Gotland Knitting Symposium Part 3 (of 4)

This day was mostly about Spinning. I felt very confident. I have spun some so I was not a total beginner. Most of the group had some experience, but the few who didn't really got going fast in my opinion. But, all of the Spinning wheels were "semi-modern" or modern, hence all of them was upright. I have an Ashford Elizabeth, a traditional wheel that I bought from Gudrun, but that beauty was at home. So, a local had made these, with an extra large entry whole for the thread. Becuase this was not an ordinary spinnig course, this was a local invetion (well...) called "Spinna Tott", which in my translation is spinning directly cut from the sheep. No carding!
The wool has too be long and of excellent quality, since you are supposed to clean out the tip at the same time you are spinning! We were taught by our teacher, Ingmarie ( in striped) had a lot to think about. Somehow my local, very beautiful crafted spinning-wheel just did not agree with me. But Hey, I know this, so I just struggled, and struggled and struggled... I realize that as soon as I started, the tension loosened up, so it was just twisting the thread, but not "eating" in (swe matade). So, what is called "breaking the neck" of the thread, or making a "rubber band", was at risk. You spinners surely understand.

The second problem I had is that I'm used to sit low and relaxed with my feed on the ground. This spinning-wheel was so high up that I had to "sit in the air" with my hands very high. Somehow I just could not relax.Back aching. And also, very unused to have the "whole" and the pedal above each other. But I thought. Practice. So I spun according to Ingmaries rules. Take the "tott" from the cut side. I sure became an "effect yarn", which was interesting. You need to be fast. And threading with both feet, my back got sore, my arms and shoulders was hurting, and snap, I strained a muscle. Poor me. Poor me. I got sad and angry. Non of the "relaxing" comforting spinning I have been used to. Sigh.But we had a break, and have a traditional got to the field, which is "gau te Änge" (my dialect attempt).
This means take your knitting, have a FIKA (coffe with saffron-bun and gorån) and just enjoy. This local meet should be done in apron and take on your best clothes and has been very important in history. I wonder how many kids that has been produced in those bushes ;-) Anyhow, We had good local accordian, and fiddle band and also a bit guiding. Wow. Very nice break to a broken body. Look at this great local ladies. They one in the middle were so proud, she had spun and weaved and sawn her dress.
She was though complaining about the Fardhem yarn being "to uneven". So I realize, we all have different preferences in life. I think it is a feature, they think it is a fault. Anyhow this great break did make me grow up to a decision, instead of whining about my disagreement of the spinning wheel. I just bought fleece. And thought to do it in peace on my own wheel. And, to be honest, I have been sitting two evenings now and and no problem - but, then I was told by Lilly from Sigster's that when you spin directly without carding, you should start IN THE MIDDLE. So I was tought wrong. I realized why my yarn had bad ends. Very interesting. But best of all, there is no problem doing it. I have though discussed that combing the tip a little before starting makes it better, maybe because I want a good yarn. I met her at the medieval week, where I also ordered a special thingi (got. Kränku?) (see picture above) to have your wool in. It is put on a pall (hmm, stool?) and you can turn it. The idea is of course you can us the pall to sit on in between. But when this wool addition is on, if the wool is cold, (and you know how hard it is to spinn cold wool) is that you have it up in front of the fire, and then turn it and pick a warm piece to spin. Nifty?! Well, All in all a fantastic third day. Except the total cliquing that occured. Making it hard to meet new people. Well, one better know when people rather talk ABOUT you than with you. That is a sad truth. On the evening there was also a Fashion show with all the local designers. To big and without printed program it just rushed by. So, Let me present one of my heroine, Agneta Werklin, behind Yllet! I just say that the Gotland people both have a fashion, colour and money-making sense. I just say. WOW!

Gotland Knitting symposium Part 2 (of 4)

The second days highlight was to visit Fardhem spinnery. A machine that came from one of the nestors Alan and Sotenäs spinnery from the Westcoast of Sweden. They started as Havdhem, but folded. And then a whole lot of people bought shares and it is a collective start, and some EC support, these two ladies have taken on the hard work of learning all there is about the machine and producing a very softspun yarn, where all aspects of yarnmaking - from sheep, washing, spinnery and distribution is done at Gotland.
Anyway, a bold attempt that produced a must have yarn.
So at this point I must confess. I have no idea what the lovely ladies names were, and currently I'm to lazy to find that little note. Why? I was so focused on the spinning process. In detail. Like she has to weigh just the amount of wool, that has been prepared with coconutoil (!) and water to the right moistness, and spread it out evenly in a short moment of the machine. bit, by bit, slowly but surely. That is really feeling your yarn!
Then on this picture the hanks are binded by hand. And - a must on two places (easy to forget!). Then a detail on Abba's sillinläggningar (hmm, herring-lids, a little thing from the west-coast) that I just found interesting. You really have to be creative to keep this old machine going. Anyway, I must say I really loved this visit. It brought me as close to the wool as I would like to be. And the two sheep GUTE and Gotlandsk sheep (curiously not the same).

