Swedish word/phrase of the week - Christmas edition

Julklapp

Actual translation: Christmas present
Literal translation : Christmas pat/tap/touch

I was thinking about this in the shower just now. Why is a Christmas present in Swedish a julklapp, but a birthday present a födelsedagspresent? Evidently present is both an English and a Swedish word. So why not a julpresent? 

Wikipedia has been my saviour in this matter and I have discovered that the tradition used to be that you would 'klapp' on the door of the gift recipient, throw the present through the door and run away. But that tradition changed around the 1700s and people would then wrap the gifts. But I guess the name had stuck. 

Perhaps a new tradition for next year? Be environmentally conscious and throw gifts through peoples' doors and run away instead of wrapping them up in paper. 

Under the sea puerperium

What week is complete without another puerperium? I think I posted about this one previously. It was knitted up from hand dyed wool and was intended for a friend who is actually due this week. 

This is what it looked like back then, when I was knitting up from the green wool that had been dyed twice, once in yellow and then again in blue. 



It was a little too busy, colour wise,  for my personal preferences, so I overdyed it blue. Just to make it more green and not so yellow was what I told myself. I may have been a little too enthusiastic with the blue dye as this is the result:



Whoops!

So rather than send this now blue cardi to my friend, I decided it would become a cardi for a different friend, who is also expecting a baby in the winter time. I wanted to use the right colour buttons to bring out what I felt was the oceanic quality of this cardi. So I headed to Knapp Karlsson, button shop of the gods and got some lovely pearlescent buttons to complete the project. I'm very happy with how it turned out. 




And closer up:




Thank goodness my friends near and far are of the age that I can make a mistake with a newborn knit and still have someone to give it to. 

RUNNING! (said in the manner of Charlie Sheen's WINNING!)

Three and a bit years ago I was getting fit. I was starting to run again for the third time and I was about to turn thirty.

My friends got me a 30th birthday present. It was entry to the midnattsloppet, and apparently it was so the 'tant' genes didn't take over. Midnattsloppet is a night time run in Sweden. It's 10km and has been held since 1982. 

I'd only ever managed to get myself up to running 5km. But the challenge seemed like a good idea. So I started training for the 10km. Only to get pregnant a few weeks later and have tiredness and nausea slow me down considerably.

I then had the misfortune of having my grandfather pass away when I was 7 weeks pregnant and I took myself back to Australia to see my family. During my visit, I wasn't training at all. I was eating as frequently as possible to stave off nausea and sleeping vast swathes of my life away.

Upon my return to Sweden, I was 11 weeks pregnant and the race was just two weeks away. I decided not to do it. I also found several weeks later that my hips do not enjoy pregnancy and were trying to move apart from each other, a painful condition known as  SPD. 

So running and I were not on friendly terms again until TWO was about two. I tried running a bit the summer after she turned one, but my hips were not too keen on the idea at all. 

Fast forward from that painful time to about March this year. TWO turned two and my friend Ana asked me to train with her. She had never run before and wanted to give it a try. We started doing the couch to 5k program and were most dedicated, even running in the snow one evening. 

I had used the Robert Ullrey podcasts previously to get to 5km, found here, and they were great again. But once we reached 5km, it was time to get something to get us all the way to 10km. Ana had her own programme going and I found Suz's 5 to 10km podcast and decided to give it a go. The combination of the 90s R&B and hip hop and Suz's high voice had me hooked. I used it, sang along at times, and found a new appreciation for TLC that I thought I'd never have. 

I ended up being inexplicably injured two weeks before the official race day, and thought perhaps I would have to miss out. But fate was on my side and I completed the race in 1 hour and 7 mins. Which is pretty close to my goal of doing it in an hour. 

Since then my running has dropped off considerably. And I think my mood had dropped off too. So in the last few weeks I have asked the boy to make me go running when it isn't pissing down with rain.

Today was an example of that kind of run. The rain was holding off, it was 7 degrees C and windy. But I went out running. I've been a bit stressed in the last couple of days and the running helped me distract myself from the stresses and worries. The cold sped me up and the endorphins made me a much happier person when I got home. 

Considering the weather predicted in the next few weeks (rain, rain and more rain), I've decided to join a local gym for the opportunity to run when it suits me and not the weather. I'm thinking after dagis drop off of TWO. The gym is between dagis and home, perfect way to get some running endorphins in me. I just hope that the treadmill doesn't bore me stupid. I guess I'm stuck listening to Suz's podcast while I run so I can keep entertained. 

