ForestFire

This winter we have had only a little bit of the snow compared to the normal. This March has been warm so far. The snow has started to fade. It has been interesting to go into Forest. The snow can hide many things. Now when the trees are free from snow, we have seen some very old traces of a forest fire. Only few, but they are there. 

How old are the traces? When there was a forest fire that burnt almost it all? The written history doesn't know the forest fires on the area so they must be at least 300-400 yrs old, obviously more. Simply because Forest is full of old trees that don't have the forest fire damages so they were born after the fire.

The oldest trees are very old in the forest. And those trees that hold the traces of the forest fire survived, lived damaged and healed after all as well as they could. Around here the trees don't grow very big and some hundreds of years old trees can be actually only a man size! In the forest is old small trees but also some huge old trees. It depends on their type and growing place. That's why it is difficult to tell their age without hurting them. 

It is a nature reserve area for a good reason and it is amazing to see the diversity it holds. And it is interesting that actually the old name of the Forest location echoes the fire.

SpaceRocket

I designed and made this funny play ground college shirt and pants for toddler's adventures. I used Finnish design Metsola fabric. This design's idea is to inspire a child to  play. It's especially made for a skinny kid who loves to pick up stones and cones and everything inspiring from the nature. Because the child is skinny and stones can be heavy, I placed the pockets on the shirt, not on the pants. Otherwise the pants would easily start to fall down. When the pockets are on the shirt, it all stays on better. Notice how I plaid with the pockets and put one squirrel upside down.

I put elastic bands around the leg openings. First the set will be a bit too big. When there are elastic leg openings the leg parts stay on better and don't slide down under the shoes and heels so easily. I used the elastic band also around the shirt's hem. For the safety: when the child climbs the hem doesn't get attached on anything so easily.

Around the waist of the pants I used the buttonhole elastic band. That's how you make it adjustable. I sew two buttonholes through which the buttonhole elastic band runs. 

For the fastening I used just one sew-on-snap. It's easy to use for everyone. I could have added some buttons just for the decoration but I didn't want to. I think it's cool and simple in this way. 

Reindeers,Squirrels&Bears

If you remember I sew two toddler dresses. This ReindeerDress is my own design. If you take a closer look, you can see I modified the wrist parts after the last post. I prefer it in this way. It is more practical when the toddler wants the sleeves up. These reindeer short leggins are from PaaPii's Pattern Book for Children with my own modification -similar as with the dress' wrists.

I made more leggins with full length by using PaaPii's Pattern Book for Children. For all these toddler clothes you can see in this post, I used Finnish design Metsola fabrics. I love their cute animal prints.

I promised you with Mice&Reindeers to show you an easier way to make the wedges for the dress. And here it is. This is a design from PaaPii's Pattern Book for Children with my own modification. You just make the horizontal cut by the waistline. I made the modification also to the wrist parts with this dress.

Here they are together: a pretty bear set for a toddler. Metsola doesn't sell all the time their fabrics out; only in special campaigns.

I was informed about their campaign this winter by my students. That's how I managed to shop these pretty fabrics. Only negative experience was that they sell them only in 1 m pieces. If you need 2 meters it comes in 2 pieces. Also these leggins are from PaaPii's Pattern Book for Children.

This squirrel dress is my own design. It is very easy but needs more fabric than the reindeer dress pictured above.

I think it is a beautiful set with full of actions. I do like squirrels and find amusing to watch them. They are excellent creatures also in problem solving tasks if the reward is their favorite food!

These aren't only beautiful new clothes. If you take a closer look to the design you notice despite they are at some size, they are actually a design of which the child doesn't grow out fats. Child can use them even they'd be too big size and even the child gets more length, the designs are still usable for playground use. When a child can wear the piece of garment for a longer period of ones life, it brings lower the environmental load of their footprint.

This kind of clothes with animal/nature prints are also educative items to rise up a child level conversation to give them the educative information about the nature, sustainability and biodiversity. A good way for environmental and sustainable education for children is to bring the nature closer to their daily lives. Wild animal and forest themed clothes are one way to bring nature into their lives despite they'd live in the cities. 

In Sámi culture you rise up your children by stories. To a small child you can easily tell if a person throws a piece of a trash on the street or nature, a curious animal can eat it and come very ill, and because it is a wild animal it can't get to the vet or human care easily to feel better. After that the child can choose where to put their own pieces of trashes; take it to a trash bin or throw on the street/nature. To be a supportive adult, carry always something with you where you can keep the trashes until finding a trash bin. 💕

WeavingShawl

I started the shawl some days ago. It is my own design, but following traditional Sámi designing idea. My loom is not so big, but I wanted to do as big shawl as possible. That's why I make it in a bit different way.  I just leave extra loose yarn out of the side edges. That's how I can get 80 x 80 cm shawl. It needs a bit more professional touch and patience also in finishing it all at the end. But I am ready for the job. This is my restorative craft at the moment. 