The later has also been called gotländskt pälsfår (meaning Gotlandsk pels or fursheep), but the have redecided on the name. What is curious is that all of them are called lamb's in the local dialect, and a lamb is called a lambkid. And also, both female and male have horns. Wow, now Mary-Lou, a good translation would do, horns? I feel it is like an anti-loop (sorry, had to put in hyphen there, since Im a computer nerd!). Anyway, Gute is the original sort of sheep. Both have great wool, and they breed for wool. Lately that have had focus on the meat, which is a pity (for us wool lovers). What I also learned is that the lambkid (haha) lammunge (Gotl.) fur is not cut the first fall, but saved until february next year, to become extra long. This wool is used to spin directly from (handspin) without carding (swe: Spinna tott!)
Here we can se the fleece getting spun into one thread. A process that must be watched to fix if it breaks. You can also see Marika in her fantastic real bragging-knitted beautiful Ovanåker in Twinni yarn, trying
to avoid my camera (or is it me?)
This last picture is the phase before, where the yarn is cut/moved into fleece-strands. Wow, I realized that handspinning is really a great, just needs some wood and string. Ahh, ok, the screws are metal, but I know they are not necessary. But, yet. In this noise these two ladies work so hard to create a new and novel yarn. I bought Sork (the really thick one), in the different natural shades of grey and grey-white (to difficult to clean the machines from all gray!) also because I alreay have Töis in grey and lime for a sweater (the more common, one-threaded yarn). So, I was happy - But - as you know, I have yarn enough ;-) And I can also spin!

Don't you just love it?
Then we went in the beautiful evening to Huskroken. I never understood that they are behind the colouring of ecological cotton etc.. Great colourplace, but most colourblends just do not agree with me, and - I know how to color wool (I know it is not the same process!) and I really looked for some cotton yarn, I just were not yarn hungry. I have a good stash to take from here. (WOW, what a surprise!). But such a great evening. This is the real Gotland to me. At the coast. The sunset, heat and flowers. But, again. I might have my colour course to close. I'm filled up, content. No more.
For me this colour is like someone just played-Kids stuff, ok for kidsclothes. Maybe doing a neckless. But that is it, again. But, she is a weaver, which I think is an explanaition. Knitting is not always good for superbusy. I think colour and colour-mixes are so personal. It is ok to have different point of viewes. What was curious about this whole knitting meet that it was a very select group that was invited. Well, that is how it is. So what course did I go to? It was called Knit in all directions. And was led by an artist Pia Berglund, who seem to make a living of copying others work (good for her). Like knitting Sushi (found of 33000 hits on the internet for that!), and knitting shoes. And imitating painting from Matisse etc. So I started in - from an artist point of view- bad mood.
I personally think using someone elses pattern "copy", and takes away a bit of the personal touch the whole creation is. An artist should invent "ideas", well, I warmed up. Her idea to make a one day workshop, buying old shoes (smelling badly), and knitting around them were not that bad. Actually, I got into it. Not that I see the process very liberating - since I'm a free spirit. But a lot of routine - pattern bound people really were extatic. And the result - I agree - was great. An exhibition of all our shoes. But now I sit with this stinking thing, and thinking that I wasted my expensive yarn on something that just takes up space. Interesting. Very interesting. So, being the most grumpy participant... well,. The Fardhem Visit was really good for me. Doing something for the waste-basket. At least I worked hard to make my shoe useable. But the thought of doing anotherone, and also having to walk in these high-heels, really makes me anti. So why did I not do the simple way? just a fun shoe? I'm such a serious person, with so little time in life.I do not know. Maybe it is because my very original and extremely poor brother struggle so hard, I nothing is copy about his work. And blogger refused my shoe picture. Something to dwell on later then.

