Last post for 2009

Hello everyone!

Not been very active these last weeks,

so very late to tell you, but Merry Christmas! I haven't even had time to pop in to your blogs, see your photos etc... so that will have to be done now too!

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas!














Snowstorm

The 24th we stayed at home, cosy, lit a fire, ate our Swedish buffet, watched some TV and then opened the presents. I got very lucky there! :-)



















Saffran buns



















Christmas table

The 25th we went up to Villars, in the mountains and ate at a gorgeous restaurant, Michelin stars and everything. It was just perfect! Snowing and everything. Gipsy behaved too, he was sleeping next to the fire!






























Before Christmas, Gipsy was ill, he had an ulcer. Wasn't very fun at all, but I'm happy to say that he is really better now! He is on a strict diet and still has a few medecine-days to go but I think everything is much better!















The 26th thow, we got to know that someone close in the swedish family died, so that wasn't the funniest day ever, but we're starting to cope with it quite okay.

For the remainder of that time, I've been working. A lot. Loads and loads of revisions. So that's that.

The crochet has been going slowly. But this afternoon 3 and a half hours of train are awaiting me so I will have time to crochet... an Iphone cosy! Yes I have an Iphone since 2 days now, I'm soooo Happy! I called "him" Svenne!

So what about tonight, normally I'm going to the mountains, in Zermatt (you know, just next to the famous matterhorn?). My friends are already there, they've been skiing. And tomorrow I'll take the train at 5a.m to go back. Yes, I said 5am.


Ohhh this is such a load of information, hope it isn't too boring to read!














Gipsy did have some fun!

So last thing, I promise!

I actually like to do a little year summary, of the best/happy moments, the sadest moments. I invite you to do the same when you write in your comments.

My best/happy memories of this year were:

- When I got to know that I'd got the "plus" mark, or here we call it the "mention" to my maturity (college) work.

- When I got to know that I'd passed my final college exams. I knew I would pass, but didn't know that I'd be so bloody brilliant!

- The celebration that followed in Sweden.

- My birthday party was fun too

- Deciding a bit more about what I want to do in life. My determination that has grown to go and live in Sweden. I like it.

The sadest moments or the most unhappy of this year are:

- The death of my ex-boyfriend's father

- When I thought I hadn't got my "plus" mark at the maturity work (yes it was a long story that one :P ), and that I had kind of worked as hell, 120 pages work on Scottish tradition and if they are made up for tourists or if they are serving national identity for actually nothing.

- The death in Sweden, now the 26th.

- Finishing my Maturité years, so college. It was a bad period.


So after have done my years awards, I hope you will do the same!

Hope you will have a lovely start on year 2010!

Christmas party at Yiotas!

What a wonderful idea Yiota and her friend had with hosting Christmas Blogger Party!

I think the idea is great!

So, I have to give away a wee bit of my christmas this year... Actually, I haven't had time to think about Christmas yet, with university etc...

So I think I'll just quickly tell you about how Christmas goes on here. Won't have any pictures, those from last year are really crap!

The tradition is here to always have a swedish buffet, it actually gets smaller and smaller, but that's okay, with me being vegetarian, I'm happy when I've got my favs!
So we get:

-Jansson's frästelse, a potatoe and anchovis gratin
-redbeat salad, with in it: redbeat (seriously?), apples, hering etc...
-meatballs
-ribs
- "brunkàl", a hot dish made out of cole and Golden Syrup

etc...

And the desert is some "Ris à la Malta", in simple words, milkrice with whipped cream in it, with berry sauce. That's yummy!

And after having eaten, we open presents. That's fun! Especially with little Gipsy messing seriously around with papers and "helping" with the package opening!


And what we do then... well it depends. Watch TV, play a card game, read and crochet....


So that's for the 24th. 25th is about the same, family again, cosy but a bit too calm. I can get quite restless and panicky when I don't have something to go (or even know that shops are open, that there is some life somewhere!) But it's okay!


So that's that!


And I forgot! I do believe in Father Christmas!

Contest news!

Hey there,

Just popping by to give you some news about the contest.

All the texts and participations are stored here: http://melusinetricote.canalblog.com/

If you want to contribute with the votes, I would be very very very pleased if you voted for me. It's of course up to you! There are some really good things!

You can vote once a day. Feel free!


Have a lovely weekend!

Big Slurp and presents!

Popping in for the weekend post!

How are you all? Not to busy christmassing are you?

