oklyous' creative world

livingroom update and curtains

2012-01-11T06:46:00.002+02:00

My living room is almost done!

I am by the way very pleased with my curtains :)

Here you can see the work in progress

Christmas at the "Vinstrup" Family

2012-01-06T05:23:00.002+02:00

Christmas at the "Vinstrup" Family

Mom and dad one evening.

Mom knitting and dad cuddling with the kitty

Christmas this year was just brilliant.

I loved all of the days leading up to the 24th of december.

Cooking, baking, knitting, games, christmas decorations, preparing christmas gifts.

I am looving it!

After the 24th things got harder I will say...

Scarf for my father

2012-01-05T01:16:00.000+02:00

Greys and browns in a zigzag pattern with knit and purl stitches.

It was pretty basic, but I always like it when I can change colours once in a while:)

Now my father got 3 home-made scarf's I have made....

What shall I make for him next?!

finished projects

2011-12-09T06:37:00.001+02:00

I have finished a project, but I will have to wait till after Christmas to show you...

It is kept in brownish colours

It was really rather fun doing this project, and I always like it when I learn something new.

Two much smaller projects finished.

I am really pleased with the pink one.. I will let you guess what it is;)

The kitty though was not too pleased with me disturbing her sleep!

I think I will soon have to play with her to avoid her ruining my furniture!

Picture of the kitty

2011-12-03T04:18:00.001+02:00

I felt I could not make another post without a picture, so I found this one

The is the kitty lying on my lap, in my new sofa. My laptop in front of me, while I am sewing in threads on a knitting project.
Awww does it get any cuter?!
A perfect evening in my world..

I will of course not mention any of the trouble she has been doing;)

-------
December has come.
But where is my advent candle?! I gotta get myself one, or it simply will not be Christmas

poem for my mood

2011-11-25T02:26:00.000+02:00

Life Is Fine by Langston Hughes

I went down to the river,
I set down on the bank.
I tried to think but couldn't,
So I jumped in and sank.

I came up once and hollered!
I came up twice and cried!
If that water hadn't a-been so cold
I might've sunk and died.

But it was Cold in that water! It was cold!

I took the elevator
Sixteen floors above the ground.
I thought about my baby
And thought I would jump down.

I stood there and I hollered!
I stood there and I cried!
If it hadn't a-been so high
I might've jumped and died.

But it was High up there! It was high!

So since I'm still here livin',
I guess I will live on.
I could've died for love--
But for livin' I was born

Though you may hear me holler,
And you may see me cry--
I'll be dogged, sweet baby,
If you gonna see me die.

Life is fine! Fine as wine! Life is fine!
----------------------------

I am busy doing nothing and everything at the same time
But so happy that Christmas with all its charm an joy is on its way:)
Just thought I would share one of the only poems I actually like and know!

Kitchen update

2011-11-08T15:09:00.001+02:00

Yes, my kitchen is light purple :)

I am soooooo excited - to put it mildly

All I wanna do is giggle and twirl around myself ( oh and hum, and sing and laugh)

It's going to be f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c when I finally get a living room I can be in, and a kitchen I can actually cook in!!

out for a walk

2011-11-03T09:12:00.000+02:00

Out for a walk

striped double scarf

2011-10-28T21:57:00.000+02:00

I have finally gotten around to finishing, and giving the scarf I made for my brother last christmas!

It is a scarf knitted on the round for thickness, and with lots of colour in the design.
The large stripes are knitted like stranded knitting. The result is not fantastic, but it was only my second time trying stranded knitting. So I guess it is ok.
I did have trouble getting enough yarn, because I made it from my head - I didn't know how much yarn to get, and when I realised I wanted it to get longer, I couldn't get any of the yarn. Lesson learned ;)

Sometimes

2011-10-25T22:52:00.003+02:00

Sometimes I just want to share the pain I am in

Sometimes I wish one of my legs was broken instead

Sometimes I want to give up

Sometimes I just want to throw with things

Sometimes I think I can't stand it any more

Sometimes I want to cry for help, but instead I try and forget it

Sometimes I think sleeping is my only way through it

Sometimes I forget to hope

--------------
Me depressed, nah, what are you talking about;)

finished projects

2011-10-23T11:58:00.001+02:00

I went for a trip at my parents, with my kitty last weekend.

And it was goood

Which is a rather rare thing for me to say, so please, do notice it!

Having been depressed and having social phobia for several years - I haven't been able to enjoy many things. I haven't enjoyed anything to tell you the truth...

But I sure did enjoy being at my parents (though me kitty did not so much enjoy herself, but that is another story)

I took the time while being down there to take some pictures of finished projects.

The below pictures shows my favorite projects - for myself.

Perfect aren't they?!

-------

I will now go out and sand down some walls in my kitchen!!

I totally got a kitchen soon by the way!

I am so excited!

fun little garland

2011-10-21T17:23:00.001+02:00

Newspaper, watercolours,a scissor, assorted large beads and some strings

makes

a fun little garland

Here is the finished result.

Well, one is supposed to sorta spread it all out on the string, in whatever length you want it.

2011-10-10T19:46:00.001+02:00

The Kitty and me taking a nap

- and of course she has to lie on my legs, which of course makes it impossible for me to move..

all day long;)

oh and the "cat" you see in the background is my old,old teddybear.

Damn I feel a bit foolish that it is in the picture;)

Oh well.

Her name is Trille, after one of our first cats.

I got her while we lived in Thailand many years ago.

I remember at first I didn't notice her whiskers, until one day I did notice it, and cut them off!

Because I couldn't remember anything about cats having whiskers.. ..;)

(we did not have a cat when we lived in Thailand)

Prettifying

2011-10-03T12:15:00.000+02:00

I have been prettifying some tops

It was rather fun, and I am rather content with the result!

---------------

Going to start in a yoga-class today

I hope I like it

new yarn and projects

2011-09-29T20:44:00.003+02:00

YARN

My mother brought most of her yarn stash - yeah:)

I said I wanted to start on more project, and so I have.

This being the start of a pair of mittens, with several new stuff I have learned

Another project

Potholders,

thought I tried a new way to knit, while knitting together with something already knitted..

Well, it did not turn out to well, as you can see.

