Some light relief in the form of a video (50 minutes) of knitting in Iceland. The video is by an European site called Arte, and is rather enchanting. Knitting by men is fairly rare, though I remember a Bishop who knitted in quite a professional way. It is put forward as a relaxing hobby, a bit like meditation, the counting of stitches and the mind concentrated on the pattern and producing even stitches. Some might add it to the 'slow movement' and not just the hobby of elder women, who have got nothing better to do with their time.
What I love about these videos is the life it shows in countries far away and as a knitter the whole process from sheep to jumper. What comes out is aren't tourists a bit like sheep themselves, wanting to buy a 'local' jumper. What happens of course is that hand knitting is taken over by machine knitting to keep up with the market and something is lost along the way.
Interesting Thelma. I used to blog regularly with Margaret, who lived in the San Juan Islands and who, with her husband and daughter once spent a night with us at the farm when they toured the Uk - a lovely couple. I recently had a postcard from her from Iceland, sympathising on the death of my dog, Tess. She with a group of knitters was touring wool shops in Iceland on holiday. She seems to go almost every year.
ReplyDeleteWool is called Lopi in Iceland, and I have just ordered some, it looks rather scratchy but always willing to try something new and I have just finished my crochet blanket.
ReplyDeleteI love knitting with Icelandic wool I have made two items with it now. It is wonderful to wear and not the least bit scratchy. I agree about something getting lost along the way as things get mass produced, it is true of so many things not just knitting.
ReplyDeleteMy yarn has just arrived, a lovely moss green.
ReplyDeleteThank you Thelma for this very interesting article. Your love for knitting is seen through your words in this blog. I agree, men knitting is very rare but not that they don’t at all. I had a great grandfather who I have heard, used to knit and my mother has shown me some of his work. Appreciate you sharing with us the link to the video and also your take on the content of the video.
ReplyDeleteI do agree.. men and knitting is quite unimaginable. I am pursuing music at a music institute in Coimbatore and there is equal participation from both genders. Thanks for sharing this info. It is nice to know different cultures and feel what god has bestowed upon. Some may be lucky and some may not.
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