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.

LearningNew

This weekend I have tried out two craft techniques I don't know beforehand. This is knooking. It is interesting but so slow. I am a fast Scandinavian style knitter so I really don't see idea of using knooking for big projects.😅

 

This is Shepherd's crochet but it has several other names: for example Tunisian crochet and Dutch knitting. This neither is any speed record but I like this one and see many options to make small items like thick mittens by it. This one I will -for sure- use in the future.

Metsänneito

I designed and knit this beautiful set of woollen socks and knitted gloves. It is called Metsänneito which translates to Maiden Of The Forest. It is a challenging design and I am not sure yet what I will do with the pattern. 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 YoungLady for the Yule 2025 and she absolutely loves it!

Anniversary

This January we (I & Him) celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. We had our small party for family and friends 27.12.2025. Exactly on the date when the storm Hannes hit also Lapland. I didn't mind. I love arctic storms. But, the weather was too dangerous (=slippery) to drive so some dear persons needed to cancell their arrival due the weather and long distance. 

We booked the local Fishing Club's hut by the bay. In the place we like to spend our free time every now and then. 

The hut is made by local Timapuu. We are going to have one in our garden. We had to put it forward to the summer 2026 because we were not able to finish all the ground work last summer for it. 

It has a proper cooking facilities. It was great to be able to test it all before we'll get one in our garden. This one is for about 30 persons. Ours will be smaller, because we don't need that big and it will be easier to keep it warm for fewer people.

The Fishing Club had decorated it by wood work...

... ermine trophy...

... and marten trophy.

Outside they had placed a small Christams tree and wooden elves.

The hut is placed on a beautiful place where you can also go fishing; no matter if it is summer or winter... or what ever season.

The hut is open only on demand so you need to book it to get in; unless they have arranged some special open air occasions.

TheFiddlerOnTheRoof

On my birthday in November 2025 I went to see the musical The Fiddler On The Roof at Rovaniemi theater with Him. It is one of my favorite musicals. 

I was a bit curious to see how they had directed the Cossacks' Dance at the play at these days of the crisis. For the 1st time I saw it to be done very threatening and aggressive with a dark and gloomy spirit. It really was the great choice from the director to show it in that way. None clapped or cheered, for the 1st time ever in this play I saw it.

In December I went back to Rovaniemi theater to see Vesisaaren Alma. It is a play that tells the story of the famous painter Reidar Särestöniemi's mom. Very interesting indeed. 

I do love theater!

GrandHotelTornio

I do work hard like most of us. Sometimes you can enjoy the special moments at your work. This year it was our turn to arrange the annual Polar Night Conference at Tornio Community College. We had the conference and the dinner party at Grand Hotel Mustaparta Tornio. They had set it all so pretty for our guests.

The building where the Grand Hotel locates has a rich and colorful history connected to the local history. Some people who have done their high school at the building find it a bit confusing to see it as a great beautiful hotel! I have never spent the night there but can warmly recommend their restaurant Mustaparta also for the special diets. They do have the professional aspect and touch for you special diet needs.

Epale

In early December 2025 I traveled to Helsinki with my co-worker. We traveled by a day train to Helsinki and back up to the north by the night train. These beautiful lights you can find at Helsinki Railway Station. I have never got lost at Helsinki Railway Station so I am sure no other will!

It was a business journey to the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI). Despite I still miss my old students at my old working place, I do have received so many wonderful new students and I love my new working place where I started as a full time coordinating teacher of arts and crafts at spring 2023. At my new job I really feel I do can give it all I can and learn more. I feel I am respected and valued by the organization and coworkers. One of the great things the new job at Tornio Community College has provided is the international aspect of the education. It is all new and challenging to me but I am allowed to learn it. 

We received the Erasmus+ accreditation right in 2023. Epale is part of Erasmus. In December we celebrated Epale's 10th birthday. Epale's one purpose is to help the Erasmus+ organisations to find each other easier. 

But it was not just cake and coffee. We had a very great and informative education about Epale and Erasmus+. It really was worth of travelling such a long way to get there and meet other colleagues in Finland!