Doylestown

Jeg nyder virkelig min ferie og at slappe af. Vi går ture (hunde er virkelig effektive i forhold til at gå tur!) rundt om i byen, får shoppet og bare hygger os. Om nogle dage skal vi på roadtrip op nordpå, og vi har været en smut i Philadelphia en dag. Jeg har været i alle de butikker jeg kan tænke mig, faktisk.

Her i Doylestown er der nogle fine fuglehuse, og på en tur så jeg et nyt et - altså, hvilken fugl ville ikke gerne bo så fint her?

I'm really enjoying my vacation and relaxing. We go for walks (dogs are great for making people walk!) around the town, shop and just hang out. In a few days we will be going on a roadtrip up north, and we have been in Philadelphia one day. I think I've seen every shop that I wished for, actually. 

Here in Doylestown they have some very pretty bird houses, and a few days ago I saw a new one - which bird would not love living as pretty as this?

Vi var også ude at plukke bær - de her hedder wineberries og er en invasiv plante fra Asien. De er noget anderledes end hindbær, selv om de ligner. Vi fik til en dejlig gang bærkompot (kan det vist bedst beskrives som!) som kan bruges til is. 

We also went berry-picking - these are called wineberries, an invasive species from Asia. They are different from raspberries, although they look a bit like them. They ended up becoming a jar filled with compote (I guess that's the best word) that can be used with ice cream. 

Og så kom min niece også hjem på ferie. Alle blev glade for at se hende, og det er hyggeligt at hun også kan være her. 

Nå ja - og så spekulere jeg over mit strikketøj. Mønsteret bliver ikke helt symmetrisk omkring midten hvis jeg ikke gør et eller andet som inkluderer at pille op. Gider ikke rigtig..... Men gider heller ikke lade være......

And then my niece came home for her vacation. Everybody was happy to see her, and it's really nice that she is also here. 

Oh well - and then I'm wondering about my knitting. The pattern is not turning out symmetrical across the middle if I will not do something including unraveling. Don't feel like it... But don't want to do nothing.....

Weekend!

Så blev det endelig en almindelig weekend! Foråret er endelig ved at komme rigtigt og det er virkelig bare skønt! 

Lige nu er vaskemaskinen i gang og min veninde er på besøg hele weekenden. Det er lidt uklart hvad weekenden skal indeholde, bortset fra altså Dronningens Fødselsdag i morgen. Tænk engang - hun har aldrig været inde og vinke til Majestæten!

Håber, I får en rigtig dejlig weekend!

And so it's finally a "normal" weekend! Spring is finally coming, and it's just so wonderful!

Right now, my washing machine is working, and my old friend is here for the weekend. It's a bit undecided what the weekend will be used for, apart from the Queens birthday tomorrow. Can you imagine - she has never been at the castle, waving at the Majesty!

I wish you all a lovely weekend!

Fanø Bryghus

Det her billede fik I også lov at se i går. Når man er på Fanø, så skal man selvfølgelig have øl fra Fanø Bryghus! Et år havde de en speciel "strikkefestival øl", men ellers har de hvert eneste år en "Fanø Rav" som virkelig smager godt! Det gjorde den også i år.....

So this photo was also shown yesterday. When on Fanø, of course you need to taste the beer from the Fanø Bryghus (Brewery)! There was a year with a "knitting festival beer", but every year, you can get a "Fanø Rav" (Amber) that is really good! It was also so good this year......

Jeg købte selvfølgelig også et par øl med hjem. Ikke, at jeg er god til at drikke dem! Er faktisk ved at få drukket de sidste af de juleøl jeg købte sidste år. SÅ dårlig er jeg til at drikke øl! 

Alligevel glæder jeg mig til det engang bliver de her øls tur.

Of course I also bought a few beers to bring home. Not that I'm that good at drinking them! At the moment, I'm drinking the last of last years Christmas beers. THAT'S how poor I am at drinking beer!

Still, I'm looking forward to drinking these.

Overraskelser / Surprises

Jeg nyder HELT vildt at besøge familien og bare slappe af. Jeg er dog også blevet overrasket, selv om jeg var forberedt. For eksempel vidste jeg godt, at min mindste nevø er blevet gammel nok til at træne at køre bil, men det var alligevel anderledes at faktisk sidde i bilen med ham bag rattet. Heldigvis er han ret forsigtig og havde sin far lige ved siden af, så jeg skreg slet ikke så meget som han havde håbet....

I'm SO much enjoying visiting the family and just relaxing. Although I did get some surprises, although I was prepraed for them. For instance, I knew that my youngest nephew was old enough to start learning to drive, but still it felt didfferent actually sitting in a car with him behind the wheel. Fortunately, he is quite careful and his dad was sitting next to him, so I didn't scream as much as he hoped for.....

