Where have I been!?

Sheesh, I can't even remember the last time I posted. There have always been excuses: the house is too messy, laundry to fold, presents to wrap. You know the drill. Knitting? What's that. I have a pair of socks on my bedside table that haven't been touched since before Christmas (and they were to be a gift for my dad).

We've been happily busy, though. I got a job. Whoo hoo! Back to work I go, part-time at a preschool. My hubby and I took a vacation (via a work trip) to sunny Florida - here are some snapshots:


We went in search of some real nature and found this little park right in the middle of Naples. It's only about a city block in size, but it was a lovely walk.
But could you believe that we actually felt a little homesick for this:


That was the temperature when we got back to Minnesota. And this grand fella and his dame were outside the window feeding at the bird feeder but by the time I got a picture, he had stomped off to the edge of the yard thanks to our barking hound.

So then it was Christmas. I usually take hundreds of pictures, but this year I seemed to keep forgetting to snap pictures. Here are just a few.
Making laufabrauð (Icelandic leaf-bread) with Amma and cousins.


Belle wearing, reading and holding her Christmas plunder.

Have a happy new year! I will hopefully be back in the new year with some KNITTING! FINISHED KNITTING!!! I promise to get this knitty blog back on track.

A Question of Trees

Hi Caroline,

You had a question about trees in Iceland. Traditionally, trees are not seen as part of the Icelandic landscape. However, most believe that Iceland originally had trees when Ingolfur Arnarson first set foot on the island in the year 1000 A.D. Overgrazing and the need for building materials and firewood quickly depleted the slow-growing forests.

Having said that, there are trees in Iceland. Most were planted in an effort to reforest small plots of land. Usually, the area would be fenced off from grazing sheep and the trees planted within. So often times, driving through the country side, you'll see a neatly squared forest a few acres in size. The trees take an long time to grow because of the climate and the light. Most of them are not very tall (15-20 feet) and are usually a type of birch or evergreen, like a spruce.

Also, there are strong opinions on both sides as to whether or not Iceland should be reforested. Some are strongly opposed, saying that traditional Icelandic landscapes are and should be wide open.

But I've heard others siting the importance of land erosion - which is an ongoing concern in parts of Iceland and windbreaks for farms. There is also the aesthetic beauty of trees to consider. There are parks with trees and most cities have a good number of well established trees.

If you drive to the North East part of Iceland, you'll come to the town of Egilsstadir that has taken great efforts to reforest a large area. I believe this forest is called Hallormstadaskógur. I have to admit, upon seeing it, I did not recognize it as the Iceland I know. But I see Iceland through the eyes of relatives who romanticize the homeland.

According to IceTourist on the web, "Iceland today plants more trees per head of population than any other nation in the world around four million a year, or 16 for every man, woman and child."

If you'd like to see pictures of tree in Iceland, here is a great picture gallery.

Hope that helps. (It's way more information than you asked for, but I was having fun!)

Tradition

If you haven't yet noticed, I am of Icelandic decent. My great grandparents came from Iceland in the 1880's and with a handful of other Icelanders, settled on the Great Plains of North Dakota. They eked out a living raising sheep (yup) and loads of children. My grandmother was Norwegian and they often argued over which was the better 'race'. It was quite a coincidence when I married an Icelander. (Made my Grandpa very proud). My husband was born here in the US, moved back to Iceland when he was two weeks old and came back to stay in the states by the age of three. His siblings speak the language, which is very difficult, but poor K can only understand a little of what is being said.

Traditional Turf House, Iceland

And so, as the holidays approach, I have been given many crash courses in Icelandic traditions and legends. I thought I'd share some with you since they are quirky and strange, dark and mysterious and I can even tie it all in with knitting. Oh, and Jan Brett, eat your heart out!

The Yule Cat (Jolakottur) - The Icelanders reading this are moaning and saying, "Oh no! Not that one!"

OK. So there is an old legend of a cat; a huge, wild, dark cat with scary yellow eyes. On Christmas Eve, the yule cat sneaks around the country looking into windows to find what she will eat for her dinner. By the way, she eats children. But only children who have no new clothes at Christmas.

My understanding is that warm clothes (which came almost exclusively from sheep)* were the difference between life and death in old Iceland. Children were a part of the process - carding and combing and spinning and yes . . . knitting! Processing the fall sheering and slaughter had to be finished by Christmas or Yule time. Apparently, the hideous cat was used as a threat for idle children. You know the routine, "Snorri, you had better get going on that wool or the Yule Cat may come find you on Christmas Eve!"

Our kids get clothes every year from Amma and Afi (grandma and grandpa). This year, I am going to be extra sure that the creepy Yule Cat doesn't cross the Atlantic and come after my little ones - they'll each have something warm and woolly under the tree.

And look what I found on the web - I have GOT to knit one of these! Isn't it hilarious!


Gledileg Jol! (Merry Christmas)

*We talked to one old Icelandic fisherman that said some clothing, especially for fisherman, was made from seal skins or fish skins, like shoes. Fishing season in days of old was during the dark days of winter. If you didn't drown, you died of pneumonia. If you survived, you were made out of pure toughness. He said in very desperate situations, there were fisherman who would eat these fish skin shoes. And I wonder why my husband never gets sick and he'll also eat anything!

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

I cannot tell you how grateful I am to all of you for helping me with my sweater crisis! If I had a million dollars, I'd fly us all to some ski lodge out west and treat you to a knitting weekend up in the mountains. But I don't have a million dollars. So just know that I really really appreciate how very cool you are!

So there is the sweater up there in a heap. So exciting! I took the advice to just make one more decrease on each side and then continue on with the pattern. ("Supersize Me" from The Yarn Girls' Guide to Knits for Older Kids) If all goes well, it will look like this picture from the book, except green and with a zipper:



And shhhhhh. These are going to be a gift for some tiny cold feet this winter. Another Christmas knit almost done (am I putting too much pressure on you folks?).
Any guesses as to what they are???? Hint: they were in the last Knit Picks mag.

Thanks again, my friends! I'm still here. Still checking your blogs. Just . . . well you know . . . busy.

We just discovered Deadliest Catch and we're totally addicted. Fishing runs in my husbands blood. Watching the show reminds me of what my family's life may have been like if we had chosen to live in Iceland. I don't think I would have made a good sea-fisherman's wife. I'd be a basket-case. But my husband would have loads of woolly warm hats and sweaters, don't you think?

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Peace out!

HELP!

Oh, knitting Goddesses (and Gods, if you're out there), PLEASE HELP ME!


I'm still here, but I'm knitting like mad for Christmas!

I'm trying to finish a sweater and all went well until I got to THIS strange set of directions for decreasing the arm sleeves.

"Then decrease 1 stitch at each edge, every other row, once."

What the @#*$ mother - &*@(#$(@$&!!!!!!!

What does this mean?

HELP ME!!!!!