everyday life

skansen

From January 1st, we have an new organisation at work, and the archive will get some new personel from other departments at the National Heritage Board. So yesterday we had one of these planing meetings with old and new staff. This time we left work for the day and visited Skansen. Skansen is the oldest open-air museum in the world. Skansen is also a zoological park. It is located on the island of Djurgården, a royal park near the centre of Stockholm.

The stage as Solliden is famous to all Swedes. Every New Year's Eve since 1895, Tennyson's Ring Out Wild Bells has been recited at Skansen by a well-known Swede (the past years it has been Jan Malmsjö, an actor/singer) on the stroke of midnight. The Skansen New Year celebrations attract visitors by the thousand and are telecast live. The programme starts at about 23.25 with music and entertainment and ends with a big fireworks display. And during the summer months there are live TV shows from the stage. I took this photo just after sun rise yesterday morning and as you can see it was a lovely morning, but cold.

After lunch we took a stroll the town quarters at Skansen, to visit the Stockholm Glassworks. It was really fun to see the making of a glass bowl/vase.

        It took about 50 minute´s to go from a small lumpy thing to big beautiful bowl/vase. And it was really interesting to follow the work. It's looks so easy when the workers do it, but is problebly very hard to do it. We all had a great time here, and after we had the chance to buy glass in the store next door. It was very tempting to buy something, but I didn't buy - this time. But I have bought stuff here before and I will do it again, another time. Stockholm Glassworks has really beautiful things to buy! And others did buy gifts.

During the afternoon it began to snow, so when we all walked home it was white all over the city and it was really nice. The city becomes softer and the street nocie dies away. The sadly part is it was all gone when I woke up this morning! And it has been raining all day here in Stockholm! Christmas is coming and I want to have some snow now!!

färgkraft shawl

detail, originally uploaded by catsfalk.

It took me about 11 month to finish this one. A simple garter stitch shawl, easy knitting with garter stitch all the way and YO at the beginning, at the end and in the middle every other row. But here she is in all her glory. I love it!

Färgkraft Shawl
Yarn: Färgkraft Softblend Colour: AlvSvart
Needles: Addi turbo 8.00 mm circular
Pattern: www.fargkraft.com/Trekantschalar.htm
Design: Margrét Kållberg
Started: December 26, 2006 Finished: November 24, 2007
Yarnsource: Syfestival in Sollentuna, November 2006

I had the shawl at work yesterday I got a lot of "oohs" and "aaahs".

Here is a snap shot from my work yesterday, wearing the shawl.

And I'm actually wearing a new pair of glasses too, can't you tell? ;) I will post a better picture of those later on. And I actually got 2 pairs of glasses, I made a deal of picking 2 paying for 1.

For more picture, click on the photo´s and they will take you to my Flickr page.

I'm still at work, in fact, I'm standing at the same spot as the picture. It's my week in the information desk, as an archivist. Today I have been dealing a lot with photo orders, photo's who will be published in books and thesis. But I also have a group of students here, looking for records about archaeological sites. But after work, I will go to our new Knitting Café at Hurtigs and meet some of the girls!

englishmen in stockholm

We had a fantastic sunny, but cold day yesterday! The past days has been very grey and gloomy so it was really nice to see the sun. I was out for a walk in my neighbourhood and people were de-frosting the cars everywhere. I met up with my neighbour, Miss K, and we took a hot chocolate on a nearby café! And we actually sat outdoors cuddled up in blankets. And today? We´re back with the grey and gloomy weather, but it´s actually snowing at the moment. But I fear, the snow will turn to rain later on. But the snowfall is nice!

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So, my day with the Londoners was great! The whole story beginns in 2006, when I signed up for another round of Secret Pal. My spoilee was living in London and her name was Claire. And when the SP round had finished we continued to keep in touch and it was pretty clear we had not just knitting as a common interest. So to celebrate her birthday and her and bloke's (belated) 10th anniversary, they bought ticket to Stockholm.

 

Claire bought some yarn at Marias.

So I took a day off from work and met up outside the hotel on Wednesday, at noon. They had done some touristy thing the day before, so this day we walked around the city for some yarn hunting. We started at Nysta, after that we walked across the city to the south side to visit Maria´s garn. And here Claire bought some goodies. We had a lunch break, continued our yarn walk through Old Town and checked out Sticka and Anntorps Väv. After that we needed something to drink so we took a long chocolate/tea break at the Kungstornets Café.

Since we all is huge football fans, I had bought tickets to the last Euro 2008 qualification game at Råsunda between Sweden and Latvia. And Sweden still needed 1 point  to qualify. And after 34 seconds the Swedish player Marcus Allbäck scored and everybody was over the moon with happiness. But after 30 minutes a Latvian player scored, 1-1. The game was not that good, but in the end, after Kim Källström had made the final goal, 2-1 - the Swedes were happy and we are now qualified to play in Euro 2008. The Londoners got text messagers from home about the England game, and it was not happy reports. At the end England lost and will not take part of the Euro 2008. But I think Sweden gain two new supporters this night! Right?!?

I end this report with a lovely photo from Claire's camera.

Knit bloggers is the best!

something blue

I'm so tired. This week has been hectic, but filled with love, joy, laughter, music, football, friendship. I'm actually feeling happy, tired but happy. As you might guess, after my last post, the Ryan Adams concert was absolutly amazing! I have been listen to his music 24/7 now and I still want to listen more of his music. And I love him.