Forest

I have something very special to tell you. The past few weeks have been very special, exciting and needed quite a lot of my attention and time. Finally it is official. Me and Him have bought forest. (And no, we are not divorced. We just never wear our wedding rings in daily free time life, because we do so many things with our hands that it is just on its way. 💞)

I am Sámi. I learnt so many things about the forest from my Sámi grandpa. One thing I learnt was that despite you actually and truly can never own the land, in this modern society you must own it legally and literally on the papers in the official way so that you can call it yours, even it would have been your family's eternal place of living and carry out your Sámi culture with ancient rules and manners of your people. 

To me, despite I officially own the forest now, I don't consider it in that way. To me, as a Forest Sámi it is more like a relationship, like I have with Him, I have one now with The Forest. It is a relationship, a partnership, in which we both take good care of each others. 

It is a very special place. It is 50 hectares of nature reserve area. The last trees that were cut there was over 50 years ago. And only a few for a roof of a house. There has never been done forest work by a tractor or any bigger machine. Only by horses. It has old forest but also rocky places and swamps that are mostly hiding under the snow at this time of the year.

I love this picture. I fell down for about millions of times until I got up to this small uphill. The earth is so variable and snow soft, and I had problems with my grandpa's old ski bindings (they had finally got too loose). In this picture you can see you can never, at the end, to control or rule the wild nature. I had no other option than just try on again and again, rest and keep on trying. Because I simply could not stay because there was just me, the frost and the forest. It is a piece of a wild arctic nature in a special place. It doesn't include hiking trails or trekking routes. Not even small paths made by or for humans to wander around. 

In the future you will hear more about The Forest!

Mice & Reindeers

This cute little 110 cm size mouse dress has the same pattern at its basics whichs this ToddlerSnowBallDress has also. Designed by PaaPii. If you take a look you can notice I made more wedges. I added them in the middle front and back. Wedges made like this are a bit tricky to sew. I have one more coming up and with it I will show how it is easier to sew them.

Also this reindeer dress is 110 cm size. It is my own design. It is cute too and it is made of the left over material of my own dress. I will show that to you later.

(Both fabrics are Finnish design Metsola fabrics.)

StartingShawl

Last autumn I plant dyed some yarn for my upcoming shawl project and made the warp. It is going to be something very special.

I can't do it when the cats are visiting. Now when I know there will be weeks until they'll be back, I set up the warp on my loom. So, here it starts. It is going to be a Forest Sámi Shawl. It is a real restorative craft that breathes history and spirit of my ancestors through the traditional crafts. 

The Reading Challenge 2026 - Part 1

I have been in The Reading Challenge for 10 years now in this blog with you. Last year I decided to show you what on earth I read. It turn out a great idea so at least in 2026 I will repeat it. 

In 2025 I read:

3 books written by Kate Morton: The House at Riverton, The Clockmaker's Daughter and The Forgotten Garden

2 books written by Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman

2 novels by Minna Cath

Jane Austen's Persuasion

Anne Lyons' The Air Raid Book Club

Viljo Rauta's book about The Great Wrath

Plus many craft, history and science books. 

In this year 2026 January - February I've read:

Astrid Lindgren's War Diaries 1939-1945 (in Finnish, mine). Actually I've started it already in November 2025. It was a bit heavy to read because it tells a lot about Finland's war time years in Ukranian war time. That's why I read it slow and with the time. 

I've read also Johannes Schefferu's Lapponia (in Finnish, mine) which is very interesting and historical book about Sámi people from the year 1674. I do recommend it to all who want to read a comprehensive book about Sámi history. But when reading you must remember it is written in 1674 by an outsider for the outsiders, by Christians to Christians. 

And I've read also Jenni Räinä's Vaino (in Finnish, mine) that's available only in Finnish and like Viljo Rauta's book it tells about the Great Wrath but is fiction that bases on the facts meanwhile Rauta's book is a science book. These books tell about genocide also around my local area in 1700-1721.

