Monday, 18 October 2010 by Irene Hoofs

My name is Angelique Roelofsen. I live together with my boyfriend Steven and our two kids : Seb (11) & Puck Isabel (8). In our neighbourhood they call us the ‘curl-family’ as we all have curls !

A few years ago i started a Dutch label bieq with completely handknitted babyhats & -mittens, because i love the art of handknitting and both styling. In the beginning i started handknitting hats and mittens only but in meantime also some clothing and very beautiful babyblankets, which can be used several generations ! Everything is made from 100% pure merinoyarn which breaths, wears light and defenitevely doesn’t tickle, so very nice for babies and toddlers to wear. Recently also started premature. Everything can be bought via webshop attached to bieq website and via salespoints around the globe in 8 countries ! More to come !

bieq already brought me so many nice moments and contacts with nice, creative and inspiring people. I see if you really want something just do it and things happen to you ! Of course I have bad experiences and try to see them as a learning moment. I would really like to have women in another country do the handknits at their homes or together to have an extra income by what they do very well and love doing : knitting ! At this moment we’re in touch with a group of women and hope to make this work ! Also bieq recently was invited to be mentioned in Crave Amsterdam, first crave issue outside USA. So honoured to be in there !

What kind of house do you live in, are you and the kids happy here or is there anything you all terribly miss …?
We live in a white dike house and have a great few to and old steam pumping station in front and in the back a great garden with a nice tree house. We love the view and our garden. The house is light painted inside as well and we like to make combination with some design items and original aspects on the house. The kids like our house as well, especially as recently they both have own rooms in which they also like to spend time, making music or homework. My ‘dream’ is to have a fireplace in the near future and a bieq office at the end of the garden.
Do you like to spend time on decorating your home and the children’s room?
I love decorating our house but just cannot find enough time as i would love to have for this..
I take some inspiring pictures everywhere, but Elle Wonen is my favorite interior magazine. The bieq stylist/photographer Anya van de Wetering owner of kamer465 makes lots of styling issues and i just love her taste. Also Denmark and Spain have some inspiring interior magazines.

What are your children’s favorite items in your house?
Puck really loves her barbies, and horse toys and meanwhile loud music and she sings along. In near future she wants to invite some friends and have a girls-disco in her room with disco-light and gold clothing ! Seb likes his lego a lot but most he prefers to play football outside with some friends or inside the house playing with his nintendo-ds or watch discovery. (real boyisch things).
When they were younger age they both prefer playing in the tree house in the garden more often.
What's it like to raise a child in your town?
We can cycle to Amsterdam within half an hour but live in a real small village with a village school, which is relaxing. Next year Seb wil attend secondary school and than prob go to Haarlem. He is looking forward to this already (me not).

Who do you consider is a good example for your children?
Steven, their father is ! I admire the relaxed but straight manner he communicates with our children, explains the consequences of their behaviour and wants to learn them to think about this.
He never shouts to them. Also he has a extensive interest that he brings to the children. Me, i am the hugger.
What is your idea of a perfect day with your children?
Having day off and being together doing something nice. For example during last summer we cycled to a nice monday market in Amsterdam, the Noordermarket, we strolled around had a look at the bricbrac, drank something on a terrace and bought some picnic items, than we cycled to a beautiful Amsterdam parc and had a picnic overthere, mmmm
Can you tell us a funny story, quote or remark one of your children recently made or happened?
Our kids are at a christ school and during last christmas period the little kids had a ‘Jesus-corner’ with clothes to transfer to Jozef & Maria, little baby Jesus etc. Every week each child could play there once and Puck could play her once more and yelled when she came home
‘ Yessssss again i could play in the Jesuscorner’ it sounded very funny to us.

What kind of DIY projects do you like to do with your children?
Of course both of them are familiar with knitting and even though Seb is a boy, he can do very well. Some years ago he did, now it’s not cool anymore. But at home we love to do creative things like, making small paintings with them, learning them how to knit and crochet, make wooden things like wooden bird’s nest or the small table in Seb’s new room, he made this himself !
Any tips for keeping the house clean when crafting?
Have yourself a good cleaning person once a week !

What do you do with all the projects your children made at home or in school?
I have a map in which i keep drawnings. Puck she drawns so very funny, colorful and bright. I kept all of them. Seb made some items from things he found, i keep those things in a cabinet and have a look with a smile !
Any nice decoration ideas how to hang them, keep them or use them as presents?
Use nice drawnings (not the best ones) as wrapping paper. Always have children wrap their gifts to their own friends as it looks lovely the childish manner they wrap it !

How do you like to celebrate birthdays and other special days in your house?
With small group of family (they have both their grandpa’s and grandma’s!) and friends and daddy makes a nice birthday cake puffs ! and loads of streamers !
What kind of sports do your children like to do and are you very involved?
Puck is a hockey-fan and makes a lot of goals with this ! she is cool and hockey is a cool sport.
She also attends a small hobby club. Seb is sailor for several years which he likes a lot and he wants to Kung Fu now as well.
Are there musical instruments in your house?
We tried but they did not want to continue anymore. Too much and they prefer playing with friends.

What are all time favorite books for the children?
Malmok !! it was for both one of their first books and the illustrations are that good. Now it’s Donald Duck for Seb and Pinkeltje for Puck.
What are nice activities you can do with children in your place and what could you recommend when people are visiting?
Recently Puck wanted to have a look at DE ZAANSE SCHANS to see how Dutch mills work and we all liked that day.
Are you a ‘cook’ or ‘food’ lover or both?
It’s really great to have a boyfriend who loves to eat well and therefor likes to cook !! he can prepare a meal but sometimes also just opens the frig and makes a perfect meal from what’s inside.

..bieq.. ..bieq online shop.. ..where to buy..