Which is wich?

I am planning to do a series of embroideries a bit like these I made last spring. Back then I colored some of the linen fabric with tea and I also “painted” the paper I used with strong tea.

I am going for a similar color scheme this time too but wanted a bit more variation so I decided to try coffee as well.

Here is the finished result. Have a guess? Which is which?

The one above is tea and the one below is colored with coffee. The result had me surprised. I was dead sure that I would get a darker color from the coffee not the other way around. Now I can’t wait to get started on the embroidery.

Jeanette

Watch duty & wood carving

My husband had to mend the tiles on the barn roof on Saturday and I was assigned to watch duty in case he fell down. That was about as exciting as watching white paint dry but luckily I had my carving knife with me and after I found a few birch branches in the wood pile I had much more fun. With one eye on my husband and one on the carving knife I happily carved and carved. I used the branch “as it was” meaning that I tried to see what it resembled and then carved after the image I had in my head.

When my husband was finished I had three little figures. A bunny,

 a
party fox

and a rabbit with moveable arms and legs.

When I got home I gave them a stroke of paint with a little help from a friend….

Wood carving turned out to be a good cure against boredom!

Jeanette

My favorite place

This is where I have spent some of my time this Christmas holiday - sitting in my old armchair in front of the fireplace at the country house with my husband by my side thinking about everything and nothing. We didn’t say much. I was knitting and he was reading. I think we were both just letting our thoughts wander feeling very relaxed and at ease in each others company.

I think it is important to spend time together where you have nothing planed. No schedule, no list of tasks just you and your loved one. I cherish these moments; they are rare in our otherwise hectic everyday life.

The  knitting is a shawl ( what else…) in Rowan Kid silk haze in a beautiful orange color. I seem to be in an orange phase at the moment. Which is spot on it seems – the color of 2012 is tangerine!

Jeanette

Ideas

It’s hectic at work right now but strangely enough that also triggers my creativity. I am too tired in the evenings to start anything though. That makes me feel so frustrated!  My head full of creative ideas and no time to fulfill them. Today it felt like my head was going to explode so I had to make something or I`ll go nuts! I made this. It sort of sums up how my head was feeling…..

I tore out a page from a book (page 84), painted the page with gesso and then wrote down all the ideas I had in my head. Just for the fun of it I decided it had to be 84 of them. Then I added some color in ink and a photo from a magazine. Felt so much better afterwards! Relaxed and at ease.

Take care

Jeanette

Findings

I visited a jumble sale this weekend, a good one, filled from floor to roof with a mixture of hidden treasures and complete rubbish. I bought embroidery yarn in autumn colors, a glass jar filled with buttons, two vintage tin cans used for aspirin and a tiny mirror with matching candle sticks for the country house. Oh and I bought a shawl and a table cloth with a 6o:ies pattern too and everything for less that 20 euro.

I actually went to the jumble sale with shopping restrictions – no more buttons, fabric and yarn. Well, what can I say? I am weak!

Take care

Jeanette

Orange is the new black

I have written about my wardrobe before and the fact that it mostly consists of the happy color of black and how I promised myself that from now on I would add a spot of color to my life. Since then I have bought myself a green raincoat, made an orange dress and a bright blue shawl. I am also making a granny square cowl in bright colors that is coming along nicely…..

I have cravings ( but not yet courage) for a pair of  wool panty hose in very (extremely) bright orange with purple dots. I also want a pair of Doc Martens in red patent leather but since I bought a pair last year - in black of course I will have to settle for those. I could have colored shoe strings though….

Last week I was at my hairdresser and together we decided that it was high time to add touch of color to my hair too. So what color did a go for? Orange of course!

Nice eh? Even my teenage daughters where impressed – more with my sudden color courage I think than with the actual color!

Take care

Jeanette

Things I Love Tuesday

Buttons

Eye candy

I bought this yarn for next to nothing at the Salvation Army and have kept it lying in a bowl on my work table ever since. It’s my eye candy! Color sparks my creativity. Yesterday I sat looking at the color explosion and before I knew what had happened I felt a strong urge to start making granny squares. I couldn’t quite remember how to do a granny square, crochet isn`t really my forte but when in need google. I found this great Swedish homepage with a very pedagogical tutorial.

I bet you can’t guess what I am making? Yep another shawl! But this time it’s not going to be a triangular one but a tube kind of thing. I think it’s called a cowl. I got the idea here.

As I was going through my yarn collection I also found a piece of fabric that I had forgotten I had (that happens to me a lot) so now I am going to make a dress too.

I think that will keep me busy the next couple of days.

Take care

Jeanette

Yep it’s yet another shawl

I love colors but when I open my wardrobe it mostly consists of the happy color of …..black. I think it’s mostly due to the fact that I am a plus sized woman and was always told from an early age that black made you look slimmer. It also makes you look like you work in an undertaker business but I had to figure that one out for myself. It took awhile to do so. I felt secure in my black clothes and in the beginning color made me feel kind of vulnerable.

I decided to take the I will wear more color pledge and try to wear something colorful everyday. I haven’t thrown all my black clothes away though I just try to mix them with some color. Like a shawl! Since I am a compulsive shawl knitter it gives me lots and lots of opportunities to tell myself that I need to knit yet another one….

This is my latest, a bright blue with green crocheted border and tiny crocheted flowers in scarlet and orange. Knitted in a cotton and linen mix. Here I am wearing it with my new raincoat. The long sought after raincoat.

With colors like that I will be singing in the rain.

Take care

Jeanette

PS Are you interested in a colorful shawl of your own? Maybe I can knit one for you. Just drop me a line and we can discuss colors and a suitable prize tag.