Hot coffee

Taking a walk carrying hot coffee is no problem - when you've got the übercool sleeve for your cup (from http://jacobs-quilt.blogspot.com)!!

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..