Kemijärvi

When I was going to ForestSámiSummerExpo2025 I stopped in Kemijärvi. It is a city with interesting signs and citizens. I stopped there for 2 years 30 years ago and warmly recommend you to stop at least for few hours if on self guided road trip in Lapland, Finland. 

I visited at Kemijärvi local history museum. Unfortunately their website is only in Finnish. Like many local history museums they run it by volunteers. You can see the opening dates and hours on their website. I am sure google can translate it for you. But if it is not open when you plan to visit it just call them beforehand and ask for a private tour. The private tour per person for 1 hour is just 20€ and worth of the money. Besides the money goes for the charity/museum, they don't get the public funding to run the museum. I have visited the museum twice 30 years ago when studying in Kemijärvi and again now. I like it because they have labelled it all well and are very aware of about each item origin and history. 

Just check out the local library in Kemijärvi. There might be interesting exhibition going on at the library or at the cultural center. They locate both in the same building just next to each others. Usually it is all free entrance at least at the library exhibitions.

I wanted to see Heikinheimo's exhibition at Kemijärvi cultural center. He has phothographed a lot Forest Sámi people and his photos are very valuable to us and hopefully some day we'll see more of his collections at the museums and exhibitions. Rencently -about a year or something ago- his pics were donated to the museum from the private collection. In the future we are expecting to see more of his photos. This exhibition presented himself to the audience.

Reds

Here we go! More pictures about summer 2025 plant dyes. These our own wool OOW yarns (25% arctic dog wool and 75% Finnsheep wool) are dyed by Surprise Webcap (Cortinarius semisanguineus). You can see three of them also here. 

These 4 have been plant dyed by Madder. Also for these I used OOW yarn (25% arctic dog wool and 75% Finnsheep wool). You can see one more red OOW yarn dyed by madder here with blue yarn.

Here is one more OOW yarn dyed by madder. It looks brighter and it really is. It all depends also about it on which shade you plant dye.

Here you can see all 5 together. On the left side is OOW yarn with the original natural white shade. The other 4 are natural light grey-beige on their original shade. The difference is not big but visible and it is enough to make the difference on the result.

And here is our own yarn AAW (50% our own ethic produced arctic angora wool, 40% ethic produced FinnSheep wool, 10% nylon) (100g = 238m) dyed by madder. On the left side is the 1 st bath, in the middle is the 3rd bath and on the right side the 4th bath. (Yes, you are right, I missed the 2nd. It comes later. 😅) When you compare all the pics in this blog post you can notice the madder doesn't get attach to our AAW yarn as well as on to OOW yarn. It must be because of the angora wool and slight 10% add of nylon because roughly to say it is half lighter than the matching baths with OOW yarn. But is does't matter. It is good to know and these are cute too and will be used later...

WOW! What is this???!!! It is my own souvenir from Dublin, Ireland for me & myself! I learnt with my students that it is very difficult to find wool yarn that is manufactured in Ireland from Irish sheep! This is it! It is Ériu. Take a look! I bought some blue in my favorite shade. I bought also some white for my plant dyes. The upper one is the 2nd bath you missed in the previous pic 😃and the lower one is the 2nd bath of Surprise Webcap (Cortinarius semisanguineus). We'll see what these all will turn out!

ForestSámiSummerExpo2025

I am not at home. I took some day off from looking after Poor-Pii. Today you can find me at Salla, Finland. If you are around and have something to say or ask, just come to say hello to me at any time what ever I am doing! You can find the expo at Sallan koulukeskus, Kuusamontie 5, Salla, Finland on Friday the 18th of July 2025. It is the local school building so when you spot it you are close. 

Anyone are free to come and go at any time they wish. Just come and take a look! You don't need to stay all day.

If you are around take a look also at these interesting exhibitions at 

Postipolku 5, Salla

Myllytie 2, Salla

Save Salla Senter, Salla

(yep, it is Senter, not center 😅)

If you are still around on Saturday the 19th of July in Salla,

take a look at the Salla-Päivä stage at 11.30am. 