So now, after a wonderful breakfast and then being out in the cold to see a horse I use to ride, and a friend,
I'm back to show you... WEEBLE!!!! Yes Weeble is finished!

I love it! Just the perfect length to cover around the feet whilst crochetin on... a new project!






































Yesterday, my day went to making small christmas gifts, to one or two friends and for the bus drivers. I made 2 swedish specialities: Glögg and Pepparkakor.
Pepparkakor are these ginger biscuits and Glögg is blackcurrant cordial with water, vodka and spices. It's lovely. So well, here is the production!






































Have a good sunday and a nice start of week!

contest

Hey! I'll pop in tomorrow for a more consistent blog post, filled with "Big Slurps"... For the moment I'm just posting my participation to a contest about the "new generation (internet etc...) knitters". Sorry it's in french ;)


"The contest is hosted HERE

C'est assez drôle comment quelque chose d'aussi vieux puisse devenir aussi actuel. Tout dans le mouvement « on remet les pratiques d'antan à jour », les travaux d'aiguilles ont refait surface des paniers et des mains de grands-mères pour étendre toutes leurs mailles à travers les autres générations, la mode, les rues avec le phénomène « Guérilla Knitting » et même le cyberespace.

Tout le monde ou presque se rappelle avoir tricoté ou crocheté à l'école ou sur les genoux de sa grand-mère. Peu de gens en gardent un bon souvenir. Tout au plus un « j y arrivais pas ». Un peu honteux de passer ses journées à faire des nœuds avec des pelotes indomptables!

Mais cette ère d'aiguilles cachées est révolue! Les mains ont repris, de fil en aiguilles, les pelotes et ont recommencé ce mouvement inlassable de création. Que ce soit des jeunes, des enfants, des hommes, des femmes, des vieilles, le bruit des aiguilles qui s'entrechoquent ou le chuintement du crochet passant la boucle, s'est fait universelle!

Universelle...et plus! Les travaux d'aiguilles ont investi une grande partie du monde www. et http:// . Les grands-mères esseulées au coin du feu en chaise à bascule... ce cliché est fini! Place au siège d'ordi pour relater, montrer et gribouiller sur nos mailles. Toute une communauté d'aiguille s'organise.

Le mouvement s'émancipe. Ce ne sont plus que des vêtements et objets d'utilités qui sont crées. C'est de l'art! L'art du crochet et du tricot, s'exprimant des sous-vêtements aux nappes, des coussins aux pulls. L'art des nœuds et de leur beauté.

Et pour que cet art ne reste pas au placard, il faut l'exposer. C'est là qu'intervient le cyberespace. C'est devenu le véhicule de notre imagination.

Ravelry, blogs, amis des aiguilles virtuels, échanges... tout y passe et tout se trouve! La communauté est crée. C'est grandiose, c'est moderne, ça séduit plus de personnes, c'est facile. Tout ce qui est sur internet est accessible. Alors pourquoi pas moi? Je vais me remettre au tricot, je me rappelle un peu des bases apprises à l'école, on va se lancer... je ne serais pas vue comme une outsider, une bizarre. Non! Je serais une maille de cette grande chaîne! Maille serrée, maille coulée, bride... tout dépend de la timidité et de l'inspiration!

Je prends mon propre exemple. J'ai 19 ans, je suis universitaire. Mon passe-temps c'est le crochet. Je n'arriverais plus à rester devant la TV sans activer mes doigts, tenant le fil, plantant le crochet, le ramenant, enroulant le fil, regardant, observant, on tire, on remet, on refait!

Je ne connais personne qui fait la même chose que moi. Je suis la seule crocheteuse de la famille habitant en Suisse, je suis la seule de ma génération, je suis la seule à crocheter dans des cafés, devant la TV ou à l'université.

Alors où aller pour acquérir de nouvelles techniques, de nouvelles idées, trouver des avis sur les différents fils? Sans dépenser d'énormes sommes sur des livres, budget universitaire oblige? Facile... Google nous cherche « crochet patterns », « crochet site », « how to make a ». Et de fil en aiguille, comme toujours, les sites s'enchaînent, les blogs aussi. Les astuces trouvées, hop un petit commentaire, merci. Internet devient notre référence. Et peu à peu on tisse des liens d'amitiés. Ravelry est un excellent moyen de se perdre dans la sphère de l'irréel tout en restant dans le réel. Les rencontres « Stitch n' Bitch », les « knit and natter », etc... On trouve des amis avec qui crocheter, ou du moins à qui parler de crochet. On trouve des magasins de laines inconnus, on les visite et on explose joyeusement le budget. Quel bonheur!

