and the winner is...

Thank you so much everyone for stopping by and celebrating my second blog anniversary together with me! It was fun finding out where everyone is reading and writing from and especially fun to know how you found and when you began reading my blog (for those of you who shared that).

Looking forward to share more time and projects together with you but first:

Mr. Yonder helped me pull out a name from the hat (actually it was a salad bowl) and the name on the note that got picked was Di. Congratulations Di!!! Give me you address (through flickr mail) and I will send you your goodies.

How to sew on lining... and gardening

I finished the jacket I began knitting in February, but still need to sew on the lining for the inner flab. I have red the instructions over and over again, but still don’t understand how to do it. Does anyone have experience with this or perhaps even have a photo tutorial? A photo tutorial, now that would do wonders! I guess I’ll do and undo it until I get it right.

My window garden has grown these last days and I love watching. I’m a complete amateur at gardening so there is no guarantee they will survive, but I hope they do, because I have so many plans for how to use the herbs. The oregano will be used to make delicious Greek baked chicken with lemon, olive oil and…oregano. If I get enough Basil I will try to make my very own pesto and the chives will be used for my favourite potato salad. I hope they will grow fast… I’m getting hungry.

two years in Yonder

It is celebration time in Yonder! Together with you I have reached the two year anniversary of this blog, and I am so happy that I began writing two years ago. It has been such fun to get to know everyone through this internet based world. You have been there with me through my crafting endeavours, giving me compliments when you liked what you saw, encouragement when I lost faith in a project, and good advice when I got stuck. Thank you!

I’m celebrating by baking cookies and doing my first give away. Sign up for the give away by leaving a comment on the post I wrote on Tuesday the 21st and let me know where you’re writing from. If you win you will get this French book about softies that I used to make the blankie bear (you can see another photo from the book here).

In addition you will get this softie kit from Tilda, which comes with everything you need to make this beautiful vintage angel.

blankie bear done and spring is sprouting

The blankie bear was finished in no time. Even though I ironed it yesterday it’s all curly again today because Astrid has been playing with it since she got it. I put a small bell inside the bears head (together with 100% wool filling) so every time she moves the bears it gives a light tingle. Depending on if your child is a light sleeper or not you might want to consider skipping the bell. Imagine you baby almost asleep and then because she moves the bear: “tingle, tingle”…

For anyone wondering how the tug war between winter and spring went along Rani was right; spring did win and everywhere we go we see sprouts coming out. A couple of days ago I planted different seeds in my mini greenhouse. The thyme and basil has come out with a few sprouts the chives and the flowers are taking it slow. I would tell you name of the flowers if I knew but they came mixed with no specification. The only thing I know about them is that they are supposed to attract butterflies. I can’t wait to see if they will actually attract butterflies to our terrace. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

I still need to take a photo of the give away goodies and I’ll try to have it taken by tomorrow. If you would like a chance to win just read what you need to do in my post from yesterday, nothing complicated, easy, pieasy.

blankie bear for Astrid

I am still on cross stitch break because I continue to find small project I just "need" to do before I continue on the quilt. This time I'm making a blankie bear from a pattern in this French book. I think I have finally decided on the fabric...yes I have. Now it's just a matter of cutting and sewing.

By the way, in a few days my blog will celebrate its second anniversary. I missed the first anniversary, so this year I'm planning to do a giveaway to celebrate the event. If you would like to participate you just have to post a comment (on this post) and tell me what day I celebrate my second anniversary and what country you’re writing from. The 29th is the last day to leave a comment and I will draw and post the winner on Thursday the 30th of this month. I’ll post a photo of what you can win on the giveaway in a few days... For now I can say that the French book with the pattern of the blankie bear is among the things that will be sent to the winner.

easter blues...

Hope everyone has had a wonderful Easter! We have spent our Easter days together with family and dear friends that we had not seen for more than a year. It’s always good to be surrounded by love.

knitting intermission

We have had four days in a row with sun here in Yonder. I’m feeling the vitamin D coming through my skin and spreading to all the different corners of my body, filling it with energy. I love it!

In the intermission of my pink cross-stitch and quilt project I have begun knitting a jacket to Astrid. I don’t know what the name of the colour is (Robbins egg...?), but I love its fresh crispiness. The yarn (Drops Alpacca) is soft and because I’m knitting with needle size three the jacket is airy. My idea was to be finished by now so that she can use it this spring. I have a few more rounds to go to succeed, but I’m getting there. I definitely feel that my knitting skills are broadening and with that my confidence. Goodie good.

Now you might wonder what happened to the white jacket I began knitting in February. Well it is actually already done, at least the knitting part but I need to line the inside flap with fabric and I haven’t quite understood how to do it yet. Until I do it will lay in its basket waiting for me. Fortunately I knitted it in size 12 months, so I still have some time before it needs to be done. On the other hand I would like to show it to you so I’ll try not to wait that long.

Now I’m going for a walk in the sun…

spring cleaning

I have been busy doing spring cleaning this week, emptying boxes from our move to Oslo (a year and a half ago) which have been waiting for me since then. I’m trying to reduce my clutter but I find it hard to throw away things. My things – whether it is a ticket from a museum in Barcelona, a postcard that was sent from a “once upon a time” friend or a paper I wrote while in High School – remind me of my life, who I was and who I am. Years fly by, and sometimes I ask myself where did they go…? When I go through my things I know where they went, I remember the years, the moments and somehow it reminds me that I have done a lot during my life…it didn’t just fly by…I lived it, and I am still living it.