a first attempt on wirework with a whisk giveaway

My first attempt on classic Swedish "luffarslöjd" (vagabond craft) at the unpretentious workshop the other day was great fun. About 20 keen and more or less talented crafters got to try this old style traditional wirework craft first introduced by vagabonds in early 20th century Sweden when job was scarce and they walked the countryside selling their useful craft.

I've been wanting to take a course in this for many years so I thought this workshop for a very (ridiculously) modest fee would be a perfect opportunity to see if it really was something for me. The answer reached during those hours of great fun was that

A) yes, the work made with thinner wires certainly made me want to learn and practice more.

B) The thicker wire stuff, not really my thing since I apparantely am a weak little person (oh the irony when a little fragile elf of a girl managed to easy peasy cut the wire I had been working on for five minutes), it was just too hard to bend and twist into something useful. Hence, another prooof of my knack for craft pottering definitely not leaning towards the more heavy metal part of the scale.

Behold my generously sharing the perfect example of my non-talent for a simple Wednesday evening amusement; this is what was suppose to be a stainless steel latte/cocoa whisk, turned olive spoon, but does look like an incomplete candle extinguisher. It took ages to finish, and a whole lot of muscle strength. Which obviously is not my cup of wirework tea.

A cute wirework bike that I'm not at all anti in trying to recreate one day when I've hopefully learnt to master the tools and the wires properly.

The simple ornament flower, that might not look like it was intended to look, but at least it's all my doing, not to difficult and a rare piece of... wire.

But what I most of all loved working with was the miniature whisks and the thin wire, there's just something completely irresistably charming and enchanting with miniscule stuff and even if they still need a bit of tweaking (as well as my smaller jewellery pliers) I think these delicate little things turned out rather sweet looking. I'm thinking earrings, but they can certainly be used in a doll's house or as a simple miniature installment.

As I'm in a generous mood I'm having a little blog give away, the purple, the red and the orange whisks will be sent to three lucky (I hope so) recipients that leave a comment on this post. The recievers will be announced on Monday 21st (after an exciting draw with the help of some furry inspectors and the non wirecrafty loafer of this house). Leave a comment no later than Sunday the 20th and a pair of miniature whisks may be heading your way.

the fourth blogoversary

There's often more than a grain of truth to many cliches, that time flies is one of those cliches~truths. It truly does. Not always gracefully, but fly it does.

Today it's four years since I wrote my first (tentative) attempts on a blog. Namely this blog. And where has the time gone, does anyone know?

The blogoversary will certainly be celebrated in style - with the annual dentist appointment. And if I ask nicely, there'll hopefully be some grazing too.

This is post number 1501 ~ Happy 4th blogoversary. Thanks for visiting, it's been a pleasure having you here. Let's have cake ~

wirework and roses

Off to a lecture and workshop in wirework, pretty excited, I've been meaning to do this for years so I hope this will be as fun as I anticipate.

The rose has nothing whasoever to do with the wirework, but I am pretty excited about that too, the fact that there are so many roses and buds still generously sharing their abundance of beauty in garden.

window cleaner and cat

life is in the details ~
~ have a pleasant monday

the only shoes...

...my achy left foot/heel allows me to wear at the moment. So thank goodness for them. The only ones which offer pain relief and support with the proper height of heel.

Unfortunately what I truly thought was to be another favourite pair of shoes, same brand as the only ones I wear now, the lovely mustardy yellow ones (El Naturalista Recyclus Ella) which I initially had so much fun and good walks in, turned out to be a defect pair. Well, the left shoe was, when the right one was perfectly comfortable the left one stretched itself in strange ways leaving absolutely no foot support at all leading to this darn nuisance of plantar fascitiis.

Sadly back to the shop they had to go, refunded, I had hoped it would be possible to get another pair in yellow, because it was the colour that first made me covet them. Alas no such luck, sold out they were. I'm feeling more than a dash sad about that. Allow me to mourn the found and lost shoes a while.

I'm not all happy about wearing the same shoes every day, as I believe both feet and shoes need a rest from the same ol' ruts, but unfortunately the physical pain of wearing anything else than these greenies is simply unbearable. I hope I'll find another similar pair soon, suitable for cooler days to come. But most of all I do hope this left foot pain will go its own way and not mine for much longer.