These two are of course not the only things I am working on

- another pair of potholders

-a pair of legwarmers in fair isle-kinda knit

-crocheted flags

----------------------------------

My mood have been pretty low lately, and I have once again fucked up my sleeping rhythm.

Meaning, that I now sleep during the day and am awake throughout the night

(which is way boring by the way!)

2011-09-17T17:10:00.000+02:00

Cables on legwarmers

Only working on 2 knitting projects at the moment,

I feel the urge to start at least two more,

so that I have the usual 5 different in the works;)

Been out shopping with my mom

And found this vintage dress for a reasonable price,

and it looks rather stunning on me if I say so myself.

And YARN

My mother has agreed to knit me a cuddly cardigan for my christmas present!

So we went to pick the yarn, and ohhh such lovely qualities of yarn there is.

But at the end we found this, also to a reasonable price.

I find it very sad that yarn is so expensive, if it wasn't,

I certainly would have much more knitted clothes in my closet!

fleamarket

2011-09-08T00:17:00.002+02:00

-Fleamarkets-

!You gotta love it!

I have no water glasses, but I found these 8, last Saturday.

They are thin and elegant.

A pot for one of my orcids

And some yarn, called creppe-yarn - which my mother remembers from her youth. Pretty funny.

Annnd my mother brought me flowers from their garden:)

Wonderfull

some finished projects and a floral wall

2011-09-01T17:45:00.000+02:00

Finally a picture of my flower-wall in my bedroom.

All of the flowers are different, none are perfect - but is that not indeed, what makes it all the more perfect?!

Finished projects.

All projects I have been almost done with for some time, but yesterday I finally did the last details.

The green ( in reality it is much more green, but somehow the camera would not capture it), is a crocheted belt.

The top red, is a pair of wristwarmers made from an old pair of wristwarmers

- to make them longer and just better

The bottom piece is my cousins birthday gift, I have now finally finished.

2011-08-28T21:47:00.003+02:00

HAHA!

I am back!

After a week of resting my left hand and arm, I am finally, finally sitting and knitting:)
I did a tiny happy-dance when I walked to my knitting basket to pick up a project!
Sigh, it is quite wonderful.

I often complain of pains in my muscles,
and last week I knew I had to rest my arms/hands because I was pretty close to getting tendinitis.
So going home on weekend at my parents, I brought no knitting project.
Only to find myself completely bored!

But then I decided to try my hands on pickling!
The above picture shows the result
(though the glasses with tomatoes still needed to go into the oven)
Definitely not the last time I do that.

Then Sunday, I was still bored.
What to do, what to do
So I started cutting hedges and such in my parents garden.
And - I cut down a small tree all by myself :)
totally cool

----
So when going home to my parents I had all the intentions of resting my hands so I would not loose knitting time during the week
-->
and instead ended up with tendinitis in my left arm, just because I couldn't sit still!

See that's irony

sorting

2011-08-14T23:29:00.002+02:00

I have been tidying up in all of my stuff - which is quite a lot!
sorting, and trowing out.
I like to collect things, not in a crazy way or anything, but things do have the knack of stocking up in the back of some closet or in a box(or several..) hidden away somewhere - just in case you might need it some day!
--> Which of course in most cases, just never happen!

So back in reality I have been looking trough my creative stock, and throwing out stuff I just will never use.
The problem being that I really do use most of the things I got...
But some clothes I will never get around to fix, old-started projects I do not feel anything for, and craft supplies I do not use - have gone bye bye.

And it feels good:)

Oh, and Selma was very obliging and accepted me putting cut-up shiny nylon ribbon all over her and lay calmly for at least 40 seconds so I could take some snaps! :)
-but then of course it was just too tempting with fun shiny stuff all around her!

2011-08-07T12:45:00.003+02:00

My mother and I went to the local thrift market, to buy a night table for my bedroom.
We got that, 30 kr (5,74 usd) , but then we also found the chair and the small dresser,
250 kr (47,87 usd) on the above picture.
I am going to upholster the chair and perhaps paint it, and I am also going to fix up the night table.
- But not before the apartment is done though.

I have been trying my hands on something like patchwork the last couple of days.
I have never really liked patchwork, but I think perhaps it is growing a bit on me..
I am also crocheting strings in colours to thigh up my curtains.

scarf try

2011-08-04T16:20:00.003+02:00

scarf front and back

I have had some low mood this week, so I have mostly been intoxicating myself with far too much TV.
( in order to avoid feeling anything)

Which haven't helped much, but at least some days have passed without too much pain
At some point I will have to sit down and figure out why I feel bad right now, but I think I might just push it a bit more time..

I have however, started a new knitting project - the scarf on the picture above.
On the part you see,
I have tried my hands on color knitting and purl/knit-pattern at the same time.
I really like the result on the front, but the back looks,
well as it always does when you use more yarns..
Which is fine on something where you cannot see the back.
But in this case as a scarf I am not sure I like the result..

update on kitchen, we are on our way - slowly

2011-07-27T20:44:00.002+02:00

This, is my kitchen floor.

Top picture: The kitchen before pulling up the floor
Bottom picture: The kitchen floor after everything is off
(linoleum, tons of stables, levelling stuff, and of course the main floor - what you see on the picture is only laying there loosely so we have something to step on to)

Tomorrow new floorboards will be put on - straight ones!
Then we will be putting linoleum on again at some point to make it easier to clean.
(We have fixed the floors in bedroom and livingroom and given it lacquer, but already now we can see a lot of wear :( )

just now

2011-07-22T20:14:00.003+02:00

We are having some odd summer weather here in Denmark.
But I must confess that I do not at all mind it. To tell the truth I am perfectly happy with it.
I am not very fond of heat, and always find it completely intolerable.
In heat I change as a person. I become low tempered, angry and generally unfit to be with other. Not at all a nice thing.

So a cup of tea and a spot of rain any day if you ask me! ;)

So far I am very pleased with the summer.
My cousin Anne came to visit and brought a homemade cake, of which I have been dreaming about for ages! (because of my non existing oven to bake such heavenly things in!)

Pure joy

The rest of the summer I also have reason to look forward to.
Because at the end of the summer, I might actually have a functioning beautiful kitchen of my own!
Which means my family will be in here working most of the time to finish said kitchen. So not much for me to get into bad habits!
My cellphone is also back in working order - sorta... (Little tip just for you: always, close the lit on bottles which you carry in the same bag as your cellphone!)

