Kukkilintu

This Blog Has Moved!

2010-07-23T00:21:00.004+03:00

I have decided to combine this blog with my other english blog Peony and Parakeet. I have also made some other changes.

Read about the changes and start following Peony and Parakeet!

Swedish Wedding and Finnish Summer

2010-07-07T23:02:00.004+03:00

Here in Scandinavia the biggest news in July has been Swedish Princess Viktoria's wedding. I watched them on television as most of the women in Finland certainly did. So romantic! I could not help making a few folk bags inspired by the celebration.

Here are Silvia (the queen mother), Viktoria (the bride) and Madeleine (the sister of the bride)!

After all the silk and chiffon I went back to Finnish culture and visited Visavuori, a finnish sculptor's Emil Wikström's summer cottage and studio. Very Arts and Crafts, my favorite style!

I have a summer holiday and a lot of going on with my craft projects. It is so tempting to be awake late when Finnish summer is so unique and wonderful. The sun hardly goes down, it's so much light and the weather has been warm, almost hot. I hope all those who have planned to visit Finland are here right now as it's now as good as it can get!

How to keep up?

2010-06-29T22:04:00.006+03:00

During this year I have received several requests to send an email after I have listed new items at my store. I gladly send these emails! Over the months it has become clear to me that people who like to follow what I do and when I list my next folk bags should be able to subscribe these emails more freely. So I have set up a new service: Kukkilintu Moments email newsletter. You can subscribe and unsubscribe it whenever you want. I will post a short email after I list folk bags to my store or release new products. I will also include some personal touch in every newsletter. I excited about this! Feel free to subscribe Kukkilintu Moments!

I have a few new folk bags under work, here's a sneak peek of one of them!

Cards Are Here and About Sirkka Bag

2010-06-27T14:50:00.008+03:00

I have my first set of cards printed out. The next ones are already being designed. These all are made to go with my folk bags and the colorful world I love and adore. I was a bit puzzled of how to sell the cards. I made mixed sets for Kukkilintu store but if you miss a certain combination, leave me a convo and I will list it for you.

I also made some Moo cards. I will include a Moo card for the next orders at Kukkilintu. Aren't they just so wonderfully rich and colorful!

In my last post I promised to write more about a very special bag I made during the spring. It was a custom order folk bag whose owner just loves Sirkka Könönen, a Finnish textile designer. Well, I am Sirkka's fans too so the project was not only challenging but very interesting! I started with the collage of Sirkka's work, then picked the colors and designed the motif. I started thinking about cranberries and cloudberries. My father used to pick these berries. One morning he left early to pick some cranberries and came back before dinner. My mother made a desert from the berries and said to me that “this desert could be served in the finest restaurants”. She appreciated the cranberries so much.

When constructing the bag I thought how memories and stories are so important in everything I make. My concept of living is a "Knit your story" thing. My inner critic has a strong, powerful voice, but it is silenced by the stories. There cannot be anything wrong in storytelling. It is so hard work to try to be a better designer and I am afraid I never will be good enough. But whatever happens, the power of stories always surprises me and makes me forget all the possibilities I might never get. Everything is possible in my imaginary world! I wish I can give a glimpse of it for you via this blog!

More photos of Sirkka at my Flickr site.

Welcome Summer, Welcome New Products and Gardening!

2010-06-06T18:45:00.008+03:00

First, I want to thank you all for so many wonderful messages I have received in May. It means a lot to me that there are people in the world who share the colorful world of Kukkilintu. In the picture you can see few of my latest folk bags and also a couple of my mixed media art work. I will have few greeting cards printed from these in the summer and they will be available for purchase at Kukkilintu store.

I had some stomach aches in May and was examined carefully. Luckily they were just untypical symptoms of appendicitis and I was operated. Before I knew the relieving results (yes, going to a surgery can be relieving!), I only had one regret in life: not putting enough effort on gardening. So I had to make this cabbage themed folk bag for all the gardeners!

I also have finished the folk bag I told you in my last post. It was the one inspired by the finnish textile artist Sirkka Könönen. That was a very special project for me and I will tell more about it in my next blog post in the coming weeks.

Feelings About Fabric

2010-04-18T18:05:00.004+03:00

Sometimes I think that the life is about fabric. It is like a the mother of all materials. Those who sew collect fabric. Those who prefer knitting to sewing make their own fabric. And you can even make fabric from fabric, by quilting that is.

The fat quarters of the fabric I have designed from my hand knits were sold out for a short while, but now I have added them again to my Etsy shop. I could not resist taking a photo of them, they looked so bright and so Scandinavian.

Some may remember the hedgehog bag I made quite a long time ago. I got a request of the hedgedog bag and had just enough fabric to replicate it. I do not buy huge quantities of fabric in time, so it is often difficult to fulfill requests where an old bag should be replicated.

My next project is to design a bag inspired by Sirkka Könönen, a Finnish textile artist. If you do not know her, I can tell you that she is a real artist in stranded knitting and colorwork. I would call her Finnish Kaffe Fasset! Have a look at one of her cardigans. It is going to be so much fun to get inspiration of her work!

