Blinky Bill

This 1000 piece Blinky Bill jigsaw puzzle is the 1st one I've completed on my own this year. Earlier this month I helped YoungLady with her Moomin jigsaw puzzle. I do have several jigsaw puzzles waiting. I chose this one to start with because it is easy and fun to start the year. It didn't need my full attention all the time and I had several phone calls while making it!

BackToSlippers

Back to FashionNOW. Remember my fur slippers? They needed new soles. Well, would not have needed yet, but I decided to act before it was too late. I opened the sole seams, added full grain leather peaces and sew the sole parts back.

At this time I sew the sole seam in the different way than before to create a different look. But also to avoid the hard seam allowance the get into the slippers because I used heavy grain leather. In this way the slippers are much softer on their seams.

Now I can keep my toes warm and sneak around the community college where I work. What do you like about my floor at the textile craft classroom? Fabulous, isn't it!

SpinTogether

Every now and then, quite seldom, but at least every second month, I and Liinu pack ourselves up into my car and drive away to spin together with other spinners.

Few people gather together to spend a day with a shared hobby. It is communal learning where we all can learn from each others. And when you have a change to think together, the problems can be solved.

Also, bringing the old Finnish wheel spindles back to the life is one part of the gathering. They may have so weird issues and disturbed moods that sometimes they need a lot of love. And sometimes they have no issues at all. ❤

Because we all have something to give and something to receive, I have practiced shearing sheep this autumn. I do have sheared my angoras many times but never a sheep or few until autumn 2024. To be able to shear a perfect fleece is something I want to learn to do in the future. 

ZipperEnd -tutorial

One of my long-term-projects is finished now. It is the new covers for the dog beds. Here you can see the old cover of this wooden bench the dogs use as one of their beds. The old covers were made of brand new furniture fabric over 15 years ago. Inside the covers I used an old mattress of old sofas we had received old and at the end recycled after over a decade use. The mattresses inside are still perfect.

Slowly the old covers arrived to the end of their lives. That's why I have collected old jeans in purpose for this project for years. I used my last collection of old jeans in June 2015 for the SeaSideOfficeChair. 

I used the leg parts of the jeans and one jeans jacket. Every now and then I had quite a puzzle of this on the floor of my sewing room. I could have made much more complicated patchwork quilt covers of the jeans. I decided not to and sew only as few seams as possible. Because the covers will face quite a pressure so there will be less seams to get broken.

The dogs sleep in the library where's also the SeaSideOfficeChair by my desk. Also the SummerOfficeChair is still in use.

I show you how to make the zipper ends in the way that it needs a bit more work but actually makes it all easier in sewing and in use in a covers like these. You can do this also without the fabric ends. If you are using the zippers bought by the meters they don't have the factory made ends. That means the critical place of the zippers to get broken are the ends if they are facing the strong pressure. That's why I make the fabric ends for example in these dog bed covers. Also, I made longer ends to get them over the corners. If the zipper ends in the corner, that creates the pressure too.

Once you've made the fabric ends for the zipper, sew the zipper from it's one side, but leave the 1 cm seam allowance without sewing at the end. 

Turn the other side and use scissors to make a small cut in this way. Cut only the basic fabric, not the zipper or its fabric end. Make the cut end 1-2mm before the sewing stitch end. Now you get a kind of triangle at the end of the sipper.

Turn again the right side up. Push the triangle in and pin.

Do the same for the both zipper ends.

Stitch the zipper's seam allowance first on the side you worked on. Then pin and sew the other side of the zipper. Ta-dah, you've done.

***

This is FashionNOW project. Almost all the materials used are recycled. The jeans are old ones which have got too small. One zipper is from the old cover and the other zipper is new because one old cover had already old re-used zipper and it finally needed to be changed. The mattress are from old sofas.

DearDeer

Today is a very special day, but sad. It is a day we need to give up something very special and important to us. It is something we have had in joy and sorrow, success and fail, health and sickness, life and death... It is something that has walked with us and supported us, been there for us and doing everything for us. Today is the day we need to say thank you and good bye with a great gratitude. From now on the things will never be the same in this community of little villages.

This place where I live is a community of few small villages leaning to each others side. We have seen bakeries, banks, bars, bike shop, catering, church, community college, clothes shop, dentist, fabric shop, fast food, gas station, groceries, hard ware shop, kiosks, paper factory and restaurant closing their doors. 