You will see many of us walking on the stage dressed up into our Sámi costumes!

Connected

My own design tin thread embroidery belt Anttu's Life is now ready for the use. It has silver-golden snake tablet weave band. It is modern style Sámi design but it included a lot old and traditional strong symbolism for the protection. Still it reminds us all about the joy of life, but also asking for and providing the help.

SilverBand

I've been doing some tablet weaving on our terrace deck.

I was interrupted by someone who thinks I am the most shiny baby in the corner. The flirt was so straight that even I understood it. I must confess I was a bit flattered. A woman at my age and still someone thinks I have the most shiny body in the world!

Since being a child I have been admired dragonflies but never before they have been interested about me. Not even I get many of them visiting my garden every summer!

This fellow was really persevering and arrived several times to get me on the flight. I told I am married already but it took quite a long time until the nature called and the dragonfly flew after someone else.

I designed and made silver-golden tablet weave band. The other end is a bit different because I tested another figure first but noticed it doesn't work so well. I could have taken it away but wanted to leave it all there. I decorated the other end with glass beads. On the other side is 12 beads for the protection of 12 months. On the other side is 8 beads for the protection of 8 seasons. In the modern world we live in months. In the traditional Sámi world we live in 8 seasons and nature cycle. I am sure you can spot the golden snake figure there. For the band I used Schoeller & Stahl's Manuela yarn (85% viscose, 15% polyester) (25g = 112m) in golden and silver shades. I have never before tried band weaving with metallic yarns but as long as you are careful with your moves and turns it seems to work just fine.

True Afterthought Heel

I designed and knit woollen socks with True Afterthought Heels. It is funny but the true shade of the white yarn is natural white but it looks like beige in the pictures. I took many pictures and it is always beige, never natural white!The white yarn I used is from my old collection I have inherit in 2010. It is Finnish 100% wool called Syreeni (50g = 150m). The pink yarn is Red Heart (100% acrylic, 50g = 185m). 

I was a bit worried if the natural white yarn can be seen proper in the pics but for sure you can! That is only good so we don't mind about the weird beige shade in the pics.

I used Single Cables to decorate the socks which otherwise are plain. The tiny cables are cute little decorations.

I knit True Afterthought Heels for the 1st time ever. You can see it in industrially manufactured socks. Despite it is the most common manufactured heel in socks it is not very durable. These are going to be night socks for someone who is not a sleep walker so these socks don't need to be able to bear stress on the heels.

Striped

I used Novita 7 veljestä "isoveli" (big brother) yarn (75% wool, 25% polyamide) (100g = 130m) for these traditional styled striped men's woollen socks. Despite we are having a heat weave going on it wont last many days and in few months we all miss woollen socks around here! These ones are very thick and warm.

MySummerDay

This summer has been relatively cool what comes to the weather. Today the morning temperature at 6 am was +10 Celsius degrees. It seems it is going to be a warm day if the wind calms down. On the last weekend we had a night with +5 Celsius degrees with the wind.

I don't mind about the chilly days because dear Pii has still open wound after her surgery. It is slowly healing but we still need to avoid bacteria infections in it. I still stand for the opinion that menstrual pads for all kind of girls are the best ever medical care wound pads for post surgery care with dogs and cats.

The post surgery plastic collar is easy to wash and keep clean. I change Pii's pads and clean the wound at least twice in a day. At first the pads get attached to very firm but it eases during the time and they get loose easier with a gentle pull. 

At the end of April I ordered wool fabrics for Sámi costumes. I order my fabrics at Skaar Tekstil AS in  Norway. This time it turn out hell of process because of new EU regulations. 

Skar Tekstil helped me (again) with my order and sent it out for the delivery very fast. The package of 7 kg fabric arrived to Finland fast but it got stuck at the Postal service and customs because of these new EU security regulations because of the cargo companies. Skaar Tekstil AS was very helpful. At the end the parcel was returned by the Postal service because the declaration of it was impossible. 

