mrsmacolsson

Actually

2012-01-22T15:52:00.001+01:00

.....am going to keep this up. I reaaly enjoy writing. Often I want to write about things properly. Facebook just doesn't lend itself to writing. Status updates aside, one cannot express oneself adequately!Way back in September, my darling hubby bought me this ipad for our anniversary. I couldn't figure out how to update the blog on it, so I just let it slide. Sliding is not good. Moving forward is good. So now I shall!2012. Soon I will be all of 41 years old! On my birthday, I will be exactly half my daddy's age! Since he is most definitely not computer literate, I can share his age online. Imagine. My dad is double my age. 2012. Being inspired by a fellow Scot to eat GI food. Won't mention her by name, but she reads this. 3 weeks into GI food, and I am hooked. And BTW, yes, the sugar craving magically disappears, and the mummy tummy magically shrinks!2012. Opportunity. I am returning to work properly! I spent 4 months working at a daycare centre. I realised that having 3 little ones of my own, well, work was an extension of home. But.....my self confidence is restored, thanks to amazing co workers and sweet little ones. I am good at my job. Soon I start a new job as a mother tongue support teacher. Part time, teaching. Its me!To be continued.....

Hmmmmm

2012-01-22T15:29:00.001+01:00

Wonder why its so hard to keep this updated? Can't decide whether to continue, or whether to just concentrate on Mrs MacOlsson on fb. Opinions?

Autumn is here....

2011-10-13T17:11:00.000+02:00

and Sweden is looking beautiful. Crispy mornings, with sunny windy days, beautiful sunsets and nights drawing in. Mushrooms are picked, apples made into pies, and life is busy, but good.After six years at home, this mamma is now earning again. The oldest Macolsson kidlet has started school, and Mrs MacOlsson has ventured out into the world of paid employment again. I work 30 hours per week at a local nursery, or preschool. Yes, its an extension of the last 6 years at home! However, pleasant colleagues and that monthly paycheck make the transition smoother than expected.Time is precious. Doesn't stretch to everything I would like to do. Balancing isn't easy, but practice makes perfect!We had a wonderful summer. Flew home. To my childhood home, where my children played on the same beach mamma played on, in the same playpark, ,, went to the same seaside cafe, paddling pool and most importantly, spent time with their beloved Nana and Grandad.And now, my firstborn walks happily into school each day, is learning so much each day, is growing so much each day, and yet at night, when she sleeps,still has the same expression she wore the first night she entered this world. Slightly smiling, long long lashes, rosy cheeks.....and still snoring!Kidlets number 2 and 3 are growing so fast. They still have those dimply hands, and chubby cheeks, but they are stretching, reaching upwards and outwards, expending so much energy that we can't keep up at times. But at night, they sleep, like their big sister, slightly smiling, long long lashed, rosy cheeks....and snoring.Here they are, in my beloved Scotland, at a place called Chanonry Point, on the Black Isle. For the uninformed, its in the Highlands, and the place to go to if you want to see the Moray Firth Dolphins.

Return of the elderflower!

2011-06-15T21:25:00.003+02:00

Since updating my status on facebook, and boasting about my 5 buckets of elderflower cordial in the making, I've had a couple of requests for the recipe.
Its a tried and tested one, super easy, and pretty much foolproof.

You need a bucket with a lid, but no other special fancy equipment.

Pick approx 30 elderflower heads. Ignore any little beasties as they will be
euthanised (sorry!)
Put in the bucket
Pour over 2kg of sugar. In Sweden sugar comes in a 2kg bag, so no measuring needed!
Add 60g of citric acid granules. Again, comes in handy packs here!
Wash and slice 2 lemons. Add to bucket
Pour over 2 litres of boiling water. This is the euthanising part.
Stir well to make sure the sugar is dissolved.
Put the lid on the bucket. Leave for 5 days in a cool place. (We have a food cellar so
that is ideal) Stir every other day.

Strain through a muslin cloth into a pan, measure the amount and add the appropriate quantity
of preservative. I use natrium benzoate. This means you don't need to freeze the cordial and it keeps for well over a year. If you don't add the natrium benzoate, it will keep for about a fortnight in the fridge, or you can always freeze it in plastic bottles. We don't have a big freezer, but we do have a big food cellar.
I prewash my bottles in boiling water before bottling the cordial.

To serve, dilute with ice cold water, if you like serve with a couple of slices of lemon. Some people use sparkling mineral water, but I just like the oldfashioned way. I dilute it in 1 part cordial to 4 parts water.

I have also used the undiluted cordial to make elderflower parfait.....leave a comment if you'd
like that recipe!

Long time no see!

2011-05-31T19:10:00.004+02:00

I'm ashamed to say how long it has been since I logged on here. Life has been super busy and the MacOlsson family has not left much time over for blogging! However, we are all just dandy, trying very hard to be good, and generally enjoying this wonderful pre Summer season here in Sweden. The lilacs are blooming, the rhododendrons are blooming, the sweet peas are stretching up the wires, Mr MacOlsson's cornflowers are sprouting nicely , the strawberries are starting to form, and all over our garden the wild strawberries are promising sweet treats to come.

I've posted before about recycling and just have to share again about its delights! Today I went with all our recycling and a couple of books we were finished with. Came home with a fabulous working Brother sewing machine which is much fancier than my own one. AND this beauty..

