Ravenhill

Mail to cheer me up

Sarah was sweet to write me to let me know that her dollie had arrived safe and sound. She seemed to be getting along chummily with her new pal, the very cute bunny. I really love that, seeing my matryoshka dolls at home in their new surroundings.

And it was my turn to win a give away! I am mad about my new sewing helpers.

  

Look at how it even has matching glass head pins! These pretty creations are made by Theresia. Thank yo so much for brightening up my day. I really needed a boost after saying farwell to my dear Mom yesterday. Dad wrote me early this morning happy to have Mom home again safe and sound. My children though are asking why we can't move to the US. Grandparents really are special.

I finished these mittens up while Mom was here. This is the before photo. They are pretty big but as I type they are whirling around the washing machine felting away. I thought this handspun yarn might felt more than the others I have used before so I tried it on 40 degrees Celcius first. They were starting to get fluffy but weren't really felted. So in they went again on 40. (I am a bit of a chicken. I really don't want them tiny sized... They are supposed to fit my 9 year old or me.) Twice on 40 didn't do the trick either so in they are again this time on 60. The suspense is killing me... Stay tuned! 

I HEART Christmas decorations Turorial

You have already seen that I dare to cut things up; be it a vintage kimono, tablecloth or here a Norwegian sweater. This sweater is one of the most traditional Norwegian patterns.

What I did: tossed one of my thrifted sweaters (needless to say, it was in poor shape!) into the washing machine on 40C with some gentle detergent in a zippered pillowcase (to prevent the lint from the sweater from getting into and clogging my machine.) When it came out it seemed suitably felted. I knew it was felted enough as the fibers had matted together and the sweater had shrunk considerably. I let it dry flat.

I made a heart pattern by folding a sheet of paper in half and drawing a half heart on the fold, making it a bit bigger than I wanted the finished heart to be (seam allowance). I cut around it. I held the pattern in place over the felted wool (right side up) getting the heart lined up nicely with the sweater design. Then I cut around the paper using my rotary cutter. Watch those fingers! As you can see, after cutting out a few my rotary cutting mat looks like it has grown fur!

When I had a front and back cut out I pinned them together with right sides facing. I sewed the hearts together using a matching colored thread and leaving an opening on the straight edge near the tip for turning and stuffing the heart. Note that some felted sweaters might be too thick to sew together on the machine. I tried one that wouldn't fit under the presser foot, despite me adjusting the machine to free hand sewing. These sweater hearts are so nice though becuase they have some real stretch to them. The hearts turn out looking much more perfect than when you use fabric.

Next I turned the heart right side out and stuffed it pretty full. I sewed up the opening by hand using matching thread.

Now is the fun part! You get to decide what trim and decorations you will use! I used a loop of ribbon which I sewed on and then hid my stitches with the other trim: flowers or bows.  On these I used red satin ribbon and crochet alpaca flowers.  These are fantasy flowers, intentionally asymetrical and with  raggedy edges the way I like them.
Someone more clever than me would likely sew the loop on when sewing up the heart. I figured that out afterwards...

An idea is to make a larger heart with the felted sweater, omit the loop, and make it a sweater pillow! It is a great way to get more use out of a sweater that has shrunk or become outgrwown.

Here are some I made more Christmas decorations with bells and green ribbons.

If you would like to see another cut-up felted sweater turned into something new and useful, click here.

Markets of Christmas past

Would you like to see some flashes from the past? I can take you on a walk down memory lane to show you the markets I have done in years past! This was my very first Christmas market which I did with good friends: Susanne (pictured here on the left) and Beate (right). Susanne and I had a few hobby evenings in which we made cards to sell. I also concocted a hot chocolate mix which turned out to be a huge seller. Homemade fudge sold well too but was so labor-intensive as to make it more trouble than it was worth. My real artistic endeavor at this point was hand-knit and felted bags.

My first bag sale!

Look at the great books and cards my artistic friend Beate made! The faces are hand painted and the hair and decorations are stitched on.

The following year I was pregnant and even busier as we had decided to do the Christmas market at the Norsk Folkemuseum.

There we are. Irmelin sold her lovely hand-crocheted jewelry and is on the left. I am on the right. Please excuse our snowsuits - we couldn't have been out in the cold for all 6 hours without being dressed for the weather. My Sebastian is the little elf in the foreground. We sold 4 types of hot chocolate, some turtle type of cookies, and several varieties of spicy or sweet almonds. The taste tests really helped to draw in the crowds and then they also took the time to see the jewelry we made and the scarves, bags and shawls that I made. It was heaps of fun and I made money too!