En anden overraskelse er Diasy. Som er helt, helt anderledes end Bailey, men super sød!

Hun klatrer op og holder udkig gennem vinduet så hun har styr på verden. Hun er glad for sin sweater, hvilket er meget dejligt. Og hun er sød at går tur md. Jeg har endda samlet hundelort op uden at få kvalme....

Another surprise is Daisy, who is totally different from Bailey, but so cute!

She is climbing up to be on the look-out through the window. She likes her sweater, which I really like, and she is nice to take for a walk. I even picked up dod-poop without wanting to puke. 

Afslappende dage / Relaxing days

Vi har alle nydt de sidste dage. Slappet af og hygget os. Vi har gået tur og kom forbi en frossen flod, hvor hunden var noget skeptisk over det der is som bare gik i stykker når man gik ud på det.

We all enjoyed the last couple of days. Relax and had a nice time. We went for walks and passed by a frozen river, with a dog who didn't trust the ice that would just break if you stepped on it. 

Andre i familien kastede med isklumper. DET var sjovt! Selv hende på 17 kom til at more sig.....

Other members of the family threw lumps of ice. THAT was fun! Even the 17 year old accidentally had fun.....

Der er blevet spist en del leverpostej, og nydelsen ved at slikke rester fra en kop er helt sikkert større end bare at sluge en klump, som man ser!

We ate a lot of liver paté, and the joy of licking the remnants from a mug is definitely bigger than just swallowing a lump, as you can see!

Der er også spillet musik. Det udviklede sig dog mest til en konkurrence, hvor far og søn spillede hver deres melodi og forsøgte at blive først færdig.

Music has been played. It turned out being a contest with father and son playing each a tune, trying to finish first. 

Vi har gået flere ture - denne gang forbi en kløft. Der er virkelig flot natur her ved østkysten!

We took more walks. This time past another river. The nature is beautiful here by the East coast!

Vi har lavet (og spist) julecheesecake.

We made (and ate) Christmas cheesecake.

I går var vi på museum. Her er et billede af, hvor meget aktivitet de forskellige dele af min krop kræver af hjernen. Eller - som hjernen ser min krop!
Jeg strikker også. Slet ikke så meget som jeg havde tænkt. Men altså. Vi slapper af!

Yesterday, we went to a museum. This is a photo of how much activity the different parts of my body demands on the brain. Or - as my brain looks at my body!
I also knit. Not as much as I planned, but you know. We are relaxing!

Ferien er i gang! / My vacation has started!

Det er SÅ nemt bare at flyve til New York og så ikke skulle flyve videre! Faktisk kunne jeg endda købe en god flaske gin med til Frikkerne denne gang!
Lidt mærkeligt var det, at de nu bor et helt nyt sted, men det nye hus er virkelig fint og stort og ligger lige ud til fin natur, så det tror jeg nu nok jeg overlever......
Selv Bailey virkede til at kunne kende mig! Han kunne endnu mere kende leverpostejen, selv om den var ganske godt pakket ind.
Nu er jeg så startet på en uge med mine yndlingsmennesker, hvor vi bare skal hygge og snakke og gå ture og spise kage og gå i byen og kigge og i det hele taget bare slappe af. Det bliver så dejligt!

It is SO easy just flying to New York and then not having to change flight! I could actually even buy a bottle of good gin for the Frikke Circus this time!
It does feel a bit strange that they moved to a totally different place, but the new house is really pretty and big and located right beside beautiful nature, so I do think I'll survive.....
Even Bailey seems to recognize me! He got even more excited when he smelled the liver pate, although it was really well wrapped.
So now I started a week with my absolute favorite humans, where we are going to hang out and talk and go for walks and eat cake and check out the town and over all just relax. It will be great!

Kolde dage / Cold days

Vi er lige kommet igennem de koldeste to dage i mange år her i Michigan. Bailey fik "sko" på når han skulle ud at gå lange ture, fordi de salter så meget. Han hader virkelig de sko og bliver utroligt ynkelig.
Bemærk lige den strikkede sweater! DEN elsker han til gengæld og sidder pænt og løfter benene for at få den på.

We just survived the most extremely cold days for years here in Michigan. Bailey had to wear "shoes" when going for long walks, due to all the salt. He really hates those shoes and looks like he looses the will to live.
But the knitted sweater! He LOVES that and sits very nicely, lifting his legs to have it put on.

Selvom det er så koldt, at man kan mærke indersiden af næsen fryse til is og man får små isklumper i øjenvipperne, generer det ikke denne vinterelskende hund. Jeg skulle ikke nyde noget af at rulle mig i sneen!

