Looking for advice..

I've got a couple of projects in my mind, but I think I might need a few things before I can start to do more than just thinking about them..

Like something similar to these ones :

Or this :

I think I saw them around (quite a bit) a few years ago, but I don't know where to start searching for them at the moment.. Any ideas?

I'm also looking for tips with regards to a new quilting frame. The one that I've got, I've managed to break one of the fasteneres, so it's not that good anymore. I haven't decided if I'd like a round one or a square one, but would really appreciate your views and advice, if you have any.

Is there such a thing as thinner?

Last Friday I killed some time browsing in one of the shops downtown in Oslo (Husfliden) and came across what I think are the thinnest knitting needles I've ever seen. 1mm needles (European standard) actually reminded me of uncooked spaghetti..

Knitting needles, from size 1mm (European standard).

I didn't buy them, but I'm curious about trying a pair from the same producer. I mean, I've knitted (mainly) with wooden needles (bamboo) for a while now, and these are made of carbon fibre with nickel plated brass tips. (They come in twin tip, single tip and round., and - according to the producer, are ideal for knitting lace/with lace yarn and socks.) The feedback I've read so far gives quite a good review. (But I think the pricing is quite high, even for Norwegian standards.. though, if the quality is good then the price is often worth it.)

I'd love to get first-hand feedback, though.. Has anyone tried these?

Sunday baking.

After spending the day in Popsenteret on a rock concert for children (a band called Rockebandet Plopp) a batch of cinnamon rolls seemed like the perfect way to end the weekend.

Yummy.. cinnamon rolls..

Plutt ate three - I think that's as good as any mark of quality. 

A light in the dark..

I like candles. I like the glow of burning candles, of the spheres of light they provide in the early darkness of dusk or in the close to total black-darkness of the fall. Heck, I like the burning glow of candles in the spring, summer, fall and winter. It's close to the middle of the month of May, and I've lit my candles. 

Hubby's Grandpa Lowell's homemade candlesticks,
with a slight improvement (I've added the glass bowls for the lights).

Greenish retro glass owl.. found it in a store a few weeks ago
- it simply "spoke" to me.. 

Do you light your candles all through the year - or is there a special season which you like to light up with the playful, hopeful glow of the burning flames?

Never leave home without..

A project in your bag. 

Currently knitting in a café, enjoying a double-latte with white chocolate syrup, waiting for hubby to finish at work. Can't remember the last time I was at a café..

Lately..

There hasn't been much going on lately.. Well, some practical jokes going around the office - like the keyboard that met one of the guys when he came back from a trip..

Practical joke going around the office.. Luckily, not my keyboard.

And I got a parcel in the mail last week - some of it's content's going to my mom and Vigdis, and some of it's going to stay with me (I've got plans for how to use it.. just wait and see).

Beautiful shadings of yarn..

The full content of the parcel is pictured below - six balls of Kauni (100% wool) from To Damer. (They're incredible! The parcel arrived almost before I was able to press "submit order".. well, not exactly, but I made the order on Thursday and could pick up the parcel on Monday. Doesn't get much faster than that!)

Back left : two balls Kauni rainbow, one ball offwhite.
Front : two balls Kauni blue-to-black, one ball offwhite-to-light-brown.

The two balls of rainbow Kauni,as I mentioned, are going to Trysil to Vigdis and my mom - the offwhite one I'm thinking of combining with some rainbow that I already have in my stash, and the remaining ones (blue-to-black and offwhite-to-light-brown) I plan to use in a knitted project I'm going to start soon (just need to finish a project or two first..).


I bought a pattern/kit from Katrines when I was in Sarpsborg for the NQF-weekend. The kit included fabric for all three sizes of zipper pouches, one zipper and the pattern. Unfortunetly, the plastic for the front of the pouches was not included, so I had to buy that a while later (didn't notice it was missing until someone told me.. jeeze.. paying attention, much?). Anyway, my experience with sewing with zippers hasn't been all that good (meaning, I've avoided it up until now..) so I thought this was a good way of learning something new.

Started out with the smallest size - and had to restart, I think, four times (!) until I finally got it (more or less) right. Not quite happy with it, but it's still cute..

Tried my hand at the biggest size, and only had to redo one section (which, I guess, means that I learned something from strugglig with the first one). And the third one was a joy to make! Almost perfect, actually.



Zipper pouches! (Or zip locks..)

Unfortunetly, I'll have to take some new pictures, as these ones appear to be slightly out of focus.. not good.. :( But you can see the colours pretty well (and not all the stains on my ironing board - or just how horrible the smallest pouch really is...)

***
Until next time..

More baking from the birthday celebrations.. and knitting inspiration.