On suit, schéma par schéma, explications par explications les modèles. On rend l'irréel si réel... on refait ce que d'autres ont inventés, mais à notre sauce. Le « fait avec amour » et la « touche d'épice secrète » font que nos réalisations sont uniques. Tellement uniques qu'on se dit au final... Pourquoi pas? Pourquoi pas moi?

Alors on cours sur blogger, on s'inscrit et on commence... à montrer, à écrire, à tisser une toile en points de fourrure... Ces points ou les mailles tombent, tombent sur d'autres blogs, le temps d'un commentaire ou d'une visite. Le même schéma tout le temps, en rond, infini.

On s'illumine, on demande conseil, on copie, on prend note. On rigole. La communauté est grande, infinie. On choisit une petite parcelle, notre blog, les amis, les suiveurs du blog et l'imagination qui réunit tout le monde. Tout cela dans une tambouille générationelle. On parle à des vieux, à des jeunes, à des middle-aged. Tout y passe, et rien ne nous espace. Nous sommes proches, liés, liés à ce fil entre nos mains qui grandit en une œuvre exceptionnelle. Celle de l'amitié et le pull qu'on se fabrique.

C'est ce qui est si magique... ce n'est pas qu'un cyberespace inconnu, plastique, illusoire. Ce n'est pas le chat où la drague est maîtresse et où le langage sms est de mise. Notre raison d'être sur ce cyberespace est le concret. Et y a t'il plus concret qu'une pratique vieille de plusieurs siècles, qui rappelle des histoires de familles, qui avant était indispensable et que l'on peut tenir entre nos mains? Ou dépendant de la taille, entre nos bras écartés?

Internet a permis d'encourager les électrons libres du travail d'aiguilles à s'unir, à convaincre d'autres gens, à élargir nos limites de créations. Le tricot et le crochet est devenu une énorme molécule composée de gens différents, de différentes cultures, d'idées, et de fils. C'est magique! Car cette molécule, est une molécule stable. Aussi stable qu'un atome de Néon, alors même qu'il y a de la vie sans fin, qu'elle s'élargit et qu'elle bouge constamment. Mais tout est stable autour des aiguilles. C'est notre histoire et notre présent qui se mêle en code html, à l'infini de l'internet.

Emma Mathur, 12.12.2009, http://aroundthehook.blogspot.com"

Fab weekend!

Hey!!!!

In for the weekend post!

Wow I have never, or at least in a long time, had that much fun!

It started on Friday, with 3 friends we went to see the Supercross, in Geneva. It's a fabulous show, with such enthusiasm, we were yelling, cheering, we came out with no voices left.





























Mat Rebeaud, a big FMX jumper! And Swiss!



Then on Saturday night, a friend of mine had his birthday party, 18 years old! It was such fun!!! The theme was "The 7 sins". So I made myself to gluttony and lust!




















We danced with 3 friends from 9.30 pm to 01h30 am. On electrostyle, hardstyle and hardcore. It was succcchhhhhhh fun! well, I don't have any legs or feet today... but that's not so important is it?



















A good friend of mine, and me



I hope you have had a great weekend! I see some snow has come over the Gephart , I better go and have some good looks at the new posts, Marigold Jam and The Garden Bell have also updated!


XXX

Weekend post!

Hey everyone!

Wow I'm realising that my beloved blog is only becomming a kind of weekend blog now!
In the week I'm always thinking that I have to tell you that, show you this. etc..

But then, I just don't have the time!
I've been working like mad, I have a "white exam", doesn't count, on tuesday but I'm still working hard on it, to see how I manage things!

I still have had tiny bits of time to crochet, so, I'll show you what I'm doing.


The top hasn't advanced actually, still havent found the courage to try it on and see if it fits!

I'm still working on my snowflakes for the bus drivers, but I've lost my hook and my yarn (at uni I think, will have to check) so they will have to wait for pictures!

Started a short poncho, it's for now just a long rectangle! It takes hours and hours to make so not that fun but it occupies!

And I've made two necklaces. That I really like! The flower one comes from http://creativeyarn.blogspot.com and the other one is from my imagination. If you want, I'll do a tutorial.














































































And I went to buy a writing book for when I'm bored on the train. I thought it looked sad. So I did put some colours on it :-)




















the cover














the bookmark















Hope you're enjoying your weekend,

XXX


See you aroundthehook!