Alas my mood these days is rather grumpy, uninspired, and yes, I do mourn the yellow ones that showed so much promise, hopefully another pair of them can be mine one day.

Thanks for letting me growl, blog.

the yarn inspector and the mixed scarf

Behold the end result of the other most lovely yarn acquired - one delightfully extra long scarf (4,6 m unstretched) with one rather cute little round off mohair trim. I think the already in yarn ball mixed colours became quite charming when turned into knit.

A whiff of Missoni and dutifully inspected by one Siri of many inspecting trades - pansies, shoe laces and shoes to mention but a few - I think this will be another treasured piece to wear on any gloomy or not day.

~ happy weekend ~

however you chose to spend it

thursday thought overturns

:: Was fortunate to share seats on train home today with the most adorable Rhodesian Ridgeback girl, 1,5 years old and such an irresistable, gamine, happy sweetheart. She apparently accompanied owner to her job at posh Stockholm department store every day where she had the best of times. Talk about company perk, such workplaces are totally enviable and too, too rare. Pleasantly surprised that that store of all places had such generous dog policies for employees.

Such little encounters really brighten up the day. A really nice round off to my-commuting-day. Which began quite in the other end of pleasantness.

:: Both train and bus were full of screaming school kids this morning. Accompanied by teachers who clearly don't embrace the word discipline in their vocabulary. Instead they just sit smiling in a not-all-hens-in-the-henhouse unworldly way, while the rest of the passengers try to escape to a calmer corner of the carriage.

When did things went so completely and utterly wrong with Swedish schools, discipline and overall common sense consideration? When I was a kid - which isn't all that long ago in the bigger picture. Really - the teachers, with few exceptions, did keep order in class and when on school trips and outings. And guess what, there was most always a bus pre-reserved for such trips(since the busdrivers repeatedly urge the today's teachers to do just that when the kids rampage the buses, I'm boldly guessing that option is still available).

Basic simple consideration should be as natural today as it was then. Instead there's just too much lost connections and glitches in brains of today.

:: I heart "Little Britain". The multilayered thoughtprovoking blend of mundane freaky (in real life existing in one shape or other) characters and phenomenas, with the horrific, borderline hilariously disgusting storylines is simply brilliant. People who are willing to flaunt their imperfections like this while making fun of themselves and others quirks and flaws are so admirable.

Currently they're bringing culture class and dignity to the US of A on Swedish television. Love it.

:: Why do teenage girls look like clones these days? At least the Stockholm teenage girls, they seem strangely void of personality and character, they look the same, they act the same, they talk the same. Huzzah for the exceptions to the clone-rule!

:: I've alwaysish thought it prudent when one finds a garment of some sorts one really loves, for some reason or other, one should get more of the same model (within reason and if possible of course). Just to avoid any regrets when a perfect model is discontinued (I'm thinking the obvious example for gals being the hard-to-find-the-perfect-fit/model bra) and why spend money and time looking for second best fit when one can get the best fit in different colours?

That said being true to the notion I got three really sweet, soft and comfy, perfect for any occasion shortsleeved cardigans on end-summer-sale. In a bamboo-viscose blend (one off-white, one pale pink, one dark grey) they've all been a source of comfort and joy.

As I've never worn anything bambooish before I was very careful following the washing instructions for the first-in-washing-machine-cardigan to the letter. But when hang to dry I was in dispair since it had seemingly stiffened and shrunk to this ridiculous almost-doll-size cardigan. Whatever should I do with the other two when washing?

As it turned out, when the cardigan had dried it, quite magically, returned to its original size, its original sweetest softness again. The strangest and luckiest thing.

:: Really wholeheartedly enjoying this latest class with Dreamweaver. Discovered I unknowingly already knew most of the stuff (at the same time as I get answers to those little things here and there I've wondered about. I e getting a completeish grasp of useful nerd terms), but now I have it 'on paper' as well.

Admitting to this I realise I'm most probably way behind in being a cool, trendy on the edge computer savvy type, so be it, I chose to ignore while not so secretly flaunt that imperfection by saying that Dreamweaver rock my world. At least in a not-hugely-worldturning-but-still-pleasantly-uplifting-and-most-enjoyable-way.