Skating

Today I was skating under the starlight sky. For the 1st time this winter. I am 50+ so it is not the same anymore. And I am not so skillful in it anymore like I used to be. But I still like it, enjoy it and relax when doing it. Despite I am 50+, I am not going to stop it. It does so good to my body & soul.💕

AAW Mittens No10

I have fell in love with this new method Shepherd's crochet I learnt only in this year in January. Just few weeks ago. In January I made similar looking pair of mittens but in green shades. Actually they differ from each other. I designed the difference in increasing the stitches. Both are slim fit designs to be able to use these mitten under bigger ones to create more warmth when needed. Or, when it's warmer they are perfect to be used on their own.

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. It is a slow craft. And they are FashionNOW. 

Hankikanto

I designed and knit this beautiful set of knitted gloves and woollen socks. It is called Hankikanto which actually should be "kantohanki" that means the snow when it has a cover that bears a human  to walk or ski on it. So, it is a wordplay. 

It is a challenging design with the impression of skiing track and Lapland's iconic deadwood. And I am not sure yet what I will do with the pattern, like with Metsänneito. I used Novita yarns. I'd like to publish it in some form some day so no more details available now. I can tell this set was designed and made for a special person for the Yule 2025 and February 2026!

ForestSámiWomen'sGoatFurHat (trad.)

This is traditional style Forest Sámi goat fur hat. Its pattern bases on the traditional style form that is used in different types of Forest Sámi hats. Previously in this blog I introduced the same pattern in Forest Sámi woollen hats. This is the exactly same hat but made of fabric. For this GeatFurHat I made the ties by historical fingerloop braiding technique.

SaunaSeatCovers

Everyone who has been in Finland knows sauna. In most private homes have sauna. There are also many public saunas in Finland. My family use these seat covers made of Terry Fabric TPU in public saunas. TPU-side against the seat. They are perfect also in private saunas for ladies in certain period of month, or our private sauna guests if desired. They are washable and reusable. Usually they last decades. I started this blog in January 2011. The last Terry Fabric TPU seat covers I made for about 20 years ago around 2006. Only now we have ran out of them. That's why you have not seen me making any. I still have few but children size. So, now I made 6 adult size.

Actually you don't need the bias tape around the edges. The bias tape makes it just more personalized so you find your own easier at public saunas. For the red ones I had factory made bias tape at home but not for the blue ones. Well, I could have used the red one but did't want to. That's why I made my own from the fabric. You can find Home Made Bias Tape -tutorial here.

I need a longer bias tape so I sew together the shorter pieces.

I was happy and satisfied with the result.

You can sew the bias tape with the normal basic presser foot or use the bias tape presser foot. It is up to you which you prefer. I usually sew it without, but now I decided to use the bias tape presser foot and was happy with the result.

When you make the loops for you seat covers they are easier to hang to get dry. Despite this material has plastic and they are brand new, they are FashionNOW products because they last long and replace the disposable seat covers in public saunas and holiday homes.

AAW Mittens No9

Just 2 weeks ago I learned this new craft technique: Shepherd's crochet. I introduced it to my students at my working place at Tornio community college. Last week a student started to make mittens by using this method, but she had few wonders and open questions in the project. 

That's why I started to work with the Shepherd's crochet mittens to find out the issue she wondered and see what is the point. We can't know all, none can, not even a professional teacher. By the way, teacher's job is not to know everything, it is to help your students to know what they need and want to know. And that's why I have the promise for my students; if they want to learn something I can't, we learn together. 

At 1st I planned to start the same instruction like my student, but then I realized I had similar mittens for about 25 years ago. I received them as a gift from a friend. Shepherd's crochet is not so stretching sideways. Your thumb needs that in wither action from the mittens & gloves. That's why I designed another type of Shepherd's mittens you see around here.

I used plant dyed (different shades of reed) AAW yarn (50% our own ethic produced arctic angora wool, 40% ethic produced FinnSheep wool and 10% nylon) (100g = 238m). I used the last remaining left over yarns I have from my projects WaterGrassVest OOW, NB Hat No2 and PolarBears AAW. It really is slow craft and FashionNOW. They are very warm, thick and durable mittens. That's why I like Shepherd's crochet, and have already started another project with this design of my own; because He wants a pair too. 

And yes, I figured out the answer for my student's wonder & question. 💕

Learning new is good for your mental heath! And brains! Two weeks ago I had just tried out this method and now I have my own designed mittens! WOW! 

CatHammock

Yesterday I told you how YoungLady brought something with her in December. It was a round metallic frame which is a part of her huge cat tree. One of its hammocks' fabric part had worn out and broken in the hard use. I decided to use the left over material from Siejddemuorrâ. I designed it and first I crocheted the round and made some decoration for it.

Then I added macrame threads and started to work with it. I was guided not to make it too high and not to add anything playful (wooden beads or balls) with it to make sure it lasts longer. 

