Wandering

Sorry for falling a little bit quiet in this corner of the Woods for a day or two. I was a-roaming elsewhere last week and this week I have very cleverly managed to develop a chest infection so, as we say here in Australia, I am currently not feeling too flash.

Nevertheless, I have goodies a-plenty planned for the shop which I am busily working on, inspired as I have been by a great slew of craft books I bought while I was away. More on that shortly.

In the meanwhile, here is a gorgeous music clip I have just discovered by Bon Iver. I am blown away by the beauty of the location - Iceland - and I would so love to be that little boy, wandering wherever my whim took me in such a magical place. Enjoy!

Knitting up the ravelled sleeve of care

One of the many things I did discover while we were in Scandinavia was the long history of knitting there. Be it single-needle knitting (Nalbinding) or complex patterns (each one particular to an area), knitting has had a big role to play. Given the nature of a Scandinavian winter, this seems entirely reasonable to me! I have been knitting madly myself lately, very much enjoying working some big and snuggly stitches on my 10mm needles (above and below). Stay tuned for the finished product!

Look at this wonderful piece of ancient knitting.
Image source: http://fancytiger.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/knitting-iceland-part-4-textile-museum.html

Some gorgeous examples of the particularly Icelandic knit, available for sale on Etsy at Tekoop.
Image source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/87735139/free-shipping-vintage-wool-icelandic

More from Tekoop
Image source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/87969653/free-shipping-handmade-vintage-wool?ref=v1_other_1

A lovely example of a boot worked in Nalbinding.
Image source: www.wornthrough.com

And one more from Tekoop - I couldn't resist!
http://www.etsy.com/listing/87735684/free-shipping-handmade-vintage-wool Tekoop