Hard Believer-First Aid Kit

My friend shared this lovely Swedish band with me and I absolutely love them, I think you will too.

Playing Catchup! Part IV: Chicago

I visited Chicago about three weeks ago, to attend to my friend Sunny's wedding. We were only there a weekend so we didn't have much time to explore. We picked one neighborhood to visit, Andersonville,which was a predominantly Swedish neighborhood. There are still a few things that are Swedish, like the water tower is painted in the familiar blue and yellow, there's a Swedish bakery and deli, and a lovely painted wooden horse.

Denmark and Sweden only one week away!!!!

(not my photo, borrowed from travel site)

OMG!!! OMG!!!! I'm leaving to Denmark and Sweden next week I cannot wait!!! I have not allowed myself to get excited at all because my last two trips had to be canceled, well one was canceled on me (my birthday trip to Iceland) So now I'm allowing myself some excitement since it's only a week away. Okay so I'm warning everyone that this blog will be temporarily a travel blog til I return at the end of June, but I think you'll forgive me since I will definitely be posting some neat stuff.

Norwegian Slippers Finished!

Yay! I finished knitting the second slipper last weekend but I hadn't had a chance to felt them , so last night since I stayed in a hand felted them in a bowl in the sink and then I towel dried them and threw them in the drier for 20 minutes. Thank goodness I check in on them or else I would have ended up with toddler slippers. I stopped the drier and then I just left them on a towel to dry on my radiator overnight. They came out perfect! More here and here

One sock, two socks, no just one!

OK, I am the slowest knitter in the world it seems but I finally finished knitting and sewing this norwegian slipper together,only one mind you. I didn't want to start the other until I knew the size was okay. This is it pre-felted. I couldn't put it together because I had no cable or internet service for three days at home, our whole building was out. Turns out some of the wires were fried outside our building. Ok! now let's start the second one, maybe it will be for the official start of winter!

Next! Norwegian felted slippers!

(not my pic) by Liecel Tverli Scully

I found this really easy Norwegian felted slipper pattern by Liecel Tverli Scully on Craftzine.com and I'm super psyched to try it out. Since my trip to the Scandie Lands (was suppose to go to Sweden and Norway) was dashed by many a sad or worry some events in my life, I'm obsessed with all things Scandinavian. Anyway, so first I am going through my trunk full of yarns before I purchase anything, but I have a feeling I don't have a whole lot in 100% wool choices, since I usually go for less itchy fibers like baby alpaca. Wish me luck! I'm gonna check out this Scandie lady's blog should be cool ;)

ABBA land here I come!

Next month, starting Labor Day weekend I'm off to the land of Blondes! YES! Sweden and Denmark, more exact Stockholm and Copenhagen. I've got to get my shopping list ready, there is so much exciting stuff to see and buy! Lots of Scandie prints, have to find the craft shops and home stores. I will be there for 10 days and I have to make the most of it, I was hoping for a whole two weeks but my stingy workplace won't budge, motherf***ers! Hmmm, relocation ideas floating in my head, don't the Swedes and Danes get like 2 months off a year and get paid to have children, sounds like the place for me, stay tuned kiddies momma may be lookin'for a new place to park her big behind!

My Swedish Hasbeens are here, HOORAY!

After a shitty day at work of telling me that my designs have to be revised for the umpteenth time because some dumb ass doesn't get it, and walking in the pouring rain, I come home and there's a lovely note from my very sweet elderly neighbors. I have a package! YAY! My Swedish Hasbeens are here! They are so beautiful, and strangely enough it was cheaper to order them from the Swedish site over a U.S. website. I had no choice either, they were out of my size on all the U.S. vendors. The irony is that I decided to go to Sweden and Finland on my next vacay in September! More to come on that news, YAY here I come Swedish Chef!

Scandie'ness even in the Catskills

If you've been to Williamsburg, Brooklyn you probably have passed by or even dared to go into Scandinavian Grace, a store/cafe of Scandie treasures. This weekend my partner, Debra, and I with our friends Judy and Spyro, went to the Hudson River Valley for a weekened getaway. Our second day there we went out for a little road trip when we happened upon an oasis, as far as I'm concerned, another Scandinavian Grace in the middle of the Catskills. After of hours of quaint cuteness and buggy nature, it was a small pleasurable relief to peruse this Scandie treasure on the side of the road. The staff or owner was a bit aloof and made no attempt to speak to us, even though aside from two peeps sitting at the cafe counter we were the only ones there he might have wanted to interest us in a purchase. Even the the service was jerky I still recommend going in for a cruise of giant space with lovely finds and lots of Marimekko, oh and the very special (but itchy) beard caps (picture above) by Vik Prjonsdottir.