The day after the concert I had a sleep in (the clock was long after midnight when I got home the night before). I had the day off from work. And at noon I met up with the Londoners outside their hotel. We had a great day -but I will tell you about that day in my next post.

I have also been knitting this week. Do you remember the blue shawl I started on Christmas day last yeat? If you don't, I can't blame you! The last time I knitted on that shawl was in March, during my illness.

The yarn is from Färgkraft, in a blue/purple/black colour. And it's an easy knit, garter stitch all the way with YO at the beginning, at the end and in the middle every other row - kind of boring though. But after I finished the Birch I pull this one out, and now I'm almost finished. Have a small amount of yarn left fro the cast off. So in a couple of days I will have me a new shawl to wear!

Good Night!

ryan adams

For those of you, who didn't attend the Ryan Adams consert in Stockholm yesterday. I found some nice YouTube moments I want to share with you (not from the gig last night). And I'm in love with this guy!

the shawl and eva

Finally, here is a picture of the shawl, with the new and proud owner, Eva. Eva is soooo proud of the shawl (and so am I) and everybody at work is envy of this shawl.

the shawl

birch

I finished the birch, yesterday morning - so yesterday evening I blocked it. So now I have a huge Birch on the living room floor. And it's about to let it be free from all the pins.

Blocking, on the floor

I still haven't got a photo in daylight!

Eva's Army Green Birch
Yarn: Drops Alpaca Colour: Army green 7895
Needles: Bamboo circular 5,5 mm
Pattern: Rowan 34
Design: Sharon Miller
Started: October 26, 2007 Finished: November 18, 2007
Yarnsource: Ljunkvists garn, Odenplan, Stockholm

I cast on 349 stitches, pattern says 299, so it is bigger and cosier.

This is the first item I have made for another person and got paid for it. Eva paid for the yarn (totally 6 skeins SEK 252 (€26,80 ; £19,05; $39,03) and then she paid  SEK 700 for the work (€74,42 ; £52,91 ;  $108, 41)) I'm happy, she's happy, everybody is happy!

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Clarie and to Hampus! Hampus is celebrating his first birthday today and Claire is celebrates her 30 something! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

domestic goddess

I basiclly spent the whole afternoon in my kitchen - cooking, cleaning, eating, reading and knitting. Once in a while I enjoy cooking and I try to make something new. When I had my birthday in September, a co-worker made me some apple chutney as a gift and I loved it. Then Katarina made some and I got a recipie from her and today I made my own. And it tastes wonderful. Had it for lunch with my grilled sandwich.

apple chutney in jars

I also made my gavorie cake - a chocolate cake, a quick and easy way to get high..

For dinner I made a chicken curry dish and I was to hungry to take a photo, but it was a very tasteful dinner!

I have been knitting on the birch and I am very close to finnish it now. I have 79 stitches left, so hopefully I will finnish it tomorrow and take a photo of it in daylight!

Now, it's football night. My boys are playing against Spain and we need ONE point to qualify to Euro 2008. Let's make it happen tonight!! (I will be at Råsunda on Wednesday for the final match, against Latvia. And I will go with my English friend Claire and her hubby Ian, who is visiting Stockholm, Mon- Thu.) The big game starts in about 10 minutes I need to go to the kitchen and fetch a glass of wine. See'ya!

knitting is acutally going on

It has been a lot of work here at this blog. ButI have atually been knitting along the way. Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday I attend a conferance, so I had about 7 hours of knitting on work time these two days. And as you knitting ladies know, you can be more alert and awake while listen and knitting. I was working on the Birch, and a couple of rows behind me in the audiatorum sat the future owner of the shawl Eva, and gave me thumbs up!

I'm down to 179 stitches now. I started of with 349.

the birch. sorry about the dark pix, but it's hard to take a picture when it starts to get dark, 3.30 pm - there is no daylight when at home.

I'm off from work tomorrow! Yes, again! =) Basiclly I will have a day just to relax! And I will begin now, with going to bed!

Have a nice Thursday evening!

another archive

I didn't walk to "my" archive this morning. I visit another archive -gasp- instead. Just a couple of blocks down the road from National Heritage Board, the Army Museum is situated, and today my co-workers and I visit their archive. I know one of the archivists here, so Johan and I had arrange this visit. They are going to visit us later.

The Army Museum.

This archive is not big as ours, but very interesting. Our guide, Johan, was showing us sketches of uniforms, battle maps, passports  -taken from Soviet war criminals from the WWII, captuerd in Finland. Sweden had soldiers fighting on the finnish side, a volunteer army. Drawings, photos, blue prints and so on.

We also got the chance to visit the museum´s metal conservator and she was showing us her work on the famous (for us Swedes) DC-3, which got shot down by a Soviet MIG in 1952 and crashed in the Baltic Sea, very near the Soviet (than) border. The Soviets denied all involvment in this, for years and years. But in 2003, the plane was found, and the Russians -sort of- confirmed what happend that day in 1952. Only 4 of the crew was found. 4 is still missing.

The door from the DC-3, with the Swedish coat of arms.

We also had time to see some of the exhibitions at the museum and I will go back to see the rest! We had a great couple of hours!