Gotland Knitting symposium 2006 part 1 (of 4)

It was time to meet my fellow knitters. After a very early start, the plane dumped me at Gotland airport, and luckily I found other knitters in the same predicament. We shared a cab all the way to the middle of the Gotland Island - Hemse (read: This means too far from swimming in the heat!) First day was great! I really felt like a lot of people actually wanted to meet me, which created a warm fuzzy feeling. A lot of dear hello's, and many familar faces. And also some new... What a great start. After a long introduction of all the teachers we could finally get into knitting: I took a short course with special pattern used in Sweden but probably from Faroese or something (no one never credits the right person for a pattern, sigh)... clumsy translation: lift hank, lay hank, knit hank and stitch together. That created this nice thick pattern. (A bit weird starting this knitting though, you have to read the pattern carefully). This course was tought by one of those really important strong knitting women, Kerstin Nilsson, who arranged last years knitting symposium in Åsa. She is a very entertaining speaker and has a lot of knowledge, but I heard rumors she is waiting on her pension, probably leaving this carousel and becoming private. Well earned, since she has been working at Hemslöjden for many, many years. Her true soul is of course with BINGE, a traditionally Swedish pattern group (and totally screwed up in some english written pattern books). So the "lay hank .."-pattern looks great in both thick yarn and thinner yarn, but should be knitted to 5 to 6mm needles. Not as fast growing, as one could think. But, as some patterns with a story, a very interesting experience to knit. In the evening we heard an seminar about Gotland's knitting tradition from a non-Gotland women Birgitta (who only lived there 26 years!) (OT: This says all about an attitude that I just can't understand. We all live in the same world? Who is counting years?) We got a Gotland history of knitting through her speculation, which I rather liked.Who knows without research, and unfortunately this women power have never been in focus or documented in such detal, that it can be truely known. Therefore the blogs will serve as a great research database for the future. But, Gotland knitting tradition with "trojkellingar" (hmm. sweaterwomen), was very interesting how these women earned something for themseleves. The Gotland pattern collection and recording is saved only because one Women: And a lot of the thanks goes to Hermanna Stengård, a strong women living many years ago (end of 1800), that collected knitted artifacts, and copied down their unique patterns. It has been documented in a book, "Gotländsk Sticksöm" which I have managed to get a copy of some years ago. Just an amazing book. Do not even try to look for it - It is an antique. But, since I'm a pupil of Britt-Marie Christoffersson, the number one mentor of all knitting for the last decades in Sweden (like US Elisabeth Zimmerman) , I already new most of this. Britt-Marie has been presented before on this blog, and I think almost all teachers and current knitting designers in Sweden is a pupil of hers. And I owe all my skills in knitting to her. Of course my first break I sneaked into Solveig's Bohus class,
and checked out her new patterns. Having broken her arm, she confessed she has been very bad for a long time - no colouring or knitting, so it was such a warm meet. I truely respect this wonderful women. Her coloursense is beyond words. I so much hope she will find strength to give the world more Bohus patterns as accurately as she does. It is such a true and rich pattern treasure, the world would be poorer without it. Finally my favourite collar is created. Look at Marianne posing in Grey mist. She does not look happy. But she, a wonderful friend really is one of those warm and generous persons. Second picture here Marianne is posing in the great yellow lace collar. Of course in my collection and on needles, but not that far gone. But, the true news here is "the Egg", small picture, which I of course immediately bought.
These very intricate patterns in the wonderful merino-angora (50-50) yarn is the peak of luxury. It is so filled with status, that one person told me, (story probably origin from Solveig in class, but great stories spread fast),anyway, this women had stopped some distance from Solveigs stand and started to cry when she say that blue shimmer was for sale as a yarn pack, since that was one of her highest wish in life, to become so wealthy to be able to own a true Bohus Sweater. Get it? Beyond our comprehension. But I have no problem crying over a Bohus pattern, it just moves me to tears too. It is so sensual at the touch to do these patterns. They are so great. And, my weird mind cannot remember the other new patterns name on this last picture (which is a bit fuzzy), but you get the picture? Beyond words. Note, Blue shimmer is not in these pictures. But on my needles. Also, For those US readers, do not miss my very distant Swedish friend that runs One of Susanna's, and makes it more easy to get Solveig's patterns in the US! Did that end day one? No, it became so busy and late that my head was spinning (hihi) before I fell asleep after a lot of knitting and discussions in the nice Swedish summer-evening.