We still have few hairdressing salons and masseurs and one car repair shop. But from now on we don't have our tiny little pharmacy anymore. It has located -for decades- by the bay of Gulf of Bothnia where the cycle of the year has created a great scene on surrounding world. The snow storms, fogs, warm summer winds not to mention creepy cold winter days have not stop locals to go. No matter the weather the ladies at the pharmacy have provided the shelter against sun, wind, storms and cold or what ever it was. It has been like a light house on this arctic shore. 

Even if the authorities would some day give the permit to re-open the pharmacy, it will never be the same, because the spirit is gone forever. The reason for the closing up is actually the fact of it that today the pressure of the pharmacies to make huge profit is great and the action of running a pharmacy is strict controlled. Today we loose one more piece of special spirit of rural Finland and its communities. This happens all around Finland. Has happen slowly over the decades. The villages dye.

For these thank you cards I have used recycled deer figures from an old wall calendar, labels from a card kit and a very special wrinkled silver paper which was given to me by a very special friend from the big world. I love the silver paper behind the deer, it is like the air over the sea on a foggy day or in the snow storm. Why deer? We have deer around the village and woods. It stands for us all: the ladies and the villagers, me & Him and our children and grandchild. 

***

Thank you! Good bye! We all love you both!

Wishing you both all the best for the future!

❤❤

UpdatedHotWaterBottleCover

Years ago (10/2017) I made HotWaterBottleCover -tutorial. Now I decided to make a new cover for the same hot water bottle. For that I machine felt one of my oldest and dearest cardigans. This is the same cardigan I show you in Lint removing -tutorial 2016! I have bought this almost 30 years ago. It finally begins to look a bit worn out. Because I have made for me PolarBear and Wolf pullovers I finally put this cardigan in the laundry washing machine, set up with 90 Celsius degrees and 1400 rounds per minute. The result was exactly what I wished for. It was a bit exciting experience because it always really is a bit surprise what pops out.

The cover is included with a birthday card made of recycled (magazines) and some new materials. This is FashionNOW gift for a very special person: the mother of my grandchild. 

Dutch Heel No2 (var.)

I designed and knit a traditional style woollen socks with the variation of the traditional style heel. I used Kotikulta's Tuokio yarn (75% wool, 25% polyamide) (100g = 200m) for the basic red shade. For the purple stripes I used left over Novita 7 veljestä yarn (75 % wool, 25% polyamide) (100g = 200m). And for the light purple shades I used left over Lankava's Alli yarn (75% wool and 25% polyamide) (100g = 200m). Alli yarn is from the disappointing trial of seeking new woollen sock yarn. By the way, since that it still has not happen. The heels last, when you have a proper yarn for it! Alli socks are the 1st and so far the last pair of which the heel has not last in daily use!

These socks have a variation of the traditional Dutch Heel. It is as strong as the original version but creates a bit different look. 

In this variation of The Dutch Heel (trad.) you make it all just a different rhythm in the following difference:

    1. row: purl

    2. row: slip 1st one, knit-slip-knit until knit the last one

    3. row - purl

    4. row: slip 1 st one, slip-knit-slip until knit the last one

    repeat 1-4 rows

Dutch Heel No1 (trad.)

I designed and knit a traditional style woollen socks with the traditional style heel. I used different shades of Novita 7 veljestä yarn (75 % wool, 25% polyamide) (100g = 200m).

Notice that this heel is not exactly the basic plain Dutch Heel. This is the thicker and stronger version of it and how we traditionally make it here up in the North. This version lasts in a hard use also. It is made like the Dutch Heel but in the following difference: 

1. every 2nd row - purl
2. every 2nd row slip-knit-slip until there is just 1 left and that one you always knit

Heikki'sDay

Today is the 19.1. More official and connected to the cultural context it is called "heikinpäivä" or more correct "Heikki's day". That means it is the name day of every person named "Heikki" in Finland. They celebrate it a bit, at least feel joy of their names. Perhaps receiving Happy Heikki's Day wishes. Every day is someones' name day according to Finnish and several other calendars. The names vary according to the calendars. Some stay the same, some change. 

Why you see AI pictures made by Copilot in this blog post where AI has never been used before? Have I changed my mind about these things and will I include AI in this blog in the future. No, no, nonononono...

In autumn term 2024 I was in AI education for craft and art teachers. It is the topic of the day and I learnt to use it. But it is not what I am going to use. I am seriously considering and tested it when needing help to translate the craft instructions only.

But AI is here today because I wanted to show and tell you something earlier this month.