A vintage Arabia jar with lid in absolutely perfect condition! For those not in the know, Arabia is Finnish porcelain. As with all Finnish china ware, it is both funky and functional, and very sought after. Not everyone appreciates it though, luckily for me! I see on ebay the same ones go for a great price - but sorry, I am keeping this lovely piece in the macolsson household.
Last time I was there, I picked up 6 Arabia dinner plates, the exact same as our ones we use every day, so after a swish in the dishwasher, we now have enough matching dinner plates for us AND for when we have visitors!

So what about your finds? Bargain stories please!

Off to pick some lilac - you do know that you can make the most delicious cordial from the blossoms, don't you? Get picking.

Spring Fever

2011-04-08T16:16:00.007+02:00

There must be something about Spring which awakes the creativity in me. Or is it the possibility of laundry blowing in the wind which inspires me? Whichever it is, I thought I should dive into my fabric stash and make some peg bags. As every good Swede knows, the best way to dry is outside on a line. Oh, and I really ought to say as every good Scottish woman knows......

I think this one is my favourite. The fabric is remnants picked up for a song at the local fabric shop. I thought I
might make a tote bag, but this is a great way of using it up too.

And this fabric, was a table cloth, which I bought on sale
for a ridiculously cheap price. I made some chair covers for our old kitchen chairs (sadly all broken now, but that is another story), a tea cosy for a friend, and there still is
about 1 metre left for future projects. Any ideas?

Easter Chick!

2011-04-07T17:59:00.003+02:00

I just had to crochet this tea cosy when I found the pattern online! It took me an afternoon, and is on sale in my shop

Friday Feels Fab!

2011-03-25T13:25:00.006+01:00

Since I am a SAHM (stay at home mum), one of the highlights of the day is when the yellow postvan zips up the road. Today, I was already in the garden when it came, and instead of a handful of bills; the postman handed me a handful of packages!
The lovely Shelley from Nebraska, whom I have never met, but is a friend of a friend of a friend sent me these gorgeous dishcloths, all wrapped in a pretty pink ribbon.

The lovely Olivia, who we miss SO much sent these! A bundle of balloons just begging to be blown up (poor mamma!), 3 gorgeous cross stitch kits for the macolsson kidlets, and 2 pretty towels with embroidery threads to embroider on.

Thank you thank you thank you! Mrs MacOlsson is now going to sit down with this gorgeous teapot - a present for her fabulous mother in law - and spend a peaceful oh- so- short minute or two enjoying the sun streaming in through the window while the kidlets have a well needed nap.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and to my package sending friends - THANK YOU!

A New Shop Front!

2011-03-18T09:20:00.003+01:00

I've decided to launch a new shop through my mrsmacolsson facebook page! I've also changed the name to reflect the new status. mrsmacolsson on facebook is now called Mrs MacOlsson Boutique Shop. All my products are available there for purchase - I'm going to be adding some new ones every day over the next week. At the moments all items have free shipping, and as an extra bonus, if you "like" mrsmacolsson on facebook you will receive an extra 5% discount.

Find me here.

To make a purchase, click on the little shopping trolley on the left of the page, alternatively, if you want to pay by bank transfer, contact me direct instead.

Remember, I am delighted to accept custom orders, so if there is a colour or size you would like, or even a different product, just contact me!

Thank you!

Hair and the Moomin Bag Winner!

2011-03-17T09:27:00.004+01:00

These are my new fun crafting occupation! Sweet, springlike, and great for using up my fabric scraps.

These hair clips were a lot of fun to make. The buttons come from my Nana's button box, so are most definitely vintage! They are all available for purchase on my etsy shop.

And the winner of the Moomin bag is the lovely Allie from Ystad! Comment number 9 and the random number generator picked your number. Email your address (again).

Little Lizard King

2011-03-12T15:15:00.005+01:00

Have you seen this fabulous site? Scurry over to Little Lizard King and drool over her fabulous patterns and designs. You can purchase and download her patterns direct.
I have bought several of them, and been really impressed how easy they are to follow.

Think of gorgeous sunsuits for little girls, sweet apron knot dresses, funky little boy vests, bowties, crayon holders.......

Check out an old post of mine to see some of the items I have made here and here

Semlor and French Style Cooking

2011-03-09T13:45:00.008+01:00

Yesterday was Fettisdagen (Shrove Tuesday) in Sweden. Traditionally, we eat semlor, a delicious sweet bun filled with marzipan and whipped cream. So, since all the MacOlssons are still feeling very yucky, we decided to bake our own.

And to compensate for all the delicious indulgence yesterday, I made this absolutely scrummy healthy lunch today!
Its courgettes (zucchini) and tomatoes layered in a dish,drizzled in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 10 mins. Mix together 3 eggs, 1 1/2 dl creme fraiche, a crushed garlic clove, a pinch of nutmeg and cayenne pepper, some chopped basil and salt and pepper. Spread this over your courgettes and tomatoes and return to the oven until the mixture is set (about 30 mins). Serve with a green salad, preferrably drizzled with the balsam vinegar I brought back from Paris.

Don't forget to enter the Mad March giveaway to win a Moomin tote bag. Leave a comment on the previous entry before Saturday...

Mad March Giveaway!

2011-03-05T17:09:00.007+01:00

Not a Mad March Hare, but a Moomin cloth tote bag giveaway.

All you have to do is become a follower of this blog, AND post a comment on the blog telling me you have done so. If you are already a follower, then just leave a comment.

A random comment on this post will receive this cute bag! Closing date Sat 12 March.

To become a follower, scroll down to the follower section on the bottom right and click on the button, to post a comment, look for the comment box! You can hide your profile if you like, to follow anonymously.

