The Eternity Granny

I think I started this giant crochet granny squate blanket somewhere around 18 months ago. Using leftover yarn from various projects (all machine washable, and that's about the only thing the different yarn has in common) and crochet needle number 2,5-3-3,5 or something like that. 

I am not done - far from it - but after a looooong break, I've started working on it again, and I'm really enjoying it. I wonder when it will be finished.. And how big it will be..?

A stroll through the Botanical Gardens

Yesterday little miss A was feeling very unhappy - nothing I tried helped - so we got dressed, strapped her in the Angelpack and went for a walk. We ended up in the Botanical Gardens, which is really just a stone's throw away from our apartment. A fell asleep about 50 meters from the Munch Museum, so it was a quiet stroll for me. I ended up using my phone to take some pictures, and have decided to go back another day - with a better camera.

We met this little fellow (lass?) sitting with some friends on some kind of plants close to the entrance (there are several entrances, but this was the one closest to the Munch Museum). 

These yellow flowers were popular with the bumble bee's. Can you see the little one a bit to the left of the center of the picture? He was covered in pollen.

A view of the Palm House (Palmehuset) through a flowerbed full of colours.

A fountain in the Herb Garden (Urtehagen). The ripples of the water reminded me of quilting..

I just missed a small sparrow sitting on the edge of the fountain drinking water.

Lavender in bloom! (In small dozes, I like the smell - but I find it easily overwhelming..)

I took this picture for my mom - do you know what it is? It is something that makes me think of summer vacations in Trondheim, and trips to the market with grandma. (I don't remember if I liked the taste, but I do remember that you used to buy it almost every time we were there - or was that grandma..?)

The Botanical Gardens also had their own "bug hotels" (insekthotell). Here, bugs of all kinds can find a home. I didn't go too close, I'm not a big fan of all kinds of bugs..

Here and there in the gardens are sculptures and things made by willow wood. Like these two little huts. There are benches inside the biggest one, where one can sit and think - or take cover from the rain/sun. 

Just looking at these pictures makes me remember how cool and calm it was, walking under the big trees.

More willow wood sculptures - this time three mushrooms. I think the biggest one was about as big as me, but I didn't go close enough to check this time.

The sky through branches and leaves. It was really warm this day, already passing 20 degrees celsius at 8AM.

Bark. For some reason, I always find the patterns and colours fascinating.

These white flowers smelled divine (although a bit much). But I couldn't find a sign with the name written on it.

More bark.

Part of the Viking Garden. This particular little garden is in the shape of a viking ship, even equipped with an ore. 

Willow wood animals near the Viking Garden - these are goats I think?

This throne was also near the Viking Garden. It looks like it's composed of two dragons, with two ravens sitting on each side. Perhaps the throne of Odin?

The view of the front of the throne.

This makes me feel like I'm walking in the woods, it even smelt like it. 

More sunshine and sky through branches and, this time, needles.

A map of the Botanical Gardens. 

The Owl of Wisdom (Visdommens Ugle) resides outside the cafeteria which is located in Old Tøyen Farm (Gamle Tøyen gård). It used to reside between two of the buildings, but since the ticket office has moved into a new building, it was moved. (The Botanical Gardens is free of charge, you only pay if you want to donate - but you will need tickets to see the animals - stuffed, that is.. and not cuddly, but real taxidermy-ish dead animals - or the minerals, stones and dinosaurs. I'm sorry about the poor quality of text here, my mind has just gone completely into four-month-old-baby-won't-sleep mode..)

In the Great-grandmother's Garden there was an old water pump. I didn't check to see if it worked, but it reminded me of Debbie Mumm-fabric and stitcheries.

Gorgeous colour combinations - purple and orange.

A little house in the Great-grandmother's garden. There were benches inside, and I bet it's a popular place to stop and enjoy the garden.

More gorgeous colours. 

This is one of the office buildings. Wouldn't you just loved working in here? It looks so majestic and mysterious.

Another little friend. This one really had a lot of spots on his (her?) back. I didn't know ladybugs had so many spots, but perhaps there are different families?

Another entrance, the gate is behind me. Just a perfect place to spent a few hours walking on a warm summer day. 

And my company slept through the whole experience. I wonder if she's dreaming of the smells we passed. (Or perhaps she's just passed out from the heat?

Lost duckling..

I'm revisiting the picture archives today, to find a suitable picture. And I found this little duckling, swimming in Sognsvann. (We went walking around Sognsvann three years ago, when P was two, and came upon a mother duck and her ducklings swimming. This little one was having some problems keeping up with the rest of the family, but I think everything ended well in the end.)

I haven't lost a duckling, but I am willing to say that, when it comes to crafting and sewing in particularly, I'm feeling like a little, lost duckling at the moment. Things rarely go past the planning/dreaming stage, and although I'd like to do so, so many things, I don't.