Happy summer

2011-07-09T20:56:00.003+02:00

I have started on my birthday gift for my cousin
( I gave her the balls of yarn for the project with a promise of making a cowl for her..)
I am rather happy with how it is turning out!

My sweetypie in the windowsill by my herbs:)

Sometimes I just get so bloody bored!
As now.
I try to fill my days with sensible and enjoyable things, but sometimes my mood makes it a very difficult thing indeed!

On such days I am forever thankful for having such a sweet companion as Selma.
She sure is good entertainment!
But the thing I do the most on such days, is really to sleep
- which when I think of it, is such a waste of time!

What do you do when you are bored out of your wits?!

Well, I will kiss my cat a bit, and see if I cannot find something amusing to do..

2011-07-05T12:42:00.004+02:00

Hollyhock the day after the crazy weather
What a weather we have had here in Copenhagen!
I am one of the few that was lucky and didn't get any rain on my attic or in my basement!

But, yes there is a but

Instead I found that my my kitchen wall and ceiling were leaking from the rain
- not a good thing.
Fortunately we have not yet started on the kitchen so we have time to figure out some sort of a solution.. but still, it sorta sucks big time!

knobs for my bedroom closet

My father is showing me how to use the drill when putting them on - how handy I am getting!

2011-06-28T21:45:00.003+02:00

This is 4 different (really 5, there is an extra, but it is a duplicate of one of the other) front-pillow covers, that I at some point started on - But never really got around to finish.

They are good enough but I really have enough pillow covers, and they do not really match my decorating.
--But it just seems wrong to through them out!--

Cannot figure whether it is a good idea to tuck them away somewhere and then find them in some years, or not..

List of current projects
Cowl for me
Cowl for my cousin
My crochet blanket
Grey shawl
Finishing painting flowers on bedroom wall
Curtains for living room
Embroidery on redish cardigan
Purple cardigan

--> These are projects that I am all working on right now in between each other

--> I have many more projects that are waiting to be finished

I am starting to feel a bit stressed!

-----------------------------------------
Feeling a bit better than last I wrote, but I am still feeling really low

Mood update

2011-06-22T22:07:00.003+02:00

Things are in a bit of a knot a the moment.
Pretty much living hell, and I sorta hate it!

Everything is at a standstill.
I feel like nothing except sleeping and forgetting.

I haven't got at picture to follow this post, which normally I am a very strong believer of.
So sorry about that, nothing really interesting to report from here..

Luckily I have my tiny companion to , well accompany me, in this dreaded mood.
I hope you all have something that makes your hell-days bearable.

I will now go and hug my cat - whether she wants it or not;)

The morning of the 25th year

2011-06-18T23:34:00.003+02:00

Silver Wedding

Tuesday the 14/6 was the 25th year of my parents wedding.

In Denmark we celebrate it by, coming for morning tea at the bride and grooms house.
People arrive about 7 and gather in front of the house where they start the day by singing some songs "to wake up the couple"
Then the couple greets the guest in their morning clothes and thanks for the songs, and invite people inside for the already prepared tables

..Neighbors and perhaps family stands for something else..
Which is what the following pictures will take you trough.

The making of the shield

This was what my brother and I stood for.
My brother handled the woodthing, and I handled the painting of it.

The colours are not quite right in this picture, but you get the point

The day before the actual day, my brother and I, my uncle and aunt and several from the village gathered to make the gates.

Wooded boards covered with fir and tons of flowers!
And then some flags.

This it the gate at the main door + the shield me and my brother made
My parents!

2011-06-05T22:53:00.003+02:00

Today I decided to tidy up in my drawers
And ohh my, I got a lot of unfinished projects!

Did find these two.
They are a try on freehand embroidery - clouds..
I did them without using a frame, and as you can see on the pictures the fabric is all streched ect.
They have gone into the bin.
Instead I will work on some of my other many projects.

For some reason the computer wont show the pictures from the right angle, sorry

knitting and musclepain

2011-06-02T02:14:00.006+02:00

I have often complained about pains in my muscles.
And now they are back, again

But you know how it is, if you are working on a interesting project, it is just so hard to take breaks form it!

My latest project
A cowl knitted with 2 yarns, in a flower pattern I found on ravelry

It is the third time I try color-knitting, and this time I feel like I might just be getting the hang of it
The back side of the knitting is so much better than I have ever done before.

It seems that when you are depressed and have anxiety, you automatically get tense.
So if you walk around almost constantly a bit nervous or stressed, your body will react naturally, by making your body ready for danger
- which it does, by tensing up, so you are ready to act quickly if anything should happen.

This knowledge comforts me a bit,
at least that means that my knitting-career is not over before it has really begun!
Though I should probably just chill a bit sometimes,
and perhaps remember to do some yoga...

So I promise I will take a break... in five minutes.... or perhaps 10..

curtains in the making

2011-05-29T20:24:00.003+02:00

I have bought some basic sand-colored curtains from IKEA, and are now in the process of personalizing them .
They were originally with double fabric, but I cut of one of the sheets, to make the curtains more light and see trough.
Then I cut off a meter of the ends (they were full-length curtains).
And then...
I started pinning on doilies and such beauties,
though only on the edges of the curtains which meets each other in the windows. (if you understand..)

So far I am very pleased with it!

update and a companion

2011-05-21T23:06:00.002+02:00

My bedroom wall
I have by the use of stencils come to this point, later by hand I will add details

what do you see?!
My new cat finding it very interesting to watch my mother sanding down a bookcase

My father trying to fit up what ever those things are called that frame the door... ehm..

------Tadaaaa------
Meet Selma

My new cat, 7 months old, a she, tiny for her age, very affectionate, very trusty and very tolerant

..I bought her at a catshelter 3 days ago..
Right now she is lying in my lap completely relaxed, with a slight purr coming from her
:)

I see happy days ahead for me - us

finished invitations - finally!

2011-04-26T20:54:00.002+02:00

The card finished, but still needing the numbers 25, to be perfect

All done
Finally I can rest my hands:)

All made of paper scraps, on cardboard with the invitation for my parents silver wedding printed on the back.
....annnd a lot of glue....

update

2011-04-24T12:00:00.004+02:00

Lots and lots to do

Here are some pictures that show how my apartment looks like now...
sorry about the poor quality, I took them in the evening with not so much light left.