In the arctic nature many animals hibernate. The bear is one of them. The bear is also the king of the forest and one of our gods. When the bear goes to hibernate it curls up in the nest it has made to sleep on its one side over the arctic winter. During the winter female bears give birth to the cups, usually she has two cups. There, in the sleep, she breast feeds the cups who sleep with her and start to grow. 

January is the heart month of the winter. The heart locates always in the middle of everything. January locates in the middle of the winter. Something special happens on the 19th of January. It happens there where a human eye can't see it. It is hidden from us all but it happens even tough we can't see it now but will notice it later on. According to the traditional believes on the 19th of January the hibernating bear wakes just a little bit, in the middle of the sleep, only to notice it is still winter. The bear turns from one side to the other and continues the hibernation. 

Because the bear is the king and god, the movements of the body are so big and powerful, that the turn from one side to the other breaks the neck of the winter and we all have reached the actual point of the midwinter moment. From now on, because the bear has turn the side, only the rest half of the winter is left. 

I tried to ask Copilot to create a picture of this traditional saga to you but it really doesn't understand at all the cultural context and gets a bit mixed up and confused. I could play with Copilot much longer but decided not to because it is a huge waste of electricity and nature resources when you crate a picture by AI. 

Instead you learn the story here as written. 💕Which is of course more fun and follows better the traditional way of transferring the sagas from a person to another and between the generations.

It is easy to understand that this time of the year has included (and still does) important information for people living the traditional lifestyle and surviving in the arctic. At this time of the year the humans should have ate only 1/3 of their winter food storage. It means 2/3 should be left. The cattle and other domestic animals should have at least ½ left of the winter food storage. It is because there still will be many months until the domestic animals and cattle can be set free to find its own food. And it will take even longer until the humans can be able to harvest anything. Just few days ago I checked out my winter food storage and it seems to be OK.

Happy Heikki's Day!

TheChristmasCarol

In December the 17th we had a hard frost. We -I and YoungLady- needed to get ready for a drive through the arctic to Rovaniemi theater. It meant we needed to take enough extra clothes just in case if for a reason or another we end up standing in the woods and unable to continue our journey.

I had booked the tickets for the famous and classic Charles Dickens' The Christmas Carol couple of months ago. 

It indeed was a great show and we enjoyed a lot. We happened to be there with the school kid audience. At one point I laughed aloud a lot. That made the little heads to turn towards me and whisper "that adult laughed" spread among the audience. It caused a bit confusing imperceptible points of the little fingers and nods of the heads towards me. I didn't mind nor care about it. But what happened on the break was that I was given room in the toilet queue and space in the crowds when walking. No kid pushed me or ran against me. They looked at me curious and respectful. THAT made me think what's wrong with us adults??!! Is it so rare the kids to see us laugh happy and funny laughter that it is something remarkable?! I do laugh and have never ever paid attention on it that do the adults laugh or not. After paying attention on this for several weeks now I can say adults usually don't laugh! 

Just for your own sake, try to laugh more on 2025! It makes good to your mental health. Even it would be a fake laughter! Love you!

ImpossibleMoomin

The 1st but hope not the last jigsaw puzzle of 2025 was this Clementoni's Moomin Impossible jigsaw puzzle. YoungLady received it from MrW as a Christmas gift. 

Making jigsaw puzzles can be also a very social actin. That's why we all, even Him, participated on this Moomin adventure. Remember we visited The Moomin World in July 2024.

Nuutinpäivä

Today is "nuutinpäivä". It is the original and traditional time of the year to enclose the Yuletide feast. Well, to start to enclose it. After "nuutinpäivä", when all the  food and drink was collected by Nuuttipukki, it all was taken to one place to arrange the last feast for the whole village. To eat and drink it all away... to get people back to work at the farms in agriculture. Traditionally in my Sámi culture there was not much to do outside at the time when the world is at is darkest and coldest, so the Yuletide continued even longer and slowly slide from the MidWinterFeast to WinterMarkets at Feabruary.

I have been up to Yuletide for over a month now. At work we had a lot of fun arranging ThePorridgeParty for our teachers. We have 4 floors and not the elevator. The kitchens locates on the floors -1 and 3. That means a lot of exercise when cooking the porridge and decorating the building. 

Notice my craft glasses. They are big enough to see clear to the past, present and future! I bought them a year ago and simply love them!

I have been at the work for a week now, but my heart desires one more week for the Yuletide until it is the 19th of January. What happens then? You will hear all about it then!

