Holiday @ Home...

The 3th week of the 7 weeks Summerholiday has now started. Over the last 30 years we used to go on holiday for 4 weeks. This holiday is different. Under normal circumstances we would go away in the first week and take a ferry up North or in direction West. Heading to Scandinavia or Scotland or Ireland.
Because of Bram's healthissues, we can't go away that far anymore. 
So, this holiday we had planned to stay at home. I was slightly worried that I wouldn't like that. But after thinking and talking I came to the conclusion that:

•  Deventer is a Nice Town to stay in summer. There is the river, the parks..the nice centre....very relaxing...
• There is the Poetry festival "Het Tuinfeest"  which is going to happen this Saturday in the Cloister-garden behind our house. Our friend - the City-Poet Lammert Voos-will perform there too, togehter with other famous Poets and more entre-acts.  
• Sunday the big bookfair will be held all around town. We usually miss all of this, so it is an opportunity to go. 
• No complaints about the weather sofar.. We have had rain and sunshine..but that is usually a Dutch Summer and we are used to this kind of weather staying in Ireland.
• I have slept very well  till now...
• Friends come over for a drink on our lovely terrace...and with this gingham cloth, it feels suddenly like a terrace somewhere in the south...

• Wine is cheaper here...and no, this is not from 1 evening with the 2 of us..

•  Plenty of time to sit on a terrace with good coffee and the papers..this one is in Almen at De Hoofdige Boer..

with this text from a poem by Staring..

• We have the benefits of the summer-harvest from friends's allotments..(they don't know what to do with the huge amount of salat and courgettes probably... So we get...

all kind of salats...

Fresh peas and onions..

Strawberries...

Fresh Herbs...

The first sweat peas..

Big bunches of summerflowers...

• Plenty of time for my favourite past-time.... Knitting ofcourse...So I have started a new sweater....and I have joined the on Ravelry the: Ravellenic 2012 Team Icelandic Knitters...You have to knit a pattern from Hélène Magnússon aka the IcelandicKnitter during the Olympic games, and by entering your project you can win a Knitting Tour to Iceland... So I had a look at the patterns...my first choice was a lace shawl..but after more thinking I got this idea to knit a doll...Why? Because I am grown up with 2 elder brothers and no doll was ever in our house when I was a child.. I'd loved to play with dolls at Kindergarten, but that was not very appropriate at that time.. And I must admit: I was jealous on my niece who got a Barbie at Sinterklaas...So Theodóra is now on the needles..or even better.. I knitted her sister Theolympia the week before the opening of the games.. she will get a knitted dress this week, I promise..no more Mono-Kini for her....

And today Theodóra will fly of the needles..Yes, I know..it looks strange between her legs..and No..this is not torture..and they are not supposed to be piercings..or, you must find stitchmarkers an attractive idea for a piercing yourself..

She also will get knickers on and a little dress..probably knit in -a handspun and very soft-Shetland yarn..A matching lace coat will appear..and a little Iceland dog and I have the plan to knit a little boyfriend named Bjarni for her...he will get blond hair and dark eyes...

The dolls are knitted in one of my favourite yarns sofar:

And I have bought some skeins at the shop from Astrid in Zwolle..and I really like all colours of this yarn.. for the dolls and the dog I choose those..

At the shop, Bram bought me a Very Interesting Knittingbook for my birthday..(coming up the 7th of August, but because it is difficult for him to go and buy me something, I got it earlier...)

Packed with Amazing Knitting ideas..BRIGHT Coloured and Very, Very Scandinavian..I Love it...

and I can see a shawl coming up in this pattern..

3 Dimentional flowers...

or this Very different approach to lace....

• So..Holiday @ Home is really nice sofar..I feel relaxed and calm...Days go by in a pleasant way...and it is a very nice experience I tell you.....but ..to be honest..we go on holiday in 2 weeks time for 2 weeks.....Up North.....In Holland..No Complaining here...