Visiting the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis

So, the last time I posted I was also in Minneapolis.
This time I'm here for a family wedding reception and activities with Mom and Steph - A girl's weekend.

I was nice to visit with aunts, uncles and cousins on Friday night.
Saturday Steph lined up a visit to the American Swedish Institute for us with her friend Karen, beginning with lunch at FIKA (their delicious restaurant).  American Swedish Institute

Meatballs with potato puree, cheese dumplings with trout roe, salmon smorgas, chilled cucumber almond soup, ginger beer, wild mushroom and green beans with roasted cherries, radish smorgas and birch cream soda.  New Scandinavian cuisine - YUM.

The Turnblad Mansion seen through the glass of the newer portion of the ASI.

The current exhibit is glass artists from Sweden -  Pull, Twist, Blow — Transforming The Kingdom of Crystal.  The exhibit is housed partly in the new section and partly in the mansion which was the original site.  It is interesting seeing the play of turn of the 20th century architecture and design against the very modern glass art.

 

A beautiful light-filled room.

Sunroom at the mansion.  Would be beautiful for spinning.

I found a few rooms which would be lovely for hosting a spinning party (making yarn not sweating on bicycles).

The plaster work on the ceiling reminded us of wedding cake icing.

The Visby window - a huge stained glass piece.  The stocking cap on the man in the center inspired a hat in the new book I found in the gift shop.

Many of the pieces were intriguing but didn't speak to me. 
The pieces by Ingelene Klenell I really loved.

 

 

 A crystal forest

  Postcards - the incomplete glass represents our incomplete memories.

I also found a fun knitting book, Swedish Handknits inspired by the ASI.

 

Who knew wandering around a museum could be so exhausting.  Home to Steph's where she made us a wonderful salad dinner and shared her yummy chocolate-dipped caramel apple (no pictures) and we watch Murder on the Links with David Souchet as Poirot.

Sunday: the Twins.  Do you think they'll win?  It'll take a miracle.

Two-Shop Yarn Hop, Lunch and IKEA

I'm writing from Minneapolis tonight while my sister is cooking up dinner.  Saturday and Sunday were the YMCA Regional Swim Meet at St Thomas University in St. Paul, but I chose to stay up here an extra day while Jeff and Eric ended up spending the night in Albert Lea.  That is another story.

When I planned to stay an extra day with Steph (sister) and visit some yarn shops and IKEA I thought I would be by myself, but it turned out that Steph had the day off today.  I had never been to IKEA and she has not been to a yarn shop since I showed her R. Rabbit's shortly after I opened.  We made our plans, Googled yarn shops and selected a couple that were somewhat enroute to IKEA and close to Birchwood Cafe for lunch.

Steph outside Bella Lana - www.beautifulyarn.com

Inside Bella Lana - love the ceiling and restful atmosphere

Enzo, the Italian Greyhound shopdog - sweet boy

Steph and the stuffed animals

Next onto Birchwood Cafe.  Their "good real food" is really good food.
www.birchwoodcafe.com

What we ate.  This is Steph's plate with her Maple Squash soup and  her Citrus Tamari Tofu sandwich.

Rabbit crossing?

Outside Steven Be Yarns - Big and bright and colorful - inside and out  R. Rabbit's feels really cozy compared with this.
www.stevenbe.com

Charles Schultz meets Swedish Icons.
I finally made it to IKEA.  What to say about this place?  I could get seriously lost in there.  Steph says she would like to live in the showroom.  I fell in love with a couple kitchens, there are bookcases everywhere and comfy couches and chairs.  Then there are the gadgets and dishes!

At the IKEA Marketplace - yum!

Steph made me buy "Gossig Kanin" or cozy bunny.  He is showing off the lingonberries.

Spinning yummies from Steven Be: Annespun carded blend of silk/alpaca/mohair/glitz/merino.

Crochet, Knit, Spin, Weave

I have to share some pictures from last Saturday at R. Rabbit's.

Explosion of Color and Twirling

Last week a new order of Shepherd's Wool arrived from Stonehedge Farm.  This yarn is amazing to knit and it looks so good worked up in any number of items.  It also felts well.

Explosion of Soft Merino Color

Felted hat with Shepherd's Wool: color Storm

 I also received a new package from my New Voyager, my Kromski spinning wheel supplier.
This is Minstrel, a lovely upright wheel in Walnut finish.  I love that Kromski has given all their wheels musical names.  Here is a link to find out more about their wheels: http://newvoyager.com/index.html

Minstrel - twirling

First Snowstorm

We do get a white Christmas this year!  Our first snow finally arrived with a fanfare on Wednesday night - thunder snow!
These are some pictures from my front yard Thursday while the snow continued to fall and Friday morning when the sun was out.

Bella in the snow

Snow-covered Bridal Veil

Christmas lights - our neighbor's pine is all decked out

"every last twig is wrapped round with ice"

Frozen Rose

Handmade in Colorado

I had a nice surprise as I was walking down the concourse in DIA (Denver International Airport) last week.  At first I thought it might be a display done by different fiber guilds in the area.  It turned out to be individual artists in many, mostly fiber-related media.  There was also a space where I think one could sit down and knit or crochet a square if you had time between running for planes.

Spin

Cute Critters

Cute Shoes

Dryer balls

Wrap

crochet

Birds and Circles

Stitch

Wood

Morning Moon

I took these pictures a couple weeks ago as the moon was setting about 7AM.