:: Besides I belong to the (not so long ago really) 'generation' that thought writing one's uni degree finishing essay on an electric typewriter was the very essence of up-to-date-progress. Not only thought actually, it was. For a short while yet.

When I got round to wrapping up the whole thing - 'the thing' being a go through and analyze of the Swedish fiscal offence legislation. Oh my, does that seem eons away... - for a graduation I had turned computerized (übercool, my middle name). To be able to actually layout and presenting an essay in the ways offered by Word back then was, well... pretty darn cutting edge. Actually.

Not so long ago.

:: Have been experiencing intense, painful problems with left foot plantar fasciitis. I very much and completely blame a particular pair of shoes. What-began-as-not-cheap-new-favourite turned out to be less-than-up-to-usual-standard-quality ones (note i m m e n s e disappointment).

I'm able to make a complaint and get a new pair of shoes (if size and colour still available, touch wood), still, who knows when pain will subside, ah and my disappointment, the battered trust in the brand.

Goes to show with perfect and painful clarity, never trust a seemingly trustworthy brand to always fullfill your search (and dream) of the perfect shoe.

:: Where did this past week go? Can't grasp the fact that it's borderline Friday already. I'm very much leaning towards unplanning of weekend plans. It would be rather wonderful to just have a really laid back-sleeping-reading-watching-movies-weekend. And possibly some weather permitted biking of course.

That is, if computer says yes.

dinner, dessert and roses

On a rather gloomy September Wednesday the inhabitants of this household enjoyed a pretty delicious dinner and dessert. Courgette-tomato-carrot-gratin.

Rhubarb toffee (or at least so the recipe states, me I'm not sure about the appropriateness of such a name for that concoction)

And the flowerbed still offers a surprising, delightful plethora of roses in bloom or bud. Summer lingers on. So pleased am I.

smart dog tuesday - in the swim of things

I used to be under the impression that dogs in general loved having fun in water and swimming. Not so much this loaf doggie of mine. Yes he likes to skip around by lakeside as long as he has certain touch of bottom (lake bottom), he probably even loves that, but he really do. not. like. to swim. and. not. touch. bottom.

I can in fact very much relate to that anxiety, I really do not like to swim in places where my feet don't touch ground either. Though, I'm not a dog (I think), thus I don't have to love swimming and fetching sticks in water.

And no he doesn't particularly like taking baths in bathtub either, luckily he's to small (but he acts strangely heavy when one whispers 'bath' and lif him) and well-behaved (indeed) to complain too much about it other than having the most hurt and sorry-for-himself facial expression imaginable.

On rare occasions we try and make him appreciate the joys of swimming without touching bottom, most always in the company of dogs who very much love doing just that. The fearless, crazy water fetching sticks loving kind of dogs that we hope will have a positive influence on one-not-so-fond-of-deep-waters-loaf dog.

Last weekend was such a swimming lesson occasion. During which he swam not only one, or two, but three times. All under great cheers of encouragement and awe. It wasn't until I downloaded the photos from the lake outing I realised the little loaf's expressions during swimming lessons were truly priceless ~

'seals are supposedly great in water,
i will turn seal and float'

'ok, have seal look on,
rudder ready, will float'

'not sure this was a good idea, really'

'nope, not a good idea'

'and you, you just stand there
when i clearly need some help here'

'best dog manages himself
(but i still think you should have helped)'

'boy was this a long swim or what'

'a little assistance appreciated, guys'

'it's not as if i don't borderline love water,
i just think it's prudent to touch ground'

'as i've already shown my swimming skills
i think it's safe to stand on jetty
looking all perky, eager to play'

'looks like if i was wrong about that
safety and jetty thing'

'slippery rock, slippery rock'

'me not like slippery rock'

'almost there'

'now was i great or was i great. as usual'

'i can't believe the audacity'

'there, all bloated, happy now?'

'can. we. please. go. home. now.'

Malte, such a trouper, confident, trusting, game fellow and on occasion he does go (semi) wild in water. I kind of dig him and his quirky loafy ways. Seriously do.