All I want for Christmas...

is warmer weather. It has been cold!!!! Icy cold! Car-wont-start-even-in-the-garage-cold!
Anyway..... can't do much about the cold. Christmas eve and gift giving is over. We celebrate Christmas eve. I have never understood that need to celebrate it Christmas morning. The story says he was born at night, with stars out and so on. Why would you celebrate the day after?

Now I can show some of the gifts I made and gave away at least. The rest will have to come later. My niece, the one who wanted a quilt with pictures, embroidery, buttons, sequins, lace and everything else, please! - had seen some of my Bareroots pictures I had made for other people, and told me she wanted something like that. With quotes. Please.
So I took one from Bareroots,

and another patterns I bought years ago,

and then made an original because I haven't found anyone else stitching it. This last one is a quote from Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh, and I thought about my niece the minute I read it. She struggled with school for years, suffered from depression and thought herself stupid. Until she finally got a diagnose and the right medication at an age of 21, started nursing school and received top grades since. She still think of herself as stupid. How hard it is for us to get rid of those negative thoughts we have about ourselves. I hope some of these words will help her in her daily struggle.

And then I knitted a couple of pairs of these. God jul - Merry Christmas.

Three stages

Hasn't been a lot to write about lately. Sorry about that. I finally got to take some pictures during day time, though. I am trying out something new - for a christmas gift.I got some linen, flax. It is quite unevenly woven, so difficult to embroider on.

So I got some of what they call 'counting linen', basted it on the background linen and embroider on that one.

And then I pull out the threads from the counting linene, and

voila! It actually works:) I will put up a picture of the final work after christmas:)

We had a short burst of winter a few weeks ago, and I finally got around to finish a sweater I started last winter. I just had to sew it together and knit the neck lining.

I like the way the pattern makes the decreases a part of the shaping.

And finally - a little close up of a christmas gift:) More later.

Old and new

I wanted to get my friends in Colorado something handmade and Norwegian this time, and found this great idea in one of my many books. These are Hardanger, sewn on linen (flax) with linen thread, how they used to do it originally. I then added some old lace from the stash I got from my grandmother. I kind of like the look.

Kind of bugs me that the small strip of lace is crooked, but hey! it is handmade, OK?

This was a 45 year birthday gift to one of my 'bestest' friends in Colorado. She has four kids, and I admire her ability to handle all those busy lives. So when I saw this: A mothers pocket is filled with love, I thought of her right away.It is a Cinderberry pattern. I love her lines and the amazing amounts of fun details. Aren't the babies cute?

There are slightly more than four kids on this one, though....

All I made for Christmas....

I have been so slow in updating the blog. Sorry! I am leaving heat and South Africa behind and am trying to revel in the fact that we are having snow, snow and some snow. Did I mention we had more snow? I actually bought skiis.... haven't been cross country skiing for at least 20 years. Having my first trip tomorrow evening, under the full moon. We shall see if I remember how to use these planks.

Anyway - I can finally show you what I made as Christmas gifts this year, sorry - last year. Just gave away the last ones on Saturday. Yeah, yeah, we are late. Travels and such:)Made two of these for two good friends:) It is a Bareroots pattern. Love them. They make for very good small gifts.

A little hard to see all of these, but they are quotes from different Norwegian christmas songs or sayings. And no! it isn't crooked, it just looks like it when it is lying on the floor! From 12 Days of Christmas by Nancy Halvorsen - her variation of twelve lords a'leaping:) A pillow of hearts. Norwegian designer, MarianneZ. I like her Christmas patterns:) Table runner from the same designer. Both of these two went as a gift for a very good friend in America. Hope you liked them:)

Watch out!

When my friend in Colorado got a new dog earlier this year, she sent me this picture.



Days later I found this great stitchery on Lapp-Elisa's Online Shopping. The text translates to 'Beware of the dog' - which was the first thing I thought of when I saw little Fergus:) He looks ferocious, doesn't he?



He is a little bit older now, and loves to help out in the kitchen. Mainly by licking the plates in the dishwater...