Saturday, December 4, 2010

scandinavian love

i am part norwegian. it's probably why i've always had a fascination with all things scandinavian. this week was a good one for me since i had a chance to satisfy my curiosity (for the time being) with this part of the world. first i bought a book, about a norwegian knitter and then my sister and i visited the danish town of solvang (the danish capital of america) today. my head is full of all things nordic. we began our first steps in planning a trip to norway sometime in the not too distant future (germany too geli!). maybe we'll find some long lost relatives?
i hope you enjoy the pictures, the descriptions are below :)




















1. persimmons
2. pomegranates
3. buttonwood winery in solvang
4. solvang
5. an astonishing leaf
6. horse drawn carriages and windmills
7. firklover candy (what is firklover please?)
8. my new wool being wound into a ball
9. swedish clogs
10. going on my christmas wish list. how can you not love a pair of warm boots with the name faraway hill ?...
11. a favorite book store
12. and favorite author
13. going in chuck's christmas stocking (so he can see what i will make for him)
14. new fantastic knitting book from norway
15. love this photo
16. 50 hats for 50 heads, 1 man 2 needles
17. idun
18. the author ( in the middle)
19. tonje
20. the 'knit kid'
21. here is the author and knitter, trond anfinnsen in his favorite knitted hat
22. silje wearing one of my favorite patterns
23. my attempt to recreate it. using vintage wool donated by a friend.
24. my son, erik, wearing it (he's trying to teach me a few things on the iphone, i'm distracted by how cute he looks).
25. and not scandinavian, but part ( a great part) of my week, my first customer appreciation photo! tracy sent me this photo of her new green sleeve in use. i'm truly and seriously touched. tracy is a brilliant, funny, compassionate and very beautiful girl, even with whipped creme in her nose. if you'd like to visit her (good idea!) or your wishing for your own green sleeve for yourself or to give as a gift, go here or here.
xo ♥ lori

31 comments:

  1. I had to drop by to see the astonishing leaf. Oh my am I glad that I did! And I'm also here to get a refresher on the ♥ tutorial as for some reason that just does NOT stick in my head.

    I am just starting to knit again after a hiatus of nearly 40 years. So lovely to see all these hats Lori.

    Will have to have a pootle back and have a look-see what else you've been up to. xx Jos

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  2. well that explains your blonde locks!
    Will be back shortly
    xx

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  3. on our first trip to CA - about a million years ago - we stopped in Solvang - I adored it. We bought the first of many Pug statues (in honor of our dog, Ping Lee) and gave it to Dad for his 65th birthday. I can still see him eagerly opening it.

    And that hat book! I've been making hats lately for presents and am going straight to Amazon to get that book. love it!

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  4. Mmmm. I'm part Norwegian too. I love Solvang, we went to a wedding in the wine country near there and stayed in Solvang just before moving east, and the pretty little town, the hot, dry air, and the lovely wine still warm me on days like today. I'd love to take my dad to Norway-he's always wanted to visit and has such wanderlust (largely unfulfilled).
    Have a wonderful Sunday!

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  5. I made many Scandinavian friends during twenty four years in Minnesota...amd learned so much about culture, food, games, music ... ya I did!

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  6. I just enjoyed a huge smilefest here!!

    Your photos and your love of life always life me up.

    xo♥
    Lo

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  7. I sure understand. I'm supposed to be part dutch and loved Holland when I was there and am always planning and plotting a way to go back. Plus a day spent in Solvang with my grandparents , who lived in Santa Barbara, was always a joyous event, with Rasmussens first, then ebleskeivers and a trip to needlework shops before heading back to 154 and home.
    Neat book shop you visited.
    xx

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  8. Wonderful photos. I LOVE the hats and I would like to marry the man who made them (if he is single :-).
    Happy weekend dear lovely Lori.
    xoxo

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  9. I found your blog when I was reading the comments you have written to my daughter Ida, and I really like it.
    Your are lucky to have a friend who made such beautiful "picture" for you.
    And about the Scandinavian thing, I also love it and I think you have to visit Denmark ( I would love to show you around) and Sweden too.
    But I also love California, I have been there 3 times to visit Ida and I really want to go there again. I just been on a trip to Hamburg in Germany this weekend and the only thing we bought was a book with beautiful pictures from California.
    Best regards from Idas mum Gitte

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  10. Gitte, you should have called me! I am from Hamburg! And I love Scandinavia, too. We were in Denmark, Sweden, and Finland (but NOT Norway, alas), and I felt totally at home everywhere. I even have a card from Astrid Lindgren! So in any case, Lori, when you come to see me and won`t make it to Scandinavia, we can talk a lot about it!! Thanks for all the pictures, NOW I know what Pomegranates and persimmons look like. We don`t have them here. Farvel og paa gensyn! Jag hoppas att sige dig här!

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  11. What a great weekend you have had. The pictures give the impression that you were away on vacation. Fantastic! BTW - you look Nordic.

