Snowing Sale Saturday

It snows, and I thought: "What would be a better way if not celebrate that but almost than a little sale?" Everything (shipping fees excluded) is -20% in my shop with the conveniently chosen code SNOWING - happy Saturday!

Yours,
Mia

Same old, same old

I have been knitting and felting little pouches from my yarn-ends stash again. These are fun to make and they require quite little each color, so all the smallest ends can be used too. I think I've used almost all the color combinations possible, so you could say it's same old, same old once again from HandmadebyMia-factory but on the other hand...

Even the colors are all familiar, and you may have seen them earlier, and even if the design is similar in each of them...

...they still seem to turn out pretty unique. All the birds are handmade (and the factory is a corporate of one brave knitter, me) so no two turn out just alike (even I sometimes really try). And the colors make all the difference, just take a look:

Stripes, a little birdie and a flower. All different - happily so! The colors played their magic once again.

Have a lovely day!

Yours,

Mia

Love and other portraits

When I found a little bag of these plastic embroidery hoops in a local thrift shop just before Christmas, I really tried to see them filled with some elves, a happy Santa and maybe red-nosed reindeer or two. No such luck, maybe it was the pretty pinkness of three of the hoops, but they just didn't make me see Christmas. 

I put them back to my cupboard then, and found them again last week. Just conveniently about a month before Valentine's Day - and oh my, did I start seeing things in them now! I've mentioned it many times earlier, but here in Finland the Valentine's Day is actually called "The Friend's Day", and that inspired me to create...

... Portraits of love and friendship! I think these two go firmly hand in hand, and we really do not need a special day to shout I LOVE YOU like this little birdie with his balloons...

...or the mummy-bird with two little ones under the pretty flower, or...

...a little bunny dressed with her prettiest bow...

... I think she has a date? I know for sure this little Kitty has dressed her best, she's wearing her mommy's precious pearls (and a pink birdie on top of her head, the best kind of accessory: a friend!)...

...and then there's this little doggie (wearing his prettiest red-bow just like the bunny earlier), who waits his friend to come to share the biggest-ever bone he just found...and the little birdie keeps him company while waiting!

I think these little wall hangings tell the story of love and friendship at its best: it makes you smile to even think about your friend, and you really do not mind waiting, when you know you'll meet soon. Dressing your best... but naturally! These little friends can be seen more close in my shop here.

I wish you a lovely day, and hope you'll call or mail or write to a friend! 

Yours,

Mia

It's a beautiful world

Amazing what a little snow, frost and sunshine can do - the world has turned into a beautiful place again. Difference between today and this... Amazing indeed. I wish you all a wonderful, sunny and happy new week soon!

Yours,

Mia

KEEP CALM

... and carry on? Oh yes, but I had in mind more of a "Keep Calm, Have Some Tea and Write to a Friend" -sort of slogan. Why?

We went to a local supermarket last weekend, and besides getting some groceries I wanted to check the latest on Moomins. In 2014 it's been 100 years since their creator, Tove Jansson (1914 - 2001) was born, and to celebrate this special year there will be special mugs available. Oh my, there were and aren't they pretty! I have no picture of them yet as my mom has them until the March-birthdays, but the mugs be seen here and matching jars here and here. And all sold items will also donate euros to UNICEF, and with purchases your can also have a free Moomin-card(s) which I generously took as I know I have friends who would love to receive one. 

When I got home I made a cup of tea, and started seeking a pretty pen. I found one eventually, but that made me think of a new set I absolutely need think would be both cute&handy - a set of...

... matching coaster&pencil case! 

With happy little birdies carrying love letters and enjoying a hot cuppa too!

If this set doesn't do the trick and get you writing a card or a long letter to a friend, I do not know what does. And as I've told earlier I love both sending and receiving real, handwritten letters, and courage every each of you to give it a try. And don't you worry, I had 25-something years gap between my previous penpals and these lovely ladies I keep writing today, and it's all going great. It's a bit like biking, once you... You know. 

So Keep Calm, Have Some Tea and Write to a Friend, or send him/her a set to kindly remind that they could write to you! These sets can be found in my shop here.

Happy Wednesday!

Yours,

Mia

Winter wonderland

Do you still remember my post in January 2012 about the coldness and snow, it's here, and last year when I took the pictures of my new pillowcases there was snow up to my hips, here. Okay, how about this January 2014 then:

Oh-ho, no snow!

Well a little here and there (melting as I type, almost), but no-snow in Finnish standards. Maybe it's just our yard? Let's take a winder look...

Nope.

And there's no light either. I think I saw sun in Dec. 23rd (my mom claims she almost saw a glimpse the day before yesterday) but not a ray since. But this all said days are definitely longer, and pre-spring (invented by Vivienne from the Green Rabbit Designs) is in the air. Never mind that winter hasn't ever started yet, maybe it skips us entirely this year? Fingers crossed, and happy and bright colors on my needles - spring here we come!

