very crafty socks

Yesterday was headgear day, today it's all about the socks. Well, more specifically one pair which I'd quite forgotten about - they were one of the beauties that arrived in September along with the tofu socks, the awesome bicycle ones were a perfect wee gift for someone who loves her bike

- since I have been very partial to lace socks these past few months, and admittedly a few dotty and striped ones, but thicker socks and patterns other than that, not so much.

But since ground has been covered with some mysterious white thing and temperatures have actually been below zero C for a week now I've had reasons to - as if one has to have that - rummage through my sock bags. Finding all sorts of delightful socks. Like these. The crafty ones. The purple crafty ones that I had planned to wear at the next twitterjunta session, but which I then obviously forgot all about.

As I've been very fond of the blue boots - which I had a rather curious incident with the other day, my right leg had miraculously shrunk over a few days and suddenly I could zip it all up. Right leg only though, thus for left calf sympathizing's sake I'll continue sporting the semi-zipped look for now - I hadn't thought through different pleasing socks for the purple ones. Now I'm certain which pairs I'll be putting on next. Needles, yarn, scissors, the very crafty ones.



Do you have a favourite pair of socks that, as if by magic, can chirk up any day?

the reversed carrot and other beanies

I'm thinking that the knitting of caps might be the new scarf or the new socks for me. Plus they're quicker to make, with rather little effort and hey presto, you've got a new hat!

I've got me some fabulously perky and lovely wool yarn - I've been ogling it for ages - before Christmas, I then returned for another skein in a sweet skyblue hue. Granted compared to the bright pink (with small orange patches) and the green green grass one with an orange tuft on top - I think of it as a reversed carrot, befitting someone having the carrot defect - it does make a pale impact. But nonetheless cute.

Although granted, if you want to spot one easily in a crowd I'd go for the bright pink - I'm making a super lovely cowl for self in the same yarn, knitting done, putting some finishing touches to it now, below +-0C weather is welcome to stay a  wee while longer - or the green/carroty one.

Which one would you enjoy wearing the most?
And do you have any favourite winter headgear?

the week that was

I was going to write something substantial about my "first week as my own boss" this evening. But I have been a very kind boss this first week, getting into a flow plus those hairy, cuddly colleagues, well, you have to spend time socializing to, right? I may not have been quite as diligently checking off lists as I had planned - and I'm really, really working hard on the "not everything has to be perfect in order to get things going forward"... -  but I'm alright with that.

I've also been quite busy finally getting around to painting the office walls (somehow you really, really must be in the right mood for it). 50% of the room is now painted twice, in what turned out to be - as one can't really be sure what the colour will look like on a big wall compared to a smaller sample - a rather awesome strawberry icecream hue - you Swedes who ate and the remember "puckstång jordgubb", that's the colour - which is really sweet, pink, calming and perky at the same time.

It was the first time I painted walls, it was great fun. And very satisfying. And a lot of work, I have sore muscles I didn't know existed. In order to put up the new bookshelves - which I think are nothing less than fabulous

- I had to finish half of the room and will leave the other half until I'm less sore and up for it again. But I hope to do it within a week, it's so easy to let it drag out and procrastinate, but I want the whole room to look as grand and new as one half does now asap!

I spent a good portion of the autumn and winter cleaning out things that had been piling up in there and the amount of stuff (incl books that lacked importance to me) given away to charity is substantial. As is the amount of papers thrown away. It really feels fantastic to finally getting down to doing this, a major factual as well as soul/mind cleansing.

To have a brand new room, a creative, calm space - no cats allowed, but little loaf has his own blanket - for a specific purpose, gosh, I am so so happy about this!

Weekend has basically been spent working on this space, figuring out which books and papers that do have a place in there still. And I spent an hour at IKEA this Sunday morning - not an IKEA fan, ya'know, but an annual visit for a specific purpose for wares with prices I'm alright with, as in cheap, but not as cheap as it's very obvious someone else have paid the actual price for it - being very specific with the things needed, rushing through the place cleverly avoiding the crowds and queues. Home with me came a new desk (light and simple), a deskchair (perky and simple), a few office supplies and a fabulastic ceiling lamp.

