Creative...

I´ve been creating so many different things for the last few weeks:

1. I´m having a crochet-collar-mania at the moment: since I started my crochet-journey, I´ve been going crazy with my crochet-hook and making many different kind of collars - they are so much fun, quick and easy to make and really make a difference...

Really love this one - been wearing it a lot:

Yes, I DO have a thing for buttons - this one is vintage from a thrift store:

great picture, but you get the idea:

2. I´ve been really busy making something special with my mum for a week now... it involves old curtains from the thrift store, some new fabric, IKEA and 2 sewing machines... can´t wait to show you the result of this secret mission! :-)


3. After spending a lot of time (maby too much) on Pinterest, I was inspired to make a fairytale-box for my boys. You might be asking yourself, what that is? Well, since my boys are growing up with 2 different languages I´m always thinking of new methods to help them developing their language-skills - making them tell a story of their own really helps them and makes them use their imagination at the same time. This is how it looks like:

on the outside: on the inside: You put some fun things inside, and make your kids tell a story about them - you can use everything you want to, even words if the know how to read, shapes, numbers, letters, colours, toys... depending on what you want to practice and the age of your kid:

The fairytale-box helps your kids developing their language-skills, readings-skills (if you use letters or words), colours, shapes... what ever you want too... and the best thing about it is, that for them this is a game and it is so much fun to hear their stories! My boys really love this simple thing!

How I did it:

I clued pretty origami-paper-sheets on an old shoe-box (inside and outside) and something called "bókaplast" in icelandic (a plastic-thing with glue on one side, used to protect books - please tell me the word if you know it).

Me and my boys having fun:

Once upon a time there was... embroidery

After realizing how many different kind of projects I´ve finished through the years I decided to share one of them with you once a week... Since I love fairytales, I´m going to call this "thing" "Once upon a time there was... ". This week I´m going to show you some cushions I made 2003 for our bedroom in Germany.

The embroidery is freestyle and I the only thing I decided before I started making them was that I wanted a bird in the center and some kind of flowers because they are so fun to make! I used some stitchguides in the wonderful french DIY-magazine "Marie Claire Idees", some fabric from my fabric-stash and small beads. I used a lot of chain-stitch...

Nr. 1:

Nr. 2:

A butterfly came my way:

My mum taught my how to make those circle-flowers:

Fantasy-flowers:

Details:

A ladybird, to bring us luck:
More details: circle-flowers and beads:

I was so happy, when my birch-twigs actually became green! Never in my dreams I would have expected that!

Flashback: a lopapeysa-chart

I´m´really excited to introduce you: my first very own contribution on Ravelry: Flashback, a lopapeysa-chart. This chart is designed for an icelandic adult lopapeysa made out of single stranded unspun icelandic plötulopi. But of course, you can use it for many different things like knitted cushions, embroidery, even a lopapeysa made out of léttlopi or some other materials with the same gauge (18.0 to 24.0 sts = 4 inches; 50g =100m) - if you use einband (lace), you might have to add a few rows in the beginning... just use your imagination!

I call my chart "Flashback", because working on this chart brought me back in time, and made me think of myself, drawing patterns in my math-notebook in school, instead of working on my math-skills! :-D

I´d love to see some pictures of your work, if you are using my chart! :-)

On the following pictures you can see what the chart looks like when knitted. For this sweater, I used the pattern "Freyja" by Ragnheiður Eiríksdóttir (available in english and icelandic).

Details:
Material: Þingborg-lopi
Needles: for the body: 4,5; for the sleeves: 3,5 (will use only 3,5 next time because my gauge is quite loose)
changes: modified arms (longer and different increases)- I really love the Freyja-body, shaped with short rows, decreases and increases...

My chart: Flashback

From a distance:

Shaping:

Love this buttons... old buttons from my mum - and yes, I DO have a thing for buttons...

Steeking is a strange thing...

DIY: birthdaycards

For years now, I´ve been making birthdaycards myself - why? Well:
1.: who doesn´t like personalized, homemade birthdaycards?
2. you save a lot of money
3: I love making them :-)

When I first started, I always drawed something I relate with the person, since I really love drawing. But after having 2 boys, I had to find some new, more quick methods to make them! That´s when I started using books, my boys had damaged. Now I also buy books & old magazines I find at thrift stores and no one wants to buy because there is no cover, pages are missing and they are damaged - for almost nothing! Since I hate the thought of throwing books away, giving old, torn up books a new purpose and meaning makes me really, really happy! :-)

The process is easy and what you need is:

Glue and scissors

thick paper or carton, I often use thick paper for drawing because of the nice texture:
Old, torn books no one wants anymore:

Old, torn magazines no one wants:

What you do next, is to seek some pictures you like... cut them out and glue them on the paper:

Here you have some examples you could use... a text on the card (like in cartoons) can make the card even more special and fun:

love this retro-looking-Buzz:

soooo cute and funny:

Very cool

For someone special and "yours":

For a car-fan

Girly and classic:

OR, if you have the time and skills, you can draw something:

Fairy: (love them...)

Dragon:

fish:

Have fun!

The versatile blogger award II

I´m proud and happy to be able to tell you, that once again, I´ve been nominated for the Versatile blogger award - this time by "Fra arstid til arstid"! It´s so wonderful to hear, that what I´m doing on my blog is appreciated... and since I really love her blog too, it makes me even more happy!
Hilde takes wonderful pictures of nature, creates beautiful things, always has something interesting to tell us and loves nature just like me.

The Versatile blogger award rules are: that you should pass it on to 15 blogs you like to read, and let the bloggers know they have been nominated. Then you have to share 7 things about yourself. Finally you have to thank the award giver and link back to them.

Though there are many blogs I love to read - but since I already listed 15 blogs the last time I was nominated, I´m bending the rules a little here, and nominate three bloggers for the award:

1. Knittingmydayaway: Jóhanna makes wonderful things, creates beautiful knitting patterns and takes beautiful pictures... reading her blog is a joy!

2. Rodprjonar: Rodrigo is a wonderful knitter and a wonderful person who writes about his knitting and all the amazing creative things he does on his blog. Everything he creates is just perfect and he takes wonderful, inspiring pictures.

3. Na vlne: creates beautiful things with her needles and yarn (among other things: amazing shawls)... just like me she loves buttons and leaves. I really love her sense for colours and she always has something interesting to say about her knitting-experience...

And now, again, 7 new things you probably don´t know about me:

1. Ok, this you might know: my two boys are the most wonderful and perfect thing I´ve ever created! :-)
2. I really love nature, that´s where I find my peace of mind.
3. I´m a big Finland-fan - if I ever have to leave Iceland I´ll probably go there...
4. I LOVE sauna... we have the best finnish sauna in town, in the swimmingpool/gym 2 minutes away from where I live.
5. I have 2 masters degrees - M.A. in pedagogigs (Germany 2004) and the other one, M.S. in HRM, human resource management (Iceland, 2011).
6. I´d love to learn how to make my own soap and candles...
7. My mother is teaching me how to make my own sewing-patterns and helping me to advance my sewing skills these days... I've already created my dream-60´ies dress with her last week, and I´m going to tell you all about it in the next few days!

Thanks again Hilde! :-)