Making a Stement With Yarn

Lately, it has been obvious, that yarn can be used to make a statement .... we have seen the political statement pussyhats against Donald Trumph's politics - I never forget the expression of a Danish new reporter when he saw and commented the pink hats in Washington DC at the Women's March - his expression: priceless.

 

But what about other statements: puppies to remember war veterans - pink ribbons and pink bras honoring the breast cancer awareness cause - hats for chemo patients - blankets for shelter animals, blankets, scarfs, hats etc. for the homeless - hats for preemies..... the list of causes and statements are endless - but this caught our attention due the vast number of hats around the globe on the heads of protesters worn on the same day in January. You might see more of them today as it is International Women's Day.

 

My mum - a lady of 70+ years - used to be a crafter - on the internet for 17+ years - only speaks Danish. She was curious: Had I heard about it? How did people know how to make the hat? Who organized it? So I told her and made her realize what a powerful tool the internet can be.

I heard about it via creative/knitting friends just a week after they launched the idea in the US. A friend of mine knitted a couple of hats for Americans unable to knit.... I found a skein of leftover yarn and knitted a hat as was curious about the shape etc. Never worn as I finished it while I was on sick leave. Have later played a little with the pattern making other kinds of hats with som details on it.....

Have read some cool statements from independent yarn shops across the US, that truly warmed my knitting heart.... They might not all agree with the political statement of the hat, but some of them experienced mid December, that their sales have gone up so much, that they were secured until at least March. Normally, they were worried each months about breaking even due to competition from big hobby stores and supermarket chains also selling yarn. They even experienced a larger interest from people wanting to learn how to knit and in the process realising how calm they felt while being creative. It was crazy reading about pink yarn being sold out everywhere.... "All because of a knitted hat?!" Knitters not politically involved started following news about yarn shortage.... even non-knitters could not believe it and started following the news.

The New Yorker updated a known iconic image

Even "old fashioned" news sources - printed magazines - had knitted hats on their covers.

Time Magazine

So am I making a statement? Yes - several!! Pink ribbons and pink bras honoring the breast cancer awareness cause - hats for chemo patients - blankets for shelter animals - hats for preemies - mini hats to support Red Cross work with elderly......

 

Are you a knitter?

I Just Spent a Year With the Gilmore Girls

I just spent a year with the Gilmore Girls..... well just a night watching the 4 new episodes back to back on NETFLIX ..... well years if you count all the episodes from the original series which I watched on TV and later on DVD..... Yes I am a fan.

 

I have had it marked on MY LIST for a long time on NETFLIX - I will admit it: was a big anxious about if I would like this sequel or not. Well I enjoyed it... it is obvious that it has been years since we left them in Stars Hollow, but returning was just like coming home :o)

A year ago, I stumbled across Entertainment Weekly in an airport news store with the girls on the cover - excellent read when spending hours on a plane home across the Atlantic. Think it is cool, that a lot of book lovers have taken the Rory Gilmore reading challenge (she reads 340 books during the original series) - and even more cool, that we see Lorelei reading "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed which I read last year....

Yarn

Yarn - an Icelandic documentary about yarn. Yawn??!! No it was funny and colorful - yarn in the hands of circus artists, fiber artists, artists making kid's play space, yarn bombers and sheep... lots of sheep. Yarn poetry... statements...

source

This is what it looks like when you gather knitting people to knitting cinema - light not dimmed as usual, as you like to be able to see your knitting - people knitting while watching the big screen - the screening was part of the North Atlantic House's (cultural center) filmfestival North Atlantic Film Days. The event was sold out, so have suggested that they show it a couple of times more, as more yarn lovers would like to see it. One of the festival organizers just had to take a photo - prior to the screening he had been doubtful about the concept, but afterward he was convinced (cinemas across the country organizes monthly knitting cinema events with new movies).

The event was sold out, so have suggested that they show it a couple of times more, as more yarn lovers would like to see it. One of the producers was there to talk about the documentary and was one big smile when he saw the knitting audience.

Last Christmas

Just a few days after Christmas I went into a Starbucks and ordered a grande pumpkin spice latte (yes they stil had a few left) - when I started to walk home I had a closer look at the cup .... What?! The Christmas themed paper cup was different than the venti sized beverage I had in November

 

When I came home, I removed the sleeve to have closer look - I am a sucker for those Nordic style colored holiday cups from Starbucks. But that means double joy, right??! First the nice hot beverage and then the feast for my eyes :o)

 

 

I thought popped into my mind - if I returned to the coffee shop a few days later to order a tall beverage to go, it should be possible to. I did go into the coffee house a few days later and ordered - a grande sized ginger bread latte. Why? It was really really cold outside and could hardly feel my fingers (despite layers of clothes) so I needed to stay warm.

Was it my cold body playing a trick on me, or was that sleeve covering yet another design of Christmas coffee cup? Yes. The sleeve covered a nice reindeer.... suddenly not so sad about my choice for a medium sized drink.

Due to stomach issues I have not returned to the coffee shop to order a tall size hot beverage - and it is most likely too late to get it now. It makes me fell like I have been a treasure hunt where the treasure are these nice coffee cups - at the same time I have hade some me time while enjoying the hot beverages.

Winter Scenery

Happy New Year 2017

 

Hope you have had a good start to 2017

 

We have only seen a few snow flakes this winter so enjoying this winter scenery on a local hotel's windows facing the street. Some would call it a Christmas theme, but is it not a winter scene?

I enjoy walking past these windows at night time, as they always put a smile on my face - it is not just a stensil used but an artist that have created a unique work with a limited life span. Makes my mind wander back to the time where I was living with a forrest next door - except we do not have mountains in our little country.