#This isn't one of my own creations, but I saw it on sale and couldn't resist buying a few!#

PARIS!

2011-02-17T12:21:00.007+01:00

Paris was fabulous. Totally, completely worth the wait. We should have gone there more than five years ago when motoring in France, but detoured to visit a friend studying near Rennes. We should have been there on my actual birthday, but my poor father in law hurt his back. But the should haves meant that we were there on Valentine's Day instead, so what could be more romantic than that.

Oh, how we walked. And walked. And walked. From our hotel to Montmartre, skipping past all the tourists having their portraits drawn, drinking in the view from Sacre Coeur over Paris, and then moving away from the mass of tourists to the kind of France we love. Just wandering. Stopping and looking up tiny streets, shrugging, and following winding steps up and down, back and forth.

This was our lunch, in a tiny delicatessan which only had two tables (so definitely not a tourist trap). Corsican specialities, followed by lemon tarte and delicious coffee. Feet and stomach rested and filled.

We wandered on, people watching, window shopping and enjoying just being Mr and Mrs MacOlsson. And treated ourselves to Sunday brunch at the most elegant tea salon ever. Ladurée. Not cheap, but incredibly chic, and incredibly French. Did we catch a glimpse of the lovely Audrey Tatou? If not her, a very close likeness.

We had delightful neighbours, very unFrench French, who when they heard us speaking Swedish wondered where we came from. And when they heard that I was from Scotland, became rapturous. Ten years ago, they had camped for two weeks in Bonnie Scotland. It rained every day. And on the last day, on the Isle of Skye, he proposed to her. Scotland has that effect on people. Its not just the French who understand romance!

Finally, the wine. I imagine one would be completely fluent in French after this. Perhaps that is the secret.

Sun and Sweden

2011-02-08T12:01:00.002+01:00

When I came here nearly 10 years ago, there were two things which really struck me. One of them was that all Swedes seemed to wander around talking to themselves. It was the weirdest thing. Until I realised that they all had handsfree earpieces for their mobiles. There's a phrase we use in Scotland to describe a country bumpkin. Translated into proper English it goes like this..."Down from the hills with heather in their ears" Well, that was me! Yes, we had mobiles in Culloden, but handsfree? That would just be for people in the Big Smoke.

The OTHER thing which struck me was Swedes and the sun. I arrived in November, getting towards the darkest time of the year. Every single time the sun was shining, a remarkable phenomenon occured. All Swedes were to be found either sitting on a park bench, or simply standing, with their eyes closed and lifting their faces up to the sun. Like a mass of bundled up sunflowers. Surrounded by snow.

Fast forward to today. I was waiting for the MacOlsson kidlets to finish bundling up to go out for a walk in the fresh snow. (Yes, we have more snow). So, I sat on the chair on the front step, closed my eyes and lifted my face up to the sun. And burst out laughing. Yes, its official. I have become a true Swede, appreciating every ray of sunshine which shines during the long Nordic winter. I too am a sunflower.

Recycling and Upcycling

2011-01-26T15:47:00.004+01:00

Sweden is one of the best countries in the world when it comes to recycling. There are green recycling containers all over the place. You recycle your glass - coloured and plain - your newspapers, paper bags, everything cardboard and paper, soft and hard plastic, metal, batteries, light bulbs, clothing. The list is endless. At the supermarket, it costs to take a plastic bag, so a lot take a cloth bag with them, or reuse plastic bags from home. We usually take a bag of recycling on the way to nursery.
We also compost all our food waste. We have three bins in the garden, which are solely for that. One for new waste, one for waste breaking down, and one for the almost ready to be put on the garden waste. As it has been such a long cold winter, they are getting quite full, but I noticed today that the new waste is sinking - which means all the lovely little munching maggots are waking up.
As well as the little recycling centres dotted all over the place, we also have a large recycling plant where you can go with EVERYTHING -furniture, garden waste, paint, you name it, we can recycle it. And this plant is a treasure trove, because there is a large shed where you can leave what you no longer need/want, and find something you do need/want.

I leave a book and come home with a fabulous storage bench for the hall. I leave some plates and cups and come home with Donald Duck comics. So far, I have exchanged my unwanted goods for the following : one red child's bicycle in perfect condition, one cycle helmet, two fabulous garden chairs, glass bottles for the cordial making season to come, books, comics, a kitchen chair, toys for the children and gorgeous gingham curtains for the youngest kidlet's room. Oh, and best of all, a box of handcrocheted pieces of lace.......now washed and pressed and looking so prettily ready for crafting.

Its called Upcycling. So in theory you could cycle to leave your recycling and upcycle your cycle for ...........well, that's the most fabulous part of all!

And the winner is....

2011-01-24T15:42:00.003+01:00

Maxine Jelinek!

Congratulations Maxine on being my first giveaway winner. You were the random comment chosen using this site

You are the lucky winner of the mrsmacolsson shopper bag!

Please email me your address so I can post off your loot.

Anne-Louise

Snow and the Giveaway

2011-01-16T18:27:00.010+01:00

I have a friend in Australia who is currently sweltering in over 30 degrees heat, and having problems sleeping! I thought she might be cooled down by some of these pics, and I KNOW her boys would just have so much fun with the mountains of snow we have here right now.