Although it is so freezing that you can feel the inside of your nose turn into ice and you get little icicles on the eye lashes, it doesn't bother this winter-loving dog. I wouldn't want to roll around in the snow!

Efter en hel, lang dag indenfor, trodsede vi kulden i går og gik en lang tur. Min nevø hoppede rundt og lagde sig ned og lavede sne-engle. Tror han trængte til at komme ud!
Det var dejligt at være ude, på trods af frossen næse og alt det der.

After spending a long day inside, we ignored the cold and went for a long walk. My nephew was jumping around and lay down to make snow angels. I do believe he needed to get out!
It was lovely being outside, in spite of the frozen nose and all. 

Vi gik op til Baileys yndlingsbutik. Det var vist heldigt han var i snor, når han gik rundt og kiggede på alle lækkerierne. Heldigvis begynder han ikke at spise derinde, for så var det blevet dyrt!
Det så næsten ud som mig i en garnbutik, bortset fra at han var lidt hurtigere til at bestemme sig for hvad han ville have. (Men derfor kan man jo godt kigge på alting et par gange til!)
Der er iøvrigt mange som kommenterer hans sweater. De har nok ikke set noget lignende! Han er nem at se i sneen med den på, og som sagt elsker han den. Det er lige før jeg får lyst til at strikke en til......

We walked to Baileys favorite store. I guess it was lucky he was on a line, walking around, looking at all the goodies. Fortunately, he doesn't eat anything, because that would have been expensive!
He looked like me in a yarn shop. Only difference is that he was quicker to decide what he wanted. (But that shouldn't keep you from checking out everything a couple more times!)
He gets a lot of comments on his sweater. I guess the people never saw anything like it! He is easily seen in the snow, wearing this, and as I mentioned, he loves it. I almost feel like knitting another one......

Vi gik over en lille sø. Det er heller ikke så tit man prøver det! Ihvertfald ikke i Danmark.
Nu er de kolde dage heldigvis overstået. I morgen, når jeg skal hjem, bliver det endda tøvejr! Det har været ret heldigt at jeg lige kom denne her uge, hvor skolerne har været lukkede hele 3 dage. Det var knap så heldigt at varmeværket havde en brand, så vi skulle skrue ned for temperaturen indendørs i går. Trods strikkede strømper, en ulden undertrøje, en langærmet ulden undertrøje, lange uldne underbukser under mine jeans og min varmeste uldne sweater var det KOLDT! Heldigt, at der findes tæpper!

We walked across a small lake. It is not a thing you try very often! Not in Denmark, at least.
By now, the cold days are over, fortunately. When I'm going home tomorrow, it will be above 0 degrees celsius! How lucky that I came this week, with schools being cancelled for 3 days. Less lucky when the gas-plant delivering our heat had a small fire, making us having to turn down the temperature inside yesterday. In spite of knitted socks, a woolen undershirt, a long-sleeved woolen undershirt, long-legged woolen underpants underneath my jeans, and my warmest woolen sweater, it was COLD! I was so grateful sitting under a blanket.....

Ferie / Vacation

I går var min første dag i juleferien. Uh, det var en skøn dag! Jeg startede såmænd med at gå i svømmehallen. Man føler sig så SUND! Især kl. 7 om morgenen.....
I min pakkekalender fik jeg en Batman-slikkepind. Som så er beskyttet af hovedet. Julestjernerne fik jeg dagen før. Det er en herlig kalender!

Yesterday was the first day of my Christmas break. It was such a great day! I started it by going swimming. You feel so HEALTHY doing that! Especially at 7 a.m.......
In my advent calendar, I had a Batman lollipop. Which is protected by the head. The stars were from the day before. I love my calendar!

Kl. 10 havde jeg vinduespudser. Jeg var i gang med at rydde op og sådan, men syntes det var lidt pinligt med alt garnet. Så det kom ud i brusenichen.
Desværre kom han lidt tidligt, mens jeg stadig vaskede op, og hvad gjorde manden så som det første? Gik ud på badeværelset for at hente vand fra bruseren.
Altså - ARGH! Måske skulle jeg istedet bliver sådan en som gemmer opvasken i køleskabet så han kan få sit vand?

At 10 a.m., I had a window-cleaner coming. I had started tidying up, but I did find it a bit embarrassing with all the yarn and put it in the shower cabin.
Unfortunately, he was a bit early, while I wasn't done doing the dishes, so what was the first thing the guy did? Went to the bathroom to get some water from the shower.
Well - ARGH! Maybe I should change my habits and start hiding my dishes in the fridge to give him access to the water?

