Sunday morning 29.7

This morning 3 young people came back from a 2 year long sailing trip.Many adventures and many thoughts they have given us through a report every Saturday in a regional newspaper.They have done what we dream about .

They said that what we search
maybe we have just where we are.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/?saved=1

Have a nice day.

A trip to Gammelstad

I visited a wonderful place 80 kilometers from my home.A world heritage.
http://www2.lulea.se/gammelstad/english/frames.htm
A sunny day and I went to Gammelstad visiting the old church and the special "village" with small houses used in the past when we had to go to church some holidays every year.Well it's a long time ago when there were no cars or something else that made it possible to go home sleeping and then come back next day.You can find many pictures on the link above and 3 on my flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/?saved=1

On http://www.lulea.se/hagnan/ where they had a handicraft day.You could see people doing tatting,felting,knitting,doing braclets and so on.I met my secret friend from Stickamera-well now she is not.Our secret period is over.

http://brittmariel.blogg.se/

and we had a lovely chat.

I aslo met some other friends who also was knitting and so on.Sorry I took no pictures.I forgot.So sad.There are so many very good people working with different handicraft.Tomorrow, Friday 27.7, they are also showing what they do but I have no possibilities to go.Thank you all for some lovely houres.I hope we meet during the autumn/winter having more interesting houres/days.
http://www.norrbottenshemslojd.se/bilder/Bildgalleri/Stamman%202007/index.html
http://www.pixbox.se/alb_show_id122209_page9.html

Christmas past and only 6 months left until Christmas 2007and Harry Potter

Today I present my first embroidery for Christmas.I'm a member of a SAL and I started 2 days earlier when I had time to do some stitches.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/?saved=1
There are 8 more to do and I don't know how I'm going to use these squares.In USA from where this pattern comes they do small decorations for a wreath or for the Christmas tree.

I'm also in a Harry Potter period.I have seen 3 films during the weekend and now I only have number 5 left and I'm waiting for the last book too.No post today??It would be great to have a pattern for Fenix,the bird who made so Harry Potter could go on living.Today I'm very tired.The weekend has in other words been very intensive,an intensive weekend with Harry Potter.

A needlebook in cross-stitch 20.7

A new day and a needlebook is ready
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/857535904/

I made it by using a pattern from
www.casamiainitalia.com/hp/crossstitchfc.html

DMC 111,221,469,935 and 3787

thin white linen

We have a lovely sunny morning and it's Friday and the end of a summer week.Still I have some weeks free and have the chance to do some embroidery,patchwork and knitting.
I wish you all a nice end of this week

2 lovely summerdays

A lovely day with my friend

Once a year a good friend of mine and I do something together.We live so far away from each other but we try to get some houres when she comes visiting her father.
First of all we went to the new Cultural house in Luleå
What a wonderful library they have.What a great part of the house celebrating books and other media.What a happiness to be a librarian in this library.
http://www.kulturenshus.com/bibliotek.4.5ee063d310c3f1df7dd800016871.html
In this house they have a exhibition hall for modern art,they have wonderful concert halls,some restaurants.We had a lovely lunch and a wonderful time to talk about life,art and handicraft.
We also was visiting a museum and could see a wonderful exhibition with embroidery and weaving art.

Update on the Quaker sampler
Go to
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/
It's a picture taken 8.30 in the evening.I love the summer and the handicraft.
Have a nice time

Embroideries and Yo-Yo

It has been an inspirating time with embroideries.Still I have vacation and every morning I take the chance to do something in textile.In the beginning of the week we had rainy days and I needed to do some nice things.First I made 2 patchworkblocks for a swap-no photos and I hope to get more time for quilting later this month.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/.

First of all I made a little card reminding of east Asia-a combination of embroidery and a bead from China.When I was in Beijing we also visited a place where they did these beads and so on.Later on I have been thinking of the bad situation for the workers doing different luxury products for us.


Then I have been doing an embroidery of a Flower girl,mostly in metallic DMC,a little cotton and beads from Mill Hill.I'm a woman often dressed in jeans but I love to create the opposite,dresses ans do on decorated with beads and "gold and silver".I love to work with crazy patchwork too.When I was a little girl I loved to be a princess or an angel and my mother made me dresses and wings,not so expensive ones but I felt I was a princess or an angel.It's good to have the fantasy...even when you are older.The last days I have been in another world full of luxury......well DMC-metallic and beads......


http://yoyo-along.blogspot.com/
Yo-yo is a nice way of doing a little decoration.Click on links on the link above and you find a lot to be inspitated of.
http://flickr.com/groups/59895199@N00/

www.elliphantom.com/completed_in_2006/ez_baby_sweater
An example I also found today.Maybe it's not so practical but....