Having said that, today it has been a balmy plus 2 degrees, or 2 degrees warm as the Swedes say! For the uninitiated, that means super slippy everywhere. There is a layer of slush on top of ice on top of hard packed snow, which makes for difficult driving and whoosh walking (that's when you are walking along quite happily and whoosh! you are lying flat on your back in the most undignified manner). Now those savvy Swedes have studded car tyres which are fabulous with the difficult driving conditions, and for the whoosh walking...well you can buy these rather unattractive spikes you fasten over the soles of your shoes which totally eliminates the indignity of ending up flat on your back for the umpteenth time.
Our neighbour's car!Picnic?

We have so much snow they have to drive it away in lorries from the streets. Once the snow melts, the grit is gathered up again and recycled the next winter.
A traditional Swedish house
My rascals. The snow heap is taller than the apple tree!
Our house with the youngest rascal checking for mail.
Snow on hedge meets snow on road.

And these are what you need for optimum snowball making...

Crocheted mittens in gorgeous ecological natural dyed wool....hmm, who could get those I wonder?

If I write in capital letters, I amn't shouting, just reminding you of the GIVEAWAY.
REMEMBER TO LEAVE A COMMENT BEFORE JANUARY 24 AND YOU COULD WIN A MRSMACOLSSON SHOPPER. REPOST ON YOUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR AN EXTRA CHANCE.
If you want to post anonymously, that's fine, but write your name or initials in your post so I can work out who you are!

Oh, and I know the captions for the photos are slightly off....I have tried redoing them but failed miserably!

Happy New Year 2011 and a giveaway

2011-01-10T08:39:00.008+01:00

This is a big year already! In exactly 2 weeks I turn 40, in a month our youngest will turn 3 and soon start in daycare and I need to decide what to do with myself!
As in what kind of job will I look for? What would I LOVE to do? Well, those of you who really know me, know that I would really like to just be mrsmacolsson, with a successful etsy shop, supplying lovely non massproduced items, and converting Sweden to be a nation of tea drinkers from teapots, thus required my gorgeous tea cosies.....

With all that in mind, I move on to resolutions. I have never been a fan of those. First, because its incredibly hard to keep them, and the usual ones like being a kinder person/losing 500 pounds by tomorrow/clean the bathroom daily/find my inner self today just sound plain daft. I KNOW I should be a kinder person/should lose a few pounds/clean the loo/and I know what and where my inner self is - believe me, she needs working on, but that's a daily resolution, not an annual one!

So, what about resolutions then? Well, I will try to build up mrsmacolsson into something more viable, and I will try to find a job which allows me to still be wife, mamma and me. So now that decision is made, let's celebrate!

A friend posted a payitforward idea on my facebook page. That gave me the idea of a giveaway! One lucky person will win a mrsmacolsson cloth shopping bag - no restrictions on location! In order to enter you have to do the following:

1. mention me on your facebook page (say something nice, please :))
2. like my facebook page and
3. post a comment on this blog when you have done the above! (on the actual blog page, not on the facebook note link!)

I will then use a fabulous random post number generator to pick the winner. Don't worry if you already won my facebook pay it forward, you could just double your payitforward surprises!

Closing date.....well, let's make it January 24. I'll be away on that date, but as soon as I come home from my secret romantic birthday trip, I'll be generating that number.

Good Luck!

Finishing off and new products

2010-10-26T16:28:00.009+02:00

Finishing off is what I have been doing for the last couple of weeks. I have so many ideas whirling around in my head, so many patterns I drool over, and so many almost finished projects to sew up. So, I have stitched, hooked and knitted the finishing touch on more than a dozen items. Mr MacOlsson has been coerced into photographing the end results.

First off, I have decided that since the days here in Sweden are much colder AND shorter, that TEA is the order of the day. With that in mind, I have tea cosies, or tea cozies as our friends across the pond say, in a variety of different shapes and sizes, colours and fabrics, in knitted, crocheted and fabric versions. My beloved Marimekko prints feature heavily here. The colours are so vibrant, the patterns so unique, that its hard to describe them. Look for yourself!

My parents were over for a week, and Mum borrowed some needles and wool, and rustled up this lovely purple and cream tea cosy, from a vintage pattern, no less! She has a similar tea cosy and has generously given me her vintage pattern.

And then, there is this pretty one. Its crocheted from Finnish yarn, bought there this summer when we visited Moominland. Don't tell, but its actually sock yarn, and the colours are just so pretty together, I thought it a shame to make socks and made this instead. It fits on my biggest teapot - a great chunker of a pot I bought in Ikea when I first moved to Sweden. Actually, I think it was my first "household" purchase here, which goes to show how high a pot of tea ranks in my life!

And last, but not least, my cute little icecream sundae tea cosy. Also a crochet, also a vintage pattern, its made from double stranded merino wool, and is so soft. I found a cute 4 cup tea pot at our local recycling centre, and it is a perfect fit. I couldn't decide how to embellish the top, so it ended up being a "cherry" rose.

Now, to the new products. I have mentioned this fabulous blog before.. and have bought several of her patterns for darling skirts, dresses and more. The other day, while drooling over her gorgeous pics, I spotted a pattern for crayon rolls. Now, along with my large yarn stash, I also have a slightly smaller fabric stash. And, I also have three little MacOlssons who love to draw, and who always lose their crayons. So, I purchased the pattern and made this.

The oldest little MacOlsson likes her Crayola Twisters, so of course, I had to make a Crayola Twister Roll Up. The same pattern, just a bigger piece of material.

That's not all. Carried away in my sewing machine daze, I decided I should also have some cute holder for my bag. Go in to GOOGLE and type in "how to" and you find innumerable patterns and ideas for what you want to make. I ended up with a little purse or make up bag, and of course had to make another one just to see if I could. I like them both, but the second one is my favourite. The fabric is Laurel Burch Fanciful Felines.....oh, so pretty and unique.