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  12. Hi Lori! I used to love to go to Solvang. My hub and I used to drive up there, and to Santa Barbara. Good days, and lovely memories. Those knit caps are so cute (as is your son)!
    xox Pam

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  13. Hello sf, I'll be back. Meanwhile I was there too! I had lunch and dinner and breakfast there and stayed in an immaculate room,

    and your knitting life: I'll be back.

    TSUP! Lori
    xo

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  14. Oooh, look at that gorgeous hat! And the greensleeve looks awesome! All these photos remind me of gjetoste. My half-Norwegian friend used to bring it to work almost every day. Mmmmm!

    And pomegranates and persimmons! Been eating a lot of those lately. My parents have a pomegranate tree in their yard, and I've been drawing one over the weekend.

    xoxo

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  15. Hi Lori
    We both have Scandinavian blood ♥
    My father was from Sweden.
    You will love Norway! So beautiful over there .
    Being impatient I first looked at your pictures and then read the text. A thought popped up in my mind, you could be a Scandinavian .............and you are! (i find out while reading)
    That book of hats will be perfect for you!

    God jul og godt nytt år♥ (Norwegian)
    God jul och gott nytt år♥(Swedish)

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  16. Thank you for sharing such wonderful photo's. Those shops look so cozy & that hat book is amazing!

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  17. jos,
    i'm so glad you did too! thank you! have you been to ravelry yet? it's a wonderful place for knitting inspiration. have fun!

    *

    janet,
    i get a little help these days...have fun in the bush!

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    mim,
    thanks for sharing the special memory of your dad, lovely.
    i think you'll get alot of use out of this book!

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  18. diana,
    what a lovely description of solvang. i really hope you and your dad are able to realize that dream.

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    helen,
    my greatgrand parents immigrated to minnesota! there is still a lake named after our family.

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    lolo,
    ♥ thank you!

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  19. julie,
    the bookstore is next door to the hans christian anderson mueseum. downstairs is new and the upper level is vintage.
    i love holland too and rasmunsens!

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    annie,
    funny! and smart, you would have hats for every occasion!

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    gitte,
    thank you for writing, yes! i'd love to visit denmark too, we'll have to try and make that happen. and i would love to show you santa barbara too. do you have a blog? here is my email if you'd like to write: lorix5@hotmail.com
    it's very nice to meet you!

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  20. geli,
    isn't it a small world? how funny that you should arrive right after gitte and she was just to hamburg. i am trying to figure out how to send you a pomegranet in an envelope!

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    lyn,
    thank you! sometimes daytrips feel just like a vacation. i love playing tourist in my own backyard.

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    hi pam!
    isn't hwy 1 the best? i love driving up the coast too. my son was so cute, he saw the hat and put it on!

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  21. kj,
    what a small world! solvang can be touristy, but so charming. i like the shopping there! i'm glad you liked it.

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    hivennn,
    thank you!

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    bella,
    thank you so much for all your kind words, i so appreciate them! i can't wait to see the drawing, i love pomegranets! how lucky your parents have a tree!

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  22. marianne!
    thank you! i love the norwegian and swedish wishes. merry christmas and happy new year to you too.
    i loved holland and would love to go back there too. what a land and people!

    *

    genevieve,
    you'd love the 'spinning wheel', it's one of the lovely shops there. someday i'll learn to spin too...that book makes me so happy, i love seeing all the faces and reading about so many interesting lives. and the patterns are fun!

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  23. I love your pictures. I especially love the patterns for the hats. Somehow I don't think you're in California...

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  24. Hello Angela.
    I wish I had known you before we went to Hamburg, but we have decided to go there again in Spring, we have been there in Spring 2008 and we really like the town, so if you have secret places we have to see, please write to me.
    My mail adress is 5-nielsen@get2net.dk

    Best regards from Gitte Nielsen

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  25. That's why you are such a wonderful knitter - it's in your genes*!*

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  26. you are inspiring me to knit a hat :)

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  27. this morning i'm here for the purely selfish reason of taking a day trip with you. :)

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  28. I've always wondered how much Norwegian winter is like Canadian winter ...

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  29. Hah. My mother is obsessed with Solvang. She loves the place and tries to go there at least once a year. Maybe one of these days we'll go to Norway so she can see the real thing!

    And thank you so much for posting my picture! I had so much getting whipped cream up my nose (and I get a lot of compliments on my Green Sleeve at my local Starbucks)!

    So much love to you and yours, Lori :)

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  30. oh lori i love solvang!!! we pass it every time we drive up to san luis to see my bro and his family

    such a cute post!!! did you get a chance to eat at that special pancake house (can't think of its name........)???

    p.s. phil's part norwegian too!!

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  31. okay, i'm totally in love with your blog... i must get this hat head book too - i love the hats you made and the ones you took pictures of. i am enjoying hopping around and reading your posts and have officially become a follower. so glad you stopped by my blog today. merry christmas to you too!

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xoxo lori