Christmas market at Norsk Folkemuseum

The two first weekends in December it's a Christmas market at Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo, Norway. This weekend I went for the first time. My main goal for the trip was to peek at peoples handicrafts. It interest me a lot to see what people make. The bonus is the location, in an open air museum with lots of old houses.

Needlebinding class

I've been lazy, not been doing any crafts lately. But this month I joined a needlebinding class. The class have the same teacher as the medieval garments class I participated in this summer.

Needlebinding is an old technique, also known as viking knitting. This class gave me a peek into the technique and possibilities. Three evenings we were gathered, six students and one teacher, in a total of nine hours.

Winterpreparations

I have a series of different things I do during the fall. Most of it have to do with harvesting.

First up in late July was the black currants and other berries. I like to just do a simple jam out of them. I cook them until tender add a bit of sugar, until it's possible to eat it, then jar them. The amount of sugar is the hardest, black currants taste very strong when cooked, so easy to put in lots of sugar to compensate, the key is to taste, often.

Black currant jam is one of the things that get me through the winter. Some on a slice of bread in the morning is like a vitamin injection.

During August and September I harvest apples, they are put in jars, baked, some is also forzen. My son got some specially made for him without sugar, great for outmeal porridge. I think it's nice to have some cakes in the freezer, so I also made some applecakes. In that way I always have something if we get any visitors, very handy.

In September, befor it's frost at night, I harvest the other vegetables I got in the garden, mostly pumkins, turnips and onions. But I don't have a lot of these so it's used for soups and stews within the first days after harvesting.

When everything is harvested I remove all the leftovers in the garden, dead plants and such, and put it on the heap of compost. Then I can relax until next spring.. 

Sonja, taking a break..

Toughest 2014

This spring my sister in law was very excited when she learned about Toughest. It's an obstacle course that runs for 8km and about 40 obstacles. And she persuaded us to join her..

My husband and I started to work out, a lot, both strength and endurance. We kept it going until the middle of summer, then family activities took over. But we kept on doing some by our selves.

The day came suddenly this Saturday and we survived. When we stood waiting for the race to start, all of us were very nervous, but once we started we just kept going until we crossed the finish line. None of us had any amibition to be the best, only to finish. Therefor it became manageable, we took our time and kept an even pace, suddenly it was over.

Finished!

Now I'm finished with Toughest and wan't to try something else, maybe some running?

Sonja

Illustrator skillz

I haven't had the opportunity to sit and work in front of a computer in maaany months. And since everything are a lot easier these days, I've found the time! But I have never been especially skilled in any of the Adobe software, I know the basics and that's that. Now I thought it was about time to do something about that and started to search for tutorials, and I ended up choosing this: How to Draw and Vector a Kawaii Vampire Chibi in Illustrator

The result

I'm actually pretty pleased.. It has it's faults, but I've learned a lot and the next one will be better. Now I'm wondering what is going to be the next project..

Sonja

Medieval week in Numedal

This week was packed with events, comparing to other weeks.. Started by driving up to Rollag after dinner on Monday. There we checked in with Norway's smallest hotel chain "Stabbursnatt" at Søre Traaen. They offer their guests to stay in old log farm houses, used for storing food and people working at the farm slept there. We stayed at the farm for two nights and were very pleased. It had a calm atmosphere and we had everything we needed.

Stabbursnatt

My husband and son then went home while I stayed for three more nights in a school dorm. It was nice to be alone when I had the opportunity. The time I used on drawing, food, and movies. But this was not what really happened this week..

Rollag stavkirke, went by it every day on my bike

The reason for my stay was, of course, the class to make medieval garments. It lasted four days from ten in the morning to four in the afternoon. It was really great. Started off easily as always, I like to get a overview before I start something new, but have a steady progression once started. I chose to make a linen kirtle, a model that dates back to the end of 11th and beginning of 12th century. It's long, wide, tight around the neck and have puffy upper sleeves.

I chose to sew all the "invisible" seems by machine and all the visible ones by hand. Others at the course chose to hand sew the whole garment to make it more authentic. I participated for the fun and not the authenticity.. But since I used a sewing machine I worked a lot quicker which gave me the possibility to make more dresses! WEE! So then I made a surcoat in wool and a chemise in linen.

Me in my linnen kirtle (need some more work on the sleeves..)

It was a great class, I learned a lot and had lots of fun. The feeling of doing something you love can't be beaten!

The medieval week ended with a market. Music, food, a play with fighting, people in medieval clothing and I got reunited with my son and husband. Good times.

Sonja


The festival's facebook page

Teacher at the course, Petra's blog

Tromsø

We have a friend and he has been living and studying in Tromsø for the last tree years. During that time we have often talked about visiting him. And now he has been talking about moving back down to our area. So it's about time we did something serious about our plans..

And we went..

In the time before we went up there, it had been really nice weather, but as soon as we got to Tromsø it was raining and cold. It gave us a bit of a grey mood, but it passed as soon as we were settled.

Our main event during the week, was to go a nice walk up one of Tromsø's mountains. Well it was supposed to be a nice calm walk, but we picked the wrong route and went straight up where it was on it's steepest.. But at the top we had the nicest view and waffles.

The rest of the week we spent exploring Tromsø, visiting an aquarium and eating dinner at our friend house. It ended up being a very peasant trip and we want to go an other time, hoping for better weather..

The steep hill we climbed, up to beneath the snow and around to the top

Seals at the aquarium

Me, son and our friend, the tour guide

Tromsø

Sonja

Medieval costume class

I've been wondering about doing something special just for me this summer.

It feels like I'm always using my time on something I should do rather than would do. And that gets a bit boring in the long run. Therefor I've been looking for something to do that would be fun and educational.

For a while I've been watching "Middelalderuka i Numedal" on Facebook. It's a week long festival with concerts, exhibitions, a market and a lot of different colasses exploring medieval crafts. This year it's starting July 26th and ending August 2nd. I decided to join a course where we're learning how to make you're own medieval garments.

It will be perfect for me! I haven't been sewing for too long and now I have great excuse to do what I want. I've always been interested in medieval times, but I've never worked on it, just admired. Costume history is really my biggest field of interest, I think it lays a lot of knowledge of how to make garments in it, that the most of the world have forgotten. Because these days we don't need it, we have magic factories making our stuff.. Usually it's just geeks like me that bother to learn it, and I hope to meet lots of them!

I'm really excited now!


Sonja

Easter in Oslo

This is the best way to spend a Norwegian Easter-break. Our friends are leaving their apartment in Oslo and we look after it while they are gone.

From a visit in the botanical garden

Had to pick up some pies, yum!

During Easter a lot of people living in Oslo goes on holiday in the mountains or abroad, this means that the city is very calm. That fit us perfectly, to be in the place the rest have left. Not because we don't like people, but because we don't like lots of people in the same space for a long time, that's why we live in the countryside..

Scouting for cats!

The best part is being able to walk around with no kid! Usually I have to bring my son everywhere, because I don't have anyone to watch him for a whole day. But now when my husband has some time of it works out nicely. Ah, the freedom! Seriously, it feels like a ton has left my shoulders, walking with light steps, smiling. When I am alone I don't really do anything special. I go in to the city centre, do some window shopping, find somewhere nice to eat and just relax.

Now these days are over.. Miss them already.. But next, summer! in a couple of months..

Lunchbreak in Tøyenparken

Sonja