All of the items are available for sale in my etsy shop and since I'm featuring tea cosies, all the cosies for sale have reduced shipping until the end of November.

And lastly, PLEASE leave a comment. I'd love to know what you think. Thank you

Memories and Mushrooms

2010-10-11T10:04:00.006+02:00

I know I've already written about mushrooms, but really, there is such a harvest to be picked in the forest right now, that any self respecting Scottish woman married to a half Finnish man really has to write some more.

Mushrooms grow all over here in the forests which are just around the corner anywhere you turn. We live in a commuter town about 45 mins from Stockhom, but 5 minutes from our house are hunting grounds which abound in blueberries, lingon and MUSHROOMS!

My friend's parents in law own some of these hunting grounds, and 2 weekends ago her husband and mine were there for 3 hours mushroom hunting. My husband came back with a huge grin on his face, exultantly declaring he had never seen so many kantarell mushrooms before. He proudly presented this basket to me.

So we cooked some and dried lots, to enjoy the gorgeous golden taste in stews and soups and sauces this winter.

The memories?

Well, many moons ago, before we had little MacOlssons, the two of us attended a soup making evening class. It was a dark cold evening, but for 4 hours our group made 12 different kinds of soup, bread and wontons to go with them. The unanimous favourite was hazelnut and kantarell soup, served with warm bread.

So Mr MacOlsson, the romantic that he is, made a huge pot of hazelnut and kantarell soup, baked the gorgeous bread and we enjoyed it as much as we did 6 years ago. Only this time we enjoyed it with our three little MacOlssons.

Please leave a comment below:)

Hats and Bonnets

2010-09-12T11:13:00.006+02:00

Those pesky autumn winds are kind of tricky. One minute they are warm and soft, turn the corner, and they are kind of nippy. Especially for little MacOlsson ears. So guess what was on the hook this week? Oh yes, little hats for cute little heads.

Funny thing about hats. No matter what the style,colour or pattern, little heads suit them all. Now adults....well let's just say that an awful lot of people wear hats that just don't suit them at all. Bearing that in mind, I hardly ever wear a hat, and as far as I know, there are very few pictures around of me wearing one. In fact, this past winter, the teachers at my daughters' nursery said that they knew it was really really cold if I had a hat on! The only picture I like of me in a hat is this one, taken of course by Mr MrsMacOlsson.

He took it in Finland, just after we were married, on one of our many honeymoon weekends. We had been out walking for an hour on a gloriously sunny winter day. Minus 28 degrees celsius! Believe me, it was cold.

Does anyone read this? Please leave a comment. Scroll down to the comments section at the end of the post.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/mrsmacolsson?ref=top_trail

Dresses.....and a purse!

2010-09-09T12:15:00.007+02:00

Dresses......with two little Miss MacOlssons in this household, we do like dresses. Even little Master MacOlsson tells his big sisters that they look pretty. Need to start training the boy young, if he is going to be a hit with the ladies!!
Anyhow, in my "occasional" surfing in my "free" time, I came across this shop on etsy. LittleLizardKing. She sells the most adorable patterns for cute girlie dresses, tunics and more. So, in a moment of creative madness, I bought two, and during the winter, I made a couple of tops for my girls. They got so many admiring comments, and my friend Brenda thought I should try to sell them.

At long last, I am mastering the art of uploading photos without relying on Mr MrsMacOlsson, so here are my three creations now up for sale on etsy. The knot dresses are really cool, as they are very adjustable, simply by retying the knot. I thought the red checks were typically Swedish, and looked really funky teamed with the polka dots.
The strawberry fabric....well, its just cute! The oldest Miss MacOlsson has long been nicknamed "Strawberry Girl" after a cute outfit bought for her as a newborn from my dearest dearest friend Rebecca. So sshhhh, but guess who is getting a Strawberry Girl dress for her birthday present in December?

And please, dear reader, leave a comment to make my day!

PS Finished this cute heart shaped purse, so here's a peek at it too. I love the button I found in my mother in law's button box......which makes it vintage Finnish!

mrsmacolsson: Etsy

2010-09-08T19:51:00.000+02:00

mrsmacolsson: Etsy

Etsy

2010-09-08T19:41:00.005+02:00

One of the tips on etsy to increase your sales, is to increase your shop! So that in mind, I made this sweet daisy chain. Little MissMacOlsson thought it was cute around her neck, but we also tried it hanging round the window. She suggested I make lots and use it as a curtain...but for now, there is one long chain with 20 flowers on.

Please please leave a comment so I know that it isn't just my little sis looking in!

Plums and Apples!

2010-09-01T11:38:00.007+02:00

In our garden we have a mini orchard, with 5 different apple trees and one victoria plum tree. This means that we have HUGE amounts of apples and plums to take care of, which promises for long hours of pots bubbling and releasing delicous aromas through the house. And then the beautiful bottles and jars with their "Homemade" labels on.....oh, the shelves in the food cellar are filling up!

I started yesterday with the plums and spent a very pleasant coffee break browsing through myriad cookbooks. Plums in cognac, plum compotte, plum pie, plum and apple chutney.....and, as so often before, I return to my faithful battered Swedish cookbook.