Skaar Tekstil AS kindly sent the package back to me again and this time we got it declared in few days and I finally received the fabrics yesterday, after 2½ months waiting. I will order again from Skaar Tekstil AS. It is a corporation I can trust and they customer service is excellent!

FoodToEat

Every summer we buy local wild range fish from local fishermen at local marina. It is Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) that travels a long way up to Gulf Of Bothnia and its rivers only to reproduce. The salmon fishing is regulated and they have a certain number of fish the local fishermen are allowed to catch. They need to mark each fish by the blue tag. If you take a look at the map you can see what a journey from Atlantic Ocean the salmon needs to swim to get up here to Kemi, Finland. And up the rivers.

Usually we buy the fish by the Mid Summer. You can buy it just going to the marina and see if there is some. Or pay a lot of extra at the local supermarket. Usually the queues in the marina can be quite long. Before MidSummer the queues were so long that we turned away and decided to come later. Because of Poor-Pii our plans turn upside-down. This morning He has a change to go meanwhile me looking after Pii. If you take carefully look at the pics you see some fish have the tags and the others don't. There is not legal and illegal salmon. The tagged fish are Atlantic Salmon.

The un-tagged fish are Brown Trouts (Salmo trutta). It is more rare up here but actually more common than Atlantic Salmon in Europe. Can you spot the differences of Atlantic Salmon and Brown Trout? Look at the mouth. Brown Trout's mouth reaches behind the eye, Atlantic Salmon's don't. The tail end of Brown trout is straight line, Atlantic Salmo's tail end line is rather V-shaped. And when you look at the figure of the end part of the Atlantic Salmon and Brown Trout you notice that you actually can easily lift up the salmon from its tail but not a Brown Trout because it is straight and slips away easily.

We use all the parts of the fish. These are for the fish soup. An the rest what we or our dogs don't eat, He uses in hunting small predators.

There are many ways of cooking fish but this is one of my favorites. Especially when it is warm enough so that I can have it on our terrace deck. Then it feels like a holiday far and away.

You know I have a quite difficult diet with coeliac disease etc. Usually my diet is rather simply. This spring I introduced myself gluten free feta-gnocchi pesto because I found gluten free gnocchi on my latest Turku journey. I was a bit suspicious and decided to make sure it will be good. Anything that has this much cheese can't be bad! And it was not! I first cooked the gluten free gnocchi. Then I stirred it all in the pan with feta, cheese and pesto sauce. Simple, easy and fast! It is vegetarian, but not vegan and not to mention healthy with all the grease!

I do can eat healthy. Here you can see how I usually have my free day lunch no matter the season or weather. It is gluten free toasts with cheese and garlic, berry soup, tea and berry smoothie with milk and gluten free grains. 

Blues

I have fell in love with logwood. I have dyed with the logwood our lighter pale fog blue AAW (50% our own ethic produced arctic angora wool, 40% ethic produced FinnSheep wool, 10% nylon) (100g = 238m). I made 3 pics for you to show you how difficult and depending on many things it is to photograph the shades. This 1st pic shows too light shades, especially the left side yarn. The lightest shade is too light in this pic.

In this picture the left side yarn is too gloomy. I could say too dark, but it looks also gloomy compared to it what it is. The right side yarn is from the 1st bath and the rests one after another from left over baths.

This is better than the 2nd pic, but still it is not the right. The right shades are something between this and the 1st picture with the left side shade. The three other shades look more true in the 2nd pic. But it is difficult. And depends on also your screen resolutions etc. That's why it is easier to choose a pic you just like. 😂

I dyed also AAW snag grey shade with logwood. For these I used the left over dye bath. Again the shades in these pictures are not actual and true but close to it. I used leftover logwood dye bath to plant dye 800 g of snag grey AAW yarn to get blue-grey shade.

I didn't plan to do so but as a curious person and 1st time logwood user I wanted to see for how long the left over bath is usable in rationale way. The number is: 7 times! And if you use grey wool for the last baths you still get quite strong shades.

I used logwood also for the left side OOW yarn (25% arctic dog wool and 75% Finnsheep wool) in this picture. I made these for my mother-in-law. The red shade is dyed by the madder (Rubia tinctoria). More about the madder dyes later.

