My project from the knitting class..

Just thought I'd show you a small glimse of my project from Tuesday's knitting class - "Icelandic Sunrise". I started my project in a soft gray color, but the picture is a little dark.. 

TGIF!

*Whew*

This past week has been too full of events and work and stress and not enough time to think.. It's been superbusy at work, leading to feelings of not getting things done, and leaving work in the afternoons with heaps of things having to wait for the next day. It's been like that for the past four days - but, finally! Today I was able to get every little thing on my list done, and some extra stuff that came during the day, and I have an almost clean slate awaiting my return to the office Monday morning (the only things left on the list, are things I'm going to do Monday morning (like, call and nag people for not replying to my emails and such. (It sucks, but it needs to be done.)

Anyway, besides work being a major factor of stress this past week, there was work to be done - both in our community (I don't know a better word for "borettslag") and in the kindergarden Mini goes to (every fall and spring there's an evening where the parents help out, tidying, cleaning, painting and doing other work around the kindergarden - and the same is done around our buildings, even planting and fixing the outdoor furniture - everything done to make things more cosy both at home and in the kindergarden). Now, this time the timing kinda sucked again, seeing as both events fell on the same afternoon. So we had to split up. Hubby went to the kindergarden, and Mini and I helped out at home, until he was "fourteen degrees tired" and wanted to go back inside.

But Tuesday was an evening spent in the light of creativity.. I had signed up for a class taught by Pickles (a yarn shop, both physical store and web shop, who also make a lot of patterns themselves), a two-hour knitting class where we learned a technique they called "Icelandic Sunrise". It took some time figuring out how to make the stitches come together in the kind of sun'ish pattern, but when I finally did, it was really fun! There were 10 people in the class - 9 women/girls and one guy. He'd joined with his friend, a girl from Australia (and he knitted!). There was a lady who'd travelled from a place called Moelven, a couple of hours outside of Oslo, and even a lady from Tønsberg (which is also a couple of hours drive away) - both of them came to Oslo just to join the class that one afternoon. (According to our teacher, we were the most quiet and concentrated class she'd ever taught, which I guess says something about the complexity of figuring out the technique..) I'm definitely joining another class in the future, if anything interesting comes up!

Alas, it's Friday. Well, not alas.. far from it.. More TGIF!!! We're a tired and quiet little mini-family tonight. Mini wanted to go to bed quite early and is already sleeping, and I think it's going to be a quiet evening for the remaining two of us too.. Poor Mini, barely wanted to watch children's TV tonight (barnetv) - but I enjoyed it - there was even an episode of Professor Balthazar! :)

***
Hope you enjoyed watching some Professor Balthazar and that you have a nice and quiet Friday evening, wherever you are.

Btw, did you have any favorite children's show/TV that you enjoyed growing up?

Still beautiful

We're still enjoying some amazingly warm and beautiful autumn days here in Oslo. Although the mornings and nights are quite chilly, the days and afternoons have been nice most days (except from Thursday, which came with this fall's first mornings of heavy rain). 

Where Norway's been showing off it's nature in shades of green all summer, autumn now shines in a rainbow of colors, raging from shades of green, yellow, orange, red-brown and brown. 

Above are some of the pictures I've taken on my walks to the kindergarden in the afternoons. The last picture I took just minutes ago. It!'s the church closest to us (Sofienberg kirke) and right next to it is a large playground. Mini is currently rocking the swingset, and there's about 50 or more kids here (from 0 to 10-12'ish playing (their parents are here too, of course). 

I haven't finished much lately - working on mostly secret or longtime-projects - but I'm almost finished with a knitted vest for Mini. Though it needs a wash when it's done, as we had a hot chocolate-incident with it last weekend.. 

The vest is in a grassy green color wool, nice and soft - and looks beautiful against the yellowy-orange colors outside the window (where it was drying). 

***

Are you enjoying autumn where you are?

Gotta love that autumn feeling..

The boys are off swimming, and I've had a good housecleaning-hour while they've been away (well, they're still out, but I'm having a break now). The floors are cleaned, the apartment is aired, and most of my summer clothes have been put away for this year (no need for shorts any more). 