The little crafting I have been able to do these past few weeks, are finished knitting a blanket (which I started about a year ago) and a cloth. And perhaps the last ear on a bunny hat (which I'm not entirely satisfied with, but I hope it will change once washed). And buy yarn for a new project.

But my point is, I want to sew. I dream about sewing. I really, really want to sew. But I don't. Everything is still packed down in boxes up in the attic, and I honestly don't feel like dragging everything back down again (and, well, back up again) seeing as this is the final week before we're off for our vacation.

You might suggest that I fix a project I can work on during our vacation? Well, yes, I could do that. It's just that I will also be the substitute for my substitute at work for three weeks this summer (I'm imagining an hour or two in the afternoons, after the kids have gone to bed) and I'm just not sure if a crafty project will work with that.

I still have the NJ (Nature's Journey) which hasn't seen any progress since the last time I wrote about it. Which would've been late April-early May. I'm still one block from completing the April batch. I could cut some more backgrounds for some new blocks and get a bit of work done on those, but that'll have to wait until tomorrow - A's sleeping with my stash.. (and that sounded incredible bad) that is, she's sleeping in our bedroom, which is also the current residence of my fabric stash. And any mother would say that nothing's worth possibly waking up a sleeping baby. One simply does not wake the baby. (Unless the Earth is collapsing. Or possible a fire.. but that's not happening tonight.)

I think I'll consider my opportunities a little more, and get some sleep (haha, I'm having great hopes tonight!).

When we nap..

Of course, we use quilts or knitted blankets when we nap. 

This is A's quilt. Pattern from Quiltegården, sewn by me - and quilted by A's grandmother. 

A and P both have special quilts made for them when they were babies (well, A still is one) - and I hope they will treasure them when they are older. Perhaps their children will use them too?

Wednesday evening

Well, here I am, both kids sleeping, hubby's at the Foo Fighters concert with his brothers, the window's open and one of our neighbours is sitting on her balcony smoking. *..blergh..* I should probably just close the window, but.. nah, too lazy. She'll go inside again soon. I think she's done talking on her phone (with speakers..). There's a creepy show on the tv, The Whispers, which I probably shouldn't watch. I'm seeing about half the screen above my laptop at the moment. 

Although August seems so far away - I mean, we've just started June, and then comes July and vacation time - there are so many things that must be done before everything calms down again. Two days ago I put a bunch of quilting books up for sale in a group on Facebook. To be honest, the books are great, they are nice and easy to follow - with fun projects - but I haven't used them for years. They've been sitting on a shelf collecting dust. Which is really bad. Books aren't supposed to do that. Books (no matter which type of book it is) are supposed to be used, read, loved - and not collect dust. So I went through my books and sorted out a rather big bunch. Instead of moving them with us to the new house, where they will continue to collect dust, I'd try to find a new home for them. That includes the Elm Creek Quilts books. All 20 of them. I'm tempted to do the same with all my quilty stuff. I bet I've got tons of things I've never used and probably will never make or use. But first, I'd like to take care of the books. 

Trysil, mid-Christmas.

The past couple of days have been chaotic and long.. Yesterday I think A and I were in and out about four times before picking up P from kindergarden. Went downtown to pick up a tomato plant from a coworker, went home, had some lunch, went back outside and to the health centre (breast feeding advice) and back home again - and then out again.. Today was a little calmer, but still.. Went to the photographer with A (we had some great pictures taken by P when he was little, and wanted some of A too) - she hated it, by the way.. - went home, took a looong walk (getting some stuff done, amongst others a christening gift and new shoes for me *yay!*), came home, took a short nap (mostly A.. mostly, that is..) and then went to pick up P. Ended up staying outside until hubby came home from work.

Tomorrow.. what will we do tomorrow..? Well, I guess a trip to the post office to send a couple of books (I've sold four already, which isn't too bad, in two days - or is it?) off to their new owners.. Maybe a trip downtown to get some shorts for P (I think he has one pair that fits..), and if I'm in a good mood, I'll stop by Outland to see if they've gotten the individual Ninjago LEGO characters they said they'd get sometime this week. (P loves that show, and have all the characters - except the white one, Zane.)

Well, the neighbour's back on the phone.. I wonder if she's aware the whole building can hear both sides of her conversations - or if she even cares.. I'd better close the window - I don't like it when it smells like cigarettes here. (But I do like the fresh air..) *Haha* The neighbour on the other side of the wall (from our living room) just slammed their window shut.. I'd better take the hint.

Friday sky-day

On Friday P's kindergarden was closed - the staff had a planning day, where they plan the next few months or take some courses or something like that (at least that was what we did when I last attended a planning day, was back when I was a school librarian, in 2004?). Anyway, P spent the day with A and me, and we just couldn't stay inside all day. I mean, look at the sky!

