29 September 2010

Fast and failure

Yesterday one of my meetings finished early and since I was in the neighborhood I thought I’d nip home for a prolonged lunch. The FeltUnited had been on my mind all morning and as I still had a tooth ache I said to myself “why not skip lunch and do some felting instead? “ Does that sound like a good idea to you? No? Well it did for me at the time. I had this grand plan of making a felted Torso in different shades of green to put on my front lawn …. I already had the actual Torso you see made out of wire netting and meant to be covered in moss (Making things out of moss being another passion of mine…. ) so how long could it take to cover it up in wool instead then shaping it around the netting with soap water? Not long at all I thought. Wrong very wrong!

There I stood in the kitchen with not very much time to spare pouring soap water over the wool covered netting and getting most of the water on myself. The wool and me not having the same opinion about sticking to the netting….. BUGGER! Time running out all I had for my hard work was a heap of half felted green guck slowly sliding down the Torso and landing on the floor. I got SO angry I threw the Torso away hitting the kitchen wall, dumped all the wool in the spin dryer , changed to dry clothes and left. I started sobbing in the car, ashamed over my behavior but also still angry. Angry about the fact that everything with me always has to go so fast , that I have absolutely no patience but also angry over the fact that I was now out of green wool. I would have to miss out on FeltUnited this year too.

When I got home again I found this in my spin dryer.




A pathetic sight! But I was calm now and a bit more composed so I sat down looking at it wondering what I could do with it. One of the pieces had the shape of a bird ….so I decided that I would make little green and blue birds. It sort of fitted the autumn season with its birds leaving for warmer countries and it sort of fit FeltUnited too wanting to spread the knowledge and joy of felting all over the world. I was now warming to the idea of making little winged messengers when it hit me – I would make them as gifts.

As many of you know I am always the most inspired in my artwork by creating something for a special person and then give it away. That gives me an even bigger joy than the actual creating in itself. So why not make little birds and place them in town for people to find and take home. I could attach a note that would explain about FeltUnited and thereby spread the word to others….

Said and done. Birds it will be…. FeltUnited here I come

Bird in progress



To be continued….

Take care
Jeanette

27 September 2010

How to forget your tooth ache...almost

Today I woke up with a terrible tooth ache and since I have an enormous fear of dentists that’s about the worst thing that can happen to me. I have feared dentists since I was a kid and I would do almost anything to not even have to go on my yearly checkups. My dentist is on the sixth floor and I am eagerly awaiting some “scientific invention” that will make it possible to sedate me in the elevator going up and then miraculously wake me up going down with everything nicely completed. But today the ache was so bad that I actually felt lucky when I phoned my dentist and he had a cancellation…..

Here I am 8 hours later and I still have the tooth ache from hell! Apparently I have an irritated root canal and it will take a couple of days before I feel any better. A COUPLE OF DAYS! I am slowly dying here !!!!

Well, this could have ended a really shitty day if I hadn’t read Heather Woollove`s blog and her post about the 2nd international Day of Felt. A call for felters all over the world to unite and celebrate felt in all shapes and forms. You can read more on about feltunited here.
They say : “Join us – we felt united” and I say YES I will join!

Thank you Heather you saved my day. Now I can start planning for my contribution instead of feeling sorry for myself! But I will have to hurry up though the 2nd of October not being that far away. The color scheme for this years felt is yellow through green to blue which is my favorite colors.


So bye, bye tooth ache and welcome inspiration…..eh, think I might need some painkillers first….then boy will I start creating….




Take care
Jeanette


FeltUnited - 2nd International Day of Felt
October 2nd, 2010

Felt - intertwined, bound together, forever as one – United

24 September 2010

A walk in the woods

Today I had a day off from work. It was much longed for since the last couple of weeks have been really hectic. I woke to a beautifully crisp and sunny day so I decided to drive down to the country house for some gardening and a walk in the woods. I planted roses and tulips and the gardening went without any problems. No wheelbarrow piled too high this time.

I had a lazy lunch outdoors and then decided it was time for the woods – it was either that or I would fall asleep in the sun… So I grabbed my camera and took off. My favorite wood is just across the fields from me and I went there with hopes of sitting on a log watching the little lake and just relax. Not Like that was going to happen any time soon. There I was walking about thinking happy thoughts and taking photos of little frogs ....