I took some pictures earlier this week, while walking from the subway up to Plutt's kindergarden. It's been amazing this week : a little crispy chill in the air in the mornings, but later in the day the sun warms up everything and the sky is clear and blue. (Of course, this had to change when the weekend came, and yesterday saw rain for most of the morning - but the afternoon was wonderful and warm again). 

Plutt's been very interested in the changes in nature lately, and does a nice speech about how all the leaves change color - some green, some yellow, some orange and some brown - and then fall off the trees. 

The colors of autumn.

Clear blue sky over the nearby park.

A little blurry, the sun shines on the left side,
but still beautiful.

These past few weeks have been amazingly busy and short. Well, they seem short, when all I've done is work and sleep, but I'm finally starting to get on top of things at work, and am able to get some more things done in the afternoons.

This morning I had to leave my knitting to dry, as Plutt managed to spill an almost full cup of cocoa over the knitting (still on the needles) and the yarn. Well, I guess I was going to wash it after finishing it after all, but didn't plan to have it covered in cocoa first.. Luckily, the yarn is in a deep grass green, and not white (as the previous project was) so it shouldn't show afterwards.

It's finally October, and I can light all the candles I want without complaints (not that Hubby complains..)! Not only is it dark outside (and extra cosy with the burning candles) but the building is a little chilly, and hasn't quite adapted to the sudden cooler temperatures yet. The candles do give off a little warmth..

Well, I ought to continue my fixing of stuff while the boys are out.

***
Are you enjoying the autumn so far?

*Facepalm*

I just had to edit the title of my last post.. September meeting? Duh.. *facepalm*

October quilt guild meeting

Tonight was the October meeting in the quilt guild (Tåsen quiltelag) and there were guests! MaurTua had come to visit, and had brought along tons of inspiration, stories of how they worked - and, of course, part of their shop. (Yes, I did buy something..)

What's so special about this shop - and the ladies behind it - is that they specialize in reuse of old fabric, and mostly old shirts. It was very inspirational to hear them tell stories behind quilts they'd made, selecting fabric, trying to use every useful bit and piece of shirts, curtains and old bed linen. 

This quilt consist mainly of the labels from the back of the neck of old shirts.

Stripes from different colored shirts.

I loved the orange shirt used in this small quilt.

A larger version of the small quilt.

Notice the dresden plate in the corners?

The pattern for this little dress with the crochet top piece has been very
here in Norway this summer.

Hexagons!

Stars..

Left-overs from the stars in the previous picture.

Even more leftovers (blocks this time).

And another one.

Not just old shirts, but also mixed with "modern" quilt fabric
and traditional blocks.

Useful for both picnics in the summer - and setting the Christmas table!

Mugrugs with a twist (I loved the idea).

I have a charm pack-size pack of fabric from MaurTua (which I got back in March), and I have to say that after tonight, I really feel inspired to create something from it.. I just need some time to think.. and sew..

***
Anyone else got "startitis"?

Fall (and secrets)

I love fall. The cool nights and sunny days. Morning fog and evening darkness. Perfect to fill the living room with burning candles.. 

I'm not quite sure why, but I always get inspired to do so much - craftwise - when the waves of fall feelings come over me. So here I am, knitting, crocheting, sewing, planning and just being inspired. 

A small piece of one of my secret projects.. 

A few weeks ago saw one of Mini's not too good days. After a trip downtown he started complaining about aches in his stomach and feeling tired - he even fell asleep on the couch (which is totally not normal for him).. So after a night colored by restlessness (him waking up crying every now and then, and me not being able to sleep), he woke up at around 8AM Sunday morning, asking if it was morning yet. That day he was more or less back to normal again. A minor swelling in his throat, but eating and drinking again. Not quite sure what was going on that night, but we kept an eye on him a few days after that, and he seems fine now.

The picture above is a detail from one of my secret projects. I can't even express how happy I am with the way this project's turning out! I find an hour now and then to work on it, and I just can't wait to see the final result! 

I've also been thinking a lot about my SSCS-projects for this year. I have a couple of ideas that I'd like to do some more thinking about (before starting), but, you know, tempus fugit (time flies) and November will be here sooner then we know. (Jeeze, it's October already!)