Long story short? RUNNING! Love it.

I have been delighted more than once of late

Several months ago I did what has become a bit of a tradition. I went to the IKEA to the north of Gothenburg, and while there I visited the fabric shop that's up that way. And outside the supermarket, there were an array of those things you put a coin in, turn the lever and get some kind of treat. 

One of them made me stop:




I spent 10 kr and got myself a stick on moustache. Much fun was had by all in our house in the month of Movember as a result of this little moustache. 



I hope that next time I'm up that way I will be able to get myself a 'Regent' or a two part 'Trucker'. 

Progress!

Yesterday I started knitting mittens for TWO and in and of itself, this is not really a big deal. But the big deal is, I'm following a pattern written in Swedish. Wheeee! Integration comes in all kinds of shapes and for me, following a knitting pattern in my third language is worthy of note. Huzzah!

Swedish word/phrase of the week

Hej då

Actual translation: goodbye
Literal translation : hello then

I love that Swedish doesn't change their greeting very much to have their farewell. It's almost like an afterthought. Hello then. Quite often this phrase is combined with something along the lines of "ha det så bra" (have it so good, or have a good one in Australian English). But not always. 

I've been working a lot on Swedish today. I have been to the bank and booked a table at a restaurant for tonight, both interactions happened in Swedish. Something tells me I'm finally feeling comfortable with the language. Only took me five years of living here. 

More puerperium love, with a twist

I have made the puerperium cardigan many times. It is my go to newborn cardi. I can't help myself. I'm a sucker for a raglan sleeve and a quick knit. And any opportunity to have cute buttons is always a plus. 

But I like to play with things I'm familiar with. I usually use a recipe once or twice and follow it exactly as written. Then I can get a bit more creative with it. 

What I did in this instance was to change the sleeve on the cardigan to a short, ribbed sleeve. 



Here's how I did it, should you wish to do the same. 

When you pick up the stitches underneath the armhole to do the arms, pick up 5 stitches to make it 36 stitches in the round.

Then knit in rib, k2,p2. Do so in the round until the cuff measures about 2-3 cm. Cast off in pattern.

TA-DA! Ribbed short sleeved cuff. I think it looks cute and means that I was able to knit this cardi with just one ball of the yarn. The lovely alpaca yarn from Drops. 

Enjoy!





Raveled here.

Swedish word/phrase of the week

Tandkött

Actual translation : gums
Literal translation : tooth meat

What can I say? Body parts and Swedish, always a delight. I'm fortunate to be able to say that my tooth meat is freshly scrubbed ready for a new day. Healthy and happy tooth meat.

Things the boy shared with me

So my Mum was born in Germany. I learned German at school and went on exchange to Germany when I was 15. The boy finds German to be an entertaining language and has a few utility phrases. These include such delights as "Can you show me where the moguls are?" and "I am a giant blue duck."

He came home tonight and told me to look up on youtube the following phrase:

Germans trying to say squirrel

I did. It amused me. Please enjoy.

There are many words in Swedish that I find nigh impossible to say. Most things ending in 'ion' for example drive me insane. 

And one more quick German language delight for you. Barbara and her wonderful rhubarb cake that is ever so popular. This one it is helpful to understand German for. Another thing the boy put me onto 

FODMAPs friendly waffles

So here in the Swedens, they do have a gluten free waffle mix. But considering waffle recipes are about the easiest things in the world to make without a mix, I figured I'd just wing it by converting a standard waffle recipe found online.

I was not unhappy with the results. I present to you, FODMAPs friendly waffles that are also gluten free.

Ingredients

3.5 dl (1.5 cups) of gluten free flour

2 tsp baking powder

4dl (1.7 cups) lactose free milk

100g butter, melted

1/2 tsp vanilla seeds, optional 

Mix the flour and baking powder together. Add the milk and stir with a wooden spoon. 

Melt the butter in the microwave and pour into the batter. 

Mix it all together well, making sure to get rid of as many flour clumps as you can. I have found gluten free flour mixes to be quite lumpy when making batter.

Heat up your waffle iron and get cooking. 

Here's a couple of shots of them almost ready:

These waffles were just as good as regular ones made with normal flour and really quick to make. We enjoyed them with raspberry and strawberry jam and a tiny bit of ice cream. I used lactose free ice cream for me, but the other two just had regular vanilla.

