when things are slow...

It has been a while ago... but sitting again here and writing a blog feels really good. It has always been some kind of reward for me to sit down with these pictures and write about one more finished project... John uses once in a while the phrase: "Now the world is a bit more complete". It can be after any small thing, like vacuuming the floor... But it is not quite that easy when the project is a real big one; like totally completing my shop and studio with every single little thing that's missing... but I am slowly getting there.
The picture below shows the area in front of my shop. You park your car on the other side of the building and walk around the corner following the path with the big windows of the studio on your right hand. The shops´ entrance is covered with tiles. This winter a 30 square meter greenhouse will be built there. It is going to be a part of the shop; I am dreaming of a little area for selling things for garden, and a little place to sit down with a cup of coffee and a muffin... we will see...




But as it is, here is a lot to be done. Trying to finish most of it myself with a little kid around, takes time. Against my own rules I am publishing plans of an unfinished project. I want you to be part of it and share it with me, wondering how it is going to be... ?




Maybe the most important part of the project takes place tomorrow. We are going to visit a day care nanny, hopeful sweet, suitable and willing for taking care of Seth who´s longing to play with other kids and giving me the time to be more productive in my shop and with my shop...

The mocca cup candleholder... or something about doing things with an ease

This is by so far my favorite candleholder, and yes, I made it. Not in the studio, but at home at the kitchentable, using bits and pieces from the kitchen cabinet. It is assembled with a very strong clear two component glue. Using an element for something else than it was originally intended to, makes it all fun and easy.

There is just something about candleholders... they are complicated. Stubborn little snobbish creatures, not really wanting to have anything to do with others, except that identical one standing next to them. Hmmm... they nag me... But I love candles and I NEED candleholders and this one says: I come in peace...
So, wellcome.





It is the time of the year, where the studio's filled with pots... I throw pots in big patches to fill an order. Something happends after I have thrown the first 20. The repetition, the rhytm , the flow, those tiny variations. At the same time it is 120 small stories and one long one. All I want to do is doing things with an ease because it makes it easier for others to approach it.

Simple living...

Whenever I see these books about simple living with a cover showing a woman (apparently not wearing any makeup...) sitting in her white clothes on a lawn, looking over the green green hils, it always makes me laugh. That is not simple living. Simple living is wearing dark pants if you´re planning a picnic in the park, without spending the next day trying to wash the stains of, eventually give up and spend a day shopping (which I hate), trying to find another pair, you like as much. Simple living is practical, but maybe not so pretty waterproof plastic containers, you use to transport your food when you´re going to park... Do I have to continue... ?

Simple living is also trying to use whatever you have by hand, may it be yarn, food or cooking books. In this world many things circulate too quickly... Even information... Sometimes you just have to stay put, get the job done and think...




The vests are for Seth and I used yarn left from other projects and some old buttons from my grandmothers stash ( She took all the buttons of clothes before throwing them out... no she did not give them to charity, because what was left, would not be usable for anyone ). The pattern is a traditional vest, used for decades...

Now I will go and scramble a meal together of left over vedgies and what I may find from the fridge. Simply.

Much more than a bookshelf....

This might just look like a normal bookshelf, but it is not. The upper 3rd part contains Johns' books, mostly prosa and quite a few about vintage watches. The middle section is for my books; mostly factual literature, notes of my various projects and some magazines. The lovest part of the shelf got 3 cabinets in it. The one on the left is for all my clothes I wear daily, the one in the middle hides a movie showing device, ( well it's a television and then again, not really, - we haven't got a cable or arial ). The last one on right is for Johns' clothes.




So, what does this say about us ?... John loves literature and books and thinks it as rather excentric that I have sorted all his books by color ( I am not the only one who has done that... ). But my eyes are getting quickly bored. Too many colors without no specific order feels like a big black cloud avoiding me to think. But then again, I use colors, I like colors, and I also love books. So, all MY books are wrapped in white matte foil. I might tell you it is because they need to be strengtened; I pull them in and out of the shelf all the time. But that's not really the reason... I use them as manuals and I just want the maximum esthetic unclutternes and peace for whatever I am working with at the moment...




Yes, we don't have TV. I haven't had one for 10 years, and guess what... I met John, and he didn't have one either, and now we have a child that doesn't watch telly. I think though, when he's about three years, we might get a cable, so he can watch a little once in a while... Why ? Is our anti-telly attitude some kind of religious or ideologic believ... Not really... I just like life more without a TV.