The comfy armchair in mint condition I got from the charity shop last year has finally a proper place and purpose in pink office. It does need a decent floor lamp, something pretty and worn that I can upcycle and transform to fit the room - thus being on top of the to-get-list for my perfect, creative space.

I absolutely heart my new office. It'll quite probably be my new favourite room. Light permitted I'll try and get a few photos of it tomorrow. The finished side vs the not so finished one. Now, now I will be a more demanding boss this week to come. Promise.

friday the 13th of january

It's not only Friday the 13th, it's also St Knut's day, the official end of Christmas in Sweden. My advent candlesticks will as usual continue to light up my life until the days get brighter, longer and my home is not filled with christmassy ornaments so not much will change in that way. But I'm thinking that all these small steps towards a nicer season and new beginnings etc etc are sweet, 13 is one of my favourite numbers and having a weekend is good - even if you've spent the week in the company of the bestest colleagues.

Happy weekend one and all ~

kulau coconut water

Bought three packages of Kulau coconut water a while ago. I hadn't heard about or seen it before, but the packaging was lovely and it sounded like a good thing to try. I mean, coconut, that's such a lovely flavour, right? So far I've tried one, the one I found most intriguing, being a lover of pomegranate, the one containing just that.

I have to say though, that it was actually one of the most revolting beverages I've ever tried, nearly as disgusting as beer (which I find completely and utterly loathsome, if not just a tiny splosh in a Radler). In fact I felt a bit nauseous drinking it, so in order to gulp it down *it is good for you* I momentarily shut down my tastebuds and just drank.

It was nothing like coconut as we know it in milk or shredded coconut, to me it just tasted of dirty dish-water. (Or how I imagine that tastes.) For me, the idea of harvesting coconuts before they're ripe feels... awkward. Though since I'm not an expert in the coconut area or a nutritionist I'll just guess they know what they're doing.

But sorry, Kulau, you can claim Berlin to be the European capital of healthy, natural, organic product trends all you want, if it doesn't have a pleasing taste that makes me want to drink it on a regular basis or at least rejoice when I treat myself to it, I won't be drinking it. No matter how healthy, organic and fairtrade it supposedly is.

As far as I'm concerned, the best thing about the coconut water was the packaging AND that I realised a sibling trio of bobbaloos were a perfect colour match (I'm a sucker for such coincidences, if you hadn't noticed before...).

Anyone tried this coconut water?
What did your tastebuds think, did they sing or did they react like mine?

2011 in 12 pictures

Time to look back at 2011 - one photo per month. Though looking back at 2011 it will be very difficult picking just one photo a month, it was an eventful year, quite a bad one, crap galore even, but when I see it in a distance like this I'm grateful for all the fun and good times that managed to sneak in there regularly too.

I'm afraid there won't be any short, witty underline - I have to say I kind of liked what I did with this last year, but today I'm not feeling very inspired or witty, well, one can't be every day, that would be quite exhausting, photos please ~

January - was a very, very crafty month, I finished many little projects (two of them were the extralong magical socks in top picture) and I discovered the art and beauty of amigurumi. One might say I got hooked on it, addicted even. But also painfully aware about amigurumi crocheting being quite hard on the hands... Before that revelation I did finish many a Swedish princess cake - and loved it.

February - on Valentine's day I began a new phase in my life, one I had such high hopes would lead to a job that I loved. After week one I had mixed feelings, but tried to keep a positive mind about it. The next six months were hard and pretty awful, I saw a part of Swedish labour market politics I'm very ashamed of - and I'm not even in any way responsible for it - and completely, utterly and wholeheartedly hate. It's degrading, patronizing and abusive (and still very much a reality for many thousands of unfortunate people in Sweden). On day one I discovered this precious painting always visible on a wall nearby my desk. It was heartwarming, thus quite the opposite of what the next six months spent at that place would be.

In February I also got my first two bobbaloos, Kismet and Jojo. They have since been followed by many, many, many... And they've brought much joy and giggles into my life.

And my first pair of transformer goggles.