Jeg fik iøvrigt pakket gaver ind, afleveret et par julegaver, slappet af, og om aftenen gik jeg ind og så "Johnny English". Åh, den var sjov!
Det er ellers længe siden jeg har gået i biografen alene sidst. Jeg gjorde det en del mens jeg læste, og det fungerer såmænd udmærket. Hvis man nu virkelig gerne vil se en film og der ikke er nogen at følges med? Ja, så må man jo komme afsted......
Tænk - i dag fortsætter ferien så! NYDER det!

Later, I wrapped the presents, delivered a few presents, relaxed, and then in the evening, I went to watch "Johnny English". Oh, it was so much fun!
It has been a while since I went to the movies on my own. I did it quite a lot when studying, and it's kind of nice. If you really want to watch a movie and there is no-one to go with? Well, just get out there and do it.....
Can you imagine - today, my vacation is still on! I'm enjoying it!

Effektivt / Efficient

Det er meget hyggeligt at få syet noget. Jeg synes på en måde det er kedeligt, for man er jo nødt til at koncentrere sig (og i modsætning til strikningen går det ikke hurtigere at trevle op!) og man kan f.eks. ikke se tv imens.
Alligevel har jeg fået syet så meget, at mine sytrådsruller nu rent faktisk kan være i æsken og låget kan lukkes!

It is very nice to do some sewing. In a way I do find it boring, since you need to really concentrate (and very unlike knitting, it is NOT faster to unravel!) and you can't for instance watch TV while you sew.
Still, I managed to sew quite a few things, since my thread-roles by now actually fit in the box and the lid can be closed!

I går var utroligt effektiv! I dag skal jeg til fødselsdag. Lille I fylder snart 1 og bliver fejret sammen med sin moster, der har fødselsdag i morgen. Derfor skulle hendes gave jo være færdig!
Når jeg har sådan en hjemmelørdag, plejer jeg virkelig at være helt uhyggelig langsom. Og det føles som et mirakel hvis jeg når at rydde op og købe ind. Altså. Inden kl. 17.
Men i går? Der stod jeg op lidt i 7 og gik i svømmehallen. Bagefter gik jeg hjem og syede. Ind imellem købte jeg nogle julegaver, og så syede jeg videre.
Nu glæder jeg mig til at forære resultatet væk. I må se det på tirsdag, for hendes mor skal have lov at se det rigtigt inden hun ser det her på bloggen. Men jeg er YDERST tilfreds!

Yesterday was incredibly efficient! Today, I'll be going to birthday celebration. Little I will turn 1 soon and will celebrate with her aunt whose birthday is tomorrow. So her gift should be done!
When I have a Saturday at home, I'm usually insanely slow. And it feels like a miracle if I manage to tidy up and do grocery shopping. Well. Before 5 p.m.
But yesterday? I got up a bit before 7 a.m. and went to go swimming. Afterwards, I went home and sewed. In between I also bought some Christmas presents, and then I continued sewing.
I'm really excited to be giving it away. You will get to see it on Tuesday, since I want her mum to be able to see it for real before seeing it here on the blog. But I'm VERY happy with my work!

Herligt / Wonderful

Sidste uge havde jeg fri! Faktisk næsten hele ugen, for torsdag skulle jeg på kursus med mit team.
Jeg kan ikke helt huske, hvornår jeg sidst har haft fri så mange dage OG været derhjemme. Der var endda et par dage, hvor jeg ikke havde nogle aftaler! Ihvertfald 2 dage.....
Jeg er ikke så god til ikke at lægge planer, så jeg forsøgte at lade være med at sige det til nogen. Det gik meget godt.
Mandag brugte jeg bl.a. på at pakke gaver ind til min nevøs pakkekalender. Det er altid meget tilfredsstillende at lægge pakkerne på række så man kan se, hvor langt man er kommet!

Last week was my week off! Almost all week, actually, since I had a course on Thursday with my team.
I can't really remember the last time I had that many days off AND stayed at home. I even had a few days without any appointments! At least 2 days.....
I am kind of hopeless at not making plans, so I tried not to tell anyone. That went quite well.
On Monday, I spent part of the day wrapping presents for the Advent calendar for my nephew. I love putting the gifts in a row to see how far along I am!

Samme nevø har (heldigvis) andet at lave end at sidde klistret til sin telefon og vente på en besked. Så pakken blev først sendt onsdag, da han havde sendt sin adresse. Jeg håber, den tager den lige vej og kommer - men hvis den kommer lidt sent, må han jo bare åbne mere end én pakke første dag. Det vigtige er, at den når frem!
Denne uge er det arbejde igen. Men juleferien lurer, og jeg glæder mig!