GoingToAustralia

I am going to Australia in my dreams! Since Poor-Pii had her surgery in 27.6.2025 I have been looking after her day and night. I did have 2 nights when I was able to have a proper sleep in my own bedroom. Looking after Pii means that in practical I can't do anything but stay with her in downstairs and fenced terrace deck. She's a super hero what comes to getting rid off her post surgery plastic collar. As long as she knows I am watching her she doesn't try anything. But when she thinks I am not around....

That's why we arranged some space for me on our kitchen table that I can do this Map Of Australia puzzle when I am not writing my book, plant dyeing or doing other craft while looking after Pii. This is a gift from my Australian friend and I have been waiting this summer holiday to arrive to be able to do this jigsaw puzzle.

This is actually my 3rd jigsaw puzzle for this year. I do enjoyed a lot of making this because I love jigsaw puzzles, I love maps and I love geography!

The package included a big map of Australia. The puzzle is already taken down to pieces but I didn't put the map back into the box. I will use hours to investigate Australia map with my magnifier. I do know many things about Australia but now I realized I actually don't. I knew it is a huge continent but while doing this educative jigsaw puzzle I really realized how big it is with the distances!

SpokenLanguage

Today I have something special to show you. That is not me in my Sámi costume in the picture above. It is something more remarkable. Something that gives us all a good reason for a celebration. Today I will celebrate. Hope you will join me where ever you are!

Earlier this summer I told you about the discrimination what Forest Sámi people face in Finland. One reason for it is the forced giving up of our own spoken Sámi language. Today our volunteer language team has published the 1st ever video about spoken Eastern Kemi Sámi language! We have brought it back! Baby steps but huge for us all! I want to tell that for this work, or the video, we have not received any public or private funding. We do have been applying it for several times but the answer is always no. Because Sámi Parliament doesn't support Forest Sámi people at all.

Maddârek - Esivanhemmat - Ancestors 
Itäkeminsaamea puhuttuna - Eastern Kemi Sámi spoken

Link the title above to see the video on our You Tube channel.

Below is the translation in English for you to understand what it is all about on the video!

Oli kerran äijä, Caijâž.

        Once there was a man, Caijâž.

Se tuli veneellä joea pitkin,

        He came by a boat along the river,

kulki ja katseli, kunnes tuli jokiyhtymä ja  niemi.

        traveled and watched, until he reached a river junction and a cape.

Ukko katseli, “onpa hyvä niemi tässä”.

        The old man looked around, “This is a fine cape.”

Vielä ukko kuunteli, “mikä tuolla, joka jylisee?”

        And he listened, “What is that rumbling over there?”

Souteli ja kohta näki,

        He rowed on, and soon he saw,

suuri elo, peuratokka, tolvasi menemään.

        a great stock, a herd of reindeer, was dashing away.

Ukko nousi veneestä rantaan, veti veneen törmän päälle

        The man stepped out of the boat onto the shore, pulled the boat up onto the bank,

ja katseli, tuumi, “tähän on hyvä tulla ja jäädä asumaan”.

        and looked around, thinking, “This is a good place to come and stay.”

Alkoi siinä niemessä asumaan perheensä kanssa.

        He started to live on that cape with his family.

Siitä syntyi Saijan paikka.

        That’s how the place called Saija was started.

        (Saija is one village in our siida region.)

***

Täällä kun on niin kaunis sää, menetkö sinä kalastamaan illalla?

        Since the weather is so beautiful, will you go fishing this evening?

Joo pitää mennä.

        Yes, I should go.

No hyvä, niin saadaan syödäkin.

        Well, that’s good, then we’ll have something to eat.

Ota tyttö matkaan, oppimaan pyydyksiä.

        Take the girl with you, so she can learn about the traps.

Lähde vain matkaan, onki ja isän laukku mukaan.

        Come on now, take the rod and dad’s bag.

Minne se minun lampaantaljaien rouko on hukkunut?