Speaking of fabric, check out the recent post in my papercrafting blog Peony and Parakeet where I have used pen as a needle and paper as fabric. Happy sewing, everyone!

Back to Traditions

2010-03-27T14:18:00.005+02:00

Here's my latest custom order, a cardigan for an american girl doll. I have been thinking of knitting in a new level lately, thinking about what kind of fascinating objects can be manufactured by knitting. And at the same time, I am feeling tired of always trying to find new perspectives and new solutions. This must have something to do with my day job where I design services and develop concepts behind them - full time problem solving that is.

Sometimes it is good to take a step back. In this cardigan my goal was to develop something very traditional and Scandinavian in a new way. It is called winter storm and I tried to create a scenery of a little village surrounded by a snow storm. Talking about problem solving, this cardigan really required constant calculation of stitches and patterns. I am pleased with the result, but now I really need to start one project that is totally mindless. It is like taking 20 steps back to have that relaxed feeling about knitting again!

The Process of Making Folk Bags

2010-03-07T14:55:00.005+02:00

I want to share with you how I make folk bags!

I start my bags usually by sketching the idea of form, patterning and structure. If I make the regular folk bag, I usually skip this phase and start by choosing a color to my liking and crocheting the bottom. This gives me time to think about the theme of the bag.

After I have finished the bottom part I usually have the idea of what the story behind the bag is. I use the story to guide the creative process. If I need some more inspiration at this point, I go to my huge stash of fabric. Sometimes I choose the fabric before starting the knitted part, sometimes I choose the fabric after I have finished knitting. Either way, it is very important that the proportions and colors of the patterns in fabric are in harmony with the knitted part.

I never draw charts for the stranded knitting. I only browse few chart books and then combine and form the motifs in my head. I never plan in which order I use the colors. When I start knitting it is like painting: you have the colors and the tools and the process guides you. I often find myself in a flow state when knitting, I think it's the best and the most creative part when making these bags. I absolutely love knitting little motifs and changing colors even more often than necessary. I mostly use Estonian wool as it has many shades in the same yarn. This way I can have very subtle changes in color and make the bag look lively.

I try to watch the proportions of each part of the bag. I often add decoration to the bottom by crocheting when the bag is almost finished. Sometimes I add a decorative ribbon or embroidery. I try to keep everything balanced but maintain necessary contrasts to appeal to the eye.

Here's my newest folk bag that has a very romantic name: Flower Fairy's Treasure. These colors remind me of fairy tales and everything whimsical!

Etsy.com meeting at Helsinki

2010-03-05T18:50:00.003+02:00

See Etsy's blog for pictures from Etsy Europe's meeting at Helsinki!

http://www.etsy.com/storque/etsy-news/postcard-from-europe-3-7295/

Winter Days

2010-02-28T19:13:00.003+02:00

We have had incredibly snowy and cold winter in southern Finland this year. So I have had my fair share of knitting in the living room while it's been snowing outside. The newest bag is called Spring as we are really quite desperate for spring in Finland!

My husband has spend a lot of time trying clear the routes from the snow. This photo shows how our little garden is filled with the snow. We even had to take some snow from the roof so that it does not get too heavy. Our youngest dog Cosmo enjoys watching him working!

Impressionists on My Mind

2010-02-26T16:34:00.005+02:00

I had a custom order for a doll sweater. There was no special wishes for theme or colors. I quickly got the idea of impressionist painters and sunflowers after I finding some lovely handdyed yarns from my stash.

Yesterday I attended a meeting arranged by Etsy.com in Helsinki. There was about 40 Etsy sellers from Finland and Matt and Benedikta from Etsy's new Europe's office. We had show and tell and there were pretty amazing stuff that people had made for their little shops. In the world of super markets I sometimes wonder if making by hand will be totally forgotten. But yesterday I felt that there are so many of us who still appreciate handmade stuff.

Warm And Cold

2010-01-31T19:56:00.005+02:00

My recent projects represent the contrasts. The first is a new folk bag in warm colors. The second is a custom order doll cardigan in cold colors.

In this bag I thought about sustainable living and growing vegetables from seeds. The bag is a combination of crochet, knitting and one of those fabrics I have designed myself.

The cardigan has a spring theme: snow, yellow-green and the first flowers of the season. I love those buttons, I was lucky to find them! I have hand dyed the colored yarns.

Chartwell Finished!

2010-01-17T14:17:00.004+02:00

This is Chartwell from Rowan magazine issue 46. The shawl is huge, the yarn is very thin and the amount of self discipline is a little bit under too much. I am so proud that I finally managed to finish it!

Making Yarn

2009-12-28T12:43:00.005+02:00

My Christmas has been full of work. Or would I rather call it pleasure? As you can see, I have been making yarn, That is spinning and dyeing!

Spinning some seawool from Creatively Dyed.

Dyeing four skeins of sock yarn for future projects.

And dyeing the last portion of bluefaced leicester wool in oriental colors. These colors really give me strength to cope the dark winter days.

