The crocosmias are and have been in full bloom for some time.
Most of them have got names like 'Hellfire', 'Emberglow', 'Fire Jumper' and other fire-related names.

 

This one is my favourite and it's called 'Lucifer'.

It's something in that name that attracts me, it makes me think about forbidden fruit.

'Lucifer' is one of the tallest crocosmias and grows to 120 cm high. It's also one of the most hardy of the crocosimas and therefor perfect for dutch as well as swedish climate!

 

Crocosmia 'Lucifer'

 

 

 

 

Alot of posts about my kitchengarden now a days on lillavackraanna buuut it is after all harvest season and I enjoy a variety of different vegetables, fresh from my kitchengarden every day.

So I can't help my self from charing it!

 

Todays vegetable is the almighty carrot!

So easy to harvest on the lovely sandground we are situated on, and it seems that the corrotfly hasn't made it's way to my carrots this year!

 

 

One of my favourite vegetables are artichokes.

It's not a very usable vegtable, you really can't cook many different things with it, but it's sooo tasty!

 

I've planted 4 artichoke plants this year, and since each of them gives about one big and 2-3 small ones I have alot of tasty artichokes to look forward to eat!

 

 

I visited Amsterdams best yarnshop yesterday, Penelope Craft, and I ofcourse bought some yarn, alot of some yarn..

 

First off all I needed another skein of Skein Seasalt to finish my latest design project, then I needed two skein of admiral to knit two baby cardigans.

 

So that's what I needed - now we come to what I wanted.

I've been wanting to knit the Acrons cardigan like forever and I felt that now was the time.

So what I wanted was five skeins of Cascade worsted yarn to knit that cardigan.

 

Then I felt I wanted something more, but I didn't know just what.

I've been looking at the Holst yarn, admiring the colors but not liking the feeling of it. But when Malia showed me a pair of cuffs knitted with Holst, the yarn had a totally different feeling and was really super soft.

So I wanted two balls of Holst and I bought that too.

 

After 3,5 hours of chatting about yarn, patterns and litterature I left Penelope at closing time with this:

 

Just got back from a great day in Amsterdam, and I just wanted to show you the first thing I stumbled upon in the first shop I entered..

 

...there they were, chillaxing in the back of the shop, two men, knitted from top to toe. I immediatley felt that this would be a good day!

 

 

When I was working on one of the salesareas in the nursery, scraping livermoss of the mypex, my boss wife Miranda came to me with a blue plastic bag. A gift they brought for me from their vacation in Italy as a thank you for looking after the chickens and plant babies.

It was something for me apparantly, something to eat  - and I know my self and how much I love getting things I can eat (that and yarn)..

A gift they brought for me from their vacation in Italy as a thank you for looking after the chickens and plant babies.

 

Today I got three skeins of Kalinka flax by post from Strikk in Gothenburg.

I'm not yet a convinced flas-lover, but I'm working on it.

My friend Emma though, she is a real flax lover, and it is because of her I got the three skeins today.

I'm going to do a testknit for her.

 

The skeins are going to turn into a A-shaped sweater with 3/4 sleeve, with one part striped and one part solid...

 

So Emma, come on and send me the pattern so that I can begin!

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again - having a kitchengarden of my own might be the best thing in the world!

 

I've entered a "bookreadingmood". My book reading comes in waves, sometimes I can digest a book per week, sometimes it's much longer intervals between the books.

But I'm talking about actually reading books. I've always got an audiobook at hand and after finding the booksshouldbefree webpage it became even easier to get my hands on good audiobooks.

I like to listen to audiobooks because then I can both knit and "read" a good book at the same time.

I mostly choose to that before reading since reading takes up valuable knitting time..

 

But as said - I've been reading more and more latly.

This weekend I finished the first book in the Hungergames triology by Suzanne Collins and The Genesis Plauge by Michael Brynes.

It was 37 degrees in the shadow this weekend so all there was to do was lay in the sun and read (or sleep)...

 

On one of our outings, while I was in Sweden, took us to Hanö.

A small island, with weather beaten nature, a grave for english soldiers, a dragon mark and sea as far as your eye can reach.

 

 

I think the picture speaks for it self..

 

One of the things I looked forward to the most of vacation in Sweden was to see Eddy and Emma in Gothenburg and enjoy a whole day (and night) of knitting, chatting and laughing!

 

We hadn't seen eachother for 5 months so there wasn't much time for taking pictures. Things needed to be talked about, new projects shown, hours flew by..

 

The day was then followed by more knitting, a kitchentable overloaded with "things that we really need to have here on the table right now, or else we can't knit", cooking palak paneer for 5, playing Trivial Pursuit, carrying a bed from the basement, browse through book of fabric swaps, oooh:ing and aaah:ing while doing so, finally chose one and coarsely cut it out - what it's for, you will find out another time.

 

Those kind of days makes me miss Sweden and Gothenburg. But knowing there are many more of those days coming up, I can't help but smile.

You are the best of the best!

 

 

The winners in my sockpattern give-away are now to be announced.

Since there was as many as 51 people competing for the pattern I decided to gave away 5 instead of 3 free patterns.

 

Linda Karlsson

Lena S

Anitha Gustafsson

 

 

A big applau for the winners and a even bigger thanks to all who competed!

 

I hope the winners will enjoy their pattern that will be sent to their email.

 

 

My first pair of socks knitted with handdyed, selfstriping yarn are done!

The yarn is 100% merino, two ply. The socks feel very dence but still springy so I think they will keep my feet very warm this winter and hopefully not get holes anytime soon..

 

The yarn is dyed with Landscape Dyes in my friend Dinekes studio in den Haag.

 

This is Circus Socks!

My parents old dog Tesslan really enjoyed having me home, more than Muffin did I think..

We've been cuddling alot! She acted like a little crazy puppy when I came home, just wanting more and more cuddles.

I bought some new dresses in Sweden, first time I bought clothes in 5 months acctually.

 

So here we are, me in my new dress together with our old dog Tesslan!

 

 

Sokkelo halfmitts and cuffs is my latest pattern!

I took my chance to take som pictures of it when I had Eddy in my reach to model for me.

Sokkelo means labyrinth in finish and refferes to the pattern created with cable technique.

Both the halfmitts and the cuffs use the same cable pattern, but beginning on different parts of the pattern.

 

The pattern is almost completed on paper and will be testknitted and avaliable at ravelry soon!

 

 Sokkelo halfmitts

 

 

 

 

If you are interested in testknitting, keep an eye out in the free pattern testers group on ravelry!

 

 

 

Yesterday I published my pattern Elizabethian socks on ravelry!

 

And since it made me in such a happy mood I will give away THREE FREE PATTERNS.

 

All you have to do is leave a comment on this post before Wednesday at 6 pm.

Winners will be presented on Thursday!

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I got my hands on a beautiful skein of Skein sock I felt an urge to design something new.

 

 

 

 

I spent a great evening with my friend Emelie at the beach.

She'd arrange for sunshine and a very tasty BBQ.

We hadn't met since I went to the Netherlands so we had a thousand things to talk about.

Time really flies when you have a good time and before we knew it, it was time to part.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my parents garden stands a Mullberry tree.

It's not very old or big, but this year it's giving ALOT of fruit.

The great thing with mullberries is that all the fruit doesn't become ripe at the same time. Instead you can harvest a little every day, or like this year - quite alot very year.

 

So we places us inside the mullberry tree and started picking. Fingers a lips got blue as Anna-Carin and I filled both bowls and mouths with sweet juicy mullberries!