How do you solve a problem like...

A frozen blood glucose meter! It has not been above freezing here since Christmas and we have snow aplenty. Lovely to look at and with the right gear on -20 c is manageable. However Blood glucose meters do not like the cold. 10 minutes in anything below -10c and it refuses to play. So we have had to go to extravagent lengths to keep it happy. No more stuffing it in the pocket when we go out to play, skate, sledge, ski etc. Firstly I warm a gel pack in a bowl of hot water, next said warm gel pack is lovingly nestled next to the blood glucose meter, tucked safely in its own case, in a small insulated food bag. If it's really chilly it may be lucky to be wrapped in a hand towel too. Result one happy blood glucose meter that will work in Arctic temperatures!

In the pump queue

So now we wait, hopefully not too long, before we take the next step in our diabetes 'adventure' (can I call it that?!) Aleksi's HbA1C was much better at 7.3 from 8.2, helped along I'm sure by a few 'lows'. However we now feel, including the Doctor, that the insulin pump is the way to go. Here in Finland they use the Minimed Paradigm Veo pump and they are hoping to get approval for us to be supplied with the Continuos Glucose Monitoring sensors too. With luck it will be our turn April/early May. It involves a 3 day stay in hospital and lots of learning!
Meanwhile it is still very cold and snowy, actually quite normal for February in Finland, but we haven't had a day above freezing since Christmas.
It was Alien eye day yesterday - fiddly but the end result is so satisfying as you see the little guys and gals come to life! Rabbbit eyes and noses next then sprinkles for the doughnuts. I hope to squeeze in a bit of wet felting soon but it is school holidays next week and I have promised to make real pasta with Elli. Sounds like fun too!!

Geology in a jar!

You know when you have an idea and you just have to do it - well I had one of those moments last night! I was browsing flickr a couple of days ago and I spotted a wonderful felt piece by lilfishstudios done in a glass jar. I got me thinking. Initially I was very keen to try something very similar and knowing how much the Finns love their mushrooms I probably will pursue that project another day. However a little seed of an idea came to me and after a few scribbled drawings and a google search my project was born. Geology in a jar - basically a cross esction of the earth starting at the core nad moving up through the layers(although not to scale!) ending with a luscious green filed complete with grazing sheep.


It was odd needling inside a spaghetti jar and I have a very sore thumb knuckle from bashing against the side but once I set to last night there was no stopping me.
I took a few photos this morning and learnt that photographing glass is a nightmare.



Thank you lilfishstudios for your idea and inspiration!

Eemeli comes to stay!

Thanks to dear gunknitter we have a new house guest, Eemeli. It is always lovely to receive surprise gifts and for me great to have chance to see a fellow felters work up close. He has the most wonderful face and I have to say I am very impressed with your 'needle' work Gunn. Thank you so much!
Here he is peering out into our completely snowed under garden. The snow is very light (hopeless for snowballs and snowmen)and consequently blows into deep drifts(great for snow angels!). Most days I have had a good work out shovelling snow so we can get out of the house and get the car out of the garage. Most of the shrubs are well and truly buried and I have no idea when I will finally seee my daffodils!


I am finally back in the groove with my felting - I even managed to do a large picture I have been planning for ages. I have been saving allsorts of yarn, locks, bits of silk and wool oddments to make the seaweed and plants. I am reasonably pleased with the composition, something I struggle with. I haven't quite got the sea right but nevertheless it's a start!

I am doing well in restocking my pincushions, owls, doughnuts and liquorice allsorts this time, plus easter eggs and bunnies of course. Only a few weeks to my next craft fair in early march, which will soon go especially as one week is half term!
How time flies when your having fun!!