Tiny But Overwhelming

2009-11-29T20:01:00.004+02:00

I wanted to make something festive but not too christmassy. Something scandinavian, yet oriental. So I made a tiny folk bag combining the things I cherish in my stash. Some might think it is too busy, at least when the photo is showing one of my fabrics in the background. But I need to have this kind of pictures now, when it is so dark outside.

Speaking of design, Helsinki, the nearest city, has been name as the world capital of design in 2012. Can't wait for all the events of the year! My main profession is about designing digital services so I hope they will not be forgotten either.

Color!

2009-11-08T13:35:00.009+02:00

Sometimes I feel that the form is overrated in design. I see white objects everywhere. I think we Finnish are obsessed in white. I am not a big fan of whites, and really, if you examine colors, it's like the whole world could be expressed with color only.

My starting points were the iris flowers from my garden, a dark blue belt from my sister's winter coat and pale blue baby merino yarn I had bought from the sale. My intention is to knit a hood for my sister.

Another project on the go is to hand spin yarn for a lace scarf. My color scheme is inspired by Nepal. I have dyed four lots using the same theme but different colorways. Here's the third lot.

I hope the yarn will be lovely. The singles look very pleasing!

Wool Weekend

2009-10-14T20:52:00.004+03:00

I attended a felting course at Röykkälä's organic sheep farm in Central Finland. I had lovely time with four of my colleagues from my day job. In the picture there's my first ever felted work.

In the picture below is the actual project I was working for the weekend. It's a bag, of course, but still a bit unfinished. The needle felting motifs will fill the surface and I am going to add fabric lining and fabric strap to the bag.

There are more pictures about the farm in my finnish sock knitting blog Sukanvarsi. I really enjoyed the weekend!

Four Seasons, finished

2009-10-06T19:52:00.003+03:00

The beginning is often difficult. It is hard to believe in something that is just about hundred stitches on a circular needle. I try to make sketches before I actually begin because it gives some hope that there will be a final product in the end. This time I had a lot to do. Lining, flaps and all. I know designing should be simplifying but this time I just had to put all the ideas in the one bag!

At my day job I do simplify, simplify, simplify. But this bag just needed all these details! And, because making these bags is not my day job, I can be as crazy as I want, eh?

I am so inspired by the queens of the 18th and 19th century. I pictured some noble women in their grand gardens carrying their treasures. They would be surrounded by the trees ... Trees! Why not make a bag showing all four seasons using the forms of a tree!

That's how this started.

I have been learning a new skill: spinning! My new spinning wheel is a beauty and truly wonderful. The yarn is not the prettiest possible but it's very dear to me! I am excited about the possibilities spinning can offer! Being close to fibers is just uplifting.

Four Seasons

2009-09-24T19:16:00.005+03:00

A glimpse of my newest bag, still unfinished. It's about trees and seasons and quite big. I was supposed to make small bags for Christmas, but got this so tempting idea and after some sketching I just had to start it!

I also have a new blog called Peony and Parakeet. It is about papercrafting. I have been especially keen on collage work and such for the last three years.

And like there's not enough to do with all the hobbies and the rest of the life, I just got a message from France that the spinning wheel I've ordered is now on its way to Finland. How exciting!

Kukkilintu in Bloglovin

2009-09-19T19:18:00.002+03:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Inspired by nature with Faberge

2009-09-12T18:21:00.006+03:00

Here's a detail of one of my collages, it just suits the theme of this post so well! Yes, the theme is Faberge. This is all about the the company who originates from the House of Faberge, which made the famous decorative eggs. As many of you might know, the famous Carl Peter Faberge's family currently live in Finland and thus most Finns are very familiar with the beautiful pieces made in the House of Faberge in Russia in the 19th century.

I was not going to write so much about the history but the present time. I read about the morning newspaper that the company called Faberge has been bought buy a man who really believes in handcrafting luxury items and he has changed the concept of the company greatly from what it has been lately. The new products of Faberge are displayed on the internet only. If you are interested in any of these luxury items starting from 40 000 dollars, the items will be delivered to you personally. This goes a way further like having the sales person fly over to you but I do not explain any further, I am sure that those of you who consider purchasing will find out the necessary details ....

Talking about the products: they are beautiful, I love them! My ultimate day dream would be designing for Faberge! They are filled with little jewels, have strange forms, a lot of details and they all represent nature: flowers, birds ... I assume few people might think they are a bit overwhelming. I think they are just wonderful!

I also love the intro of their web site. It is an animation with hand drawn fairy tale like characters. You would never imagine that the company of luxury jewellery would use a naive story like that to market themselves. But it really works and is just a reminder that in design sometimes breaking the rules can lead to an amazing result. All in all, go and see the rabbits and brooches on Faberge.com.

Folk Is Pink

2009-08-31T19:52:00.010+03:00

These are my favorite colors: browns, pinks, purples and warm greens. I could not resist buying that corduroy fabric! Instantly I knew I had to make a bag. Eight sketches later I was in the middle of making one, by knitting.

I tried to simulate woven fabric with surface textures and some Rowan and some handdyed yarn. Did I mention that I have started to dye yarn? It is so much fun and the best thing is that I can now dye yarn specially designed for my bag projects.