Off to Gotland. Knitting symposium

I cannot pack. Should one bring all knitted item (they sure did to Estonia- show off!), or should one pack lightely (these two requirements do not mix for me!) Should I bring one ball of yarn, my current knitting, or just samples (that was a heavy bag!) not fitting in the suitcase!
Im carrying it (probaly dragging in rain, on a gravel road) to the Hemse folkhögskola (nowhere does it say if it is far from the town?) Info? Ha. Go with the flow. Should I pack in a BIG suitcase with lots of empty space (I now I will be tempted) or fill it up (so, do you not think I have ENOUGH yarn?) Can one ever get enough? All this hanks that should be winded. It is too late. I'm stuck. I think it is the time to say. Big bag hope for faith that all distances are short (I hate to drag bags!) Are there any Taxi's on this Island? I do have relatives, but they are not contacted, probably on vacation. Is it really going to rain? Ahh, plane leaves in less than 7 hours. I need to sleep (at least 4 hours). Have I packed camera? Not yet? Great backpack, or shoulder bag with sheep. Needles. Spindle. I should only bring one ball of yarn? And I have planned something for this weird knitting technique. I'm already missing my husband. And he is asleep. He is just great. Will drive me tomorrow. I so much hope for good meetings with other knitters. That will be fun. I think I lost the little of what is left of my brain (vacation clean out) in this Ride at Gröna Lund. But me and hubby did a great job. We succeeded to exhaust a 11 year old kid. We took turns in rollercosters (so I did about 15 or something).
Kid slept like a log, and now back with his mom. Ohh, Im so good avoiding those hard decisions. I need a bigger bag than a drag on. My first knitting event I bought 11 KG of yarn (take that times 2.2 and you get a lot of pounds!) I will not buy more that an easy carry. Some hanks. Some fleece. That must be it (Ohh. Solsilke is going to tempt me. I know!)

Soon Gotland, just Gröna Lund before

Take it easy! I'm booked. I will take the plane there Thursday morning.
And with some luck, I get into Visby on time to grab the Bus (hmm. If anyone is passing, I would not mind sharing a ride ;-) And then boat was really packed and I will be going 0030! Wow. I'm glad It is a knitting event. I can knit all through the nite. And I'm terrified of boats. So, My wonderful brothers young son (12) visits me, and After one day of work I'm home watching Lier, Lier, and Jim Carry is funny. Tonite is Gröna Lund - with a armband. So we will go like crazy. And try to save something to my poor research brain.

Yarnvulture! Ahh. Conclusions from 2 yarntrip

The yarn from Copenhagen.On the very left is the pink Nikolaj. Some twinni and then tweed. Wow, it looks like a lot. Bot really, I'm still a big girl that requires lot of yarn to surround all of me in a sweater. Need a closer look? OK, Hanne Falkenberg. First corner knitted. And I started on the second part. It is not an ordinary knit. It is a puzzle. It is a bit challenging and fun to knit. And just in my lime turqoise mix that Im so in love with right now. Hugely expensive kit. But it seems as fun as Tivolo rollercoster. But ahh. Studio 9. Isn't there a HF KAL somewhere? Yepp here!
! Just applied ;-)
Yet a close up of the The Summerfugle silk. Looks fab! And the buttons (worth a fortune!) in the bag. Ahh.... Also fitting in colours. Background are the other scontland tweed. Ok, If I love a colour I do. So I bought both turqoise and lime and greenish. To make another fun sweater. I don't know? Great yarn? Isnt that enough reason. In front is also purple Angora and angora in lime in the big picture. Ahh. The last days of vacation. It is raining. Thunder. Where did all the time go?

