Harvest 2016

Finally the harvest season is here!

It's always pleasing to see what you have been able to produce in your own garden and to eat it all up in the end.

I'm particularly pleased with the vegetables this year.

These cucumbers are the best!

have picked almost 15 liters of raspberries.

Some beautiful red beets

Potatoes, a happy lot

The cherries, before they became dark red, sweet and eaten

Red currants, a sour dessert

Gigantic squash

Cute and tasty tomatoes

Small selection of the bounty

Really love gardening, especially when this is the outcome! And all this is possible without any pestisides or unnatural fertilizer. I only use nettle water, compost and daily care.


Sonja

Growing stash..

Seriously, I'm out of control!

Just had to buy a new lot of yarn. Have fallen in love with Drops Brushed Alpaca Silk, light, soft and totally beautiful!

The new colors in my stash:

And now I need to decide what to do with them..

Sonja       

       

Simple, light and airy dress

Just made a dress!

Wanted to make a dress that was light and airy. Also wanted to make something that can be used by a Mori Girl.

Mori girl, Mori kei or Forest girl,is a style of fashion originating from Japan. It has derived from the lolita styles to something quite different that goes back to nature.

Mori kei

I did not use any pattern for the dress I made. Only took rough measurements so it would fit around my bust. The straps I adjusted during fitting and the length was decided by the amounts of fabric I had.The dress is made in cheese cloth, it's a light and airy cotton fabric, but it needs to be washed a couple of times to get rid of lints.

 

  

Long and hidden seems are sewn by machine. All edges and finishing touches are made by hand.

I'm really happy with the result it looks just like I wanted it to. Now I need to start wearing it!

Sonja

Happy Easter!

Happy easter, is that inappropriate? Never been sure if it's a happy or sad, both maby..

In Norway it's mostly happy, all schoolchildren get a week off school and many families go to the mountains for down hill skiing or snowbording, some also do cross country skiing. My family went home to my family that practically lives in the mountains.

This year we did very little, only family business, an aunts birthday and such, I made a cake.

And a chicken, I made a small amigurumi chicken, very cute!

Sonja

Fabric stash - Mori

Last week I went to a fabric store hoping for leftover fabrics. I had made a list in my head of what I wanted and went to hunt.

I totally scored! Seriously seldom incident, I never get this lucky.

My list was not very exclusive or long, but I've started dreaming about a new project and needed something to get started.

Bright mittens

Knitting mittens for birthdaypresents. I've finished the first pair, it's bright yellow and green. They are a present for a person that come across as a bit shy maby? But really likes bright colours!

They are going to be wet felted in the washing machine just about now, and I hope they are dry and ready when we give them away.


Sonja

Project hiking 2

This week I went almost the same route as last time. Still cold and nice weather, but a bit more snow.

I mostly walk in snow, this give some extra strength and cardio exercise.

There is supposed to be a path down here..

Again I met the deer, more curious than last time.

What are you looking at?

It always feels good to be out walking like this, I take my time, but that does not mean I don't get exhausted, knee deep snow is really heavy.

Sonja

Project hiking 1

This fall I started to get back out and in to the forest again. I grew up in a family with a lot of lumberjacks, it has made me a bit addicted to outdoors life.

My goal is to have at least one good hike each week. In the beginning I've mainly been getting to know my surrounding.

Drawing again

After years of just wanting to draw I've finally pulled my act together and started drawing again. In my senior high school years and during college I drew a lot and in many different techniques. This I have missed almost all the time since, that is visible if you take a look in my study, it's practically bursting with art supplies..

My first drawing that I have finished is a pastel drawing on colored paper. I'm really fond of colored paper, it creates more life and depth in a drawing.

From sampler to something useful

I've recently made some samplers of sashiko embroidery. In stead of making lots of samplers and then just put them in a folder or something, I like to make an useful product.

This time I have made some purses, first a small coin purse and then a pencil case. They are not completely done, only need to fasten the lining. But here you get a sneak peak.

 

Two new sashiko samplers

Think I have been bitten by the sashiko bug. Now two more sashiko samplers are ready. This time I've tried out two different ways to mark the pattern on to the fabric. To make these samples I've used a second hand fabric and a natural cotton thread.

#1

First sashiko embroidery attempt

I've done my first attempt on sashiko embroidery. I used a scrap of denim and some perle embroidery thread. The combination is very tough to work with and this shows on the result.

 In the picture above you can see how uneven it is. It's two reasons why it's this uneven. One: wrong combination of materials. Two: I'm inexperienced in this technique.

Ripped up a pair of pants

Just ripped a pair of pants open. Not without a plan though..

The pants is a find from a flea market. I'm going to use it to make small purses and bags. Because it's second hand it's worn and washed, this means soft and no shrinkage.