Belated Swedish word/phrase of the week

A delayed word of the week due to illness. Over the last week I have been struck down with a succession of colds that have been exhausting. I apologise for missing my usual Monday. I do have a bunch of projects to share, but they will come later, when I've slept some more and divested myself of the virus that will seemingly not leave me alone. Please enjoy this word, I know it amused me when I first heard it/understood it. 

Moderkaka


Actual translation : placenta
Literal translation : mother/parent cake/biscuit

Like all wonderful things in Swedish to do with the body, lots of very inviting mental images are formed when you literally translate them. 

I'm reminded with this one of a story to do with the boy and the birth classes we attended before the birth of TWO. We went along to the first one, it was all in Swedish. On our walk to the tram stop together afterwards, he asked me about a word, förlossning. He could gather from context that it was a process, but not exactly what it was. It means birth. I guess he was, strictly speaking, correct. But I still found it amusing to hear him say "I worked out it's a process. But what does it mean?". I'm pleased to say that since then I think both of us have gained in our Swedish vocabulary and would not make the same mistake. A million and one others, but not that same one. 

Swedish word/phrase of the week

Örngott

Actual translation: pillowcase
Literal translation : eagle good/tasty/yummy

I have no idea why Swedes equate pillows and pillowcases with eagles or the state of being tasty, but it would appear they do. This was one I hadn't thought of before overhearing a conversation in my favourite cafe. There were some fabulously hipster Swedes sitting with some equally hipster Americans sitting behind me while I drank my coffee. The Swedes were explaining it and I quickly jotted it down for the blog. Hilarious. 

image from here

Knitted cloths, functional and playful

I love knitting. It's something that keeps my ever busy hands busy with something functional. If I didn't knit, I think I would spend a lot of time just tapping or fiddling with things like pens and I would annoy the crap out of everyone in my vicinity. 

So one thing that I find as a quick and easy gift for new babies and kids alike is the knitted facecloth. Knitted in cotton, they work well as face washers in the bath or as blankets for toys. 

When TWO was small, these small projects kept me busy, but weren't so involved that my overtired brain couldn't cope. 

Here I present to you the birthday gift for Imogen. Her name in cloths. I found the pattern for them here.

What's on my needles, or what was on them last week

I recently purchased a set of knit pro interchangeable circular needles. With needles ranging in size from 3.5mm to 8mm and different cord lengths, it's a really useful little kit and the needles are beautiful. I particularly like working with knit pro needles because they feel so good when you are knitting, smooth and warm.

I've been working on my favourite pattern for newborns for a friend expected her second child at the end of this year, a puerperium cardigan. I've shown previous versions I have made here and here. 

This time I dyed some wool with yellow and then blue to make a variegated yarn. It hasn't ended up quite how I wanted, so I overdyed it this weekend with blue, as I found the yellow flecks made it too busy. I will post a photo of the completed cardi soon. But here's the work in progress.


I took the photo of the cardi while waiting for my students to turn up for my balboa class last Thursday night. I'm teaching a beginners class with the delightful Gašper and will have to write a post about the joys involved sometime soon. I'm really enjoying teaching beginners again, and as a follow too. But more on that another day. I hope you enjoy the almost completed, hand dyed, green puerperium.

Swedish word/phrase of the week

Bläckfisk 

Actual translation: squid
Literal translation : ink fish

What can I say? Literal translations are the bomb. Ink fish. Excellent. 

Seafood risotto - FODMAPs friendly

Before I discovered the joys of eating a low FODMAPs diet, we started making our own stock after having a roast chicken (and now I have a FODMAPs friendly version). It seemed to be an easy way to get the most out of our chicken. We quickly discovered that it also tasted fantastic.

We predominantly use stock in our house for risotto. So I have adapted our regular risotto recipe to one that is FODMAPs friendly. It is still super tasty and doesn't make my stomach hurt or blow up like a balloon.

Here's the general gist of it.

Ingredients 

A good glug of garlic oil

4dl arborio rice

1 red capsicum, diced

1 tub of mini prawns

2-3 slices of smoked salmon or gravlax, diced

3/4 cup frozen peas* 

3/4 cup grated parmesan

3/4 cup white wine (optional, but add extra stock if you don't use it)

1 litre chicken stock

1 blob/knob of butter at the end
1 big handful of fresh mint or a good shake or two of dried mint
Juice of half a lemon  

*peas are a moderate FODMAPs containing food and while this portion size should be safe (even on elimination), just be careful with how many you add.