This bag has a corduroy lining. I tried not to exaggerate the portion of the corduroy by making the patchwork strap from cotton fabrics. I included a couple of small pieces of my Kukkilintu fabrics there.

This is my start for fall and I call it Ruska, which is a Finnish word for fall colors.

Folk in the Air

2009-08-26T20:14:00.007+03:00

I was asked to make a Bluebell folk bag and I made two. I have really started to like the design, it has weird melancholy built in it. I also finished a couple of folk bags in orange, brown and green. They have been started in the summer but they look like fall fashion to me now.

I am so happy that finally folk and stranded knitting are fashionable again. Even Rowan, one of my favorite yarn companies, is so folk this fall. Lochalsh, for example, is like a folk bag turned into a sweater! Love it!

I had a journey to Estonia recently and I used the opportunity to fill my stash with estonian wool. I have lots going on, including making new Blythe doll clothes, designing bags, hand dyeing yarn ...

I have also ordered a spinning wheel. It has been three years I have been thinking of getting one. Just could not do without anymore!

Joy

2009-07-19T23:11:00.005+03:00

My newest folk bag is called Joy. It has been such a joyful summer! The garden has grown beautifully. I have felt relaxed and happy. In crafts, I have a lot of ideas of what to make and how.

I have found an Etsy seller that has beautifully dyed yarn: Hedgehogfibers. Check out her blog too: Fly along. Some might find her tones a bit melancholic but I absolutely adore them!

Memory Bag

2009-07-08T23:44:00.005+03:00

I have designed a new bag which is a bit different than my folk bags. This is more two dimensional, without the round bottom. It is fully lined with cotton fabric. I think it has a structure very similar to many old reticules and other old drawstring purses. I call this bag "memory bag" as I think it'll be perfect for storing little treasures that bring us happy memories.

This is my first item where I have used the ribbons bought from Mokuba, Barcelona. Those ribbons are on my mind constantly. There's so much what one can create with ribbons. They also reminded me of an old hobby: weaving ribbons. I used to do that as teenager, I have to try it again soon!

Ribbons and Styles in Barcelona

2009-07-04T14:03:00.008+03:00

I just came back from Barcelona, Spain. I spent the holliday with my husband. Luckily, he is interested in art and design too. Celebrating my recent graduation, we chose a stylish design hotel, went to several art museums and admired the local architecture.

All that would have been enough and almost overwhelming itself but the best of all was this: a visit in a small ribbon shop near the hotel. Look at the ribbons I bought! The shop was called Mokuba (Europe, New York). I love the little details and the delicate look of these ribbons. They are so inspiring! I'm afraid my future designs will be around ribbons, ribbons, ribbons ...!

Liking complicated and ornamental, I had to visit some Gaudi buildings, of course. But maybe I have been taught too much of Finnish design as I preferred the famous Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion. The fact that it was built in the 1920s makes it so amazing.

When buying a simple hand made clay dish from japanese Katsue Kusumi I thought that my approach to simple shapes and forms starts from rustic things. In a weird way all design styles are connected to each other. It just takes time to really go deep to each and everyone and at the same time find the style of one's own.

Treasure in the Garden

2009-06-12T15:59:00.005+03:00

Finally I have finished my newest bag called "Treasure in the Garden". I have started it already in January and blogged about it then.

Thanks to my graduation, I was finally able to finish the bag. I started the bag by thinking about the Scandinavian porcelain in the 40s to 70s. It is somewhat challenging to try to create something like that from woolen yarn. But I think I made it, I love the colors and the simple motifs. Furthermore this bag really shows how Scandinavian Kukkilintu really is.

I have to confess here that I am so bored about the "form follows function" obsession among industrial designers in Finland.

Probably I should not express myself so strongly as many times there are no alternatives really, trying to keep the manufacturing and material costs low. And yes, I find many modern design fairly inspirational. But still, I cherish the colors, ornaments, everything that is full and organic. It's nature's patchwork, as lively as the tulips in my garden!

When the pattern is needed

2009-06-06T22:32:00.009+03:00

When there's too much going on, I love to open a pattern book, choose a knitting pattern to my liking and just start knitting. No sketching, no measuring, no nothing to worry about.

This spring, when writing my thesis, I got these two scarves finished. Both very simple, mindless knitting. The white one is Clarence Scarf from Victorian Lace Today and the red one is Raha Scarf from Estonian Lace Knitting.

I love the yarn on the white scarf. It is hand spun by Yarnspider and it's organic shetland lambswool. It is such a pleasure knitting hand spun yarn! I have dreamt about having a spinning wheel of my own, but I'm afraid I don't have enough time for another hobby.

The red scarf is made from Marks & Kattens Sarek wool yarn. It is a bit too thick for me to really fancy it but I got few balls as a gift and bought few more and the scarf was finished pretty quickly.

After finishing my thesis I had few days when I thought: why people knit? I had no desire to pick up the needles. It must have been exhaustion as after reading an entertaining book and sleeping well, I went to my stash and started knitting again! Hopefully there will be something little more creative in my next post.

I am on Twitter

2009-06-05T21:56:00.006+03:00

You can find me now on Twitter, my username is Kukkilintu. I am micro-blogging mainly about ... guess what!