The same nephew has other things to do than sitting with his phone, waiting for a message (fortunately). So the package was mailed on Wednesday, after he sent his address. I do hope it goes straight to him - but if it is a bit late, he will just have to open more than 1 gift the first day. The most important thing is that it reaches him!
This week, it's back to work. But the Christmas vacation is waiting ahead, and I can't wait!

Flensburg

For nogle uger siden aftalte mine to veninder at vi skulle strikke denne weekend. Jeg byttede arbejde, og vi glædede os. Planerne blev så ændret lidt, men afsted kom vi. Ihvertfald 2 af os! Weekenden skal bruges i Flensburg, så i går efter arbejde havde vi begge den sjældne fornøjelse at køre over Storebæltsbroen i bil. Imponerende syn!

A few weeks ago, my 2 friends decided that we would be knitting this weekend. I switched my work plans, and we were looking forward. The plans were then changed a bit, but off we went. At least 2 of us! We'll spend the weekend in Flensburg, so last night, after work, we had the rare pleasure of passing the Great Belt Bridge by car. Impressive sight!

Vi kom sent herned, men nåede alligevel at hygge med strikketøj. 

Og i dag? I dag skal vi bare hygge. Med garnbutikker. Og kage. Jubii!

We arrived late, but still had time for some knitting. 

And today? Today we'll just have fun. With yarn shops. And cake. Horray!

Der er meget / There is a lot

Der er kommet en bunke stof ud af skabet til vaskemaskinen. Altså - man kan jo lige så godt sørge for, at det bliver klar til at sy af, ikke?
I dag kan man vist kun kalde vejret klassisk dansk sommervejr. Overskyet og lige køligt nok til at man ihvertfald overvejer overtøj inden man går ud. Jeg tror nærmest ikke mig selv, men jeg nyder det faktisk! Glæder mig til engang at kunne sove med dyne igen. Det er nu så dejligt.

A pile of fabric is out of the closet and ready for the washing machine. Well - it is just as well having it ready to sew from, right?
Today, the weather is classical Danish summer weather, I guess. Cloudy and just cold enough to make you think about some kind of overcoat before you go outside. I hardly believe it, but I am actually enjoying it! Looking forward to sleeping under the duvet again some time. It's nice.

Øreringe / Earrings

I ved det jo allerede - jeg har et virkelig svagt punkt for øreringe. Ikke de der fine diamant nogle, men fuldstændigt gakkede øreringe.
Da min kollega så på facebook linkede til en, der laver og sælger de her krabater, så tog det altså ikke lang tid at bestille!

You know this already - I really have a soft spot for earrings. Not the exclusive diamond ones, but totally crazy earrings.
So when my colleague on facebook linked to a shop making and selling these guys, it didn't take me long to place an order!

Måske skulle jeg lige have læst det der om størrelsen, for de er GODT nok store!
De er også vildt seje, og jeg må finde ud af, hvornår jeg kan have dem på. En eller anden særlig lejlighed!

Maybe I should have read the lines about the size, since they are REALLY big!
They are also incredibly cool, and I need to find out when to wear them. Some special occasion!

Aalborg

Det er virkelig ikke særlig tit jeg er i Aalborg. Selv når jeg er på familiebesøg, plejer vi ikke at tage ind til byen, men ud i skoven. Så i går var en overraskelse! Vi var rundt i byen og endda på café!
Hos Salling var julepynten sat op. Inklusive Aalborg i Lego. DET var fint!
Jeg er så imponeret af Musikkens Hus, og det var flot også som model.

I really don't get to Aalborg that often. Even when I'm visiting my family, we usually don't get into town, but out in the woods. So yesterday was a surprise! We spent the morning in the city and even visited a café! At Salling, the Christmas decorations were up. Including Aalborg build in Lego. THAT was really pretty!
I'm so impressed by "Musikkens Hus" (music house), and it looked amazing as a model as well. 

Vi mødte min nevø med familie, så de kom med hjem. Ham den lille kunne vældig godt lide mit Noro-garn, og man tager vel heller ikke skade af "ordentlig litteratur" allerede i en ung alder? Elizabeth Zimmermanns bøger er jo også gode at kende.
Hvordan garnet faktisk smagte ved jeg ikke, men det var lidt vådt da han var gået igen......
Nå ja - jeg har næsten fået strikket en Baby Surprise Jacket til. Den må I se når den er færdig.

We met my nephew and his family, and they were invited home. The little one really liked my Noro-yarn, and I guess some "classic literature" didn't hurt him, even at this young age? The books by Elizabeth Zimmermann are good to know.
How the yarn tasted, I don't know, but it was a bit wet after he had left......
Oh well - I almost finished another Baby Surprise Jacket. You'll see it when it's done.