        Where has my sheepskin blanket gone?

Tuolla se on pirtin nurkassa. Me menemme nyt!

        It’s over there in the corner of the cabin. We’re going now!

Onpa kaunis taivas!

        What a beautiful sky!

No, kyllä vain. Ota se verkko sieltä!

        Yes it is. Grab the net from there!

Eipä tartu kala onkeen.

        The fish aren’t biting.

No, hauki vaihtaa nyt hampaitaan, niin eihän se tartu.

        Well, the pike is changing its teeth now, so of course it won’t bite.

Onko siellä majava?

        Is there a beaver over there?

Kyllä siellä vielä viimekesänä oli.

        Yes, there was one last summer.

Näin sen uimassa.

        I saw it swimming.

Menemme nyt kotiin.

        Let’s go home now.

Äiti, katso kala!

        Mother look, a fish!

Jo on iso siika.

        That’s a big whitefish.

Keitän tästä illalla keiton.

        I’ll make soup from it this evening.

 

Sanat = words:

äiti = mother

isä = father

mummo = grandmother

ukki = grandfather

silmä = eye

työ = work

kala = fish

Thank you for your time! Because you bothered to read this all and see the video, you helped us to spread the word about our culture!

Love you all!

Oulu

Last Friday when we needed to take Pii to the animal hospital I realized I have not told you about Oulu. I have told you about Rovaniemi. Oulu locates approx as far away from me as Oulu. I live kind of between them. Anyway, now when we needed to take Pii to the clinic in Oulu we suddenly had 6 extra hours to spend in the city (because of Pii's unexpected surgery). I don't like to spend money and just to go shopping things I don't need.  That's why I asked my Facebook friends what they would do if they would be in Oulu right now and have 6 extra hours. Meanwhile waiting the suggestions we went to Oulu Art Museum. After that I had been suggested by several people that Pikisaari is a great place to go. It is all free and full of history and outdoors. Some museums have the entrance fee. Pikisaari locates just in the middle of the city. It is an island. You get there by foot or bike right from the Oulu market place and Oulu Theatre's corner. If you arrive by car there's a huge parking hall under the market place.

I must confess I've been in Pikisaari only once before but then had only a lunch there and had no time to look around. This time we first visited the Sailor's Home Museum. It has free entrance. It is a cozy small museum and worth of stopping even you would have only a little bit of time. I get the Pikisaari map at the Sailor's Home Museum.

I have not been walking around Oulu, not to mention Pikisaari a lot. Hardly ever. It really is worth of it because it has beautiful old historic architecture.

In Pikisaari old and new walk hand in hand. But for somehow it didn't seem to bother me at all. We had a very beautiful weather!

I had forgotten there used to be old Wool Mill. It stopped working in 1960's. What a shame it doesn't exist anymore. It would have been wonderful to visit one. 

The building is still there anyway. It is rough and industrial design. I was curious to see it at least outside.

There are a museum, a museum shop and private workshops in the building. In Pikisaari is many private artist workshops.

I almost can hear the sounds of the Wool Mill.

I love contrasts. Soft and rough. Ugly and beautiful. 

You can spot many nice spots in Pikisaari.

In Finland the water seems to be everywhere.

There's a walking route around the island Pikisaari.

And behind every corner you might see something surprising. Can you spot the small gazebo by the water? You can have a break and eat you pick up lunch there.

I have never seen this in a city but I think this is not an unique idea. They are reconstructing a meadow  and have put up a silent place sign there! 

On the market place are many cafe's and stands. But I suggest you to put your nose into those old store house buildings you see around the market place. From those buildings you can find many small boutiques run by local people. This time I visited the coffee & tea shop and this craft shop.

But I was not looking for crafts. I was looking if they had something special.

I bought 2 jars of Finnish Black Bee (Apis mellifera mellifera) honey. Bees are very important and getting more rare these days. Finnish Black Bee is even more endangered. 

If you are going around Finland and seek small boutiques to support local business, you can find some listing at Puotirundi. It doesn't include them all, just the ones that are involved.