A new week starts and I have started a Quaker sampler
http://users.skynet.be/bk236098/CARINNE/ImagesQuaker/QuakerComplet.pdf
DMC 3808 on white linen fabric.
I love doing one or two motives a day.Now we have warm and sunny and it's also a perfect embroidery when you enjoy sitting in the garden

Have a nice week all my friends

What I did this morning

Dear all

A sunny warm morning in the north of Sweden and The Sampler girl had a sweet little square with "Harry Potter" as the theme.A freebee just to use at once.I used both silk,linen and cotton yarn on this little embroidery on Aida because the early morning was really early and no shops were opened .Thanks Tanya for a lovely morning.
http://atthehoneysuckletree.blogspot.com/

July 6

Go to her website too
http://thesamplergirl.homestead.com/home.html and you find other freebees too and she has a great number of lovely patterns to buy too.


I have lovely memories with the first book about Harry Potter.My youngest son and I we read the book ,some pages each,and we had so many nice evenings reading and enjoying the story.
Now he is 19 ......

About biscornu-a link

Here you find instructions and examples of biscornus both with embroidey an one example of a patchwork biscornu.

http://own-two-hands.livejournal.com/4186.html

Good luck.
I'm doing a new one.Pictures later this week

A biscornu from Gabriele in Berlin

I want to show you a biscornu I have got today.I'm in a swap on Freindly stitchers-a yahoo-group .
This wonderful one is made by Gabriele in Berlin.She made the embroidery on a very fine linen fabric.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/.

Midsummer and a pair of socks

Dear all
We have been so happy for a lovely warm air and a sunshine nearly 24 hours every "day".We have had nice days in the garden and the flowers are coming.We could eat in the garden too.
I have had the possibility to rest in our hammock.Could it be better?

To knit in the garden is a favourite for me and on http://www.socktopia.net/ they published a new pattern during the Midsummer and I couldn't resist knitting them.You find the beginning of a sock and wonderful flowers from my garden on

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/.

I have made 2 rows extra between the last in pattern for square 1 and 2 -one with 5 knit on knit and 5 purl on purl and then I changed and made a row with 5 purl and 5 knit and this made it easier to follow the pattern.

Have a nice time

Midsummer in the north of Sweden

Today 21June we have the longest day this year.Oh this beautiful daylight.

About swedish Midsummer celebrations.
http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/CommonPage____11366.aspx
Here in the north of Sweden we really have nearly no darkness at all.We really enjoy the summer now .Tomorrow it slowly starts to turn to.....

We are going to be at home enjoying being together ,both the sons are at home.We are also going to enjoy being in the garden and enjoying being active in the nature.We are going to have barbeque tomorrow and maybe we can sit in the garden eating our dinner.

I wish you all a nice summertime.

Kumihimo

The last thing we did in the course was to do Kumihimo,a technic to do wonderful bands for different things.We tried to do the simpliest one and we succeded in doing a short one.You have some strands and twist them from 1 to 6 or ....if you use more strands you have to twist several times.I think I will use ribbons to do handles for a purse.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/

After that we had lunch and said goodbye.Some of us are going another year too so we meet in August /September.I'm looking forward it as we are going to do simple clothes and use some of the technics we have learnt to decorate them.
Have a nice new week

Pink little "bag" for my cellphone

A lovely free day celebrating knitting and I made this

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/537537285/

First it was going to be a bookmark but too big and I have so many .As I'm a member of a knittingroup making bookmarks every month we get lovely patterns every month.To do a bookmark is a perfect piece to use a special pattern on and to do small presents .Now I felt this would be a perfect "girly" thing.....well also elder ladies with silver in her hair can use pink,a perfect combination with pink and silver.

Tomorrow we have the last day of our course.On Friday we made an exhibition with things we have done.10 ladies-yes we have been creative and now we have our "exam"

A new Friday

With this picture I will wellcome a new summerday.To crochet a little flower made my day on our national day 6 June.I also bought flowers to have in the garden.White flowers have a special beauty I really love and they give my relaxing times and inspiration to do something.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/535491884/

I wish you the best

Summertime in the north of Sweden and new photos

The sun is shining and we have green garden and some flowers too.Just a fantasic time.
After a month full of work I try to give you some glimpses of the nice things.
First of all I want to mention "Sommarslöjd" on
www.nordiskamuseet.se
where you can see a lot of laces as crochet,bobinlace,embridery,tatting,print.....both old and new design.Most of all I was fascinated in purses decorated by crochet,beads...in a crazy but beautiful combination.And so many braclets and other decoration.Thick yarn or thin metalthread or...If you are in Stockholm during the summer go and visite the exhibition.I hope I can do one more purse using a little doily, crochet one,tatted lace and some embroidery on.

On flickr I have some new pictures of purses I have made during the course and some CQ for Christmas-a heart and a tree.2 blocks for a RR on crazyquiltinginternational and 2 blocks I hope reulting in a "chicken"or a......I'll tell you later what I made.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/

I still work 2 weeks before my holidays so we have a lot more to do before.After that I hope I can have more time to do small projects,be outside walking or....and enjoying meetings with friends and family. I get a little more time to blog , to write letters,snailmails , and read books.