Knitting!

Graduation!

2009-05-31T18:21:00.005+03:00

I am sorry for being so lazy blogger and crafter this year. Finishing my industrial design studies has taken more of my spare time than I expected. But it's over now, I am now Bachelor of Culture and Arts and so ready to get back to my routines.

It has been great two years and I hope I will be able to make use of everything I have learned in the future. One of the best things have been that I have been able to combine both my previous degree in computing and this one by developing user-friendly online service concepts in my day job. But even more than that I wait for the new challenges in making textiles.

I feel very curious nowadays, there are so much to discover!

Spoonflower contest and Karelia fabric

2009-04-10T21:15:00.008+03:00

My fabric design Karelia is chosen for Spoonflower's fabric of the week contest.

Vote for the fabric of the week

I have been extremely busy writing my bachelor's thesis. Therefore I have been forced to take a short break at blogging like most of the things I usually do on the regular basis. My apologies and happy easter holliday for everybody!

Old Times

2009-03-01T20:59:00.002+02:00

I have become more and more fascinated by the old craft work. So I made a couple of pouches that combine tapestry crochet and fair isle knitting. And these had to have tassels like the old Finnish pouches did.

There have been wonderful winter days in Finland recently. Very sunny and there has been snow in the south too. I hope that all the tourists are now here enjoying the good weather and smiling Finns.

Me and Emily of New Moon

2009-02-22T15:32:00.004+02:00

I have two older sisters. I had my 40th birthday a couple weeks ago and my sisters are on their way to 60. The big age difference has caused that we have not always been the best soul mates but recently we have got along pretty well. It probably means that I am getting old, a terrible idea to be honest!

I have to praise my oldest sister this time. She sent me a poem which she wrote herself, to gratulate me. And that's not all, she had bought me a wonderful book!

The book's title is freely translated: "The Year of Girl Poets". It is about Lucy Maud Montgomery's novels and written by two Finnish women. The book is like a collage: it has beautiful illustrations, stories and calendar pages - all about Montgomery's great novels and their influence.

L.M. Montgomery was very popular in Finland when I was a child. My childhood was spent reading about Anna, Emily of New Moon, little women etc. I feel very nostalgic about them and just love the book, made for women from the 60s and 70s.

I got so nostalgic that I named my next folk bag "Emily". If there's a color of my childhood, it is this deep blue. I used to have a velvet skirt, cotton jacket and cotton hat sewn by my mother - all blue and I loved wearing them.

New fabrics!

2009-02-16T00:20:00.003+02:00

I received an exiting package on Friday! My newest fabrics!

My favorite from these is the one in the middle. I call the design Silverbell. It looks like a big warm knitted blanket even if it's cotton fabric! The other two are experiments in using paper collage in the first phase of planning a new design. I love designing fabric!

There's more fabric than those three. I ordered some new versions of the previously designed fabrics and also some previous versions that I like.

Oriental carpet

2009-02-08T15:52:00.005+02:00

Here's the first project I have made using self designed fabrics. This is a special order, a bag for craft projects, where I have combined real crocheting and knitting to the fabric that has corcheting and knitting printed on it. I think the result is like an oriental carpet!

I have a lot of going on this spring. Last but not least is my bachelor's thesis for industrial design. It will take a lot of my spare time. To be honest it makes me a bit sad that my studies are over soon.

On the other hand studying has brought me so much good in my life, a new job with design challenges, the courage needed for opening my Etsy shop and many skills I have longed for all my life. I could not ask for more.

Red and pink

2009-01-31T14:35:00.003+02:00

I wrote my art history essay about women's hand bags in the 18th century. Wow how inspiring that was! I got plenty of ideas for my bags and other creations.

Another uplifting thing: Finnish television is showing the newest version of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. Love it! If you are a fan of Jane Austen too, see Vic's wonderful blog Jane Austen's World.

I have some new fabrics coming soon, very exciting to see how they will turn out. I will post pictures when I'll receive them.

My newest folk bag is a little thing but I just love the combination of pink and red. It is very hard for me to not to keep it myself. I have received some really wonderful photos from my customers showing how they use their bags. Thank you all, I am really lucky to be surrounded by the similar minded people.

Last weekend I attended a doll making course held by a Finnish doll artist Sirpa Ala-Louko. Unfortunately I got flu and had to leave a bit early. She is an amazing artist, see "Galleria", in her web site Nukkepaja.com. My doll is not quite finished yet but she will be soon.

Bag to fabrics!

2009-01-17T22:45:00.010+02:00

I started quilting as teenager. First by hand, then by machine.

I have always admired knitted quilts and have made a few myself too. But we all know the problem is that they are fairly heavy, knitting gets stretched and is difficult to wash.

When I started designing fabrics I thought of materials. I find it very inspiring to think about different materials and their qualities! I started thinking about paper but then it hit me! My bags!

Do not get me wrong - there was not a short way to make these fabric designs. Okay, the half of the work was done: I had tens and tens of photos of my knitted designs. But mixing and matching, replacing one stitch here and the other stitch there (digitally of course) required a lot of accuracy, trials and errors. But here they are!

