Wedge Heel No1

I designed and knit wedge heel knitted woollen socks. For the leg of the sock I used plant dyed AAW yarn (50% our own ethic produced arctic angora wool, 40% ethic produced FinnSheep wool, 10% nylon)  (100g = 238m). The shades are from Surprise Webcap (Cortinarius semisanguineus) and tea. For the foot part I used dark brown Nako yarn (75 % wool, 25 % polyamide) (100g = 200m). I have never before used Nako yarn so I really have no idea will it be good or not.

This was the 1st time for me to knit this wedge heel. It is not suitable for boots and active use. But I see it very useful for the ones who stay mainly at home in a quiet life or bed at nursery home with swelled up angles and feet.

FinnishNatureDay

Today, every last Saturday of August in Finland, it is a flag-flying day for the nature of Finland. It is called Finnish Nature Day. Yes, the nature has such a big and important role in the lives of people living in Finland that it is put on a calendar as a flag-flying day. 

What the nature means to me? Well, to me it firstly is a place which we all should cherish, respect, protect, keep safe and live in peace with. Because to me it is the source of traditional sustainable life style. To me it provides for example food, sanctuary, materials and inspiration. To me it is a place also to practice my religion.

Let's live in peace with the nature!

PS. From this picture you can see why we have 8 seasons. One on 8 seasons is "syyskesä". Literally it means autumn-summer. The photo is taken in late August. It is turning in the autumn colors but they days might still have warm spirit -or not. On this picture you can see the autumn stands on the door way and has already placed one foot in.

AranHeadband No2

I made another my own design Aran Chain Cable twisted headband. I used AAW (50% our own ethic produced arctic angora wool, 40% ethic produced FinnSheep wool, 10% nylon) yarn in plant dyed cochineal shade.

Next weekend I will have a free local workshop at my work about this Aran Chain Cable knitting. At Tornio, Finland there will be historical street festival every year. Past years it has been held at the end of August. It is called Peräpohjolan markkinat. It is worth of visiting.

I think at this point making the twisted knot for the head band looks better. So, if making this, try to match the knot by the small cable turns.

I am here

This week card is "I am here". Again I made you a picture of my own. "I am here" echoes in my mind a selfish but healthy concentration on the moment and presence. To slow down and notice the little moments that create happiness. But also enjoy about the little moments without any burden of gratefulness or anything. Just be there where you are and see it. BUT this also echoes in my mind as "I am here... for you". To me this really echoes the last week's card Friends. I am here for me but I can be here also for someone else. Like some creatures are here for me. We all need it that someone keeps their eye on us and watches us an look after us. Pushes us away before the falling tree hits us. The story of this picture is that where ever I take a nap I often wake up someone keeping the eye on me. This pic is taken on a moment when I just woke up sleeping on the floor, someone else on the bed and Pii watching me under the bed. 💕

Tomato Heel

I designed and knit Tomato Heel woollen socks for a child. I used Kotikulta's Tuokio yarn (75% wool, 25% polyamide) (100g = 200m) in red shade. The multicolored yarn in the stripes is the last left over yarn from Aurora socks. It is Novita 7 veljestä yarn (75% wool, 25% polyamide) (100g = 200m) and its shade is Aurora.

If you ever made German Short Row Heel, for sure you can make this. You make the short rows only to the half way and repeat it three times to get 3 short row reducing points.

This was my 1st time to knit Tomato Heel. I kind of liked it. It is suitable for children socks and for the ones who mainly rest when wearing these woollen socks. The name comes from it that the heel looks like a half of tomato!

SallaWilderness

I had a night over visit at Salla, Finland. I was with Him and instead of staying at friends or private cottages we decided to try out Salla Wilderness Lodges. We wanted to have some luxury. 

I have never stayed in a lodge like this: but I must confess I fell in love with the huge window. It is like sleeping outside but without mosquito, cold or rain. If you want to try out sleeping outside but are a bit cry baby, try this! Closer you can't get the real feeling.

The lodges are not big but enough for a couple or close friends. There are even small kitchen equipment. I love it that there is no TV or wifi. You can concentrate on the main point.