Not a cloud in sight  - and just a mild breeze.

These were taken on our way back home, after going to the gas station for ice-cream (we figured that the gas station might have a bigger selection than the small grocery store around the corner). (P had a raspberry cream cone and I had an oreo cone.)

Yesterday was a wet and grey day, but today's been much better. Sunny and quite warm. P's been to a friend's birthday celebration and I guess he managed to burn off most of his energy. The day literally blew past, and now both the kids are sleeping. (Nice, for as long as it lasts..)

The first week of June is already over. Four more weeks until the vacation - and it looks like I'm going to have a busy one..

Blooming joy!

The lilacs are in bloom - and the smell is just divine.. 

I don't think I've ever seen so many lilacs in one city as I do here in Oslo - they are literally on every corner. And in almost every shade of purple (and sometimes white too). There are three different shades of purple lilacs blooming just ib our little nook of the city. 

I'd like to have one of these in my garden too at some time. Perhaps we can plant one next spring?

The fountains are filled with water - must mean that summer is around the corner. 

We're seeing some rain drizzling from above today, but it's not cold. We've just taken a short walk (mummy's need for coffee was bigger than A's desire to stay indoors, so she took a little nap while tiny drizzles of rain fell on her nose..) and will be getting some stuff done indoors for the rest od the day. (There are no magic closets here, so someone's gotta do some laundry today..) 

Enjoy your day!

Social event - Norges største barselstreff

Well, I did say in my previous post that I would write about the social event my sister and I went to last week, and here it comes.

Last Wednesday we went to Ringen Kino (a cinema here in Oslo) to attend an event hosted by Aftenposten (one of the largest newspapers here in Norway) called Norges største barselstreff (Norways biggest event for people on leave, like maternity leave, from newborn to about one or two years).

It is basically a day (well, a few hours) where mothers (and fathers, there have been a few dads there too) can get some information about different topics, do something different for a change and be a bit social.

Last week there were a few stands introducing their products (Nøstebarn, Nestlé and Neutral) and representatives from both Nøstebarn and Neutral spoke about their products (Nøstebarn about children and babies and wool clothes - and Neutral about allergies and their products being very good for sensitive skin). There was also a standup comedian who entertained - and a representative from the cinema telling about babykino (where the lights are only dimmed, the sound is little bit lowered - and people can bring their babies) and which movies are coming in the near future.

I've really enjoyed the two events I've attended - and not just because they have a goodie bag (but who doesn't like a goodie bag?). It's the whole doing something different, learning something, meeting new people (and babies) that really makes these kinds of events attractive to me. (It's like the baby focused version of a quilt show - you go to learn something new, look at the exhibitions and the products the shops have, to meet new and old friends (and sometimes there's even a goodie bag too!).

This time the goodie bag included :
- two magazines from Aftenposten called Oppvekst and A-magasinet
- a book from Litor/Egmont (Baby-bok - the book for the smallest)
- samples of baby shampoo and bath & wash gel and a huge pack of wet wipes from Neutral
- a catalogue, information about washing wool products, a promotional coupon and a baby hat from Nøstebarn (and a very handy drawstring bag which these things were stored)
- some samples of babyfood from Nestlé (in my bag there were three squeese bags of banana yoghurt and one mango-banana yoghurt for babies from 6 months and up, and a sample of porridge with apples and prunes for babies from 6-18 months - all of these will be stored until A is old enough to try them - she's already three months old this Monday!)
- a bottle of Møller's tran (cod fish oil - omega 3, supposedly very healthy for babies and grown-ups, but..)
- a sample of Vivage wet wipes (for intimate areas..)
- a pack of hand & face wipes from Libero (which is very handy when out and about with babies/kids who attract dirt and mess - which mine do.. well, not A yet but her brother is pretty good at attracting these things, like a magnetic effect!)

Last time MAM were there too, and a few representatives from Skôda talked about safety in cars, and there was a lady speaking about routines around sleeping (how to build good routines so that both babies and parents get a good night's sleep).

I don't know when the next event is going to be, but if we still live in the area I'm definitely thinking about attending. My sister, however, might not. Not because she doesn't find the subjects interesting, but more because little F is not interested in hanging around listening to some strange people - but is generally more interested in exploring, climbing the stairs and getting the heck out of there! Strange to think that A most likely will be all over the place in a few months time.. P started crawling when he was 7 months old.. that's like four months older than A is now. I wonder if she'll be mobile by the time she's baptised (which will be right before her 7 month-day).