March - The World According to Pia was named a Google Blog of Note, needless to say it was quite a wonderful thing. I got a load of new, lovely readers and I'm still quite happy and proud about it all. With it also came rather a bit of (self-imposed) demands of being inventive, witty, new, shiny and fabulous every.single.day. When the first rush (on many levels) petered out it was rather a relief and it gave me food for thought about blogging and why I do it...

I wrote a few Q&A posts on Sweden - one, two, three and I still have one to go, questions unanswered, life got in between, sorry...

There were three little pigs, I bought my first shoes that year and last but not least, had my first root-filling ever (thanks to the phase in my life that begun in February, see above). That would be followed by several more throughout the year, causing pain on many levels.

April - finally spring came! It had been a tough winter, almost six months of heavy snow covered grounds. And there was the curious incident with the cat (and bobbaloos) in the daytime. There was Easter weekend - my favourite holiday! - the second pair of shoes that year entered my life, and what a wonderful pair it was. And Chubs with friends arrived.

And then there was sorrow, unexpectedly and suddenly the curious cat above, Knut, passed away. I haven't written about this before, partly because I felt ashamed, being in a vortex of crap at that time I didn't pay attention to him not being well, for real. It had been such a hard winter for us all, we were all a bit worn and weary after that. I just didn't realise, I'm so sorry.

When summer had come and gone his demise would be followed by both his sister - the apple of my eye - and his mother (old age). I didn't know that at the time of course. But sorrow has a strange tendency to come in three. I hope you are all well and safe in another world, 2012 will be a lesser year without you.

May - despite it being the prettiest time of the year, after Easter I got a nasty cold and most of May I spent with a sore throat and feeling tired to the bone (as in the picture above). But then I went to see my Dr Feist and only seeing her make things alright somehow.

I was pleased about the lotsa pocket dress - that in that cotton way shrunk in laundry I sadly discoevred later that year - I discovered the stem gem, the Pippi pattern and my life continued to be a conundrum.

June - began with a long, glorious weekend and fantastic weather, there was a lovely afternoon tea, a strawberry shirt, a new garden, dotty glasses, the bobbaloos first midsummer, I took part in an art exhibition - the photo of it above will be the symbol of June -  we planned for Berlin again, there was the season's first hedgehog and I picked up the pink splint (which was a great jaw tension relief at first, but I'm so happy I haven't had any use for it for months now *touch would*). Looking through old blogposts, I think that overall it was a decent month with great weather.

July - we had another fantastic trip to Berlin, one highlight was the climbing of Siegessäule, one small step for mankind, one great victory for me. Bobbaloos came along for the journey and we had an awesome time together.

Back home there were several sweet hedgehogs in garden, one of them three-legged. And human tragedy stroke in Norway.

August - vacation time over and for a day I thought I had found a rather neat job. The feeling lasted a day and then one of the worst months in my life followed. And I lost Eulalia. It was a month of many tears.

At the end of the month, the concert with Bryan Ferry was magical. And we picked flowers saying goodbye to summer.

September - I realised there was such a thing as a bobbaloo gaggle effect and that they can take the shape of a magical bouquet. I crocheted perky pot holders, celebrated the 6th blogoversary, drank many cups of wonderful tea, met a big yellow bunny and wore tofu socks. It was a month of many hours of soul searching and finally I saw a light.

And it was a month that was rounded off with my first published book. Which promptly got to be a Staff picks on the front page. I was.so.happy.

October - was and is my month. I got me a new cap, went to see the Nick Brandt exhibition at Fotografiska - and cried my eyes out - found the T-sac, finished a good book, went on a birthday trip - which included seeing many castles - and felt more in balance than I'd been in a long, long time. It was a good month - even if, granted, I unfortunately got to rekindle with a bad calcaneal spur when on birthday trip and have been dealing with it ever since.

November - the temperatures continued to be alarmingly strange and mild for the season, had my last root filling, prepared for my new life. I met two new friends, had many more cups of wonderful tea and great talks, did some fine food shopping, made raw vegan ice cream - that tasted fabulous - finished and embroidered two pairs of rather fine socks, continued to cry about mankind's neverending cruelty towards other species, baked lots of different cookies, finished the Luddkolt's new website, made many week-lists to keep me on track. It was a busy and good month.