My bathroom
covered with plastic - currently painting the ceiling

My bedroom
Now with almost straight walls and no holes(sort of...)
AND a painted ceiling.

My kitchen
...what can I say..

My kitchen
I am really looking forward to getting an actual kitchen, with oven and working cooking plates, and all that fancy stuff;)

knitting and such is not really something I get done at the moment, but I am sure I will take revenge as soon as this place is done:)

card-making

2011-04-11T22:18:00.002+02:00

This is a test for my parents silver wedding invitations

I am not completely satisfied...

The real thing will be made from blue cardboard, with strips of blue paperscraps, and somehow the number 25 on it.

soon

2011-04-06T21:15:00.002+02:00

I am packing!
Moving on Sunday the 10th of April
Why, oh why do I have SO much stuff?

The sink in my new bathroom
My dad and I checked for mistakes in the joints... and as you can see by the blue tape on the tiles - we found a lot, a lot..

But everything is on it's way, I can happily declare:)

things I have learned

2011-03-30T15:59:00.002+02:00

Sewed 2 shopping bags for myself, I am now very proud to be carrying my groceries home from the store.

Things I have learnt from fixing up a apartment:

Always if hiring workmen, make a (technical) drawing to show where everything is supposed to go, measures ect.

Make sure to pop by once in a while to check up on their work/communicate, just to be sure..

If sanding raw wood, please wear thick gloves, to avoid all of the wood ending up in your hands/fingers

Always anticipate more time and more money spent on the project, than you first think

Just to be sure, do cover up floors, handles, doors and such things you might just get in the near hood of with paint

If painting with oil-paint consider wearing plastic gloves (at least if you are as clumsy as me..)

Make sure things you do not want paint on, are securely hidden away beneath lots of covering ( once upon a time, I too had pants with no paint on..)

--Before my apartment is done, I am sure I will have learned many more useful lessons--

Work,work

2011-03-23T02:28:00.002+02:00

We were out to get supplies for the apartment the other day - mens work obviously;)

All of these planks + more are waiting for me to paint them! Plenty to do.

------------
Lots of thoughts going through my head.
Having a hard time relaxing enough to sleep.
Constantly exhausted, but somehow keep on going..

First flower in the apartment! + Good weather --> exhausting, but good day

Lampshade from leftover yarn

2011-03-19T06:30:00.002+02:00

Lampshade done!
At first I imagined it should be completely covered with yarn, with no holes.
But it turned out to be really hard to do.
So a couple of days ago I decided to use a bit more yarn on it, and then be done with it.
And it really does look rather pretty when it is turned on with the reddish colours.
So I am satisfied.

--------------
My mood is not so good,
I am working hard on why I cannot get out of my bed, and think I have actually come to a point where I understand why I can not - and that is the first step towards improvement.

One pillowcover done

2011-03-16T19:34:00.002+02:00

I am working on some new pillow covers for my new sofa, that I will get when I finally move
- sigh
(went to the apartment today, and there is a loonng way to go!)

I made the pillow cover on an old light blue one with a zipper..
I started out by constructing a new front from the fabric of an old shirt and an embroidery I found in a thrift store.
Then I sewed it on to the existing pillowcase, and added the fringe with chainstich in a cool colour;)

Rather happy about it!

2011-03-15T21:20:00.002+02:00

....I am not sure what to write about....
Tons of things are happening at the moment, but the same time, so little.
I have bad days and better days
Things are changing, but I feel like I cannot keep up

2011-02-28T01:03:00.003+02:00

Picture of the embroidery I am doing on the shoulders of a green sweater/cardi

I have many thoughts rambling about in my head, but don't seem to be able to pin them down just now.
I am trying to keep my far too high expectations at bay, by being in the now.
Trying to make "now" at least acceptable, but perhaps , enjoyable, by adding these ingredients:
- Steaming hot tea, home made cookies, candle light, a good movie or music and splendid company from the cat:)

2011-02-22T19:44:00.003+02:00

What a mess

What a mess x 100

This wall is going down, so my kitchen can get a big bigger!

I am not much creative at the moment.
Most of my time is used thinking about the apartment or working on it.

Today I did cut trough my nail when I was cooking for myself, thank God the nail was there;)

But I like to finish projects at the moment, so I have been fixing some holes in different projects.

books

2011-02-18T22:00:00.002+02:00

I have bought 2 books - only 65 danish kr! (12 us dollars)

You cannot buy any new Danish book for that amount!
I just love English paperbacks :)

I am sucker for happy endings,
and have seen both several times, and listened to as audio books also several times.
About time I got them as books!

I am off to bed with classical music on the stereo, "A secret garden" and perhaps one last cup of tea.
No better way to end a day:)

buildings

2011-02-15T19:19:00.002+02:00

Every time I go in to the city, well, I live in the City, but the center of the City then..
- I pass the same buildings on my way to my meetings.

And it is truly one of my favourite pastimes to notice buildings and their details, and we do have some nice ones in Copenhagen!

When I look at the beautiful buildings I forget all of the people around me, and all of the hustle and bustle of the street.

A beautiful mosaic on a large vault/arch belonging to the building on the first picture, much more stunning in real life though.

Do you notice anything in particular when your out for a walk?

stencils for living room

2011-02-02T22:44:00.002+02:00

One of my ideas for my new apartment, is to have flowers painted on one of the walls in the living room.
At first I considered wallpaper to make it easier for myself.. But I honestly cannot afford it.

Instead I am going to use stencils.
I have used 3 different pictures of flowers from the internet and drawn over them.
Then I collected the motive I wanted, and after I made drawings for the 2 stencils I am going to use.

Above piture:

The motive. Will be painted in white, pink, blue, and grey colour variationspicture above:
The white and blue work stencil

above picture:
dark work stencil

I still need to actually turn them into stencils by cutting out the shape on some cardboard.

and it will probably be a good idea to test them, just to see if the holes are big enough, and to see how much the motive change by using an other technique.

my new apartment

2011-01-29T17:26:00.006+02:00

Or should I say: "My OLD apartment" (considering the state of it)

Here are some pictures of it anyways
(I finally found my camera, or rather my mother did at their house - so happily united:) )

Kitchen
Ikea, romantic, old fashion handles
Will be fitted with a brand new kitchen with everything that entails.
Will be put up by workmen to make it go faster.