I hate silence. and I love it

Hey there...

Not a crochety post today... No I need to talk.

I'm alone this week, mom's gone to Sweden and Dad works. I love being alone.

I LOVE being alone, managing my day as I want, sitting around, looking out, walking fast walks (without dog! Yeah I'm really alone.) etc... oh and yeah! Crocheting until fingers and hook burn!















Sweden, this summer

But then! The clock ticks up to 5.30 pm, the dark is set. And ohhhh I HATE it! I have that animal instinct of the dark. I get a little more awake, the ticker in the chest doubles it's rythm, my ears hear everything, and I get crapy nervous. Like really nervous.

Of being alone. So the yummy mega bagel-sandwich I made ended up, half-eaten, in the trash. I can't eat more because all my senses are just SO awake!

And with that, I have this imagination, that I actually love, being able to see fairies in the fogg, cute gnoms under the rain... But at night it's only bizare and creepy animals, red eyes, human beings in my house. And that.. well I hate it. And telling myself that I've locked the door, nobody is here.. well it doesn't help at all!

I hate this! Is it THAT hard being the (post-)teenager that loves making mega parties and finish totally drunk (or something like that), instead of thinking that I shouldn't crochet anymore, because then I have elbow pain and I can't sleep because I think it's a freaking heart attack!

I love a quote I read in a book "In search of English eccentrics" by Henry Hemming. The quote comes from Leopard Man. It's just right.

"Henry Hemming: What's been your happiest moment here[on the Isle of Skye, Tom Leppard lives there in a sort of cave]?
Tom Leppard: I don't think I have one. For me to be extremely happy or extremely sad I need to be around people. If you're alone, I think you can only be content. You don't get real highs and lows. But being alone gives you much greater inner joy. I'm very content here."

I just love this sentence, it's so true! I love feeling gold running threw my blood because I look at nice things, feel alive, see the sun, the fogg. I never retrieve that with friends etc... never that gloriously.















Scotland, 2006

But at least, Augusta, the woman that used to baby-sit me in the days when I was a kiddo in nappies, will be coming to sleep with me each night, yeah well, night-sit a baby ;)

Ohhh it feels nice to have put this down! Hope it isn't to long and boring to read!

I have a new crochet project on the move and yesterday was my mom's birthday, I'll take a picture of her present when she comes back, she actually took it with her.
I'm also making snowflakes, I'll show you them when they are all finished. I love making them!
Weeble is still not progressing, and for the top I frogged the other day (no, the other week, time goes to fast!), it's almost finished but I have still not tried it on!

Have a nice start on week!

Passion?

Do you consider Crochet and knitting for that matter, as a passion?

I was asked the other day about what I like passions, I just couldn't come around with telling about crochet.

And when once I was telling a friend about what I liked doing, and crochet came out, and he said "oh so that's your passion" I just couldn't come around the idea really.


CAN it be a a passion?

I don't feel that it's a passion. I'm not passionate about making knots! It's just something I do and that I like doing, love doing. But it's not a passion in my opinion!

So... can it be? I absolutely had to ask you!

And well, now that we are at it, tell me your passions!















I had to put at least one picture, this is a little snowflake I sent to a dear friend that lives on the other side of the world, in Bangkok. He used to live just a village next to mine, and we never talked, and now he is on the other side of the earth and we talk. So that's why I put the flake on the computer, and that's why I sent a snowflake...he must be missing snow!



Love!

Ps: I have a fringe and my hair is now henna-red!

Just a little hop-in!

HI everybody!


How are you all? (this is now a rhetorical question, nobody actually answers it :P )

I've had an other hectic week!

Got my result of the freaking exam, I got 4,02/6, not very very happy. But well...

I'm waiting for my french friend (I showed you some photos of her when I went to visit her, you remember?), she's coming over for the weekend! Yahooo!

So, What I really wanted to show you, is THE love of my life!



















How can one just be THAT cute? Well, I was sleeping just next to him before, but couldn't take the picture AND be there...


He looks so human with the head on the pillow and everything! I'm sooo melting!














Have a wonderful weekend filled with wonderfullll crafty projects and other things!

XXX

my week

Hello everybody!

Really don't have the time to do much on the blog these days, the weeks just run away and on the evenings I just sit infront of the TV with my crochet stuff.

How are you doing? Having a nice weekend?

So I thought I'd put some of my activities this week, that are of course non-school related. Because uni already takes a wee to much space in my life!

So...