Hej så længe / So long

Nu ER det ferie, og i dag spenderer jeg herhjemme. Alene. Hold op, jeg har længtes efter sådan en dag! I dag skal jeg absolut ikke gøre andet end det jeg lige føler for. (Hvilket inkluderer vasketøj, opvask, strygning og støvsugning!)
Jeg har smidt arbejdstøjet, som I kan se! (Min kollega var sød at smide det til vask. De bliver STJERNEtossede på operationsgangen hvis man lader det ligge og flyde på den måde!)
Ser frem til en uge med besøg af hende på 3 år og forberedelse til på fredag, hvor jeg skal til HONG KONG! Er begyndt at lede efter garnbutikker.... For jeg er altså nødt til at have noget af det lækre, kinesiske cashmere med hjem!

So now it really IS vacation, and I'm spending today at home. Alone. I really longed for a day like this! Today, I'll be doing absolutely only what I feel for. (Which includes laundry, doing the dishes, ironing and vacuumcleaning!)
I dropped my work clothes, as you can see! (My colleague was really nice, putting it for laundry. They are FURIOUS at the operation theatre department if you leave you dirty clothes like that!)
I'm looking forward to a week with the 3 year old visiting, and preparations for Friday, when I'll be going to HONG KONG! I've started looking for yarn shops.... I do need to bring home some of the wonderful, Chinese cashmere!

Festival!

I går gik turen så rundt for at se det hele. Det var faktisk dejligt ikke at skulle nå noget, og det var herligt at kunne gå rundt i det store telt, når alle var til workshops. (Der var selvfølgelig sort af mennesker alligevel.....)
Noget af det første, vi mødte i teltet, var den store stand fra Bohus! For ca. 3 år siden købte jeg et kit, og jeg kan ligesom godt se, at jeg må komme i gang.... De er så lækre, de sweatre!
Jeg måtte selvfølgelig købe bogen.

Yesterday, we went out to see everything. It was really nice not rushing to be somewhere, and it was great walking around in the big tent, while everybody were at their workshops. (Of course it was still seriously crowded.....)
One of the first shops in the tent was the shop from Bohus! About 3 years ago, I bought a kit, and I guess I'd better get started..... These sweaters are so amazing!
Of course, I had to buy the book.

Vi mødte også Karen og købte hendes nye bog med sjaler. Hele NITTEN sjaler har hun med, og de er alle fine og forskellige.

We also met Karen, and bought her new shawl-book. She included a total of NINETEEN shawls, and they are all very pretty and very different.

På gaden var der Fanø-piger. Som man heldigvis måtte fotografere.

In the streets there were Fanø-girls, which we could take photos of.

Jeg prøvede VIRKELIG at holde igen med at købe garn, og gik og tænkte på alt det, jeg har derhjemme. Til gengæld købte jeg bøger. Og en garnholder (som er genial!).
Men pludselig gik det galt, så jeg får også lækre, bløde minder med hjem fra Fanø!

I REALLY tried restraining myself from buying yarn, and I walked around, thinking of all my yarn at home. I bought books instead. And a yarn-holder (which is genius!).
But suddenly, I failed, and I will bring home some nice, soft memories from Fanø as well!

I går aftes farvede vi garn. Igen - jeg tænkte at det behøvede jeg virkelig ikke. Indtil jeg behøvede det alligevel. Så i morges vågnede vi til dette syn! Det bliver skønt at tage med hjem (og det er altså ikke alt sammen mit). Iøvrigt har jeg lige fundet ud af, at man kan købe syrefarver på granat.dk. Tjek det selv ud.

Last night, we dyed yarn. Again - I thought I really didn't need to do it. Until I did need it anyway. So this morning, we woke up to this sight! It will be great bringing home (and not everything is mine!).

Måske er jeg ved at blive gammel / Maybe I'm turning old

De der lørdage derhjemme uden nogen planer er jeg begyndt at sætte mere og mere pris på. En hel dag, hvor jeg bare kan lave nøjagtigt, hvad jeg lige gider!
I går var også sådan. Godt nok skulle jeg forberede mig nogenlunde til at få gæster i dag, men der var rigeligt tid til at tage det langsomt.
Jeg fik hængt min nye lampe op. Min fine, gamle lampe kunne ikke tåle at jeg fik nyt skab - det kom lidt for tæt på! - så jeg skyndte mig at købe en Tiffany-lampe til. De er så fine!

Those Saturdays at home without any plans are more and more appreciated. An entire day, doing exactly what I feel like!
Yesterday was like that. I did have to prepare to have guests today, but there was plenty of time to just take it slowly.
I hung up my new lamp. My pretty, old lamp couldn't really take my new closet - it got too close! - so I bought a new Tiffany-lamp. They are so beautiful!