These were just what I hoped and even more. My favorite is the second one at the photo. It is called Karelia and it reminds me from the Karelian people and their characteristics. Always in good mood, filled with stories and traditions.

I cannot wait to find some spare time to start a new quilt!

One dream

2009-01-17T22:15:00.009+02:00

When I was a child I was constantly playing with yarn and fabric. My mother was very strict. I had to learn to do everything The Right Way. There were so many things to learn and my mother thought I was very impatient and was treated like one.

For example: Before I was able to knit a sweater I had to prove myself. She required I first learned how to knit mittens in The Right Way. Then socks in The Right Way. Finally after making tens pairs of mittens and socks, often decorated with fair isle patterns, my mother graciously purchased green acrylic yarn for a sweater.

After that I made tens of sweaters. We seldom bought any as I made most myself. I wanted to learn how to machine knit and my mother bought a second hand machine for me. I made a lot of sweaters with it but nowadays I knit only by hand as I prefer to take the knitting with me.

My mother did support my hobby. She just did not like failures. Maybe she was afraid that if I go ahead too fast I would quit and never start again.

When she was worrying if I did everything using the one right method she had learned from her mother, I was worrying if I could never let go and be creative. Knit all those images in my head, so far from what I then produced.

Some things that have happened in the past have a bitter sweet taste. At the same time they are so appealing and still painful. This controversy is something I nowadays get my creativity from. And many times, like in the bag in the picture, I can recognize the melancholic tone. Maybe it is me, but I just love that melancholia combined with strong colors! It has somehow heroic after taste!

But did you look the picture carefully? Can you see the fabric behind the bag? My first three fabric designs have been printed! One dream has been filled! More in the next post!

Inspired

2009-01-06T12:02:00.004+02:00

I have had a long Christmas holiday from my day job and I have enjoyed my life tremendously with all kinds of creative activities.

First, I am so inspired by the old plates and bowls. Just went to see Arabia's 135-anniversary exhibition in Design Museum at Helsinki. Arabia is a Finnish porcelain factory and all Finnish have their kitchens filled with their cups and plates. I had to knit something after the exhibition, time will tell how it'll turn out eventually!

Second, I have designed my first fabric prints and sent them to Spoonflower. I am so excited to see how they'll turn out! If they'll look terrible, I have promised myself to try again, as I am so excited by the idea of designing fabric!

Third, I have bought a new camera, Canon EOS 450 with all the bits and pieces, and am just thrilled playing with it!

Fourth, I have millions of ideas for my knits, can't wait to get them all out. My newest bag is so romantic, you have to check it out!

I hope all of you most happiest new year ever!

Living is creating

2008-12-28T17:53:00.006+02:00

I do not know the verb "relax". I often wonder if that is a verb at all. My verbs include working, crafting, designing, knitting ...

Am I crazy? Probably so but I am having too much fun to really realize that I miss all the time that people usually spend doing nothing or socializing.

So I had some ideas for the new folk bags a couple of days ago and there they are.

You must wonder what is that beautiful, most ornamental pot ever seen! It is my newly purchased treasure from Etsy. It is made by Constance Finn from Past Embraces. I could buy all their painted stuff, can there be anything more ornamental?

The more I make things myself, the more I want to spend my money on hand made items. And regarding to my studies - after learning how to design plastic, mass-produced items, everything hand made has even more value. I hope that the recession contains the possibility for all of us to think more seriously where we put our money to.

Yesterday I read about a wonderful Finnish artist Anni Rapinoja, who uses natural elements in her art. I am astonished by her creativity, I love her willow shoes especially. She is a real proof of the fact that living is creating but it does not all have to be cheap plastic.

Kalevala rocks

2008-12-27T13:34:00.004+02:00

Forgive me not to post any Christmas photos, I just have to dedicate this post to the folk bag I have made just before Christmas. It was ordered by a person who did not want her bag to have flowery style. Instead, she gave me two themes: Finnish rock music and Akseli Gallen-Kallela's painting Lemminkainen's Mother.

I found the design process very challenging but also wondefrully interesting.

Lemminkainen and his mother are characters from Kalevala, the finnish national epic.

Finnish rock music is often very hard and earthy, trying to reach somewhat heroic atmosphere.

I ended up creating very melancholic look. The bag is called October as it is one of the saddest month in Finland, very dark despite of the firsts snowfalls of the coming winter.

I do not know how the bag would be received in other countries. For me, it is very touching in its honest melancholy.

I painted the fabric myself as I was unable to find anything appropriate in my stash. I find it more and more appealing to try to design my own fabrics. I have lately joined Spoonflower and might try that soon. They offer fabric printing on JPEG image which is a brilliant idea for business I think!

Bumblebees and glass

2008-12-07T14:00:00.006+02:00

Some people hate primitive country style. You know those pictures of enormous bodied cows and bigs, dolls that have long legs and flowered cotton dresses and kitchens filled with towels and shelves for plates.

My husband is one of those people who think it is just too childish and represents bad style.

I probably should think the similar way - studying design and all.

But I think primitive country has something so feminine, so relaxing and fun. I just had to make a folk bag from Debbie Mumm fabric and think about naive country things like bumblebees and homemade honey!