"Husmanskost" - in other words, everyday recipes which are delicious, straightforward and traditional. You know, the good oldfashioned kind of food like Nana and Mum make. Filled with recipes for stew, soups, pies, baking and JAM! Except in Swedish its often called "marmelad"! I just haven't quite figured out the difference, as jam is "sylt" but according to Mr MrsMacOlsson, its to do with the consistency. Anyhow, plum jam was the final decision, and I now have six dark purplybrown jars filled with Victoria Plum jam. Yummy in my tummy, as my kiddiewinks say.

Apples, well, there are no doubt going to be quite a few posts on apples. We have Ingrid Marie, Cinnamon Apple, Transparent Blanche, Gravensteiner and Cox Orange. Every one of those trees is laden with apples, so much so, that I can't keep up with the windfalls. They will be taken to the wood and left for the deer to munch on.....

The rest, well, I have my trusty cordial maker on the gas stove as we speak.
My "Saft Maja" is definitely my best bargain buy ever! One large batch of apple cordial coming up, with every apple piece carefully placed in the double boiler by my littlest MacOlsson........and yes, a few sneaked in his little chatty mouth too.

Don't forget to leave a comment please! Click on the "comments" below :)

Autumn Goodies

2010-08-28T19:45:00.007+02:00

The long fingers of autumn are slowly reaching out to us here in Sweden, gently pulling us from the warmth of summer to the cooler sunny days of early Autumn.

To celebrate the season changeover, Mother Nature is sharing her treasures with us. In the forest, the mushrooms and blueberries are awaiting, and in our garden, a feast of redcurrants.

We went mushroom hunting two days before we went to Finland. Maybe to get ourselves into the mood, since the Finns are experts in appreciating the goodies the forest provides. Much to Mr MacOlsson's disappointment, it was his Scottish wife who found this yummy cantarelle mushroom, in a patch under some trees where the wild pigs had been rooting previously.

To me, mushroom picking brings back romantic memories of the weekend we went mushroom picking together for the first time. A few days later we were married. Autumn is a special time of year. It is even more special to share our joy with our 3 little MacOlssons, and smile as they learn forest lore. My husband often picked mushrooms with his Finnish grandmother, and it is special to see that knowledge being passed down to our quarter Finnish MacOlssons.

And as for the redcurrants....well, I picked 14 kilos from 2 bushes! Moominmamma would have been very impressed, so maybe I am becoming more and more like her. This is my basket of rubyred berries.
I used my cordial steamer picked up for a song at a garage sale. My "saftmaja" is basically a double boiler. You put water in the bottom, the berries sit in a colander type basket, and the heated water steams up through the berries and delicious red saft is created. My 14 kilos of redcurrants made 13 1/2 litres of saft, so the MacOlsson family has a treasure chest of ruby red bottles. For those of you who wish to taste, come and visit us!

Newsboy hat

2010-08-28T18:10:00.005+02:00

Well, I am back! Its been a busy old summer, with holidays filled with sea, sand and sun, a trip to Finland and Moominland, with a 40th birthday party for Mr Mrsmacolsson squeezed in there in the middle.

Autumn is slowly sneaking up on us, and the little mrsmacolssons all need new hats, so in my happy surfing moments I came across this blog http://vallieskids.blogspot.com/. Its filled with lovely free patterns, so a big thank you to Valerie for this cute pattern for a brimmed hat.

Miss 4 year old Macolsson requested to be first (goes without saying) so I rummaged in my stash bag and found some cheerful cotton yarn from one of my favourite shops - Lidl! The buttons I found in my button box I took over here from Scotland. I have a feeling they came from an old mohair cardigan I had in the mid 80s....eek!

Anyhow, she is rather happy with it, and now Miss 3 year old Macolsson is patiently waiting for her one, and Mr 2 year Macolsson wants one too, so more updates will follow.

Famous at last!

2010-05-20T15:20:00.003+02:00

Well, sort of famous. Macmillan's Publishers have published my article on Moomin, and are giving away a Snork crocheted by yours truly as a competition prize!
Here's the link....
http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=59166

mrsmacolsson

First Etsy Sale!

2010-04-30T13:03:00.003+02:00

I have been advertising my crochet models on Etsy for a few months now, and wondered if it was worth it! But last week, I had a order for a custom model- a pink car for the soon to be born daughter of a car salesperson! Big thank you to Julie for being my first customer. And here is the car- think I should try some more colours now, maybe even multicoloured?

My dream (or one of them) would be to have a fab little teashop, with homemade scones and lots of tea- using my own teacosies of course! Afternoon tea at mrsmacolsson's! Oh, how Sweden needs to learn about the cosy factor.

Thanks for reading,and please, leave a comment!

mrsmacolsson

Marimekko Tea Cosy

2010-04-09T15:36:00.002+02:00

There is something about Marimekko fabrics that just attracts. Some of them are better known than others, some of the older ones are just so classic that they are modern today. Unikko is fabulous, comes in so many colours and just looking at them makes me happy.
Imagine my joy when I discovered they are now being produced in Mini patterns, and new colours too. Perfect for my continued venture into the world of tea cosies........

Tea!