With a friend we went on tuesday to one of the biggest labyrinths in the world, it's in Switzerland, we had great fun.













(so where do we go?)







After having worked for hours on a top, I actually put it on (to cold in the evenings to try it on, so I got the idea after toooooo long, and it was already to late...) it was to big. So I frogged... for 10 minuts... and it was all gone! So I did some adjustments this time, with some simple Treble stitches on each side to better control the width of the top. It should look like this: Click!





























So now I start again...

and then, yesterday morning we had some lovely breakfast, with fresh bread just bought, jam, butter, honey, and hot chocolate in my new mug, my mom bought me! I think it's absolutely lovely!




















Oh and we ate also some grilled Papaya, it's a recipe from Sophie Dahl's voluptuous Delights, a lovely book!

1) cut the Papaya in half, throw away the seads
2) fill each half with lime juice (from a half lime, spare the other half) and some zest from it's skin.
3) put it in the oven, under a hot grill-mode.
4) take it out when it started to get brown.
5) pour some more lime, and then just eat.















It's sooooo good!


Have a nice Sunday! Take care¨!!!!



Emma


Edit: it's a bad day and a bad weekend, I think the only thing I've been doing is crochet for the pleasure of frogging and ripping afterwards. Shit Happens

So much news! But lets start with a Big SlurP!!!!

Hey everybody! How are you?


Ohhhh I couldn't waitttt to be at the end of this long week (I had my first exam and I have NO idea of how it went, we'll see!) to show you my new perfect, warm, soft lovely scarf!

It's done in Merino Lang- Superwash. The pattern came from Ravelry. I loveeeee Ravelry, do you use it? Like it?

It's a clove scarf. So here let's not wait longer!

THE scarf!

It looks comfy on! :-)




















I love feeling my own little production around my neck! It feels just nice! And perfect!



And then, I came home, from the last day of university of the last week in October to find a Big Box waiting for me! I knew what was in it! I LOVE it!




















I ordered yarn from a very nice lady going out of business and selling the yarn at low low low prices. And here it came!












































Can't wait to start my projects! But one thing at a time! I've some gloves to finish for my mom, then her birthday present and then... we'll see :D


I know one little tyke who is ready for a cuddly evening! All cuddled up in his blankies in the mornings! One can almost not see him!
















Lovely weekend to you lovely persons visiting and taking the time to comment my blog!

XXX See you around the hook!

Big Slurp of a Little Thing!

Hey everybody!

How are you all?

In my piece of land I'm having a hectic time, a loooonnnngggggg week, so I actually slept under class today!

So... the fun bits of these 7 last days were!

A friend lent me her sewing machine so I could at last start my first patchwork project!
So I started on saturday morning with cutting squares, cutting and cutting and cutting...


Then arranging them all on the kitchen table... then counting them and seing that 20 squares are actually missing, so cutting and cutting perfect squares again.















So at the end of the cutting I was a wee bit pissed of the cutting. I put the machine on and started assembling 2 squares. They came out totally freaked. After 4 squares together, the separations weren't neat and tidy, they weren't straight.

So then I told myself to stop mesuring for nothing and start having fun. So that's what I did, and I DID have FUN!...until the machine broke down.
















Next day, so Sunday morning I started again with the squares again, after having repaired the machine (yes the squares were on the table all night). I continued having fun! So it didn't get great or glorious, but I actually am in LOVE with my first cushion!






















So that's was the Highlight 1 of the "week" (well last weekend). Then, tuesday evening, my best friend and I had a girls night out, a lot more frivolous than the cushion making, but it does good!
We went to the Chippendales!

Here,my friend and I with 3 of the Chippis!
















How have your week been?

A little thought too Dzet from http://earthlycolours.blogspot.com/ who has had some uni exams this week, hope everything went well!!!!


XXXXX

The Big slurp!

Everybody!

Here it comes! I've finally had 2 small minuts (and those were on monday at 6 a.m) to take some pictures- quite lousy because of the early hours- of the Stella Shawl!... well it should be the Emma Shawl now that I've done it ;)

With the flash so the pattern comes out!In my favourite mirror! Isn't it great? Yup don't look at me, it actually WAS 6am ;)

It is very comfy, it keeps warm and well... I think it came out quite right! :-)

Otherwise, the temperature is getting realllyyyyyy cold here, we were at -1°C this morning and there is a cold wind, the Bise. Crappy crap!
How is your fall getting on? Getting all cosy and hibernating? :)


Take care!!!!