It's Time For Pink!

The Christmas blog header is gone. The Christmas decorations are put away. Christmas dramas are put behind and Christmas joy is forever treasured in my memory and on film. I crave pink. Lots of pink. Light pink and bright pink, pale pink and smiley pink. Pink tulips on my table. Pink PJ's when going to bed. Tea cups with pink roses.

I want to make a pink table runner and a pink baby quilt for a new arrival. I made a pink set of Pine Tree Wrist Warmers (pattern here) and I love them dearly. I want to make another ruffle pillow, in pink. I want pink in my bathroom and so I choose a pink tube of shampoo and conditioner at the grocery store, and new bright pink scrub gloves for the shower. Maybe I should buy myself a set of pink towels too...??? And pink soap, toothpaste... Am I going to far??? I just want pink. So pink it is. For a while. In my home. Longing for spring and pink apple blossoms on the trees.

Kärlek
Annette

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A Wintery Sweden

The bay is covered by ice. All leaves are gone. I can peek into neighbors' properties through naked trees and bushes... What a treat (twink!).

A couple of contractors came. Gave advice on our building plans. The project became real for the first time. Now I see the Swedish red cottages with a more technical eye than before. Details, such as windows, where they are positioned. Verandas, how they are attached. Shapes of roofs and extensions, how they are attached. If we are lucky we can get this project started this spring already. I can't wait...

We take walks along our bay, my nephew Elyas plays on the ice. My brother and I walk partly in silence, at times making comments about what we see. Sometimes about what we think. My head is brewing of ideas. His too. We are excited. It feels good to walk there in the winter landscape, the cold minus degrees biting into my cheeks. No need for conversation. Just being. 

The sun slowly goes down behind the horizon, we light up the fireplace at my brother's place. We start a Monopoly game and play for four hours!!! Elyas wipes out both me and my brother in the end, being the owner of Broadwalk (US)/Mayfair (UK) and Park Place (US)/Park Lane (UK)... I guess his tactics paid off. I can't remember when I played Monopoly for this long last time... It's peaceful and comforting.

Later I walk up to my cottage, sleep in my small bedroom with heaters on maximum. My cottage is cold and I have only heated up the kitchen and bedroom. The veranda has frost on the inside... No crocheting there this time.

Soon things will look different here and I will be able to make this house as cozy as my brother has made his place. I lye there in my bed, flicking through interior magazines and dream away... I'm so lucky to have a piece of Sweden that is my very own. I see us come here more often, in any season. It's a good trip and I return back home with lots of news to share with my family.

Kärlek
Annette

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Exciting summer house plans!

My veranda is calling!  I'm going to Sweden this weekend. Leaving in just 10 minutes for the airport. This time to meet with some contractors to discuss the extension we want to make on the summer house. Big plans. Adding a double bedroom. An open plan kitchen and living space area. I'm so excited. If we are lucky we might have some more space this summer. :) And I can go crazy on "loppis" and buy every old worn thing I fall in love with. Kind of! I have brought some crochet of course. For veranda time, of course. See my veranda make over I did last summer here. Wish me luck and see you next week. Happy weekend everyone.

Kärlek
Annette

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CROCHET PATTERN: Pine Tree Wrist Warmers

Welcome to a new crochet pattern addition
It's the Pine Tree Wrist Warmers pattern.
My intention was to release this pattern before Christmas,
as you can tell by the photos used, but I ran out of time in all the joy of Christmas.
Better late than never, as they say. ;)
This pattern is inspired by Scandinavian forests and named after the surface of a pine tree.
The cable stitch used is a great eye catcher and so much fun to make.
You would need to step out of your beginner crocheter comfort zone to make these fingerless mittens
as they ask for a special attention on counting stitches and partly working in back loops.
Once you get the hang of the pattern they whip up quite quickly, and they make for a perfect gift!
Hope you will enjoy! 

PINE TREE WRIST WARMERS PATTERN

5-page PDF file
UK and US terms
60-70g of worsted 10ply wool
(I used Ulrika 100% Superwash from Svarta Fåret)
Written pattern and accompanied pictures for clarity
Tips and photos for inspiration

Now available here:
Etsy Shop

Please share your creations on Instagram:
#pinetreewristwarmers

Kärlek
Annette

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My Family Is Simply Great!

I know, Christmas is over and shall we move on please. But I just have to share the lovely Christmas we had. Because it makes me so so so happy. And after telling you the sad story about me not being able to continue our holiday journey to the US yesterday, I strongly felt I needed some happy moments back up in my corner of Cyber World.

We got up at 4.30 am on Christmas Eve morning to fly to a Swedish Christmas. We arrived just in time for lunch at my brother's summer house, which was lovely decorated with tree, candles and ornaments. The kitchen was steaming hot and running in full gear while the 8 cousins gathered together in laughter, pillow fights and crazy rumbles. I'm always amazed at how the kids connects within a tenth of a second. How they just know they belong and that their friendship is stronger than anything else.

While my brothers prepared and filled up the Christmas Buffé table, we ate candy, nuts and saffron buns with glögg (hot spiced wine) while watching The Donald Duck Show at 3pm. This is the thing. You see, for as long as I have lived we always watch The Donald Duck Show at 3pm on Christmas Eve. Its an essential part of the tradition. Even if I have seen every cartoon, heard every melody about 40+ times now (!!!), I wouldn't skip it for the world.

When The Donald Duck Show was over, the kids went outside to play "Catch In The Dark", the new big game of the year. It gets pitch dark around 3pm already in Sweden, and what the kids do is they go outside in the dark to hide in the garden, a grown up or two  has to catch all the the kids... in the dark. When someone was caught he or she could be saved on the veranda through a hug from a cousin, brother or sister saying "Merry Christmas"... Well, it might sound a bit dangerous, and maybe it was a bit dangerous. But what is life without some danger. Playful danger... In the end we had to stop the saving part because it was impossible to catch them all. Those little legged people are really quick, slipping by in the speed of the light, I'm telling you.

And so Christmas dinner was up and we all dug in with rosy cheeks and cold noses. After about an hour of indulging in all the wonderful Christmas food, the kids got antsy pants and the gifting procedure took place. After a while (oh my there were lots of presents and a pause was very much needed half way through...) we took a break to clean up dinner all together. Because when you do it together, it isn't chore. Someone brought all the dirty dishes, I washed it all by hand, another one dried the dishes and a third one wrapped up left overs and a fourth one collected all the Christmas wrapping paper from the floor... A Grandma watched and helped the kids while they explored their new toys. It was all done during chatter and laughter and after, we all sat down with a hot cuppa to open the last gifts under the tree. It was a perfect Christmas. Everyone were so happy, full of delicious food and delighted to be together.

There is nothing better than being with family during the holidays. Family has become more and more important to me the older I get. And as we live abroad, far away from close family in both Sweden and the US, it is a real treat when we can all get together. I will treasure the memories of this Christmas for the rest of my life... The Catch In The Dark game will probably be something the kids will remember more than anything else. It was really, really special.

PS Thank you my lovelies for your sweet words, comfort and sympathy on yesterday's post. For your advice and tips. I am going to the bottom with this and hopefully I will be able to resolve my situation with the US immigration. I will keep you posted and let you know how it all goes. Warm heartfelt wishes to you all.

Kärlek
Annette

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