Where did you go january!?

 

"From December to March, there are for many of
us three gardens:
the garden outdoors,
the garden of pots and bowls in the house,
and the garden of the mind's eye."
-  Katherine S. White

 

 

I can't believe how fast this year's first month has gone by! Just a few more days and we are already entering into february..
For me january has been filled with
tons of snow, colorful yarn, a husband who has been hit hard by the flu (he has been laying "down" with it for over two weeks but now he is finally starting to get better), reading novels and listening to audiobooks, lack of both friendstime and cafè visits, new knitting projects and ideas, fresh flowers on the table, happiness over increased daylight, slowly starting on writing down a wishlist for my birthday in march...*laughing.., being off line (still is, using the library's now), freezing cold weather, blue sky and sunlight,
and a grateful heart.

"He knows no winter, he who loves the soil,
For, stormy days, when he is free from toil,
He plans his summer crops, selects his seeds
From bright-paged catalogues for garden needs.
When looking out upon frost-silvered fields,
He visualizes autumn's golden yields;
He sees in snow and sleet and icy rain
Precious moisture for his early grain;
He hears spring-heralds in the storm's ' turmoil­
He knows no winter, he who loves the soil."
-  Sudie Stuart Hager, He Knows No Winter  

Off line

Lately here the weather has been gorgeous, freezing cold but OH SO full of light and sunshine. The daylight already lasts for a bit longer now, it doesn't disappear again immediately after it has showed itself. LOVE IT!
I have been winding yarn. Such a feast of colors this one, it's the same as in the previous post. It's the merino twisty sock from Western Sky Knits, and the color is "Garden Shop". I am going to knit myself some socks with it, but i haven't decided on the pattern yet..i think i will pick a simple style on these ones since the colors are kind of "enough" in themselves.


On sunday we lost our internet connection, that means that i am off line these days. And we have been told that it can last for about 10 more days...grrrrrr... So if it is a bit quiet in here these days you at least know why : )


Some loves:
-Melody's podcasts.
-My dear friend Elizabeth's honesty and braveness!!!!!!!
-Brooklyn Tweed's new collection. It's almost impossible to pick a favourite but i am very much in love with the Chainlink....and the Alvy.
-The youth dew by Mai Lindstrom. My skin is so much calmer this winter because of using this one!

Colors in the middle of the winter darkness.

Like Patrice i buy flowers on grey days and the bouquet that i have on my table right now are of some colorful ranuncles!!..smiling..
My dear friend Leigh shared a wonderful Winter Comfort list at her blog a few days back and it reminded me about how i have slowly come to love this season the last few years. The Norwegian winter is cold, long and dark so an essential thing for me has been to add colors to it. My favourite ways of doing it are through flowers, yarn and nailpolish. Silly!? Yes maybe, but it works wonders for me...*laughing...

The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.
-Marcus Aurelius

 

 

 

 

Chocolate swap (now closed).

Hello there sweet ones

It's time to invite you to a new swap, feels too long now since last time!...*smiling..
I thought it could be fun to do a chocolate swap this time (if you have some wishes or ideas for coming swaps feel free to let me know) and here is how it goes:

-The swap is international, everyone can enter.
-I will put two and two of you into pairs, it is a direct swap: you will swap with the same person that sends to you.
-If you like to join in just send me your post address on duftenaverteblomster@yahoo.com
NOTE: If you have any specific likings/not likings, allergies or links to own blog/instagram/facebook that you would like to share with your swap partner write that with too.
-Sign up closes at end of thursday the 22'th of january and i will send you the info on your swap partner that weekend. You are all free to take contact with your swap partner to ask/decide the amount you want to swap.


Wishing you all a good new week.
May it be filled with
moments that you find yourself being grateful for.

Gratitude sunday.

I am joining Taryn over at Wooly Moss Roots in sunday's heart felt tradition..
-a time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.