Want to see behind the scenes?

We didn't have a stand at any Christmas markets this year. I did get to go to the designer's Christmas market (held annually by DogA) over the weekend and I will show you you the highlights soon!

Rainy day and Christmas magazine marathon

Today is one of those dark rainy winter days when you just want to cuddle up on the sofa with something good to read. First though we had to go grocery shopping...

When we got home we found Sebastian busy on the vintage sewing machine I bought a couple of weeks ago at the last flea market of the season. He has been doing threadless stitching on paper.

Then it was time to cozy up to some magazines. Norwegian crafting update! On the top of the stack was Juleideer Familiens idébøker 2007.

   

Inside it:

 

  Next up: Bolig Pluss December issue 2007:

Aren't the ornaments pretty?

Finally, Kvinner og Klær has a special Christmas edition: Julen 2007

The biggest spread is about Tilda, created by Tone Finnanger. She is one of the recent crafty successes in Norway. This Norwegian designer has just published her 7th book and they have been translated to other languages.

 

(You still have time to post a comment on the Kimono craze and give away if you want to be in the drawing!)

Felted mittens before and after

I adore this pattern for knitted felted mittens. You just knit them up and throw them in the washing machine with some gentle soap. They start out (before)   looking very rough and not so pretty. The after is always fluffy, slightly smaller and oh-so-soft. On this pair I tried something new: emboroidery. The blue flower is to match the hand-me-down blue snow suit Lilly has inherited from big brother! The pink is to help her fit into our society's female gender roll.

To Market, to market!

Today I am TREATING!

Do you love to go to Christmas craft fairs? I sure do!

(Warning: MANY PICTURES!)

Christmas is fast approaching. I need to get stared on making gifts! To help get into the spirit of things I'd like to take you along on the Folkemuseet's Christmas market!

As you enter the open air market on a dusky November afternoon the chill bites at your nose and your feet snug in your boots clip merrily on the cobblestones underfoot. You gaze up and around at the various old-fashoned houses and small buildings. You might have to push through the crouds to get a glimpse of the wares being sold at some of the stalls.

 

Many seem to do a great deal of their Christmas shopping at this market. It is a joy to be able to see so many types of lovingly hand made crafts. The artisans and/or their family typically work at the stands so you can always have a chat.

Here I am eyeing the lovely handwoven towels.

   

Many of the vendors return year after year. Like this one whom I always buy Rowan berry jelly. I find it quite distasteful but Mom considers it a Norwegian delicacy it so it's one of my traditional gifts for her.

 

Happy boy - Sebastian finding an entire stand with jams and jellies to sample! Yes, there are many things to taste! Usually sweeet goat cheeses, smoked salmon, organic apple juice, syrups, jelly, jam, cookies, and honey.

This man is offering beautiful wooden cups, bowls, plates and utensils. It is a cold job manning a stand in late November in Norway!

See the pretty dried grasses tied with a red ribbon? Norwegians buy these to decorate their gardens and feed the birds! I think this is such a nice tradition and am sure that the birds do too.

All of these shots are from a few years ago (2003) when my husband, Sebastian, and I went to the Christmas market to learn about how to set up a pretty stand of our own.  I aimed at having my own stall in 2004 (I sure did and it was  a big success - more on that in a future post).

Norwegians really know how to make beautiful handknits! It is a crime how little people make on them though considering all the hours and hours of work!

Here you see some handmade Norwegian santas.

I end this virtual tour with one last virtual treat. In some of the bags are the very traditional Norwegian "brente mandler" - the literal meaning - burned almonds. They are actually far tastier than their name implies. The almonds are roasted in sugar giving them a crunchy, caramel coating.

Superfelted!

What the heck is that? Do you think it looks kind of like butterflies?

Ok, I am a tease. How about a better veiw?
Well, now you can see that it is a pair of mittens! Of course!

I have a thing for mittens. I really love to make them and since I live in a cold climate they really do come in handy. I guess it is the relative speed and the chance to do some fun patterns that appeals to me.  I have to show the rest because the cuffs are so pretty.

I made these using a vintage flea market sweater that I tossed into the washing machine on 40 degrees C. I made a rough pattern by tracing around my hand and then cut out the very thickly felted 100% wool from the sleeves of the sweater. I sewed it up on the machine and these are some of the warmest mittens in town!