finding your feet over easter

It has been a rather fine Easter weekend, after all. Two years later.



:: Hadn't been to the movies since "La la land", "Finding your feet" was a sweet, funny and melancholic British comedy, perfect for Easter. It's never too late to find your true tune.



:: Hadn't been to McDonald's for years (for obvious reasons, I'm not loving it) but I've been wanting to try the McVegan burger since it launched in December. The burger is made in cooperation with the Swedish vegan company Anamma. It's nice, worth a try, but not something that turned me into a repeat customer. And certainly not a satisfying, well composed meal that leaves you happy for a long time.



:: Put the finishing touches to a couple of caps I've knitted a few years back. The purple Lovikka cap was for my mother. Better late than never she got it now. One of my personal goals for 2016 was finishing old knitting projects. Well, that didn't really happen. Made the same goal 2017, but after these mittens nothing else were finished. My heart and mind just hasn't been into it. But these simple finishing touches and finally completed projects, it was very satisfying. Every tiny step.



:: Walking, thinking, sunshine, cooking, eating, reading, sleeping have also been lovely parts of my Easter weekend. If you haven't watched 'The Miniaturist' or the movie 'Still life' yet they are still available on SVT Play (in Sweden) and shouldn't be missed. Haven't read the book 'The Minaturist' but the TV-series is captivating and beautiful like an old Dutch painting. 'Still life' isn't exactly cheerful (understatement) but it's so well-made and endearing and in the end I just bawled my eyes out in a very liberating way.



:: Cooked pulled jackfruit for the first time. Have eaten it at various restaurants, sometimes delicious, sometimes they clearly had no idea how to prepare it right. Been meaning to do this for years, and finally I did. Surprised at how easy it was, took a couple of hours of slow cooking but the result was very satisfying. The glazing was too spicy for my liking, so next time I'll make it milder. Very nice to serve with turmeric rice and fresh veggies of choice.

Again, nature is amazing and offers so many intriguing, tasty plantbased options. There is absolutely no need whatsoever to inflict so much pain and suffering to other earthlings and the planet to get food. We should know better in 2018.





:: Since I have lost my reading mojo, again, I have a lot of unfinished books lying around. I got 'The Vegetarian' by Han Kang just before Easter and promised myself I would finish it plus another book over the weekend. I did finish this one, am only half way through the other one. But have high hopes of finishing it this week. Not sure what I think of 'The Vegetarian', part one and two was strong and intriguing, part three was much weaker and the ending was abrupt and awful. A very unusual book that made you think though, and it's only around 200 pages so it's a quick read.



:: I made a lovely vegan Snickers-dessert - Snickers is a Swedish candy bar with chocolate, toffee, peanuts and biscuits - which Pelle loved too. And no, just like with dogs chocolate isn't good for cats, but it was a quick and brief tasting. I'll share the recipe in a separate post.



:: Got news that I'm apparently on the Top 20 List of Swedish Lifestyle Blogs to Follow. Can't say I have much, if anything apart from being Swedish, in common with the others on the list. But being an odd bird is of course something I enjoy, as usual. Thank you for the award, it's lovely to know someone still reads and appreciate my random shares and snippets of life as is.



:: The large fly in the Easter ointment was that I managed to strain my right gluteal muscle in a major way yesterday, when I alas didn't do something exciting but simply had one of those very unfortunate, very un-glamorous accidents at home. Silly me. It has been like a serious delayed onset muscle soreness, a non visible bruise and doable indoors. However, going out with the garbage today, about 200x2 metres... jeez. Hobble shuffle along with a painful grimacing face. Had plans, but think I and my heine needs a slow week.

Goodbye Easter, hello April, 
please be kind and brilliant.
Yours truly and grateful.

my personal goals 2017

Last year I began my new tradition of setting 5 personal (plus 5 bonus) and 5 professional/business goals respectively. For devastating reasons out of my control not many of those were reached. But I'm really grateful and happy about those I did reach.