Jeg købte også blomster og fik indviet min smukke, nye vase. Det er virkelig hyggeligt når jeg får taget mig sammen og købt blomster!
(Som I kan se, fik opvasken lov at leve lidt længere....)

I also bought flowers and used my beautiful, new vase for the first time. I really enjoy when I pull myself together and buy flowers!
(As you can see, my dishes got to live a bit longer....)

Om aftenen var der "den sidste promenadekoncert". Der var helt utroligt mange EU-flag i salen, så det er vist ikke alle, der var enige i Brexit!
Det føles meget mærkeligt og egoistisk, men helt VILDT skønt med de der hele dage derhjemme! Alene! Og det er så der, jeg spekulerer over om det er en aldersting. Har I det også sådan?

In the evening, they showed "last night at the Proms". There were a lot of EU-flags in the room, so I guess not all agree on Brexit!
It feels very strange and egoistic, but SO nice having those whole days at home! Alone! And this is were I wonder if it might be a thing that comes with age. Do you also feel like that?

Carl og mig / Carl and I

Det er nogle lange dage at arbejde i Sverige. Der er nok at tage sig til, togturen er lang, og hver dag har jeg et sølle håb om at være "tidligt" hjemme, så jeg kan nå at se Jimmy Fallon kl. 18.30, hvilket måske sker et par gange om måneden.....
Jeg synes bloggen lider lidt under det. Det er ikke ligefrem blomstrende overskud og masser af strikkerier der trives her, men alligevel holder jeg fast i at skrive hver dag. Bare fordi det er så hyggeligt på en eller anden måde.
Nå. Men på de daglige togture har jeg de sidste måneder haft selskab af Carl. Carl Hamilton. Det svenske svar på James Bond. Jeg er nået til 10. bog af de ialt 13, så der er dejligt mange timer endnu inden det er slut! Lydbøger er så utroligt hyggelige til sådan en togtur, og herlige at se frem til, både når jeg strikker eller når jeg er for træt til at strikke.
Når jeg engang er færdig med lydbøgerne, skal jeg have gang i filmene. Carl er et drabeligt bekendtskab, og jeg kunne godt tænke mig at få billeder på også......
Jeg er stadig glad for at arbejde i Sverige!

Working in Sweden means long days. There is plenty of work to do, the train ride is a long one, and every day, I have this pathetic hope of getting home "early", which means being able to watch Jimmy Fallon at 6.30 p.m., which in reality happens maybe a couple of times a month....
I do think the blog suffers from this. My life is not generating a lot of creativity and excitement right now with plenty of knitting, but still, I continue writing a little every day. Just because I really like it somehow.
Well. On the daily train rides, I've been sitting next to Carl for the past months. Carl Hamilton. The Swedish version of James Bond. I'm on the 10th of the 13 books, so I have plenty of lovely hours to come before it's over! Audio books are just great for commuting, and wonderful looking forward to, both if I knit or if I'm too tired for knitting.
Once I'm done with the audio books, I'll have to watch the movies. Carl is a wonderful but deadly person, and I would love to get some images as well.......
I still love working in Sweden!

Frilørdag / Saturday off

I går skulle jeg ikke arbejde. Eller have gæster. Eller besøge nogen. Derfor blev det en af de der dage, hvor jeg udelukkende kunne gøre, hvad jeg havde lyst til, og jeg lovede mig selv IKKE at have dårlig samvittighed over det jeg ikke nåede. En meget vigtig detalje.
Når jeg nu havde sådan en dag, tog jeg først ind og byttede en fødselsdagsgave til en strikkebog, og så kørte jeg forbi Knitworks for at kigge. Følte bestemt ikke jeg manglede strikkefestival i mit liv (eller nyt garn!), men når den nu var næsten lige om hjørnet.
Første stand jeg så, var Sisses fra Nørkleriet. Her kunne man få taget et billede med sit yndlingssjal!

Yesterday, I wasn't working. Or had visitors planned. Or had plans of visiting someone. It ended up as one of those days with me doing exactly what I wanted, and I promised myself NOT to feel guilty about the stuff I didn't get around to doing. A very important detail.
With a day like this, I first went to the bookstore, exchanging a birthday gift for a knitting book, and then I went to Knitworks to have a look. Didn't really miss knitting festivals in my life right now (or new yarn!), but with this just around the corner, I went anyway.
The first booth I came across was by Sisse from "Nørkleriet". Here, you could have a photo taken with your favorite shawl!