Talking about design - another new folk bag has a theme that has been on my mind for months. One day at the library I was browsing books of designer glass. Finland has a lot to offer regarding to glass vases, we have great designers like Timo Sarpaneva and Tapio Wirkkala and many more.

Seeing a picture of Oiva Toikka's Bambo inspired me to try to create a textile that takes it's concept from glass.

I used only mild contrasts and complementary colors to great a light and brisk feel. The result is very different than most of my bags but I am very happy with it!

Decos and flowers

2008-11-30T18:02:00.006+02:00

I have a hobby that I have discovered just few years ago. I swap small booklets called decos. Each deco has a theme - like "birds". Each person decorates one page of a booklet according to the theme. When a page has been decorated the person sends it to one of their swapping pals. When each page has been decorated, the last person sends the deco to the address marked on it.

It is so much fun to decorate the pages and see the pages others have been filled. I have learned a lot about different countries (a very popular theme), styles and history. It is also very creative to make these little collages. I find it very relaxing too.

Making collages and knitting are surprisingly close. At least when I am tempted to combine materials in my textile work. This happens pretty often!

These pictures show them again: flowers. I know that flowers are so old school. But what can I do about it. I just love filling spaces and there's not much better than flowers.

I am attending to a course where we design a mobile phone holder for a car. Oh my!

Arts, crafts and hedgehogs

2008-11-28T19:34:00.004+02:00

I have just been at art history lectures. Most interesting!

Although I have always knew the arts and crafts period in the change of the 20th century I have never really realized how close to that my own style is.

Our small home is filled with arts and crafts styled details like these William Morris curtains in my workroom.

I have been knitting little bags as usual. I have to introduce this hedgehog themed one as it is a bit different from those very romantic ones I usually make. This one is something made by order and there had to be hedgehogs.

I was lucky to find the fabric from a small quilt shop in Tapiola, Espoo. The service in the shop is excellent and being a former quilter I could buy all the fabrics there.

Today's modern style is not for me.
I just love to show all the little details and ornamental borders. I wish we could move on from modern thinking to decorative thinking, giving full power to shapes and colors.

You, who live outside scandinavia may not fully understand what I am talking about. But if you visit Scandinavia you will know. It is all about white, white and plain here. Most think it is about harmony.

I find my little home nothing but plain and still the best place to live at.

New books

2008-11-18T20:28:00.006+02:00

I have been very picky with the new knitting books lately. For the experienced knitter it seems that they publish the same books again and again. But you do not always need to look books under knitting to find inspire for your knits.

I love this book: Art Deco Fashion by the Pepin Press. First I borrowed it from the library. Then I just could not be without and I had to buy it! The book is filled with fashion drawings of the 1920s and 1930s. Some are colored, most are not. Every single outfit is so conceptual that you can just take the design - proportions, details, shape and such - and do what ever you want from it. I use this book by just opening it randomly and whoo - I get so inspired! It is my design bible. If I am feeling low, all I have to do is to open the book.

Another recent addition to my library is Nancy Bush's Knitted Lace of Estonia. I love Nancy Bush and I love lace, so no question I had to get this book. I find it a bit odd though that we need an american woman to write the book about estonian lace. There are so many talented people in Estonia, also many in Finland - why do we need an american to appreciate what we have.

The answer is that we just do need one. All that skill and beauty is too close to us. We really do not fully understand its' uniqueness and value.

The book is wonderful. I am definitely going to knit many of its projects.

Collections

2008-11-16T16:35:00.012+02:00

When I knitted these clover leaves I just had to add the flowers as well!

I have had a collector's mindset all my life. One approach to ornaments is that they can be viewed and designed as collections, grouping items that are some way similar to each other.

When I bought a stained class ornament for my batchroom window, I just had to have more of those grass greens and other bold colors and forms. I painted the bathroom walls bright green and changed the style to go along with the single ornament. It just looked so lonely that I had to do something!

Many of my collections have been carefully defined. Like my doll collection which is something I cherish the most. Some collections found at the house are more loose, just a group of items that seem to go fairly well with each other.

I like to combine pricy items with cheap ones like in the little collection of souvenirs around the world that are connected by their ethnic style more than their monetary value.

The best collections in the world are those that are filled with stories. In Finland, a great collection is found in Hyvinkaa. If you visit the town you have to go to the teddy bear museum and talk with the owner, Armi. She is a great collector with a great sense of humor. Soon you will find out that every little toy of the museum has its' own incredible story. Someone should make a book about Armi and her teddy bears!

I want to tell stories with my knitting. This approach makes knitting so exciting! (I will reveal the whole story around clovers when the bag they belong to is finished.)

Sometimes a material can be the one that adds the story to the form.

Triangles in the scarf can be the plainest ornaments of all but the colors and texture of the yarn makes them look like something old, wooden, carved and valued. Here the yarn is the element that takes us to the ancient Japan where we drink tea with harmony and look over the hills cherishing the view.

New old

2008-11-09T14:51:00.003+02:00

One of my current knitting projects is now finished. It's a new folk bag called Country Holiday.

