These Weeks

hello from warm and sunny Sweden where I am typing this blog post in the shade. I am enjoying a couple of weeks mixing holidays and book-work-days in good company. in the silence of the woods, we hear more birds than people. it's just perfect here. I have even started a little adventurous knitting project with some exciting fibers: copper embroidery thread, organic cotton and a variegated cotton. more images to come. but of course, there's some crochet too. the third square from the Simply Crochet Magazine app; Mabel. a little larger than the other too. I am curious to see where this app is taking me and if I'll be able to join the squares in the end.

is it Spring going on Summer where you are?

xo

Free Knitting Pattern

a rare second post today. about a special free pattern. thanks to my dear loyal reader Anne-Marie I found out the link I gave last week didn't work, so here it is: the German website Wunderweib.de featured creJJtion as one of the best creative knitting and crochet blogs on page 12 and 13. and of course I am very honored and proud to be part of that small selection of blogs! with the feature comes a free pattern I wrote up for you. 

a very special one to me and I will explain why.

the triangle scarf/ throw you see in the picture is the first knitting project I ever made, in a memorable period of my life. it was the Winter of 2009 and the husband, then boyfriend, and I were celebrating a little holiday in Sweden. I was just diagnosed diabetic type 1 and had been in a Swedish hospital for 5 days. we were both still astonished and unfamiliar with the whole situation. coincidence or meant to be, I had just had my first 3 knitting classes. so it happened, that cold Winter in Sweden 2009, I found a Swedish yarn shop and decided to knit something cozy, to comfort myself and sort my thoughts. I asked for the warmest and best quality wool they had. Lovikka was the yarn I was advised to use. and in a few days, on needle size 9mm, I knitted this throw. super warm and comfortable, elegant and nice. just what we needed at that moment. ever since, this throw has been on our couch. first in Amsterdam, now in Toronto. still looking good, still warm, still a favorite of both of us. talking about heirlooms, I am sure we have a case here.

and now the pattern is available for you too. in German through this link and in English right here. 

I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do!

you need 3 skeins of pure wool, heavy worsted weight, to make this triangle scarf knitted on needle size 9 mm

the finished scarf is about 80x80x120 cm

it starts at the bottom of the triangle and increases by one stitch on every row

row 1: cast on 3 stitches

row 2: knit one, increase one by picking up the loop in between the first and second stitch as a new stitch, knit remaining stitches

row 3: knit one, increase one, knit remaining stitches 

and so forth for another 107 rows until you have about 120 stitches or the desired width of your throw

cast off and enjoy

Thank You

one more Sweden-post

about my last visit

bye for now lovely Sweden

yesterday I did make it through airport security

two magazines did not, they had to stay due to overweight suitcases

but the pie dish, the fabrics and yarn all survived ~ yeaj

so this is Thank You to brother, girlfriend and cat

for your generosity and the gezelligheid

and of course the delicious food and all the beauty in and around your home

I enjoyed it all a lot

~ love ~

Pastels #2

for the love of pastel colors again...

fabric, ribbon and my new pie dish in lovely pastel shades

oilcloth found at Ahléns

the wonderful Greengate pie dish is a dear belated birthdaygift I got from my brother and his girlfriend

~ love ~

all ribbons and fabric (two of them from Tilda) found in Sweden

in vintage shops, crafstores and more lovely places

I am flying home today

hope security will allow me to take all these lovelies with me... cross my fingers

~ have a lovely new week! ~

Relaxing

this week I took a plane to Sweden

to visit my brother and his girlfriend for a few days

what we do here is relax

CE Inne ute is my favorite shop in Örebro ~ so fresh and light

with a lovely terrace in Stallbäcken

we take our time for good coffee

and homemade sweets

this is the nearest yarn, fabric and craftshop

isn't that the cutest you have ever seen?

now I am off to relax some more

and work on my newest WIP - a natural colored blanket for our home

wishing you a relaxing sunny weekend too

~ Scandinavian love ~

Congratulations

congratulations

and a lot of luck

to my brother, his girlfriend and the cat in Sweden

I won't go into details, but believe me

they got some fantastic news yesterday

about finishing their new built home

let's celebrate with a nice cup of tea

or seven

and snuggle up on the huge couch

in their beautiful home

ready now to become even more beautiful in 2011

~ love ~