Transport bicycles for children. The beginning: Researching the market

I think I have researchet all the available options in Denmark, a variety of trailers and three-wheeler ladcykler (cargo bikes).
We have about 5000 kr (about 700€) to buy for, and we do at the moment only have one bike, that we both share.
So we need a new bicycle + a trailer (either crappy chinese bike + medium quality trailer - or medium quality bike + crappy supermarket trailer), OR a ladcykel, which in Denmark almost inevitably is a trike.

Trailer:
Pro: Cheap, light, you don't have to ride around with it all day, but can leave it at the daycare.
Con: The child is far behind you, difficult to communicate with the child and solve minor problems fast, the risk of cardrivers not seeing the trailer (despite the flag),

Three-wheeler ladcykel:
Pro: Very roomy, space for several playmates/lots of cargo.
Con: Heavy, difficult to manouvre, price way above our budget.

But then I came across the two-wheeler cargo bike, a Long John type of child (and cargo) transporter. Very interesting and maybe the one to solve our problem: Bakfiets Cargobike Long.

But we still only have 5000 kr. So what to do?
Well, on this market too, you can find a cheap (chinese) model. The quality is probably as low as the price, but since our options are: crappy bike, crappy trailer, or crappy cargobike, it is as good as our other options.
I found this online shop: http://www.bakfietsweb.nl/product.php?t=nl&model_id=15 (and tricycleweb.nl and ladcyclerweb.nl), and I will try ordering from them. A lot of people have spoken bad about these on the internet (and they're probably right), but I couldn't find any reviews from people who actually owns one, so now I will do that.
I will let you know how it works out ordering one (and IF it works or my money just disappears....!), and when the bike arrives, I'll give updates on the assembling, the quality, and how it stands up to regular use.

And then in a few years time, when my boyfriend and I are not studying and have more than scraps to make a living on, I promise to buy the orginial ;). (By that time the cheap one is probably also by the end of its life.....).

BABY!

Så er lille Roar blevet født, d. 03.02.09. Er han ikke bare kær (picture1): Vi har fået en masse fine ting, tusind tak til alle! Da denne blog jo mest er til hjemmelavede ting, er her billeder af et par hjemmelavede ting, som vi har fået:

Dejligt hæklet tæppe og futter som oldemor har lavet (picture2):
Blødt strikket alpacatæppe som mormor har har lavet (picture3):


In English:
Picture 1: Then little Roar (nordic name, consists of the parts "spear" and "famous") has been born, on 03.02.09. Isn't he wonderful :).

Since this blog is for homemade things, here are pictues of a few things that has been given to us as baby gifts.
Picture 2: A crocheted blanket + booties made by great grand mother (my spouse's mother's mother).
Picture3: A knitted blanket made by grand mother (my mother).

Næste omgang strik:
Et par djævlehuer. En i selvmønstrende sokkegarn, og en i hvidt babygarn (picture 1-3):


Og så har jeg for en gang skyld strikket noget til mig selv:).
Jeg havde en hue med stor puld, men var lidt træt af baskerhuestilen, så jeg pillede garnet op og strikkede denne i stedet. Den er inspireret af denne, men strikket med tyndere garn og med bred ombukket rib, så den kan holde mine ører varme i det dejlige danske vintervejr. Garnet er Drops Alpaca i farve 7238m fra Garnstudio (picture 4):
Og da der alligevel var lidt garn til ovres, så strikkede jeg lige en djævlehue til. Så kan mor og barn matche. Jaja, jeg ved det, det er så kitchet en ting at gøre, men det havde jeg altså lyst til ;) (picture5):
In English:
Next batch of knitting:
Picture 1-3: A few devil's hats (well, that is their name, don't ask med why). One in selfpatterning sock yarn, and one in white baby yarn
Picture 4:
For once I have been knitting for myself. I had this slouchy tam, but was getting a bit tired of the style (everyone has them now), so I unravelled the yarn and knitted this one in stead. The yarn is Drops Alpaca, colour 7238m from Garnstudio. It is inspired by this hat, but I knitted with a thinner yarn and with a wide brim in 2 k, 2 p ribbing, so it will keep my ears warm in the lovely Danish winther weather...
(With the rising temperatures (damn climate changes) it is usually just above freezing during day = cold, cold rain - and since the wind always blows in Denmark, it feels even colder.
And just below freezing during night = icy and very slippery streets in the morning. The ice becomes slouch later in the day, and then freezes into inconvenient ridges that is impossible to ride your bike over.
Yes I am a Dane, I'm used to this weather, I even prefer cold weather to warm, but it doesn't mean I don't think it sucks! (Grrr...Yul/Christmas, do come soon, so there is something cheerful to concentrate on).
I miss the winthers of my childhood, when winther meant proper frost (but not nessasarily snow; Long and complicated explanation having to do with Denmarks geographical placing).