But the breakfast they serve at the restaurant is served also as gluten free. That is something I can warmly recommend even you'd stay somewhere else.

There is a sauna in every lodge with adjustable heat. I can get it hot enough and you can keep it a bit more low degrees.

You can see outside from sauna and enjoy the view. It all is small but very practical and well designed.

You don't need TV or internet there. Just old fashion book is enough when you need to lay down and rest your feet. Salla Wilderness Lodges are in a great location just by the Salla National Park by the Salla Wilderness Park.

The reason why I chose this lodge was the jacuzzi. For the last time I've been in a jacuzzi is 2018 in Svalbard. It is not environmental thing but if you go once in 7 years that is just fine I think. Especially if you have eco-friendly life style in your normal daily life.

SámiBracelet No2

I made one more traditional style tin thread SámiBracelet. It is following the traditional style but my own design.

It is 2,5 cm wide and has a big moose horn button made by my father-in-law.

TeneriffeLace

At my HomeSchool I did Idrija Bobbin Lace Butterfly. But I learned also something new. For a long time I have wanted learn to make TeneriffeLace. Actually for almost 30 years! I once found some at a second hand market and bought it as a reminder to find out what was it and learn to make it.

First I needed the base for it. I decided to make my own frame. I used recycled materials for it. I used old notebook plastic cover I had saved for the further use!

If you have done embroidery, Teneriffe lace is not difficult at all. It is actually embroidering on web. Today there are books and even YouTube videos available to learn it.

Here is my 1st ever Teneriffe lace. My own design that was born when I was doing it. That's how it goes. Of course you can follow ready to make designs and instructions but feel free to design your own! It really is easy! It was born to create something similar than bobbin lace but a lot easier so that everyone could do it!

Friends

You know I have had quite a rough summer. I bet you had it too. I wonder if there is a person on this planet who never has rough and everything goes always just fine without difficulties. It might seem out someone is like that, but when you find out more, it really seems on the planet is no person without rough days. 

Because of my work as a teacher I have been seeking meditation cards and found out at least in Finland they are creepy expensive. After seeking months I found this with 20€ at local super market. It is made by Pequ Nieminen. Yesterday morning when it was time to return back to the work after summer break I -for some weird reason- noticed this pack has 52 cards and I realized it's for a year because there are 52 weeks in every year. Randomly I picked up one card. Looked at it for a moment and started to think I could keep that idea with me for the whole week and randomly pick up the next card on the next Monday. And I decided to share this with you because...

The message of the card of this week was FRIENDS. Instead of acting illegal and sharing the picture of the card which copyrights I don't own I decided to show you a picture of mine that's connected to the theme and the ideas rising up because of it.

What friends and the word friends mean to me. What is the message to me? Well, 1st I thought I need to remember to get in touch with my friends despite the busy working season begins again with all of us. Then I was thinking about Him who is my best and the most important friend. I was thinking about all my furry friends. But then I was thinking about also you who read my blog -my open diary about crafts and a bit more. If me and you meet on the street or in the woods we don't know each others. But we do are connected via this blog.

Also, friends may be irritating, interrupting, but still always there for you when you need them. In my opinion the best thing in friendship is when it gets old. When you loose the need to explain it all. Why you are happy, why you are upset. Your friend knows you and opposite. You know already the why. That is what I love in long term old friendships. They are rare, life long even more rare. Some people just stop in your life, some come and go, but the ones who stay despite they know it all about you, that really is something.

Feeling lonely is very common emotion. You might have people surrounding you but you still feel lonely. Even you'd have friends you can feel lonely. In my own experience, when you find that missing piece, it helps in the feeling of loneliness and not belonging or not being part of something. The most difficult thing is to find out what is your missing piece. I hope you have found it already. 

For me FRIENDS means also very strongly the nature and all the creatures in it and the spirits. I feel strongly connected to the nature. It is difficult to explain but it is like my limb: leg or arm. It is part of me. It is not just the air that I breath or the place I like to be. I really feel it is part of me and if you take it away I feel like missing a limb. 