Happy first weekend of 2014, everyone!

Yours,

Mia

The very last day

Hello - is it me you're looking for? Long time no see - and the year has almost gotten to its end! I am so happy to be here again, I've missed you all! And without any long (and boring) explanations about my absence except that life just happens sometimes (as you all know) let's take a look what I've been up to in 2013! I am combining my year and the HandmadebyMia-year here - it's all about me  me behind everything after all! Here we go:

JANUARY

January was cold and dark - the days were gray and snow kept pouring down, and it was followed by fierce cold weather. So some color therapy was in order... Pink made a strong appearance! As usual (read: every year) it was a bit difficult to get back to usual daily routines after long and wonderful holidays but somehow I made it into...

FEBRUARY

 

 

February gave us even more snow, but the days started to get longer. I made some new felted wool figurines, and many different birdies. I also started to de-stash my oldest fabrics, and the Moomins were first ones to go. Very little did I know... The Moomins turned out to be the (rare, it was a slow year) hit of the year! People just love them, and my stash...Old one gone, new in great progress!

MARCH

 

 

March was a great and not-so-great month - it was sunny and springly but I turned forty. Uh-huh, harder than I expected even I was completely spoiled. March was also a month of the heffalumps, they kept popping in everywhere... bags, pillow and pouches!

APRIL

 

April brought some happy things beside more sunshine! First I re-found the real letter writing after I made a few happy birdie-pencases, and I still write&receive real handmade (that is something else, let me tell you) letters monthly. I was happy to hear how many of you were inspired to start writing again after quite a few years. Clara the traveling owl visited us too, her latest journeys can be read here.

MAY

 

May brought the sunshine and green to us, and I simply couldn't get enough of it. Feet were bare and first stitches were knit outside - what a lovely month! Ice hockey and Eurovision song contest came and went - oh well, one can't win every year, right?

JUNE

 

 

The great weather continued in June, and happy summery pillows were made in the outside garden-studio. I was officially declared as the loony of our block when I was knitting wool bags outside when the weather hit +36C - oh well, no surprises there! Midsummer was fantastic too, even the days were getting cooler. Strawberries were a great, great inspiration, and we even won a few battles this year, hooray!

JULY

 

July was a sunny, summery month, and we spent a lot of time outdoors. We did a lot berry-picking, and the freezer is still half full with beautiful redcurrants, strawberries and blueberries. I made tons of plans and new designs for my shop, and had some big plans for opening an another, too, but the time wasn't right yet - the autumn to come turned out to be something completely else than planned. But the designs are still there, and so are the dreams!

AUGUST

 

August had some great birthdays, my mother-in-law turned 90 and my nephew turned 5 - both celebrated their special days with a lot of sunshine, laughter and happiness. One received a hand knitted shawl and the other got a bouncy castle - any guesses which went to...

SEPTEMBER

 

September was definitely autumn-y. Leaves were colorful, and it rained and rained. It didn't matter that much as we had the greatest gift of all: I had a little niece! She is a little princess, and my dear nephew is a proud BIG brother. I feel so blessed.

OCTOBER

October started with great expectations to get so much done for Christmas and in time for once. Oh my, life happened and... It all got so hectic around here, we were not all well, and I decided prioritize family first. Days were lacking hours and October was over in a blink of an eye. Thankfully.

NOVEMBER

 

 

November... Someone turned 50, one little princess was baptized, a lot of house-decorating, baking, gift-wrapping, hosting and over all socializing took place - hectic, hectic, hectic. We all were not well either and that made it all extra tough. Enough of moaning, but I must say I can't agree with an old cliché saying that I wouldn't change a day. I most certainly would.

DECEMBER

  

Oh dear December... A new house to decorate for the first time, new traditions to create, new memories to make... It was a bit nostalgic yet exciting. By the windows from my Moomin-calendar were opened, the better it all got: holidays were just around the corner. My shop was somewhat neglected, but I wrote down quite a few new ideas; if only I could find the time to execute them! I decided to have the last two weeks of December holidays, and that must have been the best decision done whole year; sleeping does wonderful things for the ladies in their forties after all... This all said the Holidays were merry and brighter than I dared to hope - we're going to be alright, after all!

***

That's it - that's my year in a (giant) nutshell. Not an easy one, but still a good in many ways. I am happy to say it good-bye, though, and welcome 2014! And oh my, IT IS 1st of January already - writing this all down has taken somewhat longer than expected. Here's to all of you who made it this far! I have missed blogging, and to my new year's solution I hereby declare I'll get back to track starting now! Because you're all so great, friends, and I thank you for being there for me in sickness and health so to speak. You're all precious!

Here's to New Year 2014, may it be the best ever!

Yours,

Mia