Bathroom
modern, tiles all over
A brand new bathroom will be put up also by workmen.

Bedroom

One of the rooms we are doing ourself.
In a very poor condition!

Livingroom
Also doing ourself.
A bit better condition than bedroom, but everything need at least double work.
It is so worn down.
On the picture you can see I have plastered most of the unevenness of the walls..
How on earth the walls in the first place came to be so uneven, I have no idea.

Tiny extra room by the kitchen for storage
above picture before we fixed it, below picture after we fixed it.
It took ages to get this room white!!

Right now

2011-01-26T16:32:00.001+02:00

Tea, walking, tears, set backs, waiting, too sad movies, being told off, deep breaths

good entertainment

2011-01-21T14:48:00.002+02:00

I was browsing trough some blogs I read, when I on "small measure" saw a link to some videos...
I basically read the first line of text there was written, and I just knew I had to see it.
- Been watching it on youtube since!

It is called
"Victorian Farm" - a BBC documentary

If you like old-fashioned things, history and the like, these videos might just be worth a look for you!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msw6jWhJocw

blanket

2011-01-15T03:00:00.001+02:00

Front of blanket after crocheting squares together

Back of blanket after crocheting together

My blanket
There is still a long way to go on the blanket.
Still in need of yarn - though I might have found a place to buy the yarn I want..

The blanket is made of loootts of small squares - too small I realise now.
I have been sewing together each square with needle and thread.
And lord, That takes a loonng time!
Instead I am now crocheting them together, which is SO much quicker!

2011-01-13T21:40:00.003+02:00

These days I often wear a scarf around my hair.
I only have one wolly hat, and it is one of those that it is very hard to look the least bit glamours in - and don't we all want to look glamours, even on a bad day?!

oh, yeah, the knitted scarf ?- I made that;)

In the apartment taking down pretty much everything!

I absolutely adore DIY
- but please, if you are so unskilled as the previous owners of my appartment
--> Just don't do it!

There are many hours, or should I say days, of sanding down absolutly EVERYTHING, just waiting for me

project + me a minimalist - you say what?

2011-01-07T01:29:00.003+02:00

Being a bit bored today - when am I not?!
Decided it was time to try and make a screen for my lamp ( I pulled off what was on it, at least a year ago..)
I am trying with a lot of leftover yarn.
I have done more on it since I took this picture. Can't decide whether I like it or not.
What I do know - is that the metal is pretty battered, and not in its original straight form..
...but hey I'll try anyways..

I am very fond of tidying my room, and sorting stuff
But the thing is, I will NEVER become a minimalist!
I simply cannot survive without:
- my yarn stash
- my fabric stash
- my embroidery stash
- my paper stash
- my beading stash
- my drawing stash
- my sewing stash

But I do try and make everything have a specific place.
(my parents would probably disagree, but hey they are parents ;) )

2010-12-16T21:12:00.003+02:00

Above pictures:
Top left to right.The candles for the tree all lined up ready to be hung on the tree. Out picking a Christmas tree. All the christmas tree decorations waiting to be hung - on the 23th of December.
Bottom left to right: Bringing the Christmas tree home. Assorted home made chocolates all ready to be eaten:). One year my father and brother stood for the whole bringing home a Christmas tree, and they brought one home there was taller than out house!

In my family it is not so much about giving large gifts, it's more about being together, cozyness, decorating the tree, lighting the candles on the tree, eating good food, preparing chocolates for the day, and such things.

I just love christmas.

not at perfect match

2010-12-15T02:18:00.004+02:00

This year for Christmas I am making 5 gifts...
But I can't really show them to you yet!

Today though, I decided that these wrist warmers (the redish ones), were not good enough.
They are the first pair I made some 2 years or so ago.
Without saying too much, I thought I could make them so much more interesting by changing shape and adding an extra colour.

But, now I have been knitting a bit, and the red colour I added, is just, too red.
Together with the redish yarn it looks more orange, and that is not really what I am going for.
(thought the colours in the picture are not perfect, you get the idea)

2010-12-13T19:35:00.005+02:00

What I have been doing lately, is tidying up in all of my stuff - because I got a LOT of stuff!
Pretty much emptying every thing I got on my floor, bed, table...
And of course the Kitty has sort of being assisting me ( if you ask him anyway;) )

Me...

2010-12-09T19:27:00.002+02:00

This is to all of you whom I love

I think it is only fair, for me to tell you about what is really going on with me.
This, you should know, I could never tell you face to face, or basically in any other way than this.

I am going through a really though time at the moment, have been, for way too long.

Each day is a fight to me.
Some days I cannot even get out of bed - this is not because of laziness, but because I am sick.
My biggest problem is a habit of constantly hating myself, and not acknowledging the things I do accomplice. Almost all of the time I feel misunderstood, and hated by all around me, which again makes it harder for myself to like who I am.
You must understand that I look differently at the world than you most likely do.
Because I have not been well for a long time, I have found that many of my ideas about life apparently is completely wrong.
So it is not just a question about time healing my wounds, but me actively working with my problems.
Which has shown to be the most difficult thing I have ever had to do.
Constantly working with your inner feelings, emotions and ideas is not just difficult, but very hard. What ever energy I got, is drained completely.

I hope this will somehow have made you better understand why I still can't be the full me, whoever that is.

I wish you all a Merry Christmas

wristwarmers finished

2010-11-13T17:56:00.002+02:00

Above, pictures of a pair of wrist warmers I made for a friend for her birthday.
I apologies for the poor quality of the pictures.
They are knitted with a Bordeaux yarn, and a reddish colour changing yarn - to give a bit of effect.

---------------------------
I do not write much on my blog at the moment, nor do I read other blogs.
I have had 2 very hard weeks, with far too much sleeping - hoping very much I will be able to kick some but for some time. It really is boring to feel like shit!

wristwarmers

2010-11-01T15:19:00.002+02:00

Some other long time ago finished projects...
Both my own pair of wrist warmers.

------
My parents have almost bought an apartment for me! HURRAY
Then we need to renovate it, but still, it is going to be great! :)

An old finished project..

2010-10-30T16:24:00.002+02:00

I am not very good at showing pictures of my finished projects...

But yesterday I wore these legwarmers, for I guess the first time since I started on them back in january 2010 (well at least we are still in the same year;) ).