...and then suddenly - oh, oh cows!



I am not afraid of cows. I swear! It’s their boss I am scared of. I had a run in with him a couple of years ago and I haven’t recovered still. You can read more about that here.

At that time he had a great resemblance of a German tank and I fear that he hasn`t joined weight watchers since then .....



I couldn’t see him anywhere so I convinced myself that he was probably at the local Bull Convention or something. But I couldn’t shake off the cows. Whenever I looked round they where still there.

Yep, I am still here!

I wasn’t anywhere near a relaxed feeling so I gave up and went home.When I got back to the house I found a little baby grass snake taking a nap in the sun.



I am not all that crazy about snakes either but I’ll choose a snake over a bull any day.

Take care
Jeanette

21 September 2010

Unknown territory



Right now I have tasks at work that are taking me to unknown territories. Most of the time this is very exciting and inspiring but sometimes it is lonely and a bit terrifying. Maybe the terrifying part mostly is due to the fact that I am hard on myself telling me that it is entirely up to me if change is going to happen. Of course this isn’t true but I have a master degree in self doubt you see. I absolutely excel at it!

Today I stumbled over this quote when I was looking up something else. I took to it right away. Everything suddenly felt so much better.

Those who only walk in someone else’s footsteps will never experience the joy of coming first.

Not bad eh?

Take care
Jeanette

19 September 2010

Age limit?

When are you too old or too young for wearing something? This was one of the topics that my dear creative friends and I discussed last Monday. We started out with discussing the upcoming government election but soon drifted over to the clothes the candidates wear and whether or not the politicians had a personal stylist. We decided that most of them probably hadn’t or if they had they were no darn good.

Then we started to talk about clothes in general. Is there such a thing as an age limit on clothes? Well it’s a tough one isn’t it? I mean we have probably all met men or women wearing clothes that would suit a teenager better…..but is our reaction really due to the age thing or is it all about the fact that they try too hard? That they are wearing something not because they seem to like it or feel comfortable in it but because they want to look young or fit in? I am thinking about all the 40 + men with a ponytail that grows longer with the receding hairline or the 40+ women out shopping with their teenaged kids wearing exactly the same clothes as they do and speaking with the exact same high pitched voices…. Or the 35 something men with a hoodie showing of half of their underwear while they pass you on their longboard…..



We didn’t quite reach a conclusion but we were all leaning towards it being not an age thing but a trying too hard thing. That there is no real age limit but sometimes there is a fine line between looking good and looking pathetic. ….

And that my friends was the exact moment when I (with my cheeks burning) rose from the kitchen table and went and got my newly purchased Dr Martens. In black patent leather!



I have wanted a pair for like ages. My secret dream as a teenager was being a punk rocker, dressed all in black with laced boots and pink hair. I never dared. And here I am at 47 buying myself a pair of Dr Martens….Now how pathetic is that?!?!?

Do I need to say that I LOVE my friends? Of course they quickly said that this had nothing to do with me wanting to be young again. In fact it was just a question of semantics right? Grannies wear laced boots too don’t they? ( in patent leather I wonder?) So this was the very non-pathetic thing to do. Showing that I was just being me – not too young and not too old!


Oh, what the heck. I love my boots!

Take care
Jeanette

17 September 2010

Doilies

As maybe you know I am a keen doilies collector. Many are the trips to flea markets when I have come home with loads of them. I simply can’t just pass them by. It’s something so sad about all the amount of work that is put into them and there they are being sold for almost nothing.

Unfortunately I don’t really like to decorate my home with them…..They are sort of ugly and bad taste…. but I would like to make something else out of them instead.

This evening I found Dottie Angels blog and now I want to make this



Since crocheting really isn`t my forte I just might use another collection of mine – the kettle-holders!



Crocheting them together instead of making new squares would do the trick don’t you think ?

Tomorrow I am off to another flea market so maybe, just maybe I will add some more to my collection…..


Have a great weekend!
Jeanette

16 September 2010

Norwegian mittens

I want to make these! Aren’t the absolutely gorgeous?



Found them on the blog 365 things you can knit. They post a knitting pattern each day! Very inspirational. Mostly in Swedish or Norwegian but some English patterns too.


