Born to knit

Vantvernissage!

What fun it was to be at the opening of the mitten exhibition at Marias garn yesterday.
It was well worth it staying up until midnight all week to finish those last thumbs and
weave in the loose ends.

This is Maria´s shop window from the inside.

There were about 22 mittens on display. Mum had made the most, she contributed twelve
different patterns.
I had made six mittens in six different patterns and still have one on the needles.
Poor Märta Majblomma is going to be late to the party, but she´s promised she´ll join the rest of the gang as soon as she is finished.

This is one of my mittens hanging in the window.

Inga Snöflinga – the only snowflake in Stockholm, for the time being.

And Signe now has her own fanclub.

Would you like to see some of mum´s mittens?

Beautiful Bladrad, in mum´s own handpainted yarn.

The little goat is a real cutie, isn´t he?

Nejlikros – Carnation Rose – a new flower inspired by an old traditional pattern.

Åke had picked his own personal favourites – they are called "Högs i Långhed".

"Baah-by, it´s cold outside".

Friends made their way across town to visit the vantutställning.

My friend Nicole, to the right, with knitting patron Maria, to the left.

Thank you, Maria for hosting the exhibition!
Walking by the shop today I could see lots of people stopping in front of the window to
admire the display. The mittens will be there until the middle of March.

And today is mum´s birthday!
I bet she would have been really surprised if I´d made her a pair of mittens, hehe.
But I made her a pair of beaded wristlets instead.

Grattis på födelsedagen, mamma!

Til Death Do Us Part!

These last few weeks Johanne has been knitting constantly.
In sickness and in health.

Here she is, knitting another Signe mitten.

Despite the green colour in the photo above Johanne, herself,
has been pretty healthy most of the time.
It´s her children who have been suffering, poor little mites.

And sitting at their bedsides Johanne´s been busy knitting mittens.
Four mittens in six days is something of a record for this Born to knit-blogger.
(Hurra! Hurra! Hurra! Hurra!)

She´s aiming to finish a fifth mitten before Friday.
It ought to make the deadline even though Johanne now unfortunately
can go back to work because the kids are fully recovered.

While making the new mittens Johanne has been trying out some Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn that she´s
bought from the Woolly Workshop in England.
And she´s happy to report that it works well for mittens too!

This is the flip side of a new Signe mitten.
(Pssst Wendy, look! This is how I make most of my thumb gussets).

Something missing?

Signe now sports a new and improved thumb!

Some of the mittens that Johanne has been knitting are completely new patterns.
Because on Saturday her and her mother´s mitten exhibition "Fyrhändigt" opens at Marias garn.

Would you like a sneak preview?
Here´s a half finished Inga Snöflinga
If you wish to see the finished version, you´re welcome to drop by on Saturday.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

Många maskor små

"Många maskor små" is the title of Johanne´s mother´s new exhibition at the museum in Edsbyn.
It means "Many small stitches" and yes, it´s all about knitting.
Some of the knitted garments on display are at least a 150 years old!

Exhibit A

The exhibition opened last Sunday and will stay open until the 23rd of March.
Or longer if it proves popular.

Exhibit B

If you have the chance to visit Edsbyn´s museum, don´t miss the opportunity
to have a closer look at the knitted sweaters that are part of the old folk costumes
from Hälsingland. They are usually kept in closed archives to be protected.

But all of the knitting is not quite that old.
Some of the stuff was actually made quite recently by yours truly (blushing).
A couple of sweaters (one Solveig Hisdal design and one Alice Starmore design),
Johanne´s own beaded legwarmers and mitten Signe.

Can you spot Signe?

Johanne´s mother Barbro hopes that the exhibition will inspire all the knitters
who come to see it.
And the message she wants to put across is:
Don´t throw away your old knitted garments.
They might one day be looked upon as real treasures!

Which, of course, they are.