Well, there wasn't just lemon cookies served on the celebration of our birthdays, but also apple cake and cupcakes (and swedish chocolate cake, but didn't take a picture of that one this time.. there is one a bit further back on the blog, I think..).

Apple cake, served with vanilla ice cream.. 

Chocolate cup cake with a touch of butter cream
and fondant topping..

This is what a birthday boy, who completely wiped-out,
looks like when he's fallen asleep..

I've been spending some time browsing Ravelry for inspiration and patterns (knitting, mainly) and I wish I had a little less yarn then I have in my stash (easier to shop some more without having the volume of my stash hanging over me..). I even got a book of knitting patterns for my birthday - and found at least three or four items in there I'd love to knit for myself (ego-knitting) but - once again - it would mean buying more yarn. If (that's a really big if, by the way) I'm good, I ought to knit up a few balls of yarn before I start one of these projects (and buy more yarn).. I've made a small start, and knitted a baby vest (size about 0-4 months), but one ball of yarn doesn't really make much of a difference, I'm afraid.. :P

Have you ever checked out Ravelry? It's addictive..


***
I'm spending a couple of days in Trysil this week - it's my Grandfather's funeral tomorrow. It's such a beautiful and sunny late afternoon tonight, and I'm hoping the sun shines tomorrow too.

Here's to a peaceful evening and a beautiful tomorrow.

New toy!

I bought my laptop a few - well, ok, closer to 5.. - years ago, and for the past year it's been somewhat less than portable, seeing as it got overheated when the battery was in (weird..?) so it only worked with the power cable in (making it a sit on the couch-kinda computer). Well, I've been wanting a Mac ever since I went to University, and had my mind more or less set on buying one some time this year. So when hubby saw that there was a we've redecorated our shop-sale in one of the down town stores, lo and be hold a brand new MacBookPro ended up in my lap.

Here it is, still in it's box. 13" MacBookPro.

So far I've only had time to do some basic playing around and changing of settings, but have noticed the new keys and structures of the keyboard that I will have to learn. Lucky for me, hubby's been using a Mac for quite some years, and even uses one at work, so I've got my very own Mac-support at home. ^.^

In the crafting department, I've been working on a stitchery for Christmas, crocheting on a blanket (which is a never-ending-as-long-as-I-have-suitable-stash-&-leftovers kind of project), knitted a kitchen cloth (kopptue, in Norwegian), and sewing mug rugs. I entered a mug rug swap organized by Quilting Gallery back in January, where we received the patterns to make two mug rugs (or inspire, as the colours were to be of our own choosing). I sent my two mug rugs off to Canada in the beginning of March, and finally received mine earlier this week. (Actually, I thought the pattern was soo adorable, I decided to make two of each when I was sending them to my partner, so that I could keep one set for myself.. sneaky, I know.. but now I've got four new mug rugs to use - and I love how different they are!

The mug rugs I received from Ellen.
Don't you just love the colors?

Copies of the ones I sent to Gailene. 

Miniman turned three earlier this week, and had two celebrations that day - first in kindergarden, and then again in the afternoon when his Grandma and Emma came for dinner/a playdate. This weekend we're having a third (and hopefully final..) celebration of his birthday - throwing in a minor celebration of mine too. So tomorrow I'm putting on my apron and will spend most of the day baking. Perhaps you'd like to see the results?

Here's a sneakpeak from Wednesday evening..

Lemon-flavoured cookies.
Yes, dinosaurs, tractors and apples..

***
Until next time.. happy crafting!

Ridiculous.. *rant*

*rant*

The office where I work is just down the road from a pretty big arena (actually a football/soccer stadium, but there's been more concerts and other arrangements than football matches there since it opened) and next week there'll be a series of three concerts.. with Justin Bieber.. (I never thought I'd be writing that name on my blog, but there you have it.)

To make sure these concerts are run smoothly and prevent stupid things to happen (like, people crossing the road or causing mayhem i traffic, etc) fences will be put up along the road, the bus won't be able to stop on the usual stops and traffic will be rearranged from 9AM - and there are even shuttle buses coming in from downtown Oslo (and the surrounding area too, I think) from 12PM. (Seriously, even my office has posted a rather large notice with regards to change in security policies during these three days.)

I'm not quite sure how this will affect me, but I chose to take the more pessimistical approach - and rather be positively surpriced if things do run smoothly - rather than think that none of my business will be affected. I mean, coming to work in the morning won't be much of a problem (I might have to take the bus a couple more stops because it won't be allowed to use the usual stops) - however, I'm more concerned about going home in the afternoon..

Considering the chaos that occured last year, when he held a concert downtown in Oslo, I won't be surpriced if something happens this year too. I'm definetly not going, not for anything in the world, and I am very happy I don't have kids in the Belieber-age..

There's so much good music out there - why do they have to bring that little, annoying guy here..?

*/rant*