And since I had to wait for my mother to pick me up at the train station - I thought I might as well take a picture

-so I did.

They are knitted very simply - 2 purl, 2 knit, in some of that colour changing sock yarn.

walks and tea

2010-10-26T23:29:00.002+02:00

Travelmug from Bodum (picture from their website), quite affordable!

I have been looking for one of these - and finally found one today!

I like to go for walks, and bringing my tea with me, is just a win,win situation.
I have been doing so with a ceramics mug, but they don't hold much, and I keep on spilling half of it before I have time to drink it, and then of course, I am always afraid to break it.

Fabric storage

2010-10-25T14:21:00.003+02:00

Every single time I have to get some fabric, everything sort of ends in a huge pile on the floor.
As you might guess, I am a tad tiered of it!

One day I was looking at "storage, fabric" on flickr.com, I saw a picture where all the fabric was in rolls....
Some thinking later, I decided it had to be done - so I rolled and rolled ( with a elastic band around to hold the shape when I pull them out to have a look through my stuff).
The result you see on the two above pictures.

I think I am going to do it with my embroidery canvas also.

The smaller scraps are at the moment all bundled together in a drawer.
The next time I get to Ikea I have decided to buy several plastic boxes to sort my scraps colour coded.

I so love colour coding:)

Life at a normal level

2010-10-25T14:17:00.003+02:00

You know that thing:
-getting up - breakfast - bath - off to school/job - lunch - home again -
- doing stuff - making dinner - eating - TV - of to bed - sleeping -
---> and then it sort of repeats itself..

Well, I don't

But you know what?!
--> It's brilliant!!

2010-10-22T17:58:00.002+02:00

Pearls, beads and then a bit more
My table the other day when I decided to fix some necklaces that I wasn't using.

My cousin fixing up a shirt she bought in a thrift-shop

My cousin has been with me for some days
We have filled our days with:
-thrift shopping (always fun)
-normal shopping
-cooking
-eating
-being creative
-watching the tree Die Hard-movies
-eating out
-visiting tearooms
-experiencing the city and the beautiful autumn weather

some brilliant days!

------------------------------

Tons of things are happening at the moment!
We are 3 in my family who are looking for appartments at the moment
- me, my eldest cousin and my second cousin and his girlfriend
And then we are also fixing up my grandmothers house, so no dull days for us:)

My weekend

2010-10-13T22:57:00.002+02:00

2 top pictures - flower on paint tools, lower picture if of my cousins dog having found a new place to rest surrounded by paint tins.

Still fixing up my grandmothers house - will be doing so for a long time.

Still looking for somewhere to live (which is taking up all of my time - and my energy!)

2010-10-04T18:47:00.004+02:00

My mother pulling down wallpaper - in front some flowers I found on a walk beside some fields, standing on a stepladder

My father fixing holes in the wall (there is a LOT of them), and again, in front flowers from the road on a stepladder.

We are currently fixing up my grandmothers house.
I should probably mention that the house is from 1924, and my grandmother lived there 55 years!
My father and uncle own it, and wish to rent it out.
Only problem being, that is it pretty worse from wear!

So it is not just some simple painting that needs to be done (even though that is also a rather large job to do - with 13 rooms, everything gets a troublesome), but:

pulling down wall paper
fixing up the walls
fixing damped walls
pulling off carpets
fixing floor
painting walls
painting ceiling
sand down skirting boards
painting skirting boards

You get the drift..

So, needless to say,various members of the family spend a whole lot of their time on it!

But looking on the positive side of it
- It is amazing to see the transformation of the rooms (we are slowing actually getting to a point where we will be putting stuff up, instead of down)
- we spend a lot of time together, which is really nice:)

2010-10-02T07:33:00.004+02:00

So many things have happened - and then at the same time, so little
I am still looking for somewhere to live
my circadian rhythm is back to "normal" - aka rubbish
I am currently trying to "refashion" my wardrobe, which I think I am actually learning a lot from (sewingwise)
I have managed to brush my teeth with toothpaste and cold teawater (the water was closed off)
Have accepted that I need a new electric iron - after it for the 10th time burned a fabric - sigh

stuff I got the other day from my grandparents - all my favourite kinda stuff

-------------------------------
I am stressed, depressed and lonely

moving

2010-09-26T17:26:00.002+03:00

After 3 days of low mood and crying, I am slowly beginning to see the positive side of moving out

- getting my OWN place - always been a dream of mine

- getting my own cat:)

- finally get to use all of the kitchen stuff I happen to have ( I got ALOT)

- use all of my ideas for reusing stuff

- only having few cleaning supplies, and those without perfume

I am sure I will come up with more.

Though moving out, and getting my own place, does also require that I have to get some of the stuff that my roommates have..

- pots and pans, a kitchen weight and a vacumcleaner.

I am afraid I will also remember more stuff I don't have the closer I get to moving!

2010-09-24T16:34:00.001+03:00

All energy to be creative and normal functioning has deserted me

I really just want to sleep all the time

The reason? I got to find somewhere new to live

preparing for cable..

2010-09-20T21:43:00.003+03:00

I am going to make a pair of wrist warmers, in this gorgeous blue yarn.

Couldn't decide what pattern to use though
- So I decided that it was time for me to make my own cable-design.

As you can see on the picture I have been sketching....
But how on earth I am supposed to knit that, I have no idea!
I have made a few tries, but very poorly at that.

My conclusion must be that I need to practice a bit more knitting cables, and perhaps specially notice the charts picturing the cables.

------------------------
I am painfully aware of the irony in having socialfobia and at the same time being lonely

shoes of my dreams!

2010-09-19T23:18:00.002+03:00

Oh, I am crazy about shoes at the moment!!

Just take a look at the ones below - aren't they amazing!!

Shoes from schuh.co.uk - incredible details on the shoes from "irregular choices", but just where would you wear them? other than in your dream world of course;)

Shoes from modcloth.com
Beautiful as well, but much higher prices - oh sigh

As much as I love shoes, I cannot afford them, and properly most importantly, I cannot figure out how to walk in them.
...I am quite the clutz I am afraid..
I posses the ability to almost fall, too often, even though I wear flat shoes.

2010-09-19T00:36:00.002+03:00

Have you seen the newest "Føtex" katalog?
Oh, there is some good things in it!