I started with the crochet, continued with macrame and in the half way made the pillow and the finished the macrame with the pillow to see the form better.

The pillow looks a bit too fat because the filling is plump up. The pillow and the filling will flat down when the cats have slept on it for a while. 

CatPillow

I designed and sew a new round pillow and pillow case. I used recycled materials for all the fabrics and filling. The quilting block is leftover material and rescued from a trash and given to me. The white parts are made from and old sheet (linen) and the beige parts are from old trousers. For the filling I used old home decoration pillow. Real FashionNOW product and the nature says thank you.

The pillow case has a zipper so you can easily remove the case and wash it. Inside is the filled pillow made of white and beige fabric. This pillow is for the cats. When YoungLady arrived for the YuleHoliday she brought something which she asked me to fix. This pillow is part of that. You will see more later...

PatchingPullover

I have a very old industrially made pullover. When I bought it on sale, it was a bit too big for me because it was men's size despite small. I have been using it and loved it. Now the wrist parts and elbows have worn out with tiny holes in the structure. With the wrists I just cut off the extra and fold it again. Now the length of the sleeves is actually the right. The elbow parts I first patched and then hide the patching by embroidery. This is FashionNOW.

YuleTide2025

For us YuleTide starts from the 6th of December. Traditionally it lasts longer than a month. Modern society forces us follow the modern rhythm but my body, mind and soul are still in the YuleTide mood. In 2025 we plant 2 baby spruces and hope they will survive over the arctic winter in my garden. These spruces are a gift to our very local nature in my little village where lately people have cut down old spruces.

This year my wish for SantaClaus was "I wish to get nothing because I already have so much". But SantaClaus' little helpers had noticed I kind of freezing in our family bed of big and small people over the holidays because someone always steals my part of the blanket. That's why few nights before Christmas I found on my spot of the family bed this Kronborg of Denmark pack. I must confess despite I wished just nothing, I have been so happy for this spare blanket. Since that I have not woke up in the middle of the night in our family bed to wear another pullover, woollen pants and fur slippers on, when little people have stolen my part of the blanket while the bedroom temperature has fallen to +18 Celsius degree during the night.💝

Again we had the real tree in our library. This year (again) we bought it from a friend whose family sells local Christmas trees in Kemi town center. Traditionally the Christmas tree is for children and it's their duty to decorate it. Adults are not allowed to change any place of a single decoration. Adults put on the star and the lights but everything else is for the children. I know many people would be a bit upset about this, but it is part of our Sámi tradition.

I have saved all the Christmas decoration for my whole adulthood life. That's why I have also Christmas tree decorations suitable for small people use. In that way adults don't need to stress out when the small people fuss around the tree with thrill & joy!

For us YuleTide season is traditionally a season to rest, have peaceful moments with your love ones, share also your wealth with the others. Of course, the nature cycle element and sun - moon - polar nights etc. are there, but also deep in there the fundamental constitutional idea is actually to help also the others to survive over the arctic winter.

In this picture you can see some of the cards received in YuleTide 2025. Greetings and good wishes from family and friends, near and far, warm my heart more that anything else. This year I have reduced the number of shared Christmas cards and have shared the ones only with the ones who remember me back. I still share 40 cards but the number will reduce in 2026 because I see it has come the time to hold tighter on the ones who care you back -in everything.

My children have the annual YudeTide tradition with my parents-in-law to make the gingerbread house. Always before they've done it by themselves from the very begin to the end. This year parents-in-law bought the gingerbread house DIY packs from Lidl to try it out. They made two times at one stand -the 1st and the last. It was so bad that even magpies and cows refused to eat it!!! I really can't recommend it despite I never tasted it because it was not gluten free. I was told, only the sweets very tasty, but you really can buy them also without the gingerbread house kit.

But, it was an adventure and worth of testing. Like the whole year 2025, despite it ended with diseases in the family with small and big people and finally myself too. Also, during the past 1½ I have broken 3, can you image -3!!!- kitchen machinery: 1 freezer, 1 fridge and 1 dish washing machine!!! Why they all get broken at the same time even you didn't buy them at the same time. Well, we very lucky, only the break of the freezer caused us huge damages by spoiling huge pile of our traditional life style food (which our insurance company has refunded us). With the dish washing machine we avoided the water damage only just in the very moment before it happened. I really have been happy with the local POWER Kemi house appliance store. They have a really good service. Remember always be at home when you have your dish washing and laundry washing machines on. You never know what happens and they are connected to the water pipes!

Tomorrow is Heikki's Day and I wish you warm moments. Tomorrow we'll arrive into the middle winter.