***
Hubby is currently on the plane to Spain (Barcelona) and both the kids are sleeping (touch wood!). I'm enjoying a little much needed me-time before bedtime. The events from the past couple of weeks are still effecting me, making me feel tired and exhausted (ended up taking a two hour nap with A this afternoon) so I'm really looking forward to a more quiet time ahead. Not much travelling or big plans, not until our summer vacation in July. I should probably go to bed, but it is just so nice to sit here and enjoy quiet.. just for a few more minutes..

What a week..

*phew*

I don't think we've had such a busy and hectic and chaotic week in our lives since about five years ago. And, strangely enough, it can all be summed up in a few sentences. Like :

- went to see a house (in a row of houses, or rekkehus as we say in Norwegian)
- entered the bidding round for previously mentioned house
- won the bidding round (!!!)
- cleaned, tidied and emptied our apartment (almost, made it as un-personal as possible, one might say)
- had someone arrange a viewing (or whatever it is called in English..) of our apartment
- sold our apartment (!!! again)

And now we're basically counting down for August to arrive, and we'll be moving into our new home.

*sigh*

Well, in this whole mess of a week (or eight days, to be precise) all of my sewing stuff has been packed away - even my knitting stuff is gone (except from the work in progress bag I received last SSCS and my current knitting project which is stored in there). I have no idea where my other knitting needles are - which is kinda bad, because I could use some of them in about 1.5 centimetres of knitting... nor where my scissors or sewing needles are.

I have sent a request to Chookyblue to ask for a timeout (or break, if you want to) from the SAL on Natures Journey. I don't see how I can possible manage to keep up on the SAL at the moment, and luckily I was able to get a little time to get back on my feet (or unpack from this madness, to be honest).

Tonight I am home alone - as hubby is out having a beer (or three) with an old friend of his. Alone might not be completely true. I am home alone with the kids. Luckily, P went to bed around 8, and A fell asleep somewhere around 9 (and I managed to sneak her into her own bed - yay!). I've had a couple of hours for my self (which is quite luxurious) and have done a bit of knitting, reading, blogging (haha) and copied all of the photos from my phone over to the hard drive of my mac (finally!).

Right now I feel tired. As in completely, exhaustingly tired. I can't wait for everything to get back to normal after these last few days. It might sound boring for some, but I kinda like to know what happens from day to day, and have more or less stable days. Too much stress and insecurity throws me off balance.

My sister and I went on a little social gathering today, I'll try to write about it some other day - right now I can hear my bed calling for me and it sounds very tempting!

***
Have a good night - and happy crafting!

SAL - April blocks

Well, I didn't manage to finish all the blocks for April (but nearly!). April 30th I had all but two blocks done (and that without growing an extra arm - not bad, if I may say so). 

One more block was finished last night, will post that when the last one is completed too. 

Finally getting some routines going here with baby A, so perhaps the blocks for May might be om schedule (and if not, I'm not getting very stressed about it - if I don't get whipped too hard, that is..). 

Baby A is nine weeks old and growing like a weed (a very Norwegian thing to say?). Not too fond of the stroller (yet.. or if timed wrongly) but loving the Angelpack. 

Yep, crappy photo, I know.. But it works, she sleeps like a baby (haha), hanging there when we're out and about. 

***

Happy stitching!

Fancy flowers

We don't usually have many fancy flowers in our house (*cough* apartment) but in March we were lucky to have four gorgeous and colorful bouquets to brighten our living room. All to celebrate the birth of little A. 

My sweet colleagues sent this bouquet of roses and some other flowers I don't know the name of. 

Hubby's colleagues sent these gorgeous purple roses. 

My dad had this little orchid decoration with him when he visited. 

And a friend of mom's (and one of the kids' quilty "aunts") gave us a bouquet of spring colored tulips (I love tulips!). 

Sadly, they're all gone now, I think I have to go out and get some more flowers soon. They truly brighten the living room and makes everything so cozy (very Norwegian, I know.. "koselig"). 

A minute here, and a minute there..

While the baby sleeps, the mother stitches.. 

(Or knits..)

SAL 2015 - March blocks done!

I actually finished the blocks for March the last week of February, but life has been a bit busy, that's why I haven't been able to post until now.

Not ironed and not cut down to correct size, but that will happen - once all the blocks are done. 

My favorite blocks were definetly the pears! I think I could easily make a whole quilt using just this block. Still some wonky corners and edges on some of the other blocks, but I'm taking it as practice. 

My other "wisp" (work in slow progress) is also done - on March 1st our little Aurora came to join us!

The blocks for April are prepped and ready, but so far it's a little easier to knit "around" a sleeping baby. 

***

Happy stitching everybody! Spring is finally here, and we're enjoying every second of it. :-)

Funny things..

There's always something funny or strange to see when you take a walk around this area of Oslo. Like today. I went for a quick walk around the park, and, well.. I stumbled upon this scene : 

A plastic bubble in the middle of the park, with three or four people sitting inside?

Okay.. Well, why not? I guess..