 

The artist behind the scenery is Laura Bach Skou - have not been able to trace other works by her, but hope this is the beginning for more winter displays in the winters to come.

Merry Christmas 2016

Merry Christmas everybody!!

I am sitting in the train on my way to my brothers house where I will spend Christmas Eve (THE Christmas event in Denmark - where we get our presents) and stay over until tomorrow where I go to a friend's house to have a Canadian Christmas.

Cards are delayed this year - at least I managed to get them done, but a recent MS attack combined with the slow-mo Danish postal services who are really taking their time distributing old fashioned mail. So far I have only received one (1) Christmas card in my mail box, I know several have sent me one, but they are late.... well it is the thought that counts, and the lazy service is not the senders' fault. Design paper: Merry Christmas - Decorate the Tree from Panduro Hobby.

I learned to master the fold of a new star thanks to this tutorial - must find some nice paper and make some to hang as ornaments next year, but need to find some nice paper - wonder if I can get some more of this design paper Christmas Eve - Seasons Greetings from Panduro Hobby) at the store after Christmas.

 

Maybe the card seems simple, but I happen to like the Nordic style colors red and white, and I have this thing for folded paper stars - so in fact they are just like me :o)    Design paper: Merry Christmas - Christmas Ornaments from Panduro Hobby.

Ugly Christmas Sweater

Saw these cards in a Flying Tiger Copenhagen store and could not resist them - flash back to the movie where Bridget Jones and Mr. Darcy appear in their ugly Christmas Sweaters, thought alone makes me smile

 

Then turning to my company's CEO who was wearing his Christmas sweater his last workday before his Christmas holiday, but when he walked around and said "Merry Christmas" to every employee he was not wearing his sweater. People asked why he wan not wearing it as it was a nicely knit Christmas sweater?

 

 

There you have it in print, there are actually some Christmas sweaters that I think look nice, or maybe they have more a winter's theme than a christmassy one. Saw these adds online from the British clothing brand  FATFACE, a brand that I really like and actually saw some cool looking Christmas Sweaters.



 

 

Makes me want to re-read The Great Christmas Knit Off by Alexandra Brown and Sybil's wacky Christmas jumpers.

 

 

Rudolph's Red Nose

We all know Rudolph as Santa's 9th reindeer - But how did he get his red nose?

Sometimes you find an answer to in question to be right in front of you in the company of merry friends and beer.

 

Dancer or Prancer or Comet or Cupid or.....??? He had no time to reveal which one he is, but was busy taking a closer look on Rudolph's Christmas beer from the Danish Brewery, Nibe Bryghus.

Rudolph (in Danish: Rudolph) is the center of attention albeit a little shy.

Great detail - surely the bottle cap had to be red.... So is the answer really that he had a little of his own beer making him merry and his nose red?

Espresso House Christmas 2016

Espresso House are expanding all over Denmark - or rather the Baresso coffee house chain has the same owners as Espresso House, and they have decided  to focus on the Espresso House brand so signs are being replaced.                     

It is cold outside, so decided to stop by for a holiday flavored hot beverage. The cup sleeve seemed to be hiding joyful holiday cup decoration, so almost like opening a present when removing the sleeve after the last sip of the beverage was enjoyed.

The warmly dressed animals on the cup made me smile. Apparently not sold a ceramic cup which I think they could sell a lot of.

Upcycled Gift Wrap

 

OK I will admit it. I am one of those persons salvaging potential gift wrap items, old Christmas cards etc.  when people are just about to throw them out. "Can I have it if you are throwing it out anyway?"

But if the item could get a second purpose - why not as it will also save ressources. Wonder if they think I am a horder, with a department just filled up with old stuff? Well there is a big box in my basement storage room with items to be re-used.

In this case it was the red bag, that used to hold a bottle of red wine - used only once without a scratch.

Fröbel stars - love them - almost like a signature - friends know that these folded stars are amongst my favorites.

  

The bottle was a present at a housewarming I went to today - For odd reason I did not think about adding miniature foldet stars to the red bottle bag, but focused on adding the stars to the bottle - should have done that. Yes it is a see-through wine bag, but should have added stars on the outside too. But maybe next time, as have one more salvaged red paper wine bag.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Here in Copenhagen

Starbucks Christmas 2016

It is just like opening a Christmas present, when you see the red cup under the sleeve after you have ordered a hot holiday flavored beverage to-go

If this does not ooze / look / taste like Christmas, I do not know what will

Just look at the snow... Love it

I asked if you could buy this a porcelain cup like you used to - sadly the answer was "No" :o) But hey, I still like the design.







 

Ho! Ho! Ho! The Holidays Are Coming

The holidays are coming...........

 

 

Theres a new Coca-Cola Santa in town representing 2016.......... 

 

 

He learned from his colleagues and is ready to serve Coca-Cola

 

 

Gathering with the Danish family...... 

 

  

....for this year's family photo

 

 

 

 

For me Coca-Cola is part of my Christmas traditions - I have always enjoyed the merry Santas in the commercials and on the bottle. The catchy worlds from one of their commercials "The Holidays Are Coming" are spot on - when you spot the Santa on the bottle you just know Christmas is around the corner.

 

 

 

 

 This blogpost is NOT sponsored - photos and thoughts are mine.

'Tis the Season

Love the colors the sky brings at sunset in November - makes it a bit easier to cope with the fact that it is pitch dark outside when I leave the office after the workday.

Yesterday was exactly one month to Christmas - we celebrate on the 24th at night - and the first time this year, that I spotted Coca-Cola's yearly Santa labels on the bottles.... one of the signs that Christmas is coming.

Christmas tree is up at the office building

After work, a time for a little walk in the city, and the smal bright lights are in lots of shapes this time of year.

A Christmas tree like this makes it less boring waiting at the bus stop for the next bus to come.