Also, I think you need to be yourself best friend. You get quite bad days if you don't know yourself or don't like yourself. Yourself is the person you spend most of the time in your life with. It is awful if you are having bad company! 

Butterfly

I started this Irma Sedej & Maja Svetlik design Butterfly in March 2025. This year I had to cancel my bobbin lace course at Valamo Monastery and instead have it alone at home for me & myself. We had the heatwave so I was able to do bobbin lace on my terrace deck from early morning to late night.

I did the trunk of the butterfly and the start of the wing at spring. Now I first finished the wing. It was very interesting.

Then I needed more thread for my bobbins. After that I was able to start the other wing. The fabric cover is there to protect the yarn not to get attached and messed up with the pins. But on the other hand it hides the project.

That's why it was very satisfying to remove the cover every night to see what I had done and where I was going on.

Finally I got it all done. Then I had to remove the pins without breaking the threads. It was more relaxing than I expected. I could compare it to making jig saw puzzles!

Here it finally is. Unfinished but there! I used DMC Embroidery Thread for this project. I used Variegated shades to get it more lively. For the trunk I used red DMC 115 and for the wings yellow DMC 51. One skein for each bobbin.

HomeSchool

In Summer 2025 I was unable to leave the house because of Poor Pii. I had planned to go again on Bobbin Lace Course at Valamo Monastery and already booked myself in but had to cancel it because of Pii. But, it didn't need to mean I could not have my course here at home on my terrace deck in my garden. It needed some arrangements because one point being at Valamo Monastery is being isolated and on ready made meals so that you have all the time to spend on focusing the subject you need to. That's why we needed to update our fridge and rethink the week menu. Here you can see one of my suppers: home made saskatoon berry curd, industrially baked gluten free bread with cheese and cold hot chocolate. Yep, cold hot chocolate. You make it to cold milk and do not warm up. I wonder if you have it elsewhere too than in Finland. And, no, it really is not what you mean with a milk shake.

And here is one of my easy breakfasts. Industrially baked gluten free bread, home made raspberry-saskatoon soup, cold hot chocolate and tea. Breakfasts were served with a good book. In this time it meant Jane Austen.

I always have one hot meal in a day. Usually it is served at lunch time. The lunch includes smashed potatoes with gluten free minced meat of cow. We usually never buy industrially produced meat (or anything else) but this was a special thing to ease my life for the home schooling. The Greek style salad is also industrially produced and packed in portions. Gluten free pancakes are home made so I needed spend some time cooking them. Here you can find a recipe for Gluten Free Potato Cakes. If you want to make normal pancakes just add one more egg and leave the potato out. 😉 The jam is home made red currant - cherry jam for the season 2024. 😋

FindingRoots

Pyeri almugijkoskâsâš maailm algâaalmugij peivi! 

Happy International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. 

On this selfie you can see me finding the roots. It all is about the secret mystery project for my upcoming book which I told you about in May 2025. This part of the book is up to finding the easiest, cheapest and the most cost effective, efficient and eco-friendly way to get different kind of brown shades in the local area. It is about the traditional knowledge some books and people tell about but as a living tradition it is not used anymore on this century. I am breathing it back to live and ready to share the information in my upcoming book.

So far I have made 5 different brown shades on the blanc white 100% wool yarn. When finding your way to these roots you need a lot of courage and tolerance towards arctic flying bugs. All of them. I can promise to you: more north you go, the smaller everything else but mosquito get. The mosquito are huge and appear in millions of individuals. But they are not the only plague! There are many other frying insects too!

Also, when finding your way to the roots you may face obstacles...

...and rare treats. These are Rubus arcticus - the arctic raspberries.

WeekendRagRug

On summer 2024 my loom faced a disaster by Copy&Paste. On September 2024 I fixed the damage but after that I must have done some more fixing. See the black yarn...

Copy&Paste are about to come over for a few week visit so I decided to finish the remaining warp and the last rag rug. I decided to call it Weekend because it is made of weft rhythm 7/5 and included double stripes (Saturday and Sunday).

It was quite interesting because I was not quite sure how long the remaining warp was and how much weft I had for the rag rug so that it will be matching to HallwayRagRug. But, at the end I was there. It is exactly 2,5 meters long.

