Back to the Drawing Board
Today, I rewrite patterns for new formats, wrestle to get the Shawl pattern available to a clammering crowd, and work and rework an un-vented cast-on for a new design. But first, the last set of obligatory beauty from both the Vesterheim:
The Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum in Decorah, Iowa is the largest museum in America dedicated to one immigrant people group.
part of the Sámi Alaska exhibit: woven Sámi bands
Sámi tin bracelets
cuff from a Sámi mitten
woven wall-hanging
the edging of a lace knit petticoat
beautiful thumb from a Norwegian mitten
On non-Sámi fronts, the Vesterheim has other Norwegian artifacts as well! The three pictures just above are from the Norwegian majority, or recreated in America by Norwegian-American immigrants.
While in Decorah, I also really enjoyed walking around the town and visiting some stores. What a beautiful small town! Luther College is, of course, its lifeblood. Students huddled in the streets. Crazy students were jogging in the near 0F weather.
Decorah is about 8,000 souls -- just larger than the small town in which I live -- but, it is oh! so alive. Main Street had only one closed store front among 5 or so blocks. The place I stayed, Hotel Winneshiek, was a fabulous oasis in the sea of corn. And, even on a quiet, winter Sunday night, Mabes Pizza was a jumping joint. The public schools are walking distance from downtown. The houses nearby are charming and sweet. The town even had a tall bluff and a beautiful park overlooking the Upper Iowa River, and the college campus.
But, all good things must come to an end, and mine did dramatically as 5 inches of snow blew through and made the roads nearly impassable. My ride back to the family took over double the time it took to get there, but all was well.
Since then, I have sketched, written and knitted up one of the mitten patterns I viewed. But now I must get back to the hat I am currently working on, and the pattern corrections.
Good day, all!
