Monday, January 07, 2008

New purchases for 2008

My stash, even though still high on kilos is low on material to work with. Sounds funny, when I say that I have about 12 kg of yarn, but quite understandable, if you look at the content - it's all odds and ends and odd balls I've bought thinking I will try freeform crochet soon (yeah right, but I still can have that dream can't I?)

I must say that buying yarn from Estonia is real fun! Mainly because the prices ARE much lower than in Europe, even though the brands and yarns might be exactly the same or at least same quality.

Like any Virgo, I must make lists, so here is my list of Holiday purchases:

Aade Long Artistic - Kauni Effektgarn?
Two 260 gram hanks of Artistic by Aade Lõng (it looks very similar to Kauni Effektgarn), but I am not convinced fully, I would have to compare. I have serious feeling that it is the same.
BBB Filati Meriseta
8 balls of BBB filati Meriseta. It has 70% wool and 30% silk, and I have a felling it will turn into something really beautiful. It's price - low for a silkblend.
Rowan Tapestry
6 balls of Rowan Tapestry. Like the feeling of the yarn, have an idea, something to do with the Noro I ordered from Japan....
TitanWool Merinos Extra
Two hanks of Titan Wool Merinos Extra for a lace shawl in mind. And yes, it is more convenient to buy Italian yarns from Estonia, rather than from Italy.
Elotroi Liisu orangeElotroi Liisu  redElotroi Liisu Gray
Three hanks of Estonian 100% wool by Elotroi (name: Liisu) which is excellent to knit traditional socks and mitts from Estonia.

To achieve the patterns of handknit mitts of Estonia one needs correct tools: I bought new double pointed needles, for which it seems US folks even don't have numbers - 1,5 mm and 1,25 mm needles. The lowest if I'm not mistaken is US 00 which is equivalent for 1,75 mm needles?

As an addition to my serious yarn addiction I also bought knitting books:

A vintage knitting pattern collection from 1950ies: Claire Hallik "Silmuskudumine" and it's newer colored version from the 70ies.

And something I suggest even if you don't read Estonian, but can read colored charts (that's 100% of you):

Photo from:
http://www.rahvaraamat.ee/?id=63&no=R069511#


Eesti Kindakirjad (Estonian Mitten Patterns) by Elo Lutsepp and Irina Tammis. Since I am the proud owner of Aino Praakli's booklets of Patterned mittens (Eesti kirikindad I and II) I can fully recommend this book as an addition to the other books. There are none (or very few) overlapping patterns as I've conculded so far. The book is entirely in Estonian, with a short introduction to knitting mittens and gloves, but an experienced or even advanced mitt-knitter should find no problems by the lack of language knowledge, all patterns are colorfully charted so that the knitter can decide on its own how she or he wants the mitten.


As an addition I bought a book: Vatt, Troi, Vamsa - Knitted Jackets from West-Estonian Islands by Riina Tomberg, it's a bilingual book (estonian-english), but doesn't have any patterns, it is a research based reading for people interested in this type of subjects illustrated with many photos.

7 comments:

caska said...

Buon Anno !!! mi spiace che non ci siamo viste il 21 ,ma il giorno dopo partivo ed ero molto presa. Un bacione flavia

Anonymous said...

Wow! 12 kg of yarn sounds great! So much knitting on 2008! The yarn is really beautiful!

Mira said...

that's some pretty nice yarns you've got there! yarn therapy is always good =)

Kelly said...

can I ask where you got Eesti Kindakirjad was it a shop online?

Unknown said...

Can you please advice me a source for online purchase of BBB Meriseta Filati? Thank you so much.

Ing. said...

Sorry, Sue, but I have no idea where you could find the yarn online...

Anonymous said...

Hello!
Would you please share the book Eesti kindakirjad with me? (scanning it)
It is completely sold out and nowhere to get!!
I am a big fan of Latvian and Estonian knitting and it would be great to knit some mittens from this book.
I also have some nice pattern books from Scandinavia and Latvia to share - please mail me back -
Thanks,Aguti
Zauberzeh@gmx.at