NewTwist

Today we finished the traditional shoe making course at my work with our great teacher Tommi Mantila who runs traditional shoe making courses around Lapland Finland. I made these traditional shoes with a new twist. The teacher helped me to design them. The new twist is that this pair is actually focused on the minimalist shoe / barefoot shoe direction. They are made of softer leather and softer structure with as little heel as possible. They have also some special ergonomic design for my problem feet. Also, they are designed to be used with woollen socks.

I still need to make the shoelaces for them. And I need to grease them at least once more. But I can't wait to start to test them. They will match perfect with my traditional Sámi costume but also with just normal western clothes too. 

LeatherShoes

I have fun at work. Sometimes so fun that I participate on our craft courses on my free time. At the moment I am on a traditional shoe making course. It's a hard sewing job but relaxing and fun. Besides my feet are so small that there is never too much sewing with the shoes. 

People often think there are only reindeer nomad Sámi tribes but that is a colonial and stereotypical point of the view marketed to the other nations by the explorers in the past and the media today. Forest Sámi people for example have rich lifestyle and their source of livelihood never based on one source. Traditionally Forest Sámi vary their source of livelihood according to it what is available: hunting, fishing, berry picking and at least from early 1600 having few sheep. Many Forest Sámi people are very creative and skillful in crafts. They did it so much and well that they sold their craft products on the markets already hundreds of years ago, even in the way that other Sámi people worked as their suppliers.

My Forest Sámi family is more craft makers and suppliers than reindeer nomads. Forest Sámi craft and art of craft is in Kemi Sámi language "tuejje / tuojje" (depending on the dialect). My Forest Sámi great grandpas have made for example quite a lot of traditional shoes and I am bringing it back. 💕

MoreBrowns

In October 2025 I showed you my last season's browns. In the picture above you can finally see also the 8th skein of 100 % wool yarn. Its on the left side. This plant dye experiment is for my upcoming book. Because of the results I received now, I started one more round to go for this plant dye experiment with the shade of brown. I will get the results at the end of summer 2026. Just for the curiosity. Meanwhile I will be editing my upcoming book. 😀

Shepherd'sCrochetHat

Do you remember my AAW Mittens No10? I designed and made a hat for them! I used our own AAW yarn (50% our own ethic produced arctic angora wool, 40% ethic produced FinnSheep wool and 10% nylon) (100g = 238m). I plant dyed the yarns with coffee and tea. It is ethic and sustain produced wool and dye. Also, it is a slow craft and FashionNOW. It is very warm and He loves it!

BobbinLaceBookmark No1

I designed and made this bobbin lace book mark. I used DMC Embroidery Thread for this project. I used loose end variegated shades threads to get it more lively.

This is how you get them to keep the original shape. First you Iron them and then stiffen them. This bookmark includes only the basic whole stitch and at some points extra twists. Very easy to complete also at the beginner's level.