the longtime sun

Wednesday was Ulfur's 5th birthday. We had our daily family breakfast with morning verse and candlelight before leaving for work, school and daycare. In addition to our usual bowl of oatmeal, there was a bit of luxury - toast and hot cocoa. Ulfur wore his birthday presents, a crown and cape (not pictured!) from Sarah's Silk. He told me, a huge grin on his face, that it was much better being five than four years old. After school we had invited all his classmates over for a birthday party. We usually keep our birthday celebrations small and simple but since Ulfur just started a new school we felt this would be a good way for us and him to connect with new friends. The party went very well, how lucky Ulfur is to have all these bright, friendly children in his class!

"May the long time sun

Shine upon you,

All love surround you,

And the pure light within you

Guide your way on"

This verse (check out this beautiful version) has been in my thoughts as I face how big he already is. Has it really been five years? When I was pregnant with him I took prenatal yoga classes and we used to end every session by listening to that verse and "connecting with the baby". At first it seemed silly to me (I was 22!) but it really worked. And now he goes to school and he can read and and and... this is all going very fast indeed! He is not grown up yet and I plan to enjoy these few years we still have until the teenager is upon us. 

I love that pose!

Golden Barley

Pattern: Barley by tincanknits

Yarn: Lamauld from Strikkebogen

Needles: 5.0 mm and 4.5mm

For his birthday we got him the Barley hat I knit a few weeks ago, when his other hat was lost (of course, typically, his lost hat was found as I was binding the new one off!!), a birthday sweater, new winter boots and then the crown and cape. He was very happy with his presents and was proud to pose for me when we stopped by the sea side in our neighborhood yesterday. The autumn sun was about to set, casting this amazing golden glow on everything. I thought it must have been the longtime sun, don't you agree?

Ulfur's birtday sweater 2014

Pattern: Verur by Vedis Jonsdottir

Yarn: Snælda, 3 ply, and Noro silk garden 

Needles: 4.5 mm and 3.5 mm. 

I am beyond happy that I managed to finish the sweater, it came very close and perhaps, just perhaps, it came to me breaking the first rule of blocking and drying the darn thing on a warm radiator to speed the process up... I'll never confess to it but if I did, it doesn't show anyway. Hah!

Happy Birthday to Ulfur! I am truly grateful for getting to be his mamma. He has already taught me so much more than I'll ever be able to teach him. 

ps. Sorry for the sentimental post, please bear with me :)