Just now I had actually decided I would go tomorrow and look at the clothes.
-but then - I had a quick look at my bank account and remembered that I cannot afford to pay 150,- danish kroner (26 $) for any pieces of clothing, no matter how cheap it might be.

Instead I will go out to buy oatmeal tomorrow and make oatmeal crackers:)

boredom

2010-09-15T20:47:00.003+03:00

He made me laugh today

I am very bored -my TV is not functioning.
The Kitty is very lazy

What an excellent combination --> the result being the above pictures

enjoy

2010-09-14T00:01:00.004+03:00

A month after my first post where I told I had knitted my first sock.... and here's the pair!
It has taken me a lot longer to knit the second sock than I thought, but now at least the hurtle is over, and hopefully my next pair of socks wont take so long.

cable knitted pillowcover

2010-09-12T23:25:00.007+03:00

front of pillowcover

back of pillowcover

My grandmothers birthday present

I remember her saying at some point that she would like some new pillows for their brown leather sofas.. A brilliant opportunity to practice cable-knitting and using some of my brown stash-yarn.

The whole fastening knitted piece to a fabric in order for the knitted piece not to be seethrough - proved very tricky....

I am really happy with the result though!

--------------
I have been having some really hard days lately, but trying to keep calm, and drink tea:)

2010-09-09T21:22:00.002+02:00

10 different embroideries in the work + 2 more I found just after taking this picture...
Seams a bit overwhelming at the moment..

A failed embroidery... Supposed to be a belt.
But as you can see the fabric is all crumbled. I did not use a frame when I did this, but perhaps I should. Though I find working with a frame makes it all the more troublesome.

Wellbeing

2010-09-06T15:37:00.005+02:00

Flower buds with raindropsA bit like I am feeling :) - on the verge on something big;)

Yesterday I was at my first meeting with my new psychiatrist - and I am SO excited!

Perhaps you need a bit of ground-info to get my drift..

First of all I am 21 years old.
In a month I have been sick with my 2. depression for 2 years
I am finally beginning to get a more normal day (before all I did was sleep because I was so misserable)

- because I am on some good meds
- have been getting some extra meds to help me get a normal circadian rhythm, and now I think I am almost there!
- Hard work, and persistence
-patient family and friends

Time, is always an important factor
Finally found out and accepted that I got socialfobia when I was a young teenager, and have been suffering from it ever since.
I have also finally stopped expecting a miracle - not that a miracle once in a while would not be nice:)

Which leads me to my point --> that I am FINALLY getting treatment for my socialfobia

HUGE relief:)

Blackwork

2010-09-06T15:22:00.002+02:00

In my quest to get better - at everything, I am currently focusing on embroidery.

Blackwork
Long story short,
as the name insinuates it is made with black emroideryfloss on a cream or white background.
It is a counted embroidery technique, using only straight stiches - which are then combined into geometric patterns. Often resembling leaves and flowers of sorts.

So I am currently giving this whole Blackwork-thing a try.

Until now I have draw a pattern I will work from, transfered in onto my fabric
(using a piece of fabric and not normal embroidery canvas, which also makes my try a bit more difficult, because that means I cannot count..)

2010-09-04T12:59:00.002+02:00

A little collage of what I have worn the last couple of days.

Because I have gained a lot of weight, I cannot fit most of my clothes!
So, I made the full circle skirt you see in the pictures:) Really happy about it, SO easy to make, and the fabric is btw an old tablecloth!

The cardi on the first picture I refashioned some time ago (cut the sleeves, embroidery at the neckline)

The dress on the middle picture is bought used but unfortunately in viscose - horrible to wear...
BUT it is the belt I really want you to notice - I have made it myself:)

The shawl on the right pictures is of course also homemade!

2010-08-29T19:54:00.004+02:00

I am working on a knitted pillow cover, or at least the front will be knitted.
I am using leftover yarns (brownish) to practice cable knitting.
So knitting different cables with different browns..
No more than halfway, and I need it finished in 12 days..

-ohoh-

Several hours to go,
number 3 exchangeable needles (the ones I got broke the other day)
more brown yarn to have enough yarn.
And then the whole sewing part to finish.

But then I should be about done:)

I am just not that good with deadlines

2010-08-28T12:04:00.003+02:00

Somehow my sewing machine always manages to get me down.
.....
successful things I have sewn:
10 pillow covers
- and that is about it!

I would really like to get better, but it take such a loonng time!

2010-08-27T13:33:00.003+02:00

Here's a collage of my cards, I am rather fond of them all:)

As I have written before, I have been taking loottss of pictures of the stuff I have been making to put it up on etsy.com.
And I think the pictures are really nice! Well worth the trouble.
+ I am just loving photoscape:)

2010-08-24T14:41:00.004+02:00

The fabrics that the skirt will hopefully be made off, when I figure out the sewing machine

Today I thought I would get some sewing done.
Having gained a lot of weight the past few months, there is practically none of my clothes I actually fit anymore.

Decided I would make a skirt.
Found the fabric that I have already cut an other day.
Started doing the zigzag-stich --> only to find that it did not work probably!!
Something to do with how loose the two threads are..

anyway, I am at a total loss what to do...
I have tried to tighten and loosen the threads, but I do not feel any smarter..

2010-08-23T15:18:00.001+02:00

An example of the poor quality of the pictures I took yesterday..

Yesterday I took tons of pictures of the cards and tags I have made...
only to find today that they are all shaky and unfocused!
So I guess I will be taking some new ones tomorrow in proper light!

2010-08-22T19:13:00.003+02:00

I have been fixing ribbons for the stars - so they are all ready to ornament:)

pillowcover with writing on it

2010-08-17T20:24:00.003+02:00

above: closeup shots of 3 different letters.
I have used chain stitch, fill stitch, and french embroidery

Picture below:
Pillowcover with the following written on it
--- Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, goodnight----
(The chair on the picture was embroidered by my grandmother)

I gave it as a birthday gift for my cousin when she turned 15 in June

confusion

2010-08-17T19:45:00.003+02:00

This is pretty much how my room looks when I am trying to figure out which projects to start on.
I pride myself, of having a designated place for everything - But when I have to actually look at all of the stuff I got, only option is to pure it all over the place

Though it is fabric you see on the picture, I am currently taking a break from it.
I have vowed to myself that before I die, I would like to be an (almost) excellent seamstress.
......
But there is a long way to go
....
sigh

Just noticed that I have used this picture before - ups.
My battery for the camera is flat, so I cannot take any new shots - of anything!:(

My first sock!