Like the personal ones; travel alone abroad, get rid of the runny nose, give at least 1 bag to charity each month. I've way surpassed the last one, so many big, black garbage bags with clothes, fabrics and stuff have gone to charity in 2016. The very smart thing that I didn't know about until last year is that you can call your charity of choice and they come pick all that stuff up. So I didn't even have to worry about the fact that I have to get someone with a car to drive me and stuff to the shop. I'm so very grateful for that. Circular economy is a fine fine thing.

I will definitely continue with my cleansing of clothes and stuff in 2017. It's such a liberating feeling. With the goal being to just keep things I really love (which also is a lot, but more graspable) and am inspired by. I will not set it as a goal for 2017 though, seems pointless when I already know that a good, regular cleansing has proven to be good for the soul, so I'll not have any troubles continuing with it.

Remember I also signed up for a mentor/friend-programme for people new in Sweden? Obviously a couple of important criterias for me were that the new friend-person I matched with was vegetarian/vegan and non-religious. Which apparently and sadly are really tough criterias, I never did hear back from the mentor/friend-programme... Despite that I signed up this year too, maybe things have changed.

So first up my 5 personal goals for 2017 (the professional ones in another post) -

• Improve my skin condition back to normal - 2016 was a bad bad year for my skin too. I've previously blogged about how difficult it has been these past few years to find great skincare products that fit my both sensitive and often dry skin, but things brightened up when I began using Dermalogica and Bare Minerals. Though with all the sorrow and stress last year things have become so much worse than ever before. Since I eat healthy and well, don't drink or smoke or have any other bad habits I take it as a very visible sign of a worrisome year. It might be rosacea, I had that checked years ago and it wasn't then, but who knows if that has changed. I need to do something about this now, time to face it. No pun intended.
• Start a new hobby - I've been thinking about joining a choir of some sort for many many years. And taking a vegan cooking class. Perhaps 2017 will be a year for that?
• Try a new recipe every week - I know, it was one of my goals of 2016. It didn't happen. I've obviously cooked a lot during the year that was, take out-meals have been non-existing all year for financial and logistic reasons. But I've mainly cooked ol' reliable recipes or just improvised something depending of what I have in the freezer and fridge. Now is the time to try new things regularly. I've already cooked three new recipes, so I'm on my way for a 52 new dishes year!
• Finish one old knitting/crocheting/sewing project every month - another one of my 2016 goals that didn't happen. Still think is a brilliant and worthy goal, since I'm notoriously bad when I'm close to the finish line. I've already finished the first project of the year, these mittens for my mum. Next up, finishing either a scarf or mittens for me.
• Seriously clean up two rooms that I basically use as lumberrooms - not my proudest moment to admit this to the internetz, but there you are. And most of the stuff piling up in those rooms will obviously go to charity. One room I will also repaint and turn into a craft room (finally somewhere to have my sewing machine, yarn, fabrics and beads all in one place). The other room used to be the guest room, it will continue to be even if I'm not very keen on having guests as such. But it's nice to have a fresh spare room.
  

I won't set any bonus goals this year. These will keep me quite busy. (Plus as a now sole provider I really need to concentrate on ticking off the professional goals.) And obviously I haven't set any goals like yoga or meditation (the first really failed miserably last year, the other one just petered out). I think it would be great to do something or other like that, perhaps I'll have another go one of these days. Without setting any goals obviously.

How about you, any special personal or professional goals for 2017?

colourful creative collaborations

Who knew that years after I bought wonderful, colourful yarn from this person we would become LinkedIn contacts and soon after meet up for lovely and immensely thought-provoking creative fikas? 

Today we had our second meeting (over breakfast) and jeez, what an amazing idea for a wonderful, creative, developing all over amazing business collaboration we came up with!

Yes, I know, I've had glimpses of other collaborations I had such high hopes for before, which for one - which I really need to address in another post, it's been 1,5 years now and I think it's time to air that experience that still baffles me - or other reason never turned out as well as expected or intended.

