Thursday 30 June 2011

Woolly Teardrops

Handmade pouches with my handmade polymer clay buttons.
Yesterday I knitted four of these teardrops. They are totally addictive - and so cute. After knitting they are felted two times in the washer and then handfelted for the final finish.

It takes only about an hour to knit one of them, and if you can knit it´s easy. I promise!! I´m using a lot of stash yarn - but have ended up buying new for the colors. Need I say more??

Faux bone made of polymer clay.
You´ll find the pattern for the teardrop pouch which Claire has published here. Thank you Claire!!!

All buttons are made by me of polymer clay. Mainly old canes.

The heartshaped one is faux bone and I´m really happy about that little pouch.

Before felting that pouch looked terrible - I regret not photografing it.

Not really my favorite effect yearn. But it became excellent to me when felted. It´s that feeling to give the control to the yarn. And it worked.

Sometimes we need to let go of control to enjoy life, to meet new people and to feel free. Maybe that´s what make me love these felted pouches.

Button of an old leaf cane.
I never how they will come out, and not two are alike.

And their imperfection just makes them perfect to me.

Enjoy this qoute from Ernst Fisher:

As machines become more and more efficient and perfect, 
so it will become clear that imperfection is the greatness of man

Monday 27 June 2011

Felt Like A Norwegian

Felted pouches with polymer clay buttons. All handmade.
It takes a little over an hour to knit these small teardrop pouches and when I first started I couldn´t stop. They are so adorable and since my knitting is uneven every one of them comes out different.

I felt them in the washer a couple of times before taking the last felting by hand.

A gorgeous knitter and felt artist had made her pattern public and I recommend a visit to Claires etsy shop.

You can buy her pattern for these or find more felted items.

The buttons are homemade of polymer clay. This old cane got very distorted under reducing - but I think the flag buttons made a little spark to the pouches.

These are very versatile. You can use them for jewelry, to hide secrets in or just put them on a table for a woolly addition to the interior.

They are also a wonderful giftbag. I´m planing on using them as what ever comes to mind. I was planing to use up some of my stash yarn. But ended up bying more to get even more colors. I already knitted four more of these. I´m not going to stop. More polymer clay buttons are also planed.

Did I mention that four arms would be a nice thing - and of course even more hours a day?
Blogger makes my photos blury - click on them to see them clearly...

Saturday 18 June 2011

Wrapped In Color


The little fellow is Gismo - king of the summer...
My jacket is finished - and I´m really happy about how it came out. I love the colors and it actually fits me. That´s always a secret until a garment is finished and put on for the first time.

I´m sure I´m going to wear this a lot - and make the winter quite colorful.

I chose cloak clasps instead of buttons and it works fine. They are a little heavy, but it eavens out when I wear the jacket.

So why not wrap yourself in colors in the exact way you want. That feeling of freedom when we dare show our colors are amazing.

And a handmade knitted jacket is perfect for that.

Sunday 12 June 2011

All We Knit Is Love

It´s a commercial but apart from that I loved this. Makes me think of the warm feeling when I´m knitting. After all: All We Knit Is Love. Have a lovely and warm day!!



And about knitting: I´m about to finish my jacket of colors. It´s been cut open in the front and I´m knitting on the edges where the cloak clasps are sewn on. And all I can think about is which project is the next in my queue. A new stranded project is already in my mind. More about a shawl with birds later.
Garment is cut off to leave room for the neckline and the cutting is done in front of the jacket.

Sunday 5 June 2011

A Gift From The Sea

I added Mettes name on one of the beads.
One of my sea urchins are about to be given to a person who has brought light, extraordinary food and great pleasure to this little town I´m living in. She and her husband opened the restaurant/café Provianten and they have turned the place into something that´s beyond what you´ll expect in a little norwegian town.

They bake their bread in the old way, roast their own coffee and handmade chocolate is also available.

And the food is so good that I can´t think of any other place I would rather sit and enjoy the view of the river pasing by on it´s way to the sea.

In the summer you can sit upstairs in a big sofa. Well, take a look at the photo to see that view - it´s taken from that sofa two days ago.

Anyway, I made a sea urchin for Mette because she always smiles and she makes Mandal a better place to be.

She´s also an excellent artist, one of the few educated potters in Norway. You can see her in her studio here.

But the most important thing is the heart she has in what she do and who she is. And that´s the most important ingredient in both the food and in her art. I think that´s the secret behind people feeling welcomed and appreciated in the restaurant. And what made me make a sea urchin.
I made a smaller sea urchin to put on the gift box as well.