Something I will actually wear... in a while

I have decided, this year knitting projects got to be something classic... cables... tweed...

This cardigan has been in my mind for about ten years, and I can see myself using it with jeans or just loose and relaxed over a dress. Really nothing spectacular, but something very usefull.

My plan is to make 2 of them... one long and one short. The long one in thin grey blue Shetland Wool combined with thicker cream coloured wool. Needle sixe 6 and with 14 stitches on 10 cm. I have started planning the pattern; drawing the patterns and cables on a grid. For the short one will be some kind of cream or oatmeal tweed. I also need to get my hands on a real good book with lots of knitting stitches. I have made a reservation at the library for "Vogue, dictionary of knitting stitches". Coming back to that book whole the time, I might have to buy it.



So much planning. In the meantime I am trying to use all the bits and pieces of yarn for socks and vests for Seth... show you that later...

Going to the library

Since I was child, I have loved libraries and books. I don't read many fiction books but I love factual literatur that cover any subject, may it be art, science , or some third thing... And offcourse, the ones with many pictures are the best. In our town we have a great library, and I visit it as often as I can. My plan is to bring our son Seth there and make him enjoy it as much as I do.

For his one year birthday I made this library tote. It fits over his shoulder, but the strap is adjustable, so it stays with him for a long while. It has attached a wooden ring, he can have things hanging, like these beads and the crochet covered bell. Later I hope he will have his Ipod, keys, cellphone or something else... we will see

The thing is... I want one too... hmmmm... But then he would probably be too embarrased using his... Such a dilemma...

My dad...

Before my dad started to grow plants and flowers for living, he used to work as decorator. Back in the early sixties part of the education as decorator was to hand paint signs. I love the way a hand painted sign looks, so, of course he had to create the new sign for my studio ( Well, he made the old one as well... nice with a talented family ! ).

As young dude he used to work in the very finest women's clothing shop in our town. One day they received a whole shipment of finest Scottish woolen fabrics, and my father and his colleagues had a bet going on; would dad be recognized walking through the city in disguise. The local newspaper shoot pictures and wrote an article about the Scottish fabrics ( this was for about 40 years before the Internet... ). Oh, how I love that picture; those cars... that outfit... and well, I guess, my dad too. I wish, our town was just as pretty now, as back then!

Ikea Hacker

I have always liked the way light filters through handtrown porcelain; it reminds me of the rings of Saturn. It has long been the plan to make new lampshade for the Ikea lamp BASISK. The lamp is simple but has the perfect fitting making it really easy to change the shade. Perfect for me since I am a potter, not an electrician. We have three of these lamps by our sofa, and I love the way the shades gives out light so similar to candles.

The Famous White Tablecloth

Sometimes you have to do it. Make life something special, do something extra, spread the white cloth on table and get properly dressed for dinner. We have just one kitchen cabinet that holds our china, which in this case is NOT from China, but mostly earthenware from my studio. Not much space, but I'm trying to combine the tableware in a way we have all we need at hand, not only for everyday dinner but also for special occasions like Christmas and birthdays. I sewed the white linen tablecloth just a day before Christmas eve and made an effort to make the edges and corners to look sharp and good. Next year I will sew napkins to go with it.

The Christmas was wonderfully hectic; family over for Christmas eve, Seth's birthday and friends & family visiting, but I think we are back on track by now.




We don't have curtains because I just love the light in our apartment, but at winter the naked windows look so very big and dark. So, I put up this winter decoration made of two different type of oilcloth. I just stick it to the window with double adhesive tape. It can take the rain if the window stays open and it doesn't fall of even in windy weather. As you can see, it softens the rather harsh winter light. When the light gets stronger and days longer in April, we put it away for next year. Maybe next year with a different border... who knows...

A new and great design blog about kids stuff

Irene has this wonderfull blog Bloesem and now she has launched a new one Bloesem kids. Oh yes, we need this blog... Congratulations...

In Irenes own words:

"It is all about cool stuff for kids…not a laundry list of products you can buy for your kids…but more like a carefully put together selection…cherry picking…among everything that is available which can be quite overwhelming sometimes…so B:Kids will set out to do just that…help you navigate and give inspiration…."

I feel very honored that my design Flødehesten is among her cherry pickings. Go check it out...