Can one get enough of yarn pictures? Should I flaunt them all? or wait? You can take it. If you are a bit crazy like me - ready for yarnhospital, where I really can get tangeled... You must look at the Östergötlands Ullspinneri Overview picture.
OK. I have got the yarnflue. And - to confirm it. This is the start of the weird pattern (starting in the side) from Strikk - Marianne Isager! It looks weird. The whole is actually the sleeve opening. But again. Smart and challenging designs. Are there not a Isager Knitalong? No, weird. That must be a matter of time. (How many can you join without beeing kicked out?) Hmm...
But somehow the colours doesn't totally tick. The lime is not lime but yellow. The purple is a bit too red, but I transformed from intentionally thinking a lime (sorry yellow) with stripes into purple with lime stripes (and a yellow side). I hope it becomes cool. But the yarn is super quality. Spongy. very nice to knit. Ahh Östergötlands Ullspinnery. The yarnmakers.
Maybe it is that the colours aren't super together? Thats is. I new it was me. Should I frog? Nahh. It aint over yet. Might look better when the rest is purple. I already frogged the Catherine Parr this morning. Realized that it is 48 stiches TOO BIG. And the yarn will not be enough. So, I must say Starmore is a tense knitter. THat would move me into 1.25 mm size needles instead of 3.25. So I decided. To reknit. I'm not too far gone. Now I really must book my travel to the Swedish Knitmeet in Gotland. Plane or boat? Or both? Hmm...How is everyone else going there and back?

2nd Yarnvacation part 3 of 3

So, back over the bridge. I actually erased a lot of ramblings about boring Norrviken, great swims in the ocean, Fikas in Gothenburg and moped thefts in Uddevalla. To quickly go to West of Sweden - Arvika! The home of mother and father in law.Knitting discussions and wonderful food. And then, nagging everyone to go to Gammelvala to meet my dear friend Marianne, who I insisted was working by the colourpots. What a disappointment to find that she had already gone. I sure must have missed some information there. But, look at this colours!
Dyeing the hard way (plants) looks amazing. First picture is the leak. It was great! I really held tight not to buy anything. But, that is life. Look at it. Druel. Cochinille, (ok, up right is the sour colours- turqoise...) but the rest is all from nature: purple = Bersilja, and the green small picture is vassvippor (hmm grass-reed (?)flowers)..These pictures really does not show at all. But what an interesting set up. They were really boiling their pots in 30 degrees heat, in old swedish clothes (skirts, aprons, scarf around the hair etc)...But, I didn't buy anything. Not in my favourite yarnshop in Arvika "Fantasy" either. But I got some cute earrings with sheep and a neckless. And m-inlaw encourage me to start to knit an Marianne Isager. So, I dropped my WIP (an old UFO) to dig into my yarnstash. Wow, it is really a fun pattern. You start on the side doing a growing triangle, that soon incorporates the sleevehole. It is amazing. But colours. Ohh... Colours. I'm not happy. M-inlaw also decided to goahead with a Poetry of Stiches. Interesting. just the one on my list. So, I volounteered to order her some HIFA-yarn from Britt på nätet of course, (ahh, fun to buy for others!) but I decided that would be a great gift on her birthday!

2nd Yarnvacation Part 2 of 3 (Copenhagen)

Copenhagen! Over the Bridge and thanks to good preparation (blogthanks to: Stickeri, Stickera, Stickeralla and 123Strikk that I found through Stickigt). I had no trouble finding Sommerfuglen south of Ströget (Vandkunsten 3). What fantastic shop. Not only filled with all luxary yarn, but also their own selections of yarns. Dearest patient Husband took a walk, and I just digged in. Hanne Falkenberg Ahh, what variety, and a great list to figure out what fits and not.
I bought my SECOND HF kit! Turqoise and lime! Studio 9! Thats mine! And then I found the same wonderful Kidmohair that I have rambled about before. Ha, I already had a good stock on that and so much cheaper! But, lucky lucky copenhagen knitters. Having this great yarn easily to access. Of course the usual Garnstudio and Rowan, but Vivian Höxbro, and Hanne Falkenbergs daughter had also a new line out. But I was most impressed by the cashmere, angora-blend and the Silk. In the yarn picture you can see the hank I bought hanging lowest row on they yellow. And the scotland tweed. Cashmere was just a bit to expensive. But great yarn filled the store. And many knitted models to look at. The great ladies also introduced me to the magic sweater, such a smart pattern. A must knit...So I bought a warm rich yellow silk to spiff up my green silk, and extra tweed to make a second sweater based on HF kit. Too bad she just few that fits "real women" like me. But take a second look at these shelfs. My husband came back twice to drag me away. He is just the kindest companion to have. Letting me indulge in a yarn heaven. By the way, It is his birthday today. And he is not in to cake.
And then I found the new lovely buttons. I really hit it with them. Great. And I do make my own buttons. So, what to say? Lime, turqoise that what just fit the yarn I have been stocking. And I bought the Marianne Ishager book Strikk, that I have earlier ignored. Now, I realized the truely amazing patterns in the book, as well as the mix of different yarns and qualities. She is a lady in my taste. Wow, those danish designers are just so fashionable. I could really have spent a day there, but life is to short, and I needed a good Caffe Latte. So, we hit the streets of the city. It is really beautiful in Copenhagen. Somehow I walked around and ended up on Fiolstrade. There are two yarnshops. The first Strikkebutiken, had Annie Blatt yarn and Noro, but I was still filled with Summerfuglen, so that did not feel like a fresh buy. But then I went to Uldstedet. The Ishager yarn Twinni and Spinni was filling an entire wall.
And, I realized that the list of "missing" twinni (I do have a project awating completion yarn - no it is not started, but a great excuse to buy all shades of purple (and they are many)). So, I guessed, and throwed in some other random colours. Wow, Great yarn. And also the potential to be something, but the guy, very nice and polite, was clearly not a yarnaddict and a knitting freak, sooner some relatives son in need of a summerwork. Not really the sparkle for a pig-out buyingsession. But on the outside I found angora merino (70% angora) in lime from Gepard which was impossible to resist, so a very small bag was aquired. Ahh. Copenhagen. Wonderful Copenhagen. Where a large beer is 75cl (hick). Of course we went on the DEMON in Tivoli, had good food and long walks, as well as a tour on the canals to look at the new hamburger (sorry, new opera-house). Anyhow, My crazy walkabouts sniffed out a NEW yarn-place Bette Design, just on a sidestreet to Ströget (North) Klosterstraede 20. She had just opened, and was not very well stocked, but she had one of my danish favourites Nikolaj yarn, which is I bought in the mix of lambwool, Tussah Silk and alpacka, I give her the thumbs up. This will be promising. Since the other dealer of Nikolaj I know lives in Aarhus. At least I could add a store to the already expert-lists!