I have another 365 things blog that I like – 365 things you can craft. They post a new craft idea everyday. I always take a peak when my creativity has hit an all time low.



This is one of the latest post - might try it out on Sunday.

Take care
Jeanette

14 September 2010

Autumn

I love autumn. The colors....





....the light



and the way nature and wildlife enters a slower phase.




For me autumn is a time for reflection and a new start but a new start without the pressure and guilt that always comes with the New Year. Guilt over the fact that you broke your resolutions already the second week of January....I mean who cares about broken resolutions in October?

Take care
Jeanette

12 September 2010

Lazy weekend & strange houseguests

I had a really nice and lazy weekend this weekend, highly needed after my hectic week at work. I did a bit of weeding, planted a few plants, sat reading in front of the fireplace and finished my knitted “necklace”. The last row with 1040 stitches took a heck of a time but I didn’t mind. I was enjoying the feeling of being relaxed and actually having the time to spend. The only problem is that now I have to figure out something else to knit tomorrow when the creative ladies are paying me a visit. Bothersome!

Speaking of lazy…

We have a saying in Sweden ” lat skräddare tar lång tråd” which in translation becomes something like ”the lazy tailor uses a long tread” well that applies for me as a gardener too. I always pile the wheelbarrow too high and naturally I always drop half its content on my way to the compost heap….



This weekend I also had two very strange houseguests. I found this little fellow on my kitchen floor.



I think it is some sort of Salamander. He had lost his tail or maybe they are supposed to do that I don’t know. I first thought he was dead but then I poked him a little and he moved and I screamed… After the initial chock, just as big on both of us I imagine, I went for a nice big leaf for him to crawl up on and then I carried him outside.

Then I found this guy in my bedroom.



A squirrel! We haven’t seen squirrel around our house before and now there was one in the bedroom! I was thrilled and he was in panic" Poor thing, throwing himself at the window and trying to get out. He even climbed the wall – literally!



Do you know what I did? I locked him in so I had time to run for my camera. I am terrible aren’t I ? But with my pictures taken I opened the window and let him out…


Hope you had a nice and lazy weekend too

Take care
Jeanette

09 September 2010

Water or wine?



On Monday I meet my dear “creative ladies” Anna, Lisa & Monne for a bit of chatting, knitting, munching and drinking..... We haven`t met for something creative for ages and I have missed them terribly. Therefore I am in desperate need of a knitting project. Preferably something that is finished fast and can be combined with ….eh wine! I found this beautiful little shawl here. It’s more like a necklace kind of thing than a shawl actually. Just plain stitch and only 14 rows but you start out with 110 stitches and end up with 1040!!!

Do you think I should stick to water….

Take care
Jeanette

07 September 2010

Twenty years older or vacational hazards part two….

False marketing!


My lovely blogtwin Lili asked me how many years I lost exactly, thinking about going to the Emerald pond and give it a try herself. Well dear Lili and other readers the only thing I lost or nearly lost was my life. Or to be a little less dramatic – I could be swimming around in it still. Guess I have to start from the beginning. You all know that we went to the Emerald pond with hopes of miraculously getting younger. Getting there means driving for ever and then walking for ever through a hot and damp rain forrest. No miracles there – you still have to do the long trek on foot. Fairy wings don’t suddenly appear on your back, no Harry Potter floo powder or any other means of swift transportation. No bibidi bobidi boo. You walk!

When you reach the pond you are so hot and SO longing for a swim that with no hesitation you throw of your clothes and jump in. This is where the problems start. There is absolutely NO dignified way of getting out of the damn thing. The pond is surrounded by straight and extremely slippery cliffs and no stairs what so ever. Hey, what ever happened to a warning sign? Or maybe the wooden sign in Thai actually said This is a natural pond dudes and no freaking swimming pool! Have you seen a stranded whale? Put a bikini on it and there you have me!

It took me forever to get out of it. My poor sister tried to help me from the water but my brother in law who climbed out of it much easier than me stood safely by the pond taking photographs of the whole whale rescuing expedition. Who needs enemies with friends like that I ask you?