Only this (40cm) of the warp was left over from my 30 meters warp we set up on my loom on May 2021. That's 4 years ago! We've woven so many rag rugs of it! 

Here it is. FashionNOW rag rug. For this I used old recycled linen and cotton clothes, LP-yarn (80% of recycled cotton and 20% of other fibers) and textile industry left over material. Only the warp is brand new 100% cotton like in all these rag rugs I have made of this 30 meter long warp. Both Nuka and Pii seem to love it like they love the weekends! Unfortunately they can get it only when the snow falls.

KemiChurch

This is The Lutheran Church of Kemi. It locates right in the town center. It usually is photographed on the wintertime. Yes, it is pink. It is pink according to the original outfit and design by architect Josef Stenbäck in 1902. It was paint by grey at some time but according to local people's wish the pink was returned at early 2000's.

It is Tiekirkko. It literally means it is Road Church. Which means all around Finland there are churches open on summer season and providing free moments for a rest, silence and break during your holiday journey. You can check out the map of the locations here.

Each Road Church has its own opening hours and personal style to operate. No matter your religion or non-religion you are free to go. BUT if you notice there are cars around the church, don't go in. Churches are public places but when there is a personal occasion like weddings or funerals it is not compliment to go. People in Finland consider it very rude. If you are not sure are they tourists' cars or local ones, just go to listen to the door, perhaps peek in very carefully. If there is wedding or funerals going on you, can see flowers. If not, it is a normal service and then it is ok to go. (Usually there is a note about the personal service by the front door.)

In Kemi the local travel guides represent the church for public -for free- on summer season daily from Monday to Friday, but also on the Snow Castle season on Saturdays. I have blogged previously about the churches and monasteries. I always recommend people to see local churches if they visit Finland. They are free places to see architecture which usually has been destroyed by the wars or fires all over Finland. At the local churches you can see arts and crafts from local and nation wide famous artists and unknown stars. My great father-in-law participated on the Kemi Church painting project on his life time. His profession was master painter. 

Kemi Church is accessible also by a wheelchair. Of course the snow and ice may cause troubles during the winter season.

Also the church yard is accessible by a wheel chair. When visiting a church I always visit the church yard too. It tells a lot about the local life and people.

At Kemi Church Yard it is allowed to step off the pavements. It usually is -if not you, can see huge signs. At Kemi Church Yard you can find a monument made for to remember all those children people have wanted but not been possible keep. It means also for all those children that have been born too early and their parents have no grave to mourn. If this feels close to you it is ok to place a candle, small stone, feather or flowers by the monument. No matter are you the mother or father. 💕

In Finland, if the church has been on the public use during the wars, you can find the Fallen Memorial Graveyard on the church yard, even if the common graveyard would be somewhere else. They buried local fallen soldiers close to the church.

Usually there is also Fallen memorial monument or few. And a monument with the names of the local fallen soldiers that have been buried somewhere else during the wars.

This Praying Soldier statue is made by the sculptor Evert Porila in 1924. It is made to remembrance of White Finland soldiers fallen in the Finnish Civil War 1918. The White ones wanted to get rid of Russian occupation, control and influence. Finland independence day is 6.12.1917 when we got free from Russia but it caused a civil war that lasted for 3 months starting from January 1918. Finland Civil war caused for about 33 526 deaths (5338 White and 28 188 Red ones). Notice the shoes of the soldier. They are designed in that way because of skiing. You need to lift up the toe part to get your shoes to stay attached to old fashion skies.

When visiting Kemi Church recently I realized I have never been there on the summer time! I was amazed by all the light and details the daylight exposed! I think you should visit it on the winter and summer season to get the expression of the light.

At Kemi Church  there is one of Finland's for about 200 Votive Ships. Votive Ships usually locate coastal and archipelago area churches. They are donated to bless the sailors and dangerous sea journeys. They may be donated also by some promise people have made to survive in a sea storm etc. Kemi Votive ship is donated by a local person who built it but wants to stay anonymous. The only rule was that at every Sunday service the priest must bless the seamen.