The Christmast tree is at its best when the children have decorated it and are allowed to play by it and the decorations. In my Forest Sámi culture Christmas tree has a special meaning my grandpa and grandma transferred to us. Grandpa always brought the tree for us children. Usually the tree and sweets were the only gifts we received from him. But that was what we expected the most. Sometimes he took few of us to get the tree with him, depending on it from where he was going to get it. If it was somewhere near and we could go by foot, all the kids were following him. I was usually the last one in the line, because I was the smallest and the others had to walk first to make the path in the snow form bigger and better for me not to get drown into it. That also meant I was the last one when going back. In that way it was in my responsibility to pick up if anything had dropped down into the snow. 

In those moments we learnt that in every tree lives "haltia". It means a person like a spirit or gnome. Literally "haltia" translates also to "the occupier". And that is what the sprites are. They possess the tree. It is their home. You need to ask if you can cut a tree down. It includes a lot of walking in the woods to see which one you can cut down. And when you are going to cut it, you need to knock or kick the tree to warn about the sprite to make sure the one collects its items and moves away before you take down its home. 

So, to us the Christmas tree was -and still is- a gift from the woods, given permission to it by the sprites. And brought into the house for the children to play and enjoy. To bring in the spirit of the forest.

This Yuletide has included the traditional gingerbread cottage making with the kids and the parents-in-law. 

It has included Yule-spirit visits to the love ones and some extra charity too. We do charity all around the year, but traditionally we make something extra when landing to the Yuletide. Also that is the Sámi tradition I have learnt. We need to look after everyone. If we all take one whom we can take care of we all have much easier MidWinterSeason. Traditionally this time of the year has been hard and challenging in the arctic climate. In my ForestSámi culture you never leave the weak ones, or the ones in the need of help, alone.

This Yuletide has included a lot of wonderful moments and shared wealth. The wealth is not only or always the money. It can be something immaterial. What ever it is, it is up to physical and mental well being.

This Yuletide included also a visit to the hospital where I needed Xrays after falling down with the dog sled in a speed on hard and icy route. No fractures and after two weeks it seems to be quite fine again. But oh boy it was a hit!

One of the best gifts you can give to your dogs is to train them so well that they are safe to run free there where it is allowed. They say you can't let the sled dogs run free. That is true. But if you train them extremely well, it is possible. Extremely well means they need to come back every time when you ask and they never run far. Pii is a sled dog (Alaskan malamute) but also a hunting dog. In hunting she needs to be set free. Both Nuka and Pii hunt with humans, not alone. They know it is easier to hunt together with humans, so they don't try to do it alone. If the human doesn't follow they return and leave the game.

Notice: In Finland you are allowed to set your dog free only in hunting in your hunting region in hunting action. Not in any other case. If you set your dog free in the villages and cities the dog needs to be "immediately chained" when the situation demands or someone asks. Dogs running free do more damage in the nature than wolves ever in this country.

Hope you all had a wonderful Yuletide and a great start of 2025!!!!

TheHouseAtRiverton

The Reading Challenge 2025 has started! The very 1st item I've read on 2025 is Kate Morton's The House at Riverton (in Finnish, mine). This is my 2nd story from her and so far I've liked both books. I read The Distant Hours on 2024. The scene at Riverton is similar but not the same and the story is different. The book has 613 pages and the plot might be a bit confusing to follow because at some points you are at first a bit like "hey, who is talking and which year, date and place it is". It do work well because the main character is an old lady who falls back into her memories and sometimes the presence and past get mixed. I like the book because it is fascinating and interesting. Despite it includes deaths and affairs it is "old school" book so all the dirty parts have been deleted before publishing the book. It neither is a crime fiction. If you like country side scenes, old manor houses, biographies and happy ends, this is a good book for you.

The Reading Challenge 2025

The Reading Challenge 2025 had several options to which it turns out. At the end I decided to tell what all I read on 2025. Every now and then people ask me if I have read this or that OR what on earth I do read. 😂😁 That's why this year 2025, instead of challenging you my dear reader, I decide to challenge me & myself. 

I challenge myself to show you what all I read on 2025. I am not sure will this be possible. The biggest problem is to remember to write it all down for you and find the time to blog about it! I need to find a new routine for that because it is just easier not to. But that is actually why we never complete certain things in our life (better well being actions, finishing things etc.) because we just never "not to". But I will try out because many people ask this because for a reason or another they find it interesting even tough I see nothing interesting in it what I read. Ha ha ha. Meaning that I can't understand why it fascinates people. So, I will try to tell you what all I read on 2025.