But this one feels brilliant. I actually think it might have something to do about that we talk a lot about colours (!), business ethics and that we actually bring a lot of different creative strengths and experiences to the collaboration.

I have no doubt it'll take a lot of hard work the following months. But it's so much awesomeness involved, you just wouldn't believe. The idea itself is simple enough, but it's how you can elaborate and personalize it that's totally totally groovy. I would say that keywords such as culture, crafts, networking and inspiration are at the heart of this. Fingers crossed the collaboration will be launched this summer.

Social media. Yarn. Thank you.

fly agaric mittens in progress

Behold another one of my current knitting by rota projects - Tomtebovantar (inspired by the Swedish fairytale writer Elsa Beskow) designed by knitting blogger Tant Kofta. Or as I like to call them, fly agaric mittens.



The pattern is a totally new way of knitting for me and it's fascinating to see the mittens grow. As I write this one mitten is already finished (apart from the thumb, I will save that for last and make them both at the same time).



This pair is a Christmas gift for my mum, which is a good thing since personally I find the mittens to small. It may be the knitting technique, perhaps I knit too hard or perhaps the one size for all is simply a small one. If I decide to make a pair for myself I will certainly change either yarn or needles.



As far as paw inspecting goes, they have been inspected but found uninteresting. Funny how that is. Or maybe it was the fly agaric style that didn't work for the feline taste.

say hello to the earviator

Or, you never get too old for wearing a cat hat!

When The North Circular - you know, the company who knitted the darlin' innocent bobble hat - announced 40 % sale on Instagram the other month I knew I had to get this fabulous cat cap. Or as they brilliantly call it, earviator hat. Needless to say it was the cat ears that called my name. I've always wanted a cap with ears, but have never found one that's more stylish than childish. Not to mention I've not managed to knit one that doesn't look silly.



I'm so happy I chose it in red (it comes in off-white, black and electric purple too), it's such an uplifting colour - and no I don't think it makes you look devilish. Just like the innocent bobble hat, the earviator is handmade with love by gran Shirley of Devon.



I also bought the knitting book "A good yarn" which apart from lots of inspiring patterns (for different levels of skill) and lovely photos also tells the story of The North Circular brand, the women behind it and their values. Obviously I had to get my copy signed.



Shopping at its best, handmade, quirky, slowfashion far from the cheap, massproduced wear and tear stuff you find in the high street stores.

Knitting brings the world together and soothes the soul.

look, a parrot scarf!

I may be a knitter, crocheter, yarn addict myself but I don't shy away from beautiful things created by others. So as soon as I saw Nina Führer's shop on Etsy with gorgeous animal scarves I knew I had to have one. And I was lucky enough to be able to get it with some Christmas money, hooray!



Of all the different animals on scarf to choose from the cockatoo was the most adorable and realistic to have wrapped and on your shoulder imho so the choice was obvious. Even if every piece is cute - although admittedly as it is with foxes, even wool ones signals a real dead fur fox around your neck, I can never really look past that - this was THE one for me.



It arrived the other week and it's absolutely gorgeous. Possibly not appreciated by the feline inspectors because "sigh, another furry one who will no doubt demand time, attention and cuddles", but the more appreciated by me. The design is seemingly simple and understated and at the same time very impressive. Over all a fabulous piece. I haven't had the opportunity to wear it just yet, but the wool (not merino wool of course) is soft and warm. The parrot is adorable and its beak is a clip that serves as a clasp.



I'm so happy about this wonderful parrot scarf but I really need to practise how to wear it in a way that makes the piece justice AND keep me warm in the harsh winter we're having in Sweden. Easier said than done. This is so much more than just wrapping a wool scarf around your neck to keep warm, this is a piece of art that needs proper flaunting.

knitting by rota

If you can read by rota you can certainly knit and crochet by it. Like I also do, but just like with the reading less structured. And well, it's difficult to be structured about it since it's not very easy to "chapterize" the knitting and crocheting. But like with the reading I keep different projects going for different situations Things easy to knit or crochet watching TV or movies and more complicated projects while being able to focus on the project only.