Jeg ville helt vildt gerne købe Katrines opskriftbøger, og fandt også hendes modeller, men selv om jeg spurgte her og der og var alle 3 sale rundt adskillige gange, lykkedes det mig altså ikke. Desværre. Men flotte er de ihvertfald!
Til gengæld fik jeg hilst på både Charlotte Kaae, Pernille Skau, Signe Strømgaard og Louise Klindt. Det var virkelig hyggeligt!

I really wanted to buy Katrine's pattern books, and did find her models, but even though I asked here and there and went around all 3 rooms several times, I didn't succeed. Unfortunately. They are some very nice models!
While walking around, I met Charlotte Kaae, Pernille Skau, Signe Strømgaard and Louise Klindt. That was really nice and fun!

Jeg havde ikke en eneste strikket ting på kroppen, og faktisk havde jeg heller ikke mit strikketøj med, så jeg faldt noget igennem på sådan en strikkefestival.
Men så købte jeg en strikketatovering hos Signe. Det hjalp da lidt!
Nå. Der var fint og spændende, men jeg smuttede hjem igen efter lidt frokost i byen. (Hotdog. Genialt!)

I didn't wear a single knitted thing, and I hadn't even brought my knitting, so I really kind of stood out on a knitting festival like this.
But then I bought a knitting tattoo from Signe. Helped a bit!
Well. It was nice and exciting, but home I went after grabbing lunch in the center. (Hotdog. Genius!)

Hjemme fik jeg brugt sidste års sidste julebryg til at lave "pip på dåse". Havde haft planer om det et godt stykke tid, og det var lækkert!
Sådan en dag er virkelig skøn nu og da......

At home, I used the last can of Christmas beer from last year to make "bird on a can". Had planned to do this for a while, and it tasted good!
A day like that is really great now and then.....

Fanø

Det er ikke kun på grund af strikkefestivalen - der er bare hyggeligt på Fanø!
Den første aften spiste vi ude. Under halvtaget mens det regnede. Bagefter havde vi den traditionelle garnpakkeleg.

It's not just the knitting festival - Fanø is just such a nice place!
We ate outside on the first evening. Under the roof while we watched the rain. Afterwards, we held our traditional yarn-gift-game.

Sommerhuset er så fint, så fint. Bygget "udenpå" et lille, gammelt hus, der er bevaret i den ene ende. Der var ikke langt til havet, men der nåede vi nu aldrig ned. Vi havde så meget andet at gøre!

The summer house was as pretty as they get. Build "outside" a tiny old house, which is kept at one end. The sea wasn't too far away, but we never went there. Had too much other stuff to do!

"Centralt i Sønder Ho" lå forsamlingshuset med boder. Det der centrale er en gammel joke. En af de første gange jeg var til strikkefestival, hørte jeg Lene Holme Samsøe fortælle, at hun boede "centralt i Sønder Ho". Den by er så lille at man helt sikkert ikke opdager centrum hvis man blinker, og jeg var helt færdig af grin, for "centralt" og "Sønder Ho" var formentlig ikke brugt i samme sætning tidligere.

"Centrally in Sønder Ho" was the house with a market place. The central thing is an old joke. One of my first time on the knitting festival, Lene Holme Samsøe was explaining how she lived "centrally in Sønder Ho". This village is so small that you will miss the center if you blink, and I laughed so hard, because I don't believe the words "centrally" and "Sønder Ho" was ever used in the same sentence before.

Der var mere garnmarked - endda med musik! Fin folkemusik i Sønder Ho. Andre steder havde man vist nok kunnet se folkedragter, men dem stødte vi nu ikke lige på.

There were more yarn markets - even with music! Beautiful traditional music in Sønder Ho. In other places you could meet people in traditional outfits, but we never met them.

Mens vi holdt i kø til færgen, var vi så heldige at have frit udsyn til en anden stor attraktion - sæler! De var ret tæt på og såååååå nuttede, som de gumpede sig rundt på sandbanken.
Jeg har skimtet sæler i det fjerne før, men bestemt ikke set nogen så tæt på!

While waiting in line for the ferry, we had the fortune of seeing another great attraction - the seals!
They were very close and sooooo cute when they moved around on the sand.
I've seen a few far away before, but not this many or that close!

Det gjorde absolut ingenting at vi holdt i kø i halvanden time. Der var sæler, strikketøj, frokost og godt selskab!
Det var så utroligt hyggeligt at være på Fanø, og skulle du være på de kanter, så kig forbi. Hvadenten der er strikkefestival eller ej! (De har hele TRE garnbutikker. Gode!)

We didn't mind waiting in the line for 90 minutes. We had the seals, our knitting, lunch and great company!
It was so wonderful being on Fanø, and if you are close by sometime, please take a look. Knitting festival or not. (They have THREE yarn shops on the island! Good ones!)