Method

1. Put the stock on a low heat. It should look a bit like this:

2. Add the garlic oil and rice to a big pot and bring to a medium/medium high heat ( I use 4 out of 6 on our electric stove) and stir with a wooden spoon. At this stage you want to toast the rice. Stir for a few minutes to both coat the rice in oil and to start the cooking process. I generally do this for a few minutes while I make sure I've got everything I need.

3. Add your wine if you are using it. You want the wine to cook off quickly, which is why the toasting before will do you a favour.
If not, add the first ladle full of stock and stir, stir, stir.

4. Continue adding stock, a little at a time,  and stirring. You want it to cook slowly at a simmer, not a boil. You may need to lower the heat a little as you cook. 

5. At this stage I usually start chopping my capsicum between stirs and grate the cheese, get the prawns rinsed and the salmon chopped. 

The rice should look like this when it's on its way to being ready. 



6. When the rice is cooked, it is time to add the other ingredients. Put 2/3 of the parmesan in, the capsicum, the prawns, salmon, peas and mint. Adding them last makes sure you don't overcook the prawns and make them tough. The ones we use are precooked and just need reheating.



7. Give the whole thing a good stir to mix it through and heat up the peas to eating temperature. 

8. When the risotto looks ready to go, add the butter and lemon juice, and serve. The consistency I like is fluid but not soggy or gluggy.
Serving on a plate rather than a bowl ensures that your risotto doesn't continue to cook while you are eating it. 



I like to serve with a bit of mint on the top with some parmesan sprinkled over and the boy loves a bit of cracked pepper. We also like to add a bit more lemon juice when we serve it. I love the acidity of the lemon juice with an unholy passion. TWO is also fond of lemon and delights in squeezing it onto our plates and then just sucking on the remnants of the lemon to get more juice out for herself. 

Risotto is one meal that we can guarantee TWO will eat. She loves it and will eat all the ingredients, even if they aren't ones she is familiar with, or would otherwise reject in other contexts.

The only problem I have encountered with this risotto is that it is so moreish that I am quite often forced to go and eat more later in the evening. Which, in all honesty, is hardly a problem. I always make more than we usually eat in one sitting because it makes excellent leftovers or late night snack.

Pro tip from the boy: if you are planning on storing leftovers, add a bit of stock to your container so that when you reheat, there's enough moisture in it so that it doesn't dry out in the microwave.  

Halloween Swedish word/phrase of the week -extra edition

When I dropped TWO off at dagis today, I saw that quite a number of kids were dressed up for Halloween. Being an Australian, it's not really something I pay much attention to, so TWO was not dressed up, unless you count the gorgeous red cardigan that her mormor knitted her for Xmas last year. She insisted on wearing it because it had pockets and she needed them to store her buttons.

In any case, as I was redonning my rain gear to walk to the tram stop in the delightful autumn rain, I heard the other kids running around saying "Bus eller godis". So I thought that would make a fun translation effort for the blog.

Bus eller godis 

Literal translation : mischief or lollies
Actual translation : trick or treat

Godis is such a central part of Swedish life that it really deserves another post for another day. 

Bomb marks the spot

So I mentioned a week ago that my wee one told me she loved me for the first time. I thought I should perhaps mark the spot with something. But someone beat me to it! 

The bomb marks the spot where my lovely wee darling told me she loved me for the first time. 

Swedish word/phrase of the week

Blixtlås 

Actual translation - zipper
Literal translation - lightning/flash lock

This weekend I was at Stoff och Stil, the fabric store and I was reminded of another fabulous literal translation. Lightning/flash lock, love it. I guess it makes sense though, you are able to 'lock' two pieces of fabric together really quickly. :-) 

Crocadippo

My sister in law loves the colour purple. So when it was time to work out what to make my niece, her first daughter, something for her first birthday, I knew it had to be purple. 

I found this pattern for a crocodile at a fabric shop here in G-town. It is my go to place for new fabric and very lovely accessories like this, more on those beauties later. 

I also found some lovely corduroy, or what the Swedes refer to as Manchester, in a deep purple colour and set about making my first softy. 

I now need to explain, the instructions were in Swedish, and relatively brief. The tail construction was particularly difficult to follow. As a result, the crocodile didn't quite end up looking as much like a crocodile as it might otherwise have done. It was more of a crocodile/hippo cross breed. Hence the name crocadippo. 

The wee one loved it and was loath to give it away to her cousin. I had intended to make her one, but I haven't quite got onto it yet. One day. I'll add it to my ever extending list of projects.