Some of the things that i have been grateful for this week:
-inspiration.
-being well enough to do a longer walk by the river.
-the excitement over taking part in Liesl's mystery hat swap, it's SO fun. i have just started on the hat, i deeply hope that my mystery receiver will like it..*smiles...
-the beauty of friendships.
-knittingtime while drinking tea and listening to a good audiobook.
-having finished a couple of almost completed knittings that has been laying around for some time.
-honesty.
-SUNSHINE!
-having something exciting to look forward to.
-our cozy home.
-the JOY that comes from starting on a new knitting project.
-receiving a handwritten letter from a dear and far away friend.
-moments of silence mixed with the sound of raindrops on our windows.
-spending time with my mother.
-the pretty bouquet of ranuncles on our table.

yarn along

 

i’m joining in on Ginny's lovely Yarn Along this week. through it we get the chance to share what's currently on our knitting needles and also which book that we have our noses buried in. a lovely way to get inspired, and to come across new books and knitting projects ...*smiling.

 

 

 

 

it is sunshine here today, i have a ray of sun in my face now while writing here..so lovely!
i have just finished my Ivy Trellis Socks, hurray...SO happy! thank you so much my dear Anna for the beautiful yarn..*smiling. it is always such "a pain" getting through the second sock! lately i have seen some knitters (online) that are knitting on both of the socks at the same time. maybe that is something to try next time!
AND i am taking part in Liesl's mystery hat swap, can't wait to get the info on my "hat" person...*smiling. SO FUN!

again, i am reading some parts of Pia Jane Bijkerk's book My Heart Wanders. it's so incredibly beautiful both in words and images.. i find myself reading and looking through it again and again and again...

from the book:
"Four years ago something very peculiar happened.
My heart wandered.
It simply packed its suitcase and wandered away. I wrote it a letter in heart language but it never responded. So what does one do when one’s heart wanders?
Follow.
For being without a heart is to be no longer alive.
As I went searching for my heart, I learnt that it intuitively knows what to do and where to go, and I learnt that it wandered for a very special reason.
And so, as I travelled in search of my heart, I caught glimpses of it everywhere – little signs of it in the streets, in the landscape, in my work, and in the homes that I visited.
And then,
I saw my heart amongst you."

  

Pattern: Ivy Trellis Socks by Alana Dakos. 

 

 

Gratitude sunday

I am joining Taryn over at Wooly Moss Roots in sunday's heart felt tradition:
-a time to slow down, to reflect, to be grateful.

Some of the things that i have been grateful for this week:
...the sight of a beautiful sky almost every evening.
...the fact that i have not gotten the flu (yet) despite that my husband is having it.
...my husband and i have been getting practical help, from family, on a big renovation project that we are working with.
...kind words.
..being understood.
...prayers.
...making a difference for someone who had a very bad day.
...inspiration.
...colorful meals.
...laughter.
...good advices.
...growing faith and confidence in setting (healthy) boundaries towards people that don't handle it in a good way. that i don't automaticly feel bad and guilty about it afterwards....
...getting closer to finishing the second sock of a pair that i am knitting for myself. can't wait to wear them, both the yarn (given to me as a gift) and pattern are gorgeous!
...friendstime.
...increasing daylight.
...picked up some good books at the library that i have been looking forward to read: a novel, a biography about Astrid Lindgren, and a new collection of poems by Kolbein Falkeid.

A time for questions...and a time for answers..

 

I bet that for those of you who have been reading my blog for some time it is no secret that i like to ask questions...*smiling... Both of my blog post series, called "Conversations" and "A cup of tea", are "proofs" of that. It does not have anything to do with curiousity, i have just always loved learning about other people and the lives they live....i find great meaning and inspiration through it!

One of the very few blogs that i have been following for a long looooooong time is Krickelin and towards the end of last year she invited her readers to ask HER questions. Because i found it both so lovely and inspiring i have decided to challenge myself (big time) and do the same...*smiling... The few times i have said yes to be interviewed/take part in something that has to do with answering questions about myself i ALWAYS battle with the feeling of being completely uninteresting and terribly boring...*laughing (because i know it is so very silly).. BUT since i know that it is exactly the ordinary (and often underrated) things that i get inspired by...not so much the "WHOW" things...i am throwing myself into it...so ask away if you like!

PS: i know that quite a lot of my readers are people that don't have their own blog so i am opening up for anonymous comments for this post.