2010-03-30T15:09:00.008+02:00

Anyone who knows me even just a little, knows that as a true Scot, I do like my pots of tea. At uni, my flatmates, friends and I could get through many pots each day, and the consumption increased in proportion to the looming deadlines.....
Since I met my husband, his tea consumption has gone from zero to at least 3 cups a day.
Tea, of course, proper tea, in my humble opinion should be preferably Scottish Blend, or even Yorkshire Tea, and drunk in good company (either with friends or a book!) and never hurried. Take the time to warm the pot. Put the milk in first, as my nana used to say, otherwise you get redhaired children. Not true, she had beautiful red hair, I have red tints, and our 3 macolsson children all have a slight reddish tint.....
Anyhow, to fully enjoy tea, you must have a nice tea cosy. And therein lies the problem. Sweden just does not have tea cosies! You can buy beautiful Marimekko teacosies in the Marimekko shop, but they cost a fortune. I have one, its been used so much that it just is wor n out. So, I decided I need to revolutionise Swedish teadrinking, and introduce these Nordic types to the joys of gorgeous teacosies.
And to go along with these teacosies, an ode to tea, thanks to my dear triplet friends LJC and JC. We sang this many a time at our triplet sleepovers....

I like a nice cup of tea in the morning
To start the day, you see,
And round about eleven, my idea of heaven,
Is a nice cup of tea.
I like a nice cup of tea with my dinner,
And a nice cup of tea with my tea,
When its time for bed,
There's a lot to be said
For a nice cup of tea!

Easter!

2010-03-24T12:06:00.004+01:00

I found a really nice crafting magazine in our local supermarket - in English! It had lots of gorgeous scrapbooking,sewing,crochet,knitting idea, and I just fell for this Easter Hen. It was so easy to make from material I had at home, so decided to make a couple more and try to sell them on tradera.com. As always, mr mrsmacolsson is the photographer.

I was in Finland a couple of weeks ago with my lovely motherinlaw, and we spent a long time browsing in bookshops, as we are both bookworms. I found a great hobby bookshop, where you could sit as long as you wanted, drink tea (free!) and browse. Perfect on a cold snowy day, and got lots of inspiration, spent quite a few euros on a gorgeous Cath Kidston book. Am actually really glad I don't live in Britain now - I reckon all my money would disappear on her fabrics.

Shabby Chic is very trendy in Sweden right now - seems like every new shop which opens caters to this. Hmm, should I hop on the train? Well, with three little macolssons at home, shabby works, definitely not chic, as it seems to entail lots of lovely pretty things guaranteed to appeal to the little macolssons!

Have a nice week. Oh, and please leave a comment so I know if someone somewhere reads me.

Moomin

2010-03-12T08:36:00.003+01:00

Moomin or Mumin is part of our everyday life in mrsmacolsson's family. The kiddies have duvets with Mumin on, their favourite dvds are Mumin, I have a Muminmamma on my keyring and suitcase, mr mrsmacolsson has Muminpappa on his suitcase. We have little Mumins, even had a Muminmobile over the cot, which is now hanging in the playroom. Mumin plates, Mumin cutlery, and a HUGE collection of the beautiful Mumin mugs from Arabia.

So, I suppose it wasn't so surprising that in the middle of my crochet development, I wanted to crochet a Mumin. I tried to find a pattern, but in the end combined feet from one pattern with a chubby body from another and worked on my own head pattern. The result was this blue Mumin, known as Snork, only because I had run out of white!
My friend Fiona suggested I sell on etsy.com, and the other day I received an email from a Children's Books Publisher in the US, wondering if I would like to write an article for them on how Mumin has inspired my crafting! The Publishers had googled Mumin, and found my Snork! Of course I am going to write the article, and there will be a competition to win a crocheted Mumin on their online magazine for kids. How fun is that? In fact, it has inspired me to crochet another Mumin, this time it will hopefully be Muminmamma, since I aspire to be more like her - always happy, completely unfazed by the tricks her family gets up to, and happiest making saft or in her beloved garden.

Etsy shop

2010-02-26T16:18:00.005+01:00

Over the Christmas period I had some of my creations for sale in a local children's clothes shop. A kind of test the market, dip my toe in the water. I sold 4 different toys, but realise that where I live isn't the right place to sell. In Stockholm, where we used to live, they would sell like hot cakes to the cafe latte mammas.

My friend Fiona recommended I try selling them on Etsy, so I have opened my own little shop there. Of course, I am mrsmacolsson there too! Have a look, and tell me what you think.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/mrsmacolsson

December already!

2009-12-01T15:41:00.012+01:00

Today is the first of December and we had a tiny flurry of snow! Am so longing for the first snowfall - everything is so much brighter and prettier when its sugarcoated with snowflakes.

I have been super busy crocheting, so busy that I haven't posted since December. A lot of my friends have asked me to create toys for their little ones, so here are some pictures of the results. My children are thrilled when I get my hooks out - they know that there are some new prototypes coming their way!!!

I made one of these cars for my friend's son Josh. He takes it everywhere with him!

Hello Kitty is really popular in Sweden right now and every toy shop has its own plastic version. Call me oldfashioned, but I like this kind of toy better. My daughters both have their birthdays this month and have preordered Kitty, so am secretly crocheting during nap time and in the evenings.

Flopsy Rabbit.Moomintroll

Teddy Princess Cake
Octopus - thank you Kansas Hooker for sharing!

Tomtar - hang as Christmas decorations or on cots, prams.

Hello everyone!

2009-09-01T11:05:00.003+02:00

Its been such a long time since I posted. Where did August go? Oh, I know, it whizzed past in a blur of sun and sandpits, coffee dates and cuddles. My husband was away for 3 weeks hillwalking in the north of Norway and Sweden. Oh, did I ever miss him, as did our little ones. Now he is home again and it is so nice!
Well, I have a lot of little projects on the go - a tea cosy which is nearly finished, new curtains and chair covers for the kitchen, a cute octopus which needs 7 more legs, a spotty potholder and a knitted teddybear. Whew! Some of them are nice just to pick up and crochet when I have a couple of minutes, others require more concentration. Since I don't have many couple of minutes or concentration time at the moment, I amn't making so much progress!!!!!
Mind you, I have 3 friends who have either just delivered, or are about to deliver within the next few days, so their little projects are on the go. I found the cutest little booties to crochet, so hopefully will get those done in time for the first baby visit.
And I sold a Polly Pig!
Photos will follow eventually - I hope!
Thanks for reading.

