Ok, I’ve now finished knitting the socks. Thanks again Aila for the inspiration! They feel nicely warm and I think I will wear them a lot with skirts and dresses.

As I went to buy the silk ribbon for the socks, I quickly had a look at the sales in a couple of shops. I fell in love with this woolen Benetton top which looks great with my grey Noolan skirt and the new socks I’ve knitted.

I’m getting back to the ANTI Festival work on Monday and we are moving our office next week to the Mylly, a site where a lot of artists and cultural organisations have moved since December. So we painted the office to make it look & feel like a place where it’s great to spend time every day…

Today I did a really intense workout in the gym & pool and wanted to reward myself with something. I went to Alko (Finnish alcohol monopoly) and I bought a bottle of this sparkling Australian wine I haven’t tasted as yet. But it does look gorgeous!

So yes, the holidays is almost over and I’m looking forward to getting back to work. There are a few things I haven’t gotten myself to do and I feel annoyed with myself but there are surprisingly many things that I’ve accomplished. So I feel confident that I will have the energy to do what I need to do….

Johanna

I finally got to see my orthopedist a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, the magnetic scan didn’t show properly the ACL ligament which the orthopedist thinks is torn. And although my knee is obviously much better at the moment, he still thinks that the ligament is torn and can only be fixed in an operation. So for a month I should train and exercise according to my normal routines and we’ll see if I’m able to that and if the knee functions as it should. So yesterday I went for a 50 minute run and stretched afterwards. It was kind of ok but the knee is very painful when it’s straightened and also in some turning movements. Now I can really feel the bit of exercising in the knee. It’s really painful.

Other than worrying about my knee, inspired my friend Aila, I’ve been knitting socks. It’s not a very unusual thing to do, I know, but I haven’t been knitting anything for maybe at least 15 years. Those of you who saw my Acts of Clothing performance know that I used to knit a lot as a teenager but I’m completely out of practice and actually hadn’t even thought about knitting until I saw a pair of gorgeous socks Aila had knitted. I’ve now finished one sock during the last hours of 2009. Now I’m knitting the second one and hope that I’ll find time and inspiration to finish it soon. I’m sure I’ll love to wear these! This is unfinished but you can see the pattern:

I still think that the only proper Christmas tree is lit with real candles:

And another Christmas tradition is to make a puzzle. I guess it’s the only time of the year when there’s enough time and peace to concentrate on something like that. This year we had this beautiful 1 000 piece Moomin puzzle:

I had a peaceful New Year’s eve knitting, sitting by the fire, having a sauna, drinking some nice wine and firing a few fireworks with family. I wish a splendid and inspiring 2010 for everyone.

Johanna

I’m finally going to have a magnetic scan of my knee tomorrow which I can hardly wait. I actually can’t believe that one whole month has passed since my injury and only now the insurance company has agreed to pay for the scan. What ever needs to happen after that has to be again decided separately. I think it’s unbelievable. They called me just before the Christmas holidays and I couldn’t get an appointment for the scan but still – so slow and inefficient. They also have kind of let me understand that it’s not that clear what they cover and what not… Anyway, tomorrow I’ll know better about the condition of my knee. But it’s been really annoying not to be able to exercise properly. Frustrating!

My daughter got new skates for Christmas and yesterday we went ice-skating. I obviously couldn’t skate but it was fun and she did very well. It wasn’t that freezing but it was a bit windy so it felt quite brisk on the face. Other than that I’ve tried to relax and read, sleep and read… I’ve read three books and I’m especially proud of finally finishing Zadie Smith’s On Beauty. I was reading that book for months, never having time to concentrate on it properly, feeling too exhausted or just struggling with it. But I couldn’t leave it without finishing it. So I finished that first and felt really relieved as that book has haunted me for months. I still don’t understand why some people call it a master piece! It didn’t do anything for me. Actually, I tried to read it probably already last year, but had to give up then… Anyway, I have a pile of books waiting next to my bed as we borrowed a ton of books from the library before Christmas and also some dvd’s. It was nice to see Filth & Wisdom – some very good music on the film! Now I’m reading Erlend Loe’s Facts about Finland and I have some Hanif Kureishi also waiting…

I always cook the traditional Christmas casseroles from swedes, carrots, beetroots and potatoes. I’m delighted to see that my children eat them but it’s really not the case with everyone. We’ve had quite a crowded house for some days and I find it a bit disturbing when young people are so fussy about food. It’s almost rude. And sometimes I think it’s ignorance. I know I shouldn’t care too much but I’m a bit hysterical about good food…

 I’ve admired the woolen socks that Aila has knitted and wondered if I should take out my needles. But maybe that it too ambitious as I have so much unfinished work I should get back to. I’ll have to think about it!

Johanna