Picture 5: And since I had a little leftover ball of yarn, I knitted a matching devil's hat for baby. Yes, I know it is a very kitchy thing to do, but I just felt like it - and I'm quite sure the baby wont care at all ;).

Hjemmestrikket baby ;) / Handknitted baby ;)

Jeg har fået strikket en frygtelig masse siden sidst, mest babyhalløj. Nu er der jo kun ca. 10 uger til :D . Her er et udvalg af det jeg har lavet (noget af det er gaver):

Presto Chango i 2 tråde Mayflower Softline (picture1):Og matchende djælvehue (picture2):
Vest i meget tykt garn, str. 3 år, en gave (picture3):
Kyse med blomsternakke i merciseret bomuld, det er også en gave, (picture4+5):


Blebukser har jeg strikket nogle stykker af.
Vi vil bruge moderne stofbleer, sådan nogle som f.eks. disse Modern Baby og disse Blueberry. De nævnte er ligesom engangsbleer og behøver ikke noget andet ud over.
Men mange er glade for bleer uden vandtæt ydre til natbrug i bambus eller hamp til natbrug, og med lanoliserede uldbukser yderst. Det kan nemlig holde tørt i en evighed (op til 12 timer). Så jeg har strikket disse blebukser til natbleerne

De er alle efter et mønster der hedder Curly Purly, som er rigtig godt!
Jeg har dog har ændret lidt, så opskriften egner sig bedre til Kontinental strikning (i stedet for Engelsk strikning som amerikanere og englændere bruger).
Min oversættelse af opskriften til dansk ligger inde i slyngebarn.dk 's bleforum (man skal melde sig ind) (picture 6+7+8+9):




Smilebukser i str. 1½ år :D, et bytte for en Uglemor vikletai (picture10):

Jeg er også i gang med at sy et par ting:
- en løjert (gamle dages tøj til nyfødte, samme design som dåbskjoler og meget praktisk når de i det første stykke tid skal skiftes hele tiden). Jeg regner med at lave en løbegang forneden, så den kan trækkes sammen, så ser den også mindre "kjole-agtigt" ud. Her er det foreløbige produkt - ikke syet sammen endnu (picture11):
- En pusletaske/skifteplads/legetæppe/aktivitetstæppe/rygsæk. Hvordan man kan få alt det i ét? Laaang tids grublen - jeg har selv designet den, og er ret stolt af idéen :). Jeg regner med at lave en pdf-fil med syvejledning, når jeg engang er færdig med den. Dette tekstildug skal være ydersiden:
In English:
I have been knitting up at storm since last time, mostly babythings of obvoius reasons. Now there are only 10 weeks left :D. Here are som of the things I have been making:

Picture 1: Presto Chango with two stands of Mayflower Softline
Picture2: Matching "djævlehue" (devil hat). It is a very common (the most common probably) hat for babies to wear in Scandinavia. It's a my-grandmother-pattern, that is very simple and has been perfected for a looong time. It has a perfect fit always.
No one really has a pattern for it, someone teaches you how the pattern works, and off you knit...
Picture3: Vest in very thick wool, size 3 years, a present.
Picture4 and 5: Bonnet with flower lace, also a present. Made with mercerized cotton.
Pictures 6-9: I have been knitting wool soakers for cloth diapers.
We intend to use modern cloth diapers, like these Modern Baby and these Blueberry. Their construction is basically like disposables, you just wash them in stead of throwing them in the bin. The aformentioned have a watertight (but breathable) outer cover, so they are all you need; no need for plastic pants, safety pins or anything else other than an admiring look at you baby enjoying life.
However many people likes night time cloth diapers that don't have a watertight outer and are made from bamboo or hemp fabric (both are very absorbent), and then use lanolized wool soakers as cover (the combination will keep baby dry for ever, up to 12 hours). So I have knitted these soakers for the night time diapers.
They are all made using the Curly Purly Soaker Pattern, which is really good.
Picture10: Smiling longies, size 1½ years, a swop for a Uglemor vikletai. A vikletai is a combination of a Mei Tai and a wrap

I am also sewing a few things:
Picture11: A "løjert" (a long "dress" traditionally used for infants of both sexes, very practical when you need to change the infant all the time for the first period of time). I will be making a drawstring hem at the bottom, so the dress can be drawn together, making it less dress-y and to aoid draught. It is not sewn together yet.
Picture12:
A changing bag/changin station/play planket/activity blanket/backpack. Can you get all that in one? Jup, I have designed it all by myself, and I am quite proud of it. I plan on making a pdf-file with a sewing guide, when I have finished the bag-thingy.
This acryl covered table cloth fabric will be the outer.

Sommernydning/Summmer Enjoyment

Så er det vist ved at være på høje tide med en opdatering. Først og fremmest er jeg jo gået hen og blevet gravid :). Vi glæder os meget til at blive forældre - og jeg glæder mig også til at få en lille én at sy og strikke og filte og nålebinde til ;). Termin bliver i januar om alt går vel.

Dernæst: Se, jordbær, jeg er pavestolt for jeg har nemlig dyrket dem selv :D. De smagte herligt. Oh, en kolonihave er en herlig ting (picture1):

Og endnu en ting at være stolt af: Jeg er superstolt på min kærestes lillesøster Katrines, vegne. Hun er nemlig netop blevet student. Tillykke og HURRA HURRA HURRA!!! (picture2):
Jordbær og studenter, det er da indbegrebet af sommer!

Jeg har lavet en del håndarbejde. Pyh det er en lummer opgave her i sommervarmen at stå over 50 liter varmt vand og plantefarve eller sidde med et MEGET stort stykke uldkappe og brodere. Men det er at foretrække fremfor at stå i +4 C og skylle plantefarvet garn i kooooldt vand,
brrrrr. Her er resultaterne:

New Zelandsk uld farvet med birk og krap, jeg var ret vild med nuancerne og meleringen af garnet, men desværre var garnet ikke til mig selv, men til en bekendt, så jeg sendte det ud i den store verden (med blødende hjerte....;) ) (picture3):
Så har jeg lavet en kappe. Den er krapfarvet på uld (Læsø uldtæppe for at være præcis) med slynget broderi i gulgrøn og lyseblå hele vejen rundt langs kanten (picture4):

...og med en ulv og en håndflade med Tyrtegnet på ryggen. 'Skipper' udtrykte sin tilfredshed og drog atter videre mod nord (picture5):

Så har jeg lige lavet en lille omgang farvning med birkeblade.
Et nøgle smørblomstfarvet Glaipnir-garn (400 m/100g), (picture6):

Tynd uld farvet med indigo og birkeblade, fik en ret spøjs nuance, i forhold til hvad jeg plejer med birk+indigo, men jeg synes godt om den, den er sådan lidt skovtroldeagtig (picture7):

Og et nøgle spelsau-uld fra samme farvning, som fik mere eller mindre samme nuance (så jeg ved da, at det rent faktisk havde noget med farvningen at gøre, at jeg fik den nuance, og ikke med selve uldstoffet), (picture8):

