My hometown - this is my home town (too)

I lived in beautiful Bergen for 7,5 years, and I feel right at home every time I go back there. Last week I allowed myself a short break, going away all alone to meet up with my favourite teacher during my glory days at SHKD (presently known as KHiB. I graduated from the Dept of Textile Art mid January 1996, which means it has been almost exactely 15 years since I last saw my dear Professor of Colour Grete Smedal. Seeing you again wass bliss, Grete! And talking with you made me feel totally connected to my creative core. And to you, as it had been just 15 minutes, not 15 years! True inspiration! I will get back to our common passion for colour in a later post, by telling the story of The Magic Dress and the Chromascope. The first photo above shows one of Gretes numerous colour design projects; the inner yard of Hotel Admiral in central Bergen. The second one is taken at Bryggen, outside Gretes studio, showing the intriguing shapes of the warehouse buildings with cranes, dating from 1702 (but established around year 1070 AD) and after. The photo below? The frosty, beautiful city of Bergen handsomely adorned with golden sunshine and blue, blue sky.

PS - I don´t think I listened much to Bruce Springsteen during my years in Bergen, even though I did before and after this period - but his lyrics applies very well anyhow ;o)

Good Hair Day?

The Arwetta Classic finally found its form. I have managed through several VERY cold weeks this winter. By wearing my warmest coat (a fake fur), my (politically un-correct) real sealskin boots and various selfmade hats, scarves and shawls. Some days with sheepskin mittens, some days wit beautiful hand-knit-by-my-best-friend mittens. There is still no sign of spring. Conclusion: The double folded rib of this hat will come handy even though it was finished weeks and weeks later than planned (the x-mas gift making was a brilliant excuse for putting this rather boring project aside).

My motto when it comes to hats is the same as before: Only the fact that my ears are kept warm can compensate risking a not-so-halfbad-hairdo by wearing a hat! (Not that this is a very likely scenario. Me having a truely Good Hair Day, I mean.) I LOVE my mega-warm Arwetta hat! Pattern: my own, very simple. Also very simple to copy; be my guest!

The photo is taken in Bergen (more from Bergen next time) by a friend, and it was slightly under exposed. I went to the other extreme, totally over exposing it and it turned out fashionably retro-ish. To others it may look just like one of my usual mishaps, but I am pleased ;o) I have still about 50 g left of the Arwetta which will most probably end up as wristwarmers at some point.

Princess at work

The knitting fever is still rising - Princess has produced 10-12 bows for her friends the latest few days - and I think there are more to come. The bows are supposed to be attached to hair bands or hair elastics or they are made into brooches. This reminds me of my own early knitting and crocheting years - I made crochet net tops by order and charged very little money if any at all as long as I got to keep the scraps of yarn. This was actually the very start of my yarn stash :oD Way to go, Princess! ;o)

Chunky neckwarmer

The slow, dark winter is still a mystery to me. MY winter is extremely busy and galloping away, and I can positively see that the sun is up earlier each and every day. The blog is suffering because of my busy schedule, but at last, here is a FO: a mega neck warmer for Princess. 4 balls of Eskimo knit in the round on 9 mm circulars; knit 3, purl 3 - done in a few hours.