When I was lying flat on my belly halfway in and halfway out I felt like 47 going on 70 and I swear my hair was getting more grey by the minute… As you can all well understand I didn’t go in again. Wouldn’t even do it at gunpoint. Quite frankly it was an experience that made Botox feel strangely appealing.

And I still have a gigantic bruise on my thigh…. They heal more slowly with old age you know…..

Take care
Jeanette

05 September 2010

Crayfish party & vacational hazards

This weekend we had crayfish party at my parents. According to plan I made a new chandelier for this year’s party.



Crayfish party is yet another of those aquavit, sing obscure songs and wear silly hats kind of parties. I am especially fond of the silly hats part – if you want to know just how fond read here. Emma, my youngest is more fond of the actual seafood part but kindly wears a silly hat anyway!



Speaking of seafood have a told you about the Thai seafood incident? No? OK here goes.

One evening we decided to have a seafood party. Well to be correct we decided to celebrate my husbands 50:th birthday although it was two years to late. As some of you might remember we were meant to go two years ago but my dad got sick and we stayed home. Anyway my sister and I had a great solution to the two years to late celebration – we went to the Emerald pond. The Emerald pond is in the Thai rain forest, a beautiful place and every time you bade in it you turn a year younger. My husband went in twice and Heureka the birthday party was on. ( I meant to go in ten times but that just didn’t happen. Tell you about that another day….)

Where was I going with this? Oh yes seafood.
My sister and I talked to the lovely staff at the local restaurant asking them if they could arrange a seafood dinner that evening. We wanted some giant shrimps, snapper and some squid and since we were six persons we ordered two big snappers, 1 squid and 12 shrimps. They were happy to oblige and off we went to the Emerald pond.

When we got back from the outing (all of us feeling much younger…..) the kitchen chef called on my sister wanting her to come and see the fish. She came back to the house looking a bit shaken and laughing somewhat hysterical. You must come with me to the kitchen she said and when I got to there I met the chef who proudly held up two lobsters!



And she had ten more of them in the kitchen……Alive!!!! Due to language difficulties she thought we meant lobster not shrimps!!! Well what could we do? We smiled and said they looked perfect.

That evening we had the time of our life. Or at least the meal of our life. I have never eaten SO much seafood in my entire life! It tasted wonderful!



When we had eaten so much that there was absolutely NO room left the kind staff came in with dessert – a gift from them to us. A beautifully looking watermelon, papaya and pineapple dessert – so what do you do? You smile and you EAT!



At my parents crayfish party yesterday I was mysteriously full almost at once. Could it be that I have already eaten seafood to last me a lifetime ?

Take care
Jeanette






The lovely kitchen staff. I miss them. The were so nice and made our holiday a treat!

02 September 2010

A hollow feeling

Work had a tear away start. This first week has been crazy. So much to do that I have this constant fear of having forgotten something really, really important and not having a clue to what it could be…..So tired every evening that I just eat and go to bed feeling all hollow inside.

Driving home today I started to think about what the reason could be to this hollow feeling. I don’t really recognize it you see. It most definitely isn’t jetlag, I know that feeling. It is something else. I mean I usually have periods with loads to do and I quite like it when it’s hectic…. I am easily bored. So what is this all about? Then it hit me. I haven’t done anything creative for a very long time or at least for these past two weeks when I have been away. ....and that is a long time for me who usually is up to something creative every evening! The hollow feeling is actually a yearning feeling! A longing for creativity!

Relieved I sat down with a cup of tea, pen and paper and made a creativity list. You know me – I am a sucker for making lists. Anyway this is what I wrote

- Make a chandelier for the crayfish party at my parents on Saturday
- Make an installation for the newly build roundabout down the street. Something knitted perhaps? Or out of moss?
- Knit a sweater from the linen yarn I bought before the trip
- Make a plan for what I want to do out of the fabric I bought in Thailand
- Make a plan for the garden and greenhouse

You know me. I am a sucker for making plans too.......

The chandelier I made last year

How about this in the middle of the roundabout?

Or this perhaps?

Some of the fabric I brought home


Batik on pure cotton. I fell in love with the colors and the patterns.

Even the labels are beautiful.....

Now I feel so much better! I still have tons to do and no real spare time yet. But my list is giving me hope. Hope that all this has an end and that creative days are soon to come!

Take care
Jeanette