It reminds me of oriental carpets in a big log cabin, some sort of american luxurious country style shown in interior design magazines.

I took few photos in my own living room which is decorated with violet blue, red and pine. It is not difficult to imagine that I have sat on that sofa and knitted the bag. I am easily influenced by the surroundings!

As I study industrial design, I am very interested in shapes. In this bag I wanted to add a three-dimensional ornament, the dark green border which adds lightness and works as a reminder of historical decor.

Unlike many modern designers, I just love history and old things. It is so much fun to go to the antique show and look around, buy some old letters or postcards, if nothing else, and enjoy the ornaments in their element. Luckily my husband thinks the same way, it's such great time together. We have also watched Lovejoy over and over! Sometimes, especially in the summer, I can imagine being one of the characters in the series, going through all that is presented, hoping to find a precious bargain.

If only today we could produce objects that future generations cherish and fight over!

Ornamental home

2008-11-08T22:47:00.001+02:00

Here's a sample of one of the pouches I am working on at the moment. It shows so well how color freak I am. One shade of yellow just is not enough! And I have always loved the combination of pink and red even if some find it disturbing.

I read two interesting articles today. First was: Kenzo is opening a store in Helsinki! I am excited! I love Kenzo's products, especially jewellery which has been available in Finland for few years, but I also like Kenzo's textiles and porcelain. I find Kenzo so inspiring because the products combine east and west, old and modern and they never give a dull picture of life.

If you are not familiar wih Kenzo, read a short summary of the founder Kenzo Takada from Wikipedia or go to see Kenzo's products on their web site.

The second article that I read today was about a finnish architect called Jan-Erik Andersson. He is not only a refreshingly different than architects in general but also a big fan of ornaments. "Symbols are needed to remind that people are dependent on the nature" he says in the article. He is currently building his own dream house called Life on a Leaf, which is filled with details and ornaments.

I live in an ordinary finnish row house and dream of a home that would have details and character. But even if I cannot change the way our home looks outside, the interiors of my home are lovingly designed by me and my husband. As you could probably imagine, my home is filled with ornaments of all kinds and I am planning to add pictures of them to my blog posts.

Here's one, a lamp bought from an antique store many years ago. This lamp is located in a corner of our bedroom. It is not only an ornamental object itself but also creates ornaments on the wall when turned on. Needless to say, I adore it!

About free form

2008-11-07T20:03:00.000+02:00

I started making these pouches last month. I call them folk bags as they remind me of the small bags women used to have in the past. I think that most of the countries have their own versions of drawstring pouches like these. In Finland they were mostly crocheted.

My design combines crocheting, knitting and fabric. They are fun to make. I have finished 11 by now and have few on the needles. Every pouch tells a story and I think they really reveal the romantic side of me.

You see, I have started to love stories. I do not mean fairy tales but small stories told everyday everywhere. They can be straight forward, often boring, sometimes funny, but in general I find them very inspiring. In the same way than the form can vary from geometric and controlled to free and organic, I think the existence has its own variations.

People can try to present everything in a formal and organized way. Still, we will never loose stories. They will never die. We can develop data systems but what is stored in them. Stories! Blogs are a great example of the power of the storytelling.

The pouches have a clear design concept. The bottom part represents a form, the center part represents an ornament and the top part represents a free form. All these together are telling the story.

Have you ever thought of how organized you need your knitting to be? Sometimes it is difficult to analyze one's own work but look at this decorative wooden distaff, made by my father. You can see that my father liked his world be in order!

I still find this object endearing. The three windows are like three generations - me, my father and my grandfather. The story would be perfect if only one window would be open, letting air in and out. That free flow would made the object a part of the real world, true stories and great design.

Building blocks

2008-11-05T14:13:00.001+02:00

Have you ever been deciding what is the most important building in your life?

For me it is difficult to name one. Home is the first thing that comes to mind. But the exact building is less important. More than its physical surroundings, home seems to relate to feelings.

But thinking of actual buildings, the first that has really affected me was a wooden orthodox church. It was located in Nothern Karelia, Finland, where I lived my childhood.

The church located near my childhood home. Just up a small hill and there it was. I was not orthodox but little did I know as a small child, how strongly I would be influenced by its decorative shapes and the activities that took place there.

I have always loved drawing and painting. In the age of 8 I was yearning to have guidance for making art. In the little town where I lived, there was nothing as such for young children. Nevertheless, I heard from my classmate that I would be able to attend the course held in the church ground floor. It was about painting icons.

I happily joined the group of adults and learned the skills needed with the patient guidance of the skillfull teacher Irke and other adults. My parents were very supportive in my hobby too. They weren't orthodox either but they enjoyed the beauty of icons and their meanings.

My first guided tour to art was a powerful experience. The colors of the icons and ornamental shapes of the old wooden church have never left me. The world of ornaments has a special appeal that never fades.

My parents died when I was a young adult. I have moved to the southern Finland and it is a long time since I saw the church.

During the years, it has been hard for me to go to my deepest thoughts, up to the hill and see the things that have influenced most of my actions.

Speaking of building blocks, the old church has to be one of mine.