cottage we eyed along the road.
Butterflies and everything purple.
One happy spirit must live here...

Det tar ca. to og en halv time med fly,
og vi kan omgi oss med denne nydelige naturen i Estes Park,
en liten by/tettsted
ved inngangen til Rocky Mountains National Park.
Her kan vi trekke frisk luft,
litt kjøligere enn den vi har hjemme i Texas,
og jeg kan innbille meg at jeg er i Norge en tur.
Dette er andre besøket vårt her,
og jeg håper vi får anledning til å komme tilbake.

What a gorgeous day!

We have spent the entire day outside,
swimming, knitting, snacking...


Check out our Serrano peppers!


And the tomatoes!

I am working on several things at the moment.


This shawl has followed me on my recent trip,
brainless knitting..


I made one earlier (see here) in rust colors.
But for myself I think I might prefer these blue shades.



The yarn is from Knit Picks,
and the pattern from Drops.


Its blooming in my yard.
Plants that can take the heat,
and not a lot of water!

I am also working on a new pattern.


Still struggling a little with shape and color,
but not really in a hurry to hit the finish line.


The squirrel is watching me from the roof top..

I am back!

...after two great weeks in my beloved Norway!


I got to see children and grandchildren,


and I got to enjoy our National Day,
the 17. of May.
This year celebrated in Norway,
12 years since last time..


The mountains had snow,
the apple trees where blooming,
and the weather was nice.


At the local museum,
"De Heibergske Samlinger".
I found this gorgeous, old, knitted jacket,
in their collection.


These old handmade and embroidered baby hats
were used for Christening.




Walking outside,
the museum has collected
about 40 antiquarian buildings from the Middle Ages.



Many of these with original furniture.


I highly recommend anyone traveling in the area
to visit the museum!
And bring your family too..!

Da har jeg hatt 2 herlige uker i Norge.
Epletrærne var i full blomst,
og kontrasten mellom blomstring og snedekte fjell
var et fantastisk syn.


Løvetannen var også i full blomst,
og selv om den er hatet av mange,
så er den bare vakker,
det synes nå i allefall jeg!

My treasured heirloom

A few years ago,
my dear aunt gave me this jacket,
a very, very special heirloom.
Only having boys of her own,
she wanted me to have it.
I cherish it with all my heart,
even more now,
as she is not around anymore.


It was hand-knitted by herself,
it is absolutely beautiful,
and it is in a perfect condition.


At first, I thought part of it looked like it was wowen,
but after a closer look,
I believe it is a very tight knitted Moss Stitch.
This shows better on the inside
than on the outside of the jacket.


Looking at the inside,
I noticed a couple of things.
The edges are not cut,
so the pieces has been knitted "back and forward",
witch make it a bit harder when you knit Fair Island.


I can only see very few wrapped floats on the back side,
but the stitches are still very even.


The jacket has pewter hooks for closing,
very typical and also used a lot with the Scandinavian kofte,
and sweaters.


She had kept it in a box for many years,
and I will estimate the jacket to be about 65 years old.


I have used it for special occasions,
but living in the Texas heat,
it only see the daylight every know and then...

Denne nydelige jakken ble gitt til meg for noen år siden.
Min kjøre tante Astri strikket den for mange år siden,
antagelig i etterkrigsårene.
Jeg setter umåtelig stor pris på den,
spesiellt nå når hun ikke er her lengre.
Som bunadene våre,
så blir den ikke brukt så mye som den fortjener,
ikke her i Texas varmen,
men jeg liker å ta den frem og se på den av og til...