Old fashioned knitting and other projects

 Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

This is a block for a quilt I'm working on at the moment, and I thought it suits for a hello today.

I have knitted myself a pair of mittens, a very special pair after a pattern The Flying Mitten launched some weeks ago. It is called Aino'S, as the original mittens were knitted and worn by Aino Sibelius (1871-1969), the wife of our famous composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). This year is the 150th anniversary of both Sibelius and his friend the painter Pekka Halonen. They both lived here in the Tuusulanjärvi area, so we have a year of cultural events  ahead of us.

I think the cuff is very pretty and yet not tricky to make.

The yarn in 100 % Finnsheep wool. The kit with pattern and yarn will be available in English as well, and for sale at the National Art Museum Ateneum, and at Ainola, the home museum of Sibelius, and naturally at the knitting café.

Young Mister has now this pair of booties. I had to wait for more white yarn just eight little rows before finish!

I found use for some tiny zippers I have bought just because of their bargain price.

This keeps the pencils and colours of a special little girl safe.

And this one is for her little sister

and for her crochet hooks and knitting needles

and the bag with her monogram is for the crochet projects. We made one like this at school ages ago, but mine was green and white.

I think that was all I have been doing for a while.

Happy news

We have had a very special week. About a week ago DS1 and his wife had their first baby and we became grandparents. Big smile! I washed and ironed this mini garment I had saved from the young father's wardrobe so the junior can wear it during his first weeks.

He also got the soft burb cloths I knitted

and this mini washcloth from the rest of the yarn. He is ever so sweet and I'm happy to be a Mummo.

One week later DD Kaija had her first book published and her own exhibition opened. If you want to see more, visit her blog here.

She will show more photos there, especially a lovely book chandelier. My daytime photos of it look just dark. If you go back in her blog to December you will see many of the mixed media projects in process. It feels so good to see one's offspring happy and to admire their achievements.

The other weekend we had the Big Garden Birdwatch day and counted 10 species within one hour. The waxwings arrived a few days later, they come from the North and eat all rowan berries before continuing their flight to other gardens and woods. They are beautiful birds but just rare visitors.