So old assembling-only projects aside - and seriously I'm not the only one who's notoriously bad at completely finishing yarn projects am I? - these are my four major projects right now.



From one purrfect quality inspector to another - the sweet sweater is finished! I'm now in the process of figuring out how exactly to assemble it correctly. And that is certainly no mean feat. It has been quite a process understanding the pattern, which turned out to be bit faulty, and now the actual assembling is more difficult than one would expect. The sweater is made in two parts only, back and front and the back is both back, part of the front as well as sleeves. Yes really. It would be very nice to be able to grasp the assembling instructions and just finish it and being able to wear it asap. Hopefully that will be a reality soon.



Since I took this picture of my amigurumi owls to be I have crocheted 12 of them, stuffed their bodies, crocheted 12 tiny beaks and 24 tiny eyes. I'm now in the process of embroidering those 24 tiny eyes. After that I'll have to sew 36 tiny pieces on 12 owl bodies and then I will attach them to a mobile. It's not complicated work just very time consuming and pretty hard on the hands.



And this, this is a glimpse of a pretty awesome pair of mittens to be. From a lovely pattern inspired by a classic Swedish pastry. Care to guess which one? I'm very excited to finish this project because the adorableness of the finished product knows no boundaries. I've been wanting to knit this for well over a year, but I only finally got the yarn and pattern before Christmas. And now I'm well on my way to one mitten being finished, hooray!

And then there's the top picture of a pretty amazing yarn. What will that become then? The correct answer is: a verrry furry vest. I saw the vest in a yarn shop in Sigtuna before Christmas, found it amazing and now I've finally bought the yarn to make it myself. The vest in the shop was winter white but that yarn colour was discontinued so I went for greyish instead. The pattern is very simple, but in size small only, obviously that needs tweaking and I will make it a proper open vest instead of the slipover that was in the shop.

And that's my knitting/crocheting rota for now. How about yours?

the purrfect quality inspector

Slowly, slowly, slooowly the sweet sweater is growing. Part one was of course paw inspected and today it was time for thorough inspection number two. 

And because nothing is sacred to the felines of this house the inspector just couldn't hide his enthusiasm. I guess this can be called a top quality mark of the work in progress.

PS Neither knitting nor bobbaloos were harmed during the inspection DS

pink and green lovikka mittens 2014

Of all the fabulous yarn projects I planned this Christmas I decided to finish the pink and green Lovikka mittens I bought yarn for some months back. A weather befitting project. 

Now the loose ends need tying plus the finishing embroidery. Hooray for finished projects within a reasonable time span! And hooray for pink and green.

the christmas yarn projects

Oh the delightfulness of all the yarny projects now! A blend of treats for myself and gifts to me and to be.

The above wool yarn is called Heaven's Hand and the skeins are to become Prinsesstårtevantar (Princess cake mittens, the classic Swedish cream cake turned into mittens. I've done amigurumi ones before, knitting mittens is quite exciting actually) and owl wristwarmers.

This wool yarn will become adorable Tomtebovantar (fly agaric mittens inspired by the classic fairytale by Swedish author Elsa Beskow), a Christmas gift for my mum.

Organic Alba cotton yarn for cute amigurumi owls in different shapes. Isn't the logo of the yarn shop Litet Nystan (Tiny Hank), sweet?

And a quick little wool/alpaca project - a beanie. Because you can't have too many handmade caps in happy colours.

Happy winter knitting and crocheting everybuddy!

three magic wristwarmers on a string

As constant snoopervision or lens louse behaviour is obligatory in this residence you can never ever really get away from it. Like even if you hang things on a string to be photographed you can always rely on the feline inspector to appear where you least expect it. Please find one fault in this picture.

No, not even three perky wristwarmers get to bask in the glory of a blogpost of their own. Pesky paw inspection is a must.

