Friday 12 October 2012

Just in time

Härjarö by Asplund
Härjarö, a photo by Asplund on Flickr.
Last weekend I was lucky enough to be one of the workshop leaders in this beautiful building. What's more, I was lucky to get there in time (well, two minutes before my first workshop started) as something went wrong with the car I was going to borrow from a friend. This happened on Friday evening and I needed the car in the morning... Born to knit and I had to take the train to the nearest town instead, where one of the participants was kind enough to pick us up and drive us to Härjarö.

It would have been great to be able to stay the whole weekend, but a dear colleague of mine had a birthday party in the evening, so I had to rush from the knitting event as well - picked up by someone else who was going there and was kind enough to drive all the way to get me. There's nothing like friendliness!

What do you think I gave my colleague - a lace shawl, a polar-bear rug or my nephew?


Correct answer: a shawl based on Marianne Kinzel's "English Crystal" design in her First Book of Modern Lace Knitting. Yarn: "Viva" from Wetterhoff; 4 mm needles (US 6).

In reality the shawl is raspberry red. I'm not sure Kinzel would have approved as she cautions the reader not to use yarn "of a conspicuous colour, as this is not in the lace-making tradition." This isn't meant to criticize her; I just find it interesting how different opinions people can have about crafts. (Not to mention how one's personal opinions can change over time!) Also, I'm sure it makes a difference the book was first published in the 50s.


Speaking of shawls, at long last I have started a project using wonderful laceweight wool Kerry gave me last year. I've found inspiration in a fabulous Estonian stitch dictionary, The Haapsalu Shawl by Reimann & Edasi.

Estonian-Australian shawl

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Looking how to book you for becoming my colleague since I would have very matching birthdays as well!
;-)
Translation: pink envy!

About Haapsalu I heard the first time via the blog 'Fadenstille' (post dd. Sept. 4,2011 and the lady mentioned in that post ('paw'/curser is indicating in case the colour differences aren't too clear).
Have got the impression, there seems to a 'nest'/bunch of dedicated knitters in Haapsalu!

LG,
Gerlinde

Anonymous said...

It sounds like everything meshed perfectly (though personally I don't like being last-minute). And what a beautiful shawl you made for your colleague. You have the LUCKIEST colleagues!

Anonymous said...

You are a busy man. I imagine it was great to relax after all your running around. At least you had the option of the train - pretty well impossible in Canada or Mexico. I really like your English Crystal. Beautiful colour.
Ron in Mexico

Anonymous said...

@ Ron

You're not alone with the train problem: same here in Australia!

Hubby about to quit job in town due to hanging around wayyy to unnecessary on stations with a) lack of punctuality of the system b) functionality of the carriages themselves.
Aaall this on a so called huge, important and considered to be modern standard life-line-connection of a train to one of the major cities here.
Let alone the lack of cross-binding to smaller locations!
Sometimes we marvel, how India manages with a hot climate as well and muuuch more people to tackle and shuffle to and from, than we have to deal with here!
Still a lotttt to do here concerning on this sector (public transport) before we even get a sliver of a 'green tinge'!


Greets,
Gerlinde