December - continued to be unseasonably warm, much anticipated kittens arrived - unfortunately not without worries and sleeplessness - I won three months in the annual calendar photo competition and the kittens were alright, Ztina and Zigne.

Goodbye 2011, your brought lots of worries, heartache and sorrow. But thank you for the sunshine and good times in between.

ztina and zigne, week four

A week later, three and a half weeks old they're just irresistable adorable AND pretty active suddenly. Extra yay for Ztina now being rather a dollface - and having quite an exotic colour/pattern, from my point of view, either bluetortietabby pointed or lilactortietabby pointed.

Tomorrow they'll get their own wee litter-box and try gruel from a saucer for the first time. I expect a mess. But a rather cute one, of course.

They're the best colleagues imaginable, but admittedly, losing focus and yield to cuddling instead is an issue - I was thinking that it would be lovely if all colleagues were like kittens, but I have to say that the idea of attention seeking and cuddly colleagues that are not kittens or other baby animals does not appeal to me. Quite the opposite actually - but it won't be forever... And right now their mere presence and cuddle party availability does make my mind and soul feel calm and kind.

Enjoy this week's kitten cuteness overload ~

'Just like Zigne I am very much a girl, and equally clean. 

Plus I look like a miniature polar bear'

 

all about the boots, purple and blue

I did debate with myself if I was going to post an all shoes and boots post today already, as I mentioned it only yesterday, a bit of a teaser and then a little wait, that's usually my melody. But sometimes I tend to forget the tune and never post the thing that felt oh so important that day, other matters, life come between. And for better or worse, blogging is often all about the here and now, when a week, a month passes, the once oh so important feels un-blogworthy. Which I suppose it isn't, but it's tricky to foment the inspiration and inclination to write about something that isn't fresh in mind. At least when it comes to actual things and happenings, that aren't recurrent. Ideas, musings swirling are another story, they just need the brain to be in the mood for writing.

Enough blathering. Time for the boots. -- The show and tell about the gorgeous birthday shoes from Lisbon has been postponed indefinitely due to the calcaneal spur issue, which has effectively kept me from using them more than twice. When foot is back to its usual self, the purple shoe post is a must. -- But I can't promise to keep it short. I never can when it comes to shoes.

I got Christmas money. I was very happy about that (duh). Part of it was spent on boots. I meant to get one pair, but ended up splashing on two. Christmas money can make a gal do that. Apparently. And I kind of blame the above mentioned foot issue for that - not that I mind, I am very grateful for the fact that I am able to change shoes regularly, that I have a shoe wardrobe with colours to suit any mood and, touch wood, foot issue - my heel get a relief with a shoe with a moderate heel, after years of adoring the Iggdrasil model I have come to love the Tesela one most. For its comfortable heel and flattering style. I feel that model is very me.

The pretty maryjanes were followed by the awesome oxfords. Sadly I have not been able to find another pair of those in my size anywhere, I do hope for their return in the El Naturalista range this year... Thus I have been wearing them a lot this past autumn and winter - I'm not at all happy about this weird, mild weather we've had this winter, but my foot is grateful for the weather having allowed shoes that offer a relief for the ache and not forcing boots on these past months - and I wished there'd been shoes/boots to change with now and then, allowing the oxfords a well deserved winter rest.

So, I have been ogling a pair of ankle boots - which to be honest is not a favourite style of mine in general - in the Tesela model, with the same adorable cork button as on the the maryjanes. They seemed a bit more befitting for the season, but the colours available in the shops here were a bit dark and drab, when I spotted them in that gorgeous blue hue called vaquero in the webshop. Utterly swoonworthy... Sadly not available in my size. The tall boots in blue were however available in my size... Oh, I've been dreaming of a pair of blue boots ever since I saw them everywhere in Amsterdam, four plus years ago...