One pair of wristwarmers I've made to order the other two is actually for sale, because I couldn't stop knitting, more magic was needed. I might have to list them in my hibernating Etsy-shop. Feel free to give me a holler if you're interested!

the sweet sweater in progress, part I

The work with the fantastic delicate yarn I  got some weeks back is now in progress. Slow progress as the garn is really thin. And I couldn't find a pattern that was the equivalent of what my mind's eye saw so I went with quite a different one. 

I do hope it'll turn out more than alright. This pattern is asymmetrical and blousy in shape and very different in front and back. So far I've done about 50% of the front. Slowly slowly getting there. Remember, also a work in progress needs paw approving.

a bag of happiness

This is the special delivery of my day - a true bag of happiness. In the shape of the most deliciously scented lotions and potions from one of my favourite skincare brands Bath & Body Works. Which sadly still isn't available in Sweden. So I have to rely on kind souls from overseas bringing the bottles of goodness.

Every single bottle is of a different scent. And they all smell absolutely fantastic. I will reveal the content another day.

The special delivery person, who happens to be vegan, and I also had lunch at Falafelbaren as well as fabulous rawfood fika at little organic shop/cafe 8T8 - I think you can tell how delicious these chocolate treats were from the picture alone...



And she got the beanie. Despite the continous lack of sun it was a day of a very fine sort. It was a day to be grateful for.

Even if there's no hedgehog around to endorse the bottles of sweet scented things, like past summer.

a vegan beanie

Some years ago I bought this beautiful acrylic yarn in order to make a blanket for Little Loaf. I never turned the yarn into that blanket. And Little Loaf darling is no more. It may be a beautiful looking yarn, but its still acrylic and I don't enjoy non-natural fibers for knitting and crocheting so it's just been biding its time.

Recently I took part in a little Pay It Forward-challenge which consists in doing something nice for five people and hopefully these random five will do something nice for another five each and so forth. I think it's a really lovely, simple little idea to spread goodness with!

I decided to knit one of my usual beanies - ie not the odd-cat-eared one - since the yarn is kind of magic, acrylic or not, to be a part of this challenge. And I think it turned out really lovely. The reason for it being made into something else than a doggie blanket, despite me not liking acrylic yarn, is that the beanie is meant for a vegan. And hardcore vegans don't use anything that has to do with animals ie that includes wool. I'm hoping the receiver will enjoy it when we meet next week. And I also hope the person in question doesn't read this blog. If so, look away, look away, forget you ever saw this!

the little yarn shop cat

In the adorable yarn shop Garnboden Ulligt & Gulligt (The Yarn shop Wolly & Cuddlesome) - neighbour in Enköping with one of my favourite cafes - with oh so many droolworthy yarns and a very enthusiastic, helpful and sweet proprietor there is also a feline helper.

It's not until recently I've met him, but I do love any business that have furry helpers. And it's somehow kind of obvious that such a cute shop filled with addictive candy for yarn-aholics should also have the purrfect helper.

The help consists of sleeping in an armchair behind the counter. But I'm certain his mere presence, like any cat's or dog's or fine being's, oozes extra magic over the shop and its yarns.

My Lovikka mittens to be and the sweet sweater to be will be even more splendid for it, I'm sure.

Do you have a favourite shop or 
other establishment with a perfect furry helper?

sweet sweater to be

It's been a week when I haven't been able to stop thinking about a certain gorgeous yarn. It begged to be ticked of that wish-list. Resistance was futile.

My mind's eye is seeing a knitted sweet sweater, very simple in tunic-style where the colours (beige, blue, orange and green) of the yarn is in focus not an intricate pattern. The hand-dyed wool yarn from Swedish Limmo Design is really thin so I'm thinking it'll take a while to complete. But I hope to knit a reasonable amount every eveving in front of the TV. And I'm adamant it'll be a plesing end result I'll want to wear - not like the bulky one from last season that only looks good with the perfect accessory - so I'll knit as fast as i can!



PS A) Of course there's always a bobbaloo in the Scandinavian settlement that matches any colour of yarn. B) Of course the yarn gets the paw approval it deserves. Or possible the inspector thinks there's no need for more yarn when there are very impawtant felines to take care of. DS