Hot off the Presses! I'm a Cover Girl -- Again!

Introducing…

Interweave Knits Holiday magazine 2021 My design is on the cover!

I’m excited that my design, Winter Winds hat, is on the cover of Interweave Knits Holiday edition 2021 this year! I got it in the mail yesterday, so it should be at the stores and mailed to subscribers very soon.

I designed this hat from a souvenir skein of yarn I bought on vacation. With my initial inspiration hat, I was tinkering around (this was years ago). I was wondering how exactly tvåändstickning knitting and fabric differed from just stranding. So, this hat is a sampler of sorts. There is about an inch of each and another little bit of partridge eye knitting — that is a two-stranded technique a knitter can do on sock heels.

So, this is a fun way to try three two-yarn techniques without committing a whole project to any of them!

Have fun with it and email me your results!

New class for the National Nordic Museum

It’s been awhile since I’ve been out to Seattle, and with COVID, that’s understandable. Silver linings, though, right? Last year I invested in some nicer zoom equipment, and I’ve been teaching for Vesterheim Norwegian-American museum, the American Swedish Institute, North House Folk School, and … guilds or whomever else would like a lesson.

I’m really glad to add a class through the National Nordic next month. They are opening an exhibit on the landscape of the Nordic lands. And, the gorgeous mittens of the Skolt Saami peoples, inspired by the land, fit right in that topic.

As always, I am very thankful to the curators and people at the Sami Museum and Nature Center Siida in Inari, Finland who graciously allowed me to view their collection of Skolt Saami and Inari Saami mittens, as well as the wonderful curator in the Øst-samiske museet in Neiden, Norway and Heini Wesslin with whom I met in my visit there. All credit and honor go to the Sami artisans who created these beautiful hand coverings.

It is my desire to raise awareness of their art form and draw attention to it.

All the mittens I teach are based on museum samples I have observed in my travels in Sápmi or through my studies.

Skolt Saami mittens can be purchased at the Sami Museum and Nature Center Siida as well as the store in the Sami parliament in Inari, Finland.

It's the beginning of Fiber February!

Welcome to a new month, all! I just had a lovely weekend with fiber friends (fully masked, socially distanced, and reduced to nine). And, now I’m ready to dive into North House’s Fiber February.

It used to be — in the days before digital — that “Fiber” and “February” were reduced to sharing a week. Really, that all makes sense. People would take days off of work and other obligations, throw their fiber goodies in their car, along with their snow pants, snow shoes, and anything they needed in northern Minnesota in winter, and head up to Grand Marais. Most of us could only manage that amount of time off. The trade off was some incredible classes, some lovely lunch talks and a great feature speaker.

With digital classes, most of us are working one or two in around our work and/or other obligations. So, the list has been varied in time and the number of people involved is exciting.

Have you checked it out? Here is the line-up at Northhouse.org. Notice the many free lunch talks. But, the fibery goodness doesn’t stop there. Keep scrolling down, or click on whatever appropriate link to see the various classes through the month. I am teaching a mittens class based on a beautiful pair of Skolt Sami mittens I have observed in a museum in Scandinavia — the pattern is called Birch Leaves. Knowing this area of the North Shore, Birch Leaves is a perfect fit.

I used to be a high school history teacher, and I love to teach about the people and culture tied to each historical item my class is formed around.

I hope to see you there!

Day two, and I can still access this.

That’s positive.

Another child has left the nest for dorms. The house is getting quieter and I can hear the ticking of our old Seth Thomas clock. The dog (who howls and bays when you all are trying to learn something from me on Zoom) is quietly sleeping on the living room carpet, dreaming of sunshine and rabbits.

Tomorrow is the second half of a Faroese Slippers class offered through the American Swedish Institute. I wrote the class for the Nordic Knitting Conference held at the National Nordic Museum in Seattle in 2018. I learned so much at the Faroe Islands in preparation for the class.

It was a lot of fun! I learned the knitting, of course. But, more than that, I learned that the 18 volcanic islands that make up the self-governing nation (but, a dependent on Denmark), are roughly the area of New York City. There are no trees because of the wind. Despite the far north latitude, the average temperature remains between 34 and 56-ish year round. They get 54 inches of rain! And, last but not least, they were most likely given their name from the words far (sheep) and oy (islands).

Good enough for me! I also enjoyed reading some Nordic noir based in the islands and written in English. And listening to the music.

Looking forward to the second class tomorrow.