But since I have a real issue with most tall boots, ie they rarely fit the woman with *athletic* legs. -- Most tall boots are of course just ridiculously narrow and tight in shaft. But apart from catering for different leg sizes from the start, the boots could also quite easily be made to fit with a bit of wrap-around design (like the red boots), lacing or a proper (not only for apperance's sake) elastic input. -- So even if these boots looked alright I knew I had to try a pair on before I ordered them.

So I headed to my favourite shoe shop to try both the ankle boot and the tall boot. When I tried the ankle boots on I did find the model surprisingly cute and the purple colour - which I've said about a trillion times is not a favourite colour of mine, yet I fall for it on a regular basis - quite charming. So I ended up getting me a pair of these (bobbaloo approved) beauties.

The tall boots - with its for silly appearance's sake elastic input - were sadly lacking room for my snazzy calfs and the zipper was unable to perform its full duty. But they really looked amazing from the cork button outside, they really really did... And that blue coloured ones in webshop were really really calling my name...

And really why should us athletic calf bestowed women be left wanting for boots just because the design and zipper leave a few centimetres to be desired? There are leg warmers, there are - for me at very rare occasions - trousers and hey, why should only cool kids at a certain age be able to trot along with semi-zipped up boots without anyone taking any notice? Actually, why not make a bit of an athletic-calf-woman protest with it? This is how I'm designed, this is how many of us are designed, deal with it and start making boots that cater for different calf sizes. Naturally, at the same time as I'm showing off fabulous socks with that un-zipped style.

So I ordered myself a pair of heavenly blue Tesela tall boots. And they are just stunning. Stunning. Such a perky, quirky, stylish, unique, lovely pair. Blue boots, for a very very less than blue minded me.



Edit - just the other day I had a rather curious incident with them blues, my right leg had miraculously shrunk over a few days and suddenly I could zip it all up. Right leg only though, thus for left calf sympathizing's sake I'll continue sporting the semi-zipped look for now.

Edit two - some days, calf permitted, I'm able to wear them all zipped up. Those are especially good boots days. These blue beauties might be the single one reason for me not wanting spring/summer shoe-season to arrive...

let the year begin with prosit

It has been a long, lovely weekend, the Epiphany, now Christmas and New Year's is really over. Not a great fan of that time of the year, due to its hyped and commercialized spirit, but when it's over, the many lazy, cozy days of just being, I kind of miss them. From now on until Easter there will be no long - calendarwise - lazy weekends to enjoy.

That said, admittedly, I have not looked forward to a new year as much as I have done 2012, in a very long time. The mixed feelings of excitement, creative urges, anxiety, relaxation and nervousness - I'm thinking that is a good blend starting the new year with. And the business, Prosit Ord & Bild AB - just like the kitten's names it's a story behind this, but in a few words only; "Prosit" ~ bless you, "Ord" = word/s, "Bild" = image, AB = Inc.

I just have to realise that everything can't be perfect from the beginning, that would be ridiculous, unheard of and would leave a boring no room for improvement and growth. That will not do, not at all. So, now, work. As my own boss. From now on. Wish me luck, tomorrow's pretty much my first day at work, my work. I'll try and be both kind and demanding on myself as an employee. Bring it on -

and in case you happen to be passing here in blog for the first time, I'm looking for new clients.

Oh, let's make this an awesome green year -

since the frost and a wee bit of snow has arrived I'm going to begin walking it in fabulous blue boots (yes more of later, in a little shoe buff post)

the winners of the winter tea giveaway

I bribed the bobbaloos with cake (they're easy that way) and got them participate in the tea drawing. Outdoors, it was pretty cold. Into the green drawing pot squeezed themselves the most cake-delighted bobbaloos.

Two of them (Byno and wee Hubbard) managed to squeeze themselves out of the pot the quickest and with them came two names. The names of the lucky winners of tea this time are.... *drum roll* ~

viridiana and Lost Star

I hope you'll enjoy the tea and that it'll start your new year of in the best, flavoursome and most warming of ways! Please e-mail me your address (my e-mail can be found at my blogger profile page --->) and I'll have the bags in the mail asap. And thank you so much for playing along all you who participated.

Have a continued fine long Epiphany weekend all ~