I wish you all a lovely time

My birthday and my first biscornu

It's the first day of a new year in my life.The day has been calm and I have had time to reflect on life and handicraft.Many small gifts and some bigger ones have made me so happy.As I 'm a member of 3 swaps in different yahoo-groups and I'm really so happy to be a member of these.Every month you have somebody to make happy and this is very very good.

I have started this pattern for a biscornu ,first in yellow on white aida but I'm not satisfied with the result so I start a new one tomorrow.Maybee I use linen fabric instead.
http://www.lekkerthreads.com/Sun%20Mandala%20Biscornu.pdf

I wish you a nice and creative week

Hairpin lace

Dear all


I want to show you a wonderful easy technic we learnt on the course this weekend.In the 60's and 70's I saw scarfs in this technic and I got one from Anna,a very great handicraft lady who has inspired me very much.She was a friend of my mother and she could so so much and give me the feeling it's a happiness to do different textile handicrafts.
You can go to www.google.com and search on hairpin lace and you can find more about the technic and you can also find patterns .
Good luck

How to work with hairpin lace
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art5429.asp


My first small products you can find on my flickr.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ullafr/

A gift from my "hemlis=secret friend"

Dear all

It's the first day of May and now and then snowflings are falling down.Hopefully it melts down at once.We said wellcome to the spring and the lovely May.The river is still covered with ice but....The days are longer and longer.

I have been so so happy for the first lovely gift from my "hemlis",a secret friend in a knittinggroup.

Earl Grey Luxury
A chocolate soap bar-I'm still smiling.Thanks for the joke.
Thin needles so lovely to knit with
A pattern for wristwarmers
A lovely skein of silk -so so soft

Thank you once again.This is just so fun.
I have also a friend to do nice things for.Waving to her.I think you read this blog but still I'm very secret....I hope.

To my "hemlis" on Stickamera.se in swedish only

Hejsan "Hemlis"

1. Vilken sorts garn tycker du mest om? Ull,ull-silke,alpacka.mohair
Är det något material du absolut inte tycker om?Acryl,polyester.....
2. Vilka är dina favoritfärger?
Naturvit,blå,lila,rosa....
3. Är det någon färg du absolut inte tycker om?Kanske brunt eller orange eller...
4. Vilken sorts stickor tycker du bäst om/använder du helst?
Metall,bambu eller rosenträ
Raka och strumpstickor.
5. Hur länge har du stickat?45 år
Mittemellan kanske för jag har mycket att lära ännu.
6. Dricker bara te
7. Är du allergisk mot något?Rök.
8. Vilken slags musik tycker du om?Folkmusik och klassiskt.Lyssnar egentligen på det mesta.
9. Favoritgodis?Kexchoklad men jag måste sluta med godis.
10. Håller du på med någon annan "skapande hobby", förutom stickning?
Broderi, virkning,patchwork,färga garn,knyppla.......
11. Vad tycker du är roligast att sticka? Sjalar,vantar,muddar och sockar?
12. Prenumererar du på någon sticktidning?Endast Piecework.Köper Interweave knitting.
13. Har du något drömprojekt på önskelistan?En sjal från Victorian lace.
14. Använder du pulsvärmare/handledsvärmare? I så fall, vad är ditt handledsmått?15-16. Tycker du om att sticka pulsvärmare?1Jaaaaa
6. Stickar du sockor?Ja
17. Vad har du för fotstorlek? 37
18. När fyller du år? 6 maj
19. Stickar du med pärlor?Ibland.
20. Vilken slags böcker (ej stickning) läser du helst?Romaner.Olika faktaböcker om mina olika intressen.

Ser fram emot att vara din hemliga vän.

The first new sock, friendshipdoll and some days of relax

The first sock in Regis is read.

Cuff:CO 60 on 2 1/2 on 4 needles
R 1-12 k2,p2....in 12 row

Wavy lace ribbon
Leg:R1-*k 2tog,yo,p2*.........
R2-*k2,p2.*.......
R3-*k2,p2*........
R4-*yo,ssk,p2*.......
R5-*k2,p2*.....
R6-*k2,p2*.....

Then I used an ordinary sockpattern from Garnstudio for the rest of the sock.


Yesterday I did the CQ fron of the friendship doll www.dollmakersjourney.com/Friendship3p.jpg
I'm going to do it in the samy style as my CQ-card.During the next week I maybee get the time to do some embroidery.

I have had some holidays and it has been so good to get time to just relax.I really needed it because I had a very busy time in March and also a flu now and then.Today we had a little barbeque in the "garden".Well in the white snowy garden but the snow melts down and we have a lot of sunshine.Many people have used the Eastern period to be out in the nature too.

I wish you all my friends a lovely Springtime.