2010-08-10T15:24:00.000+03:00

Today I have finished my first sock - i am very excited!
I used the video-series below to help me.
My family be warned - you might all get socks for christmas!

curtains... sort of

2010-08-05T02:00:00.005+03:00

Today I finally decided to use my afternoon sewing curtains for my new curtain rod
The fabric is the above picture from "stof og stil", very nice pattern, old fashion tapestry kinda..

Long story short
The fabric will now be used for smaller projects....

I somehow managed to not cut the fabric in two equally big pieces...
Then I managed to measure the width wrong - which means that they are each 10 cm too small.
When folding the corners of the curtains, I chose to cut off some the execs fabric... But because I measured wrong, I am now in need of those pieces of fabrics I cut off..

*sigh*

flowers all around

2010-07-30T16:45:00.003+03:00

Being home at my parents, there is one thing I love to do, beyond everything else - to fix the house up with fresh flowers from the garden!

Above is a collage of the 4 bouquets currently indoor

2010-07-29T00:28:00.004+03:00

Back from holiday in England with the family

We drove to England and back again - the way home seemed like an eternity!
But, we are finally home.

Oh, but we did not see near enough of England! We rented a cottage in the south of England, but used a whole lot of our time driving to and fro things... It doesn't feel like we have been doing much really... But then, that is an excellent excuse to come back I think :)

The pictures above gives you a small idea of what we have seen
....nature, gardens, cars, cities...

2010-07-11T16:39:00.002+03:00

Summer is here!

Last week I was home at my parents for some days - with the cat.
The kitty used most of his time outside tied to something.. sitting in the shadow.
I used a lot of my time inside - It was cooler there I felt.
But I did find time to sit in the shadow on the lawn and make a flower-thing for my hair...sadly it only lasted a couple af hours before the flowers dried in the heat.

2010-06-18T00:49:00.002+03:00

2 projects waiting for the sewing machine tomorrow...

Today I finally finished the embroidery on the chequered fabric
the orange underneath is a typical 60,70´s tablecloth
..
I can't wait to see the result!

Sigh - yarn!

2010-06-14T23:09:00.004+03:00

My grey cardigan... an utter failure!
It is way too big. When I pressed it and washed it the yarn just stretched out, and the result is a bulky, giant cardigan.
I am not pleased!Here back in December I posted a picture of the cardigan in process - notice how elastic the yarn is.. (which it is so not any more)

This is how it is supposed to look... Sigh...

My other problem:
I have begun knitting a bolero sort of top, out of the yarn I did not use for the cardigan.
Only problem is now, that there was not enough yarn, of the leftoveryarn, to finish...
So I need to unravel the cardigan and use some of that yarn, which is fine, except the yarn which I have used for the cardigan have changed...
So now I am confused..
Perhaps I should wash the bolero and see whether the yarn acts in the same way...
I guess that is the first step. And not before after that, can I determine what to do.

result of stars

2010-06-12T23:16:00.003+03:00

Examples of some of the stars one can make when folding tea bags..
Some of the pictures are the back and front of the same stars.
I really quite like them.

I had many plans for today - non of which actually happened - but so it is once in a while..
The important thing is not to hit oneself on the head about it.
Another day tomorrow though:)

Tea bag folding

2010-06-10T22:14:00.003+03:00

Maybe you haven't heard off or seen it before
- I hope the above pictures give you a fair idea of what it is.

First, you take a teabag ( not the bag holding the actual tea, but the paperbag that holds said tea bag.. if you get my meaning..)
Make a cup of tea:)
Then you cut off the white edges.
Then it is really just about making squares - groups of 8 pieces.
And then, you can start to fold each piece, which you then glue together --> thus forming a star.

The result is often stars in some shape or other
- the picture in the lower left corner is a picture of the book I am using to try and learn how to fold teabags.
It can be rather tricky sometimes.. I am struggling with some of the stars...

It is very common to use the stars for cards - to glue onto cards..
I think it was pretty popular in the 90's..
I prefer them as ornament with ribbon so they can hang.

Tomorrow I will post pictures of some finished stars:)

2010-06-06T22:03:00.002+03:00

My cousin who also have a blog, has challenged me to write 7 things about myself.
Here goes:

7 things about me

1.I have only recently realized that I am a social person - I have always thought I was the most
antisocial in the world.

2.I am not good with authorities

3. It is not but a year or so ago, I realized how much I enjoy having family and friends

4. I like to notice small things - the look of a leaf, people's shoes.. and such

5. To cook and bake is like meditation for me

6. I would like to get at least one more tattoo

7. My dream is to live in a cottage in the country - and being self-sustainable/ living green

market

2010-06-06T01:54:00.002+03:00

I went to " mit hjem er mit slot" in Frederiksberg have the other day
(sorta big outdoor market with lots of different sellers - plants, art, jewlery, indoor decor and so on)
- Really nice!
Amazing weather and lots of interesting things to look at!

4 Years ago or so, my mother and I went to this market(it is there every year).
--> And found the most wonderfull seller, making beautiful bags. We both bought one - of course.

Which brings me to the pictures above.
Ever since we bought those bags we have been looking for them everywhere.
So when I went to that market, and found the same seller - how could I not buy a bag?!

On the pictures I am modeling the bags - notice my straw hat - I love it!
The bag on the left is the one I bought for my mother, and the bag on the right is the one I bought for myself.
Are they not gourgeus!?

other projects

2010-05-30T00:01:00.002+03:00

One of my many projects... Or three of my many projects..

The idea is to use these three pieces as pillowcovers - though not before I have made some sort of embroidery on them. Haven't decided on what yet.
Sadly I am wayy too slow to actually do any embroidering, so I am afraid they will not be done for a loonng time.

I have it all in my head - just not that easy to get it out.
But I will just have to work on that I guess.

teabags

2010-05-26T22:46:00.002+03:00

Yesterday I decided to prepare my stash of teabags for folding - by cutting off the white edges.
I got quite a lot now, and I have borrowed a book about teabag folding..
So one of these days I might just get some teabagfolding done..