Jeg har lavet en hørsærk til min kærestes lillesøster, der også har vist interesse for at deltage i vikingemarkeder, og er nu i gang med en grøn kjole i tynd uld. Indtil videre er der ikke noget særligt interessant at vise frem. Mine forældres kat er dog højst uenig, og mener at garnet til sammensyningen er udpræget interessant, omend han mener, at han er for voksen og moden til at lege med garnnøglet (i det mindste mens nogen ser det....), (picture9):

Jeg har været på marked i Tyskland, og blev vældig inspireret af disse. De er allesammen af filtet uld. Jeg var lige ved at købe nogle, men blev enig med mig selv om at det kunne være endnu sjovere at lære at lave sådan nogle selv. Min yngste lillesøster, som også tager med på vikingemarkeder, er ret god til at filte, så jeg håber at hun kan lære mig det (hint hint søs ;) ). Der var vist også noget med en aftale om at jeg skulle lære hende at brodere....(picture10):

Se hvad den lille filtebod også kunne byde på. Et æble med et hul i, og hvad er der indeni? (picture11):

En lillebitte kær mus (med grønne ører.....), (picture12):

Dette er forresten min bod. Jeg (vi) har ENDELIG fået eget telt og hvor er det dog utrolig rart at have sit eget! Et sted hvor man kan stille sine ting som man vil, og indrette sin salgsbod som man lyster. Og nogen gange trænger man bare til at kunne "lukke døren bag sig", for ikke at tale om at man selv bestemmer, om man gider rydde op eller ej ;), (picture13):

Jeg krediter og takker Bamses Billedbog for det dejlige ord 'nydningen' ;).

In English:
About time for an update. First and foremost I can reveal that I am pregnant :). We are looking very much forward to becoming parents - and I look forward to a little one to sew, and knit, and felt and nalbind for. I am due in january, if all goes well.

Picture1: Look, strawberries! I am as proud as can be, I have grown them myself :D. They tasted great. Oh, the joy of having an allotment.
Picture2: And another thing to be proud about: I am super proud of my boyfriends beautiful little sister. She has just graduated HF (corresponds to Eng.: Secondary school or USA: High school+first year of college). Congratulations!!!
Strawberries and graduates, that is summer!

I have done quite a lot of crafting. It is very warm and uncomfortable here in the heat of summer to stand with 50 liters of hot water and plant dye, or sit with a VERY large piece of wool cape and embroider. But it does beat standing ouside in +4 C and rinse plant dyed yarn, brrrr.
Here are the results:
Picture3: New Zealandic woll dyed with birch leaves and madder, I am quite fond of the changing colours.
Picture4+5: I have made a cape. It is dyed with madder on wool (a blanket from Læsø Uld to be precise) with embroidery all along the edge in green and light blue, a wolf in blue and a hand with the sign of Tyr i green. 'The captain' was pleased and continued his journey northwards.

I have done a little dyeing with birch leaves.
Picure6: A skein of buttercup-coloured embroidery yarn.
Picture7): Thin wool dyed with indigo and birch leaves. It was a peculiar colour, compared to what I usually get with indigo+ birch leaves, but I like it, it is kind forrest troll-y.
Picture8: And a skein of spelsau wool from the same dyeing. It more or less got the same colour, so at least I know that it had something to do with the dyeing or the dye material, that I got that colour, and not the wool fabric itself.

Picture9: I have made a linen shift for my boyfriends little sister, who has also shown an interest for participating in viking markets, And now I am making her a green dress in thin wool. For now there is not much interesting to show. However my parents's cat disagrees. He thinks that the yarn for sewing the dress is highly interesting, allbeight he thinks that he is too grown up and mature to play with the ball of yarn (at least while anyone is watching....).