Polly the Pig

2009-07-22T12:58:00.005+02:00

Meet Polly the Pig! She was really fun to make and I think the hardest part was deciding how to give her eyes. In the end I went for handstitched which is much more childsafe. She has been testdriven on my babies and since she ended up being the centre of a kidfight, I reckon this is one I will be making again.

I am now taking orders - email me through the blog! Oh, and please leave a comment at the bottom of this post to let me know what you think.

Coming soon, Snorkmaiden from the Moomins, or as we Nordic types call her "Snorkfröken"

Oh, and this is what we are enjoying right now from the garden...

Redcurrant Cordial /Rödavinbärsaft

2009-07-09T14:15:00.004+02:00

We have lots of currant bushes in the new garden, and since I am a big fan of making my own jams and cordials, I thought I would try a new one. Its slightly tart in flavour, perfect for the summmer, and is a gorgeous red colour.

This recipe is for my little sister. She thinks I could be a Scottish/Swedish Nigella! Not sure if I am really, since I don't see myself as some supergoddess with lots of hairtossing, but anyhow here is it is! For the lovely Bronwen.

1kg redcurrants
1/2litre water

Bring the water to the boil and add the currants. You don't need to pick them or anything, just chuck them in, stalks and all. Bring it back to the boil and let it simmer for about 10 mins. Press the berries with a wooden spoon to extract more juice.
Strain the mixture. I have a Swedish saftsil, but you could strain them through a clean teatowel. Let it drip through by itself, takes about 30 mins.
This gives you about 1 litre of concentrate. Measure and bring it back to the boil in a clean saucepan, and then add 500g of sugar per litre of liquid. Add just a little at a time, and stir it well to make sure it dissolves properly. Let it simmer for just a few minutes, then pull it off the ring and just let it sit. A little bit of scum can float up, just skim it off.
(I add some preservative so it keeps longer, but if you don't do that, then the cordial will keep in the fridge, or you could freeze it.)
Pour the cordial into warm bottles and cork them straight away. Let them cool, and then enjoy!

Rödavinbärsaft

Det receptet är till min lillasyster - hon skrev att jag kunde vara en skotsk/svensk Nigella Lawson!!!!! Vet inte om det är riktigt sant, eftersom jag är inte riktig någon supergoddess, men i alla fall, Bronwen, det här är till dig!

1kg rödavinbär
5dl vatten

Koka upp vattnet och lägg i bären. Bären behöver inte repas, bara slänga i de! Koka upp igen tills att de gett ifrån saften, ca 10 minuter. Tryck bären då och då mot grytans kant att få ut mer saft.
Häll ut i en silställning och låt rinna ca 30min. Mät upp den avrunna saften, koka upp den igen. Rör i 6dl socker per liter avrunnen saft, lite i taget, och koka upp igen. Ta bort från värmen och låt den stå några minuter sen ta bort ev skum. Tillsätt 1krm natriumbensoat per liter om så önskas.
Häll saften i varma rena flaskor, förslut genast. Förvara svalt.
Om man inte tillsätta natriumbensoat kan man förvara saften i kylskåpet, men förstås den håller inte så länge.

Success!

2009-06-15T15:16:00.003+02:00

Well, since publishing the first picture I have had orders for 4 more teddy bears!
So my little fingers are working hard. Have finished two, one of which is a very patriotic Swedish nallebjörn in the Swedish colours. More pics to follow soon....

Jo, kanske jag borde också skriva på svenska, eftersom jag bor ju här i Sverige med min svenska man och mina halvsvenska barn!
I alla fall, nu har jag fått beställningar för 4 till nallebjörnar. Har virkat en i blå och gul, och den ser ut som den skulle passa bra till midsommar. Ska jaga mannen att fotografera den åt mig, eftersom han är rättbra på det! Bilderna kommer snart..

Almost Famous

2009-06-10T09:36:00.003+02:00

A friend of mine has started her own website called Live in Sweden, and I am on it!

Here's the link

http://www.liveinsweden.se/Success_Sweden/13

And the little girl who I made the teddy for was thrilled!!!! She just hugged it so tight and her face said it all. I had made a little bag for her big sister and a tiny mouse for her little sister, and I think all went home very contented indeed.

First publication!

2009-06-05T11:01:00.000+02:00

Finally got a picture loaded up! Its a little teddy bear I have made for a friend's daughter. The hardest part was getting the eyes just right as I wanted to make sure they were baby friendly. Let me know what you think!
Next project some baby shoes.....

Beginning blogging

2009-06-02T14:29:00.000+02:00

Well, this is a new experience for me. Blogging will be my research for my potential project. I crochet and knit. A lot. Or as much as my three monkeys allow me - i.e. when they are napping! They like to help me, which means the crocheting can sometimes go really slowly, but its fun too. I'm going to publish photos of what I crochet and knit, see if anyone is interested. And how does one make their blog interesting?!?!?! I'd better chase my doonari to find me a usb cable fast so I can upload pictures of my work.
Please let me know what you think - and if you are interested, contact me.