2nd Yarnvacation (!) Part 1 of 3

As you faithful readers (thanks for all wonderful comments!) notice, we took off again. It was storm and thunder warning, so not for beginner-sailers. Instead we just hopped in the car going south. And- just before fivish I realized we only had reached Norrköping, and my "very much longed for" yarnspinnery (Östergötlands Ullspinneri) was about to close. On phone, (thanks mobile!), the very nice Börje agreed to re-open for an evening visit (that is what I call service!) So, we took a FIKA (brought from home) outside waiting for him. It was hot. The grasshoppers played, and the sheep was chewing away in the background. And a great Giabatta and Caffe Latte, that is FIKA! just some miles from the main road. Silence. A car. Two cars.And finally I entered paradise. Hubby took a book (Life of Trees) and I digged in.
Oh, this quality of yarn is unbelievable. It is like cotton. But it is very well selected and spun wool. Truely the luxury wool in Sweden. I grabbed lime that actually is a weird yellow, and purple/lilac. And some blues, and of course the yarn to to my other Latvian Mitten (I ran out ;-). And... ok, I will show you. This is just part 1. Anyhow, Börje and I started to yap about yarn, copycats, promotion and sales. There yarn sells more in Japan than anywhere else. I think if US got hold of it, it would sell out. It is honest great wool-yarn, with a quality of cashmere and cotton. I just do not get any better. I swear. Noone can say that this yarn itches. And the Do-Redo yarn is a bit thicker, and just yummy. I would take it for cotton if
I didn't know. I just wonder how they treat the yarn since they do not do the coloring themselves. I sure hope there is no superwash treatment on it, cause it doesn't felt well, and I would strongly recommend them to remove any similar process. So, somehow that is my very unconfirmed suspision, that I forgot to ask about. But I guess they don't. Their blues are especially great. I wish for more shades of green. Like turqoise, and a more blue-green that is not minty or too dark. Colours are so important and so determining for a great quality yarn. Anyway, I ended up giving away my Vouge magazine), which I think is the right niche for them. But look at the blends. I just think they are fantastic. So, here I stalled. Just could not choose.
So I went into "sampling mode". Which mean I buy some hanks to try it. Also got some white to experiment on my own colouring. How wonderful. Just go there if you have a chance. I sure hope their son updates their web, so it is easy to order from the web. They are worth it. Go there (link in english!). Swedish quality yarn! I came out with two Large shoppingbags (!) Hubby sighed. We then went to Toftaholm, a historical hotel near a lake, had a walk around the old ruin, and a cooling swim. Ahh. I just love yarn vacations. And swimming in a large cool lake on a summer eve. Ahh. Sweden in the summer...