Picture10: I have been to a historical market i Germany (travel description follows in a few days), and was very inspired by these. They are all made from felted wool. I almost bought a few, but decided that it would be more fun to make some myself. My youngest sister, who also participates in viking markets, is good at felting, so I hope she will teach me (hint hint, sis).
Picture11: Look what the little booth also had: An apple with a hole in i, and what is inside?
Picture12: A cute little mouse (with green ears.....)

Picture13: By the way, this is my very own stall. I (we) have finally got a tent of our own, and it is great to have ones own space! A place where you can place and 'decorate' your stall as you pleases. And sometimes you really need to be able to "close the door behind you", not to speak of the fact that you decide yourself, íf you care to clean up or not ;).

Masser af projekter / lots of projects

Så er der gang i mjødbrygningen igen, nam nam. Følg med de næste par dage! (picture1):Jeg har lavet et par vikler til en veninde. De er lavet af bomuld/hør der er diamantvævet, og det er noget rigtig dejligt stof. Jeg har noget af det tilbage til mig selv og overvejer lidt at lave en lækker lille sommerkjole, hvis der er nok stof (picture2):
Jeg plejer ikke at strikke om sommeren, men nu har jeg fundet noget at bruge alt det bomuldsgarn til, som jeg har liggende, men aldrig har brugt til noget: Vaskeklude/karklude. Her er den første, den tog ikke særlig lang tid, og jeg regner med at lave en hel stak (picture3):


Jeg har lige været på Sjælland og besøge mine forældre og faldt over en stak håndarbejdsblade fra 1976 som jeg fik lov til at tage med hjem. Masser af strikkeprojekter som det kribler i fingrene for at komme igang med, og også rigeligt med af applikationer, "indianerkjoler", veste, kaftaner og "sy det selv så du ikke giver penge til de imperialistiske koncerner".

Kedeldragter, pagehår og træsko (hmm...er det bare mig eller har jeg ikke set de kedeldragter på modeshows'ne de sidste par år...) (picture4):
Hov det er jo mig da jeg var lille! De af jer som har set billeder af mig fra dengang, kan bekræfte det, pigen i det blå tøj er 99% mig (1% pga. jeg ikke har brune øjne)...og tøjet er også helt perfekt (picture5):

Og dette hæklede monster! (picture6):

Fuga har jo fået et nyt hjem, og da jeg var på Sjælland tog jeg over og besøgte ham. Fuga bor langt ude på landet lige ved siden af en skov sammen med denne søde pige og hendes omsorgsfulde mor, og han lader til at nyde det udpræget (picture7):
In English
Picture1: Another batch of mead in the making. Follow the progress the next couple of days:
Picture2: I have made two baby wraps for at friend of mine. They are made of cotton/linen in a diamond weave ("birdseye"?), and it is a really nice fabric. I have a little left, and am considering making a little summer dress for my self out of it (picture of her and baby wearing it follows as soon as I have gotten her permission to publish the pictures here).
Picture3: I don't usually knit during the summer, but now I have found a use for all the cotton yarn I have lying around, that I never use: Wash cloths/dish cloths. Apparantly it is a quite common thing to knit in the English speaking countries. Here is the first one, it didn't take long to make, and I plan to make a whole bunch of them.
I have just been to Sjælland (Sealand) to visit my parent and found a stack of old craft magazines from 1976 that my mother let me take home with me. Lots of projects that are very typical of the 70'ies and lots of "folkloric" fashion . But also lot of useful projects. Look at this:
Picture4: Jumpsuits, the hair, the clogs (hmm...it it just me, or does those jumpsuits look like
something I have seen on the runway the last couple of years...)
Picture5: Hey, that's me! Those of you that have seen pictures of me from then, can confirm it,
the girl in the blue clothes is 99% me (1% off because I don't have brown eyes)...and the
clothes also looks like something I used to wear.
Picture6: And this crocheted monster...
Picture7: Fuga, my cat, has got a new home, and when I went to Sjælland, I also went to visit him. He lives in the countryside right next to a forest with this nice girl and her lovely mother, and he seems to enjoys himself enormously.