Yarn, Yarn, yarn and more vacation

Here is almost all yarn from the trip (the white is not present!)
On the left (green and marron, black is the Wåhlstedts, as well as the tied bag of rovings on the lower end. The to opened plastic bags are mohair. In the middle is the Norsk Kunstvevyarn (close up below). Im moving into the blue turqoise green, with some purple, lime green. You need a close up? Ok. Favourite is this mohair. Just have a look!
This is the great mohair. Just soft and wonderful. Ahh. Älands mohair was the name, a part of Nordmohair.
I love the Swedish summer. Im actually busy like nothing else, but it is vacation - and having quality time with the loved one is so valuable. No, no sailing - to be honest, none of us like to sail in "kuling" (stormwinds) and thunder. We are very safe sail beginners.
So instead. It is a new tour planned. Tivoli in Copenhagen (and yarnshops ;) and Lousianna, some west coast.. and Ahh. Wonderful Sweden. So you will have a very quiet blog here for (A WHOLE WEEK) or maybe week-and a half.But as always. Plans can change. Isn't the colour palett so summer. I especially think the older mohair is what I thought was mohair. But compare this left yarn with the yarn on the left a bit up. Really a difference. I stillfell in love with this, so it doesn't matter, but the kidmohair is definitely yummy. Ahh. It is so great that other yarnlovers understand the mania about this. My idea of paradise is really a room with all my yarn around! I'm living it. Knitting will be a great adventure. So, figuring out what I should do with this yarn will be a great "sketch and think"- exercise. Have a great summer. I'm thinking of my knitting friends all over the world. Isn't that just fantastic that our passion bring us together all around the world. I so much would like to meet you and knit toghether. See you!

Yarnvacation (familyvisit) part 4 of IV

Dear brother. He is an artist, and lives in Käckelbäcksmon, near Viksjö with textile artist Christina Oscarsson (showing her work at Kalmar Slott this summer, Shibori - Life fundamentals (DNA)). WOW. They just built a porch, and it was nice meeting them, Martin (my brothers son) mom's sweathard, and Nisse (the cat). I talked to Christina about my plans to go to Kallmyra mohair, somthing she could not understand when there is Älands Mohair much closer. In Älandsbro, just north of Härnösand. We went there. And met the wonderful Pip-Larsson.He is a South African mohair-male goat that only been bottle-fed, stayed in caranteen came a long way to Sweden, to get some fresh blood into the angora-mohair flock. Anyway, he was so small back then, when he met the flock, the all gathered around him, and he squeeked like a baby. For this he was named Pip-Larsson. So Pip, means "squeek" in Swedish. Larsson, is a great Swedish common name, like US have Smith and Jones. (well, I'm thinking of the western heros;-)Anyway, Pip-Larsson's proud owner, - and the owner of Älands
Mohair Eva, tells me that they are three mohair goat owners that has have a company together - one in Vika (Dalarna, near Falun) one in Kalmar (?) and her. And that one of the flock there was very much awaiting Pip-Larsson. So, just when she decided that her flock were not nice enough to him, he settelled in. So, they send him away and Eva said to that he was a very shy goat, so there was no worry. When she called back day after to ask how he settled in, she was told that they have not had a blunder - Pip-Larsson has been on everyone in the flock all night! So, this charming fellow is now back and separated... What a charming King! Anyway, the result is her beyond words wonderful combed mohair (that is spun in England (or was it Denmark?) and coloured (Färgkraft again!). Just fantastic colours. And the quality, Not carded but COMBED mohair. One, two, three threaded and bouclé (the latter from the older goats). Why are the shelfs empty? I have already digged in. Great price. 150 SEK /hg and definitely worth a visit. Wow, did I fell in love with this yarn. It is quality, so much that I just cannot wait to go at it. With all wonderful colours I just couldn't buy white (which is of course the new colour to buy ;-) Dying to dye (haha, thought of that a long time!) Well, the mohair shop are actually doing socks on machines
on machines from Italy and England. Great work. I also learned that the mohair is used in airplane seats since they are inflammable. Well, warm and durable, and surprisingly soft.
I remember the mohair from the late 80s this was not even close in softness and feel. This is so much more a soft very slightly fluffy, like a great merino, but no, it is mohair. Just fab yarn. Really fab yarn, really fab yarn. Ahh. Pictures on the way. But I got to keep the suspense on this blog.