Raiding Tallinn, Estonia for Yarn

Attention all Yarn Friends moving or living in Northern Europe!

There is a wonderful small country above Latvia to the left from Russia under Finland, Estonia. The capital Tallinn is a very beautiful old Hansa town and there are wonderful craft stores. Everything can be found in really good prices, but I concentrate this survey for yarn only.

Because we got to Tallinn from Helsinki, we first took a taxi from the harbour to Karnaluks. They sell everything. The store is really well hidden. There is a tiny text on the door. You go to the second floor and ring the bell. There among Finnish yarn entusiasts and cardboard boxes they sell everything for crafting, beads, knitting machines, yarn... lace... buttons... yarn... stickers... needles and hooks...

Look for stuff on their webpage www.KL24.ee (no English!) and write a list for yourself. Otherwise you don't know where to start.

A small vocabulary:

Needles = vardad
Circular needles = ringvardad
Yarn = lõng
Knitting= kudumine
Crocheting = heegeldamine
Books = raamatud
Laces = pitsid

Address:  OÜ Karnaluks, KA Hermanni 1, 10121 Tallinn, Tel./Fax: +372-601 3373.

Karnaluks Ou‎ (Map)

Shopping center Kaubamaja has got Liann Lõngad - yarn store in the ground floor of the B- wing of the Gallery. This link above opens to their Products -page.
The store is small but good and sells European yarns.

Tallinna Kaubamaja Ametiühing‎(Map)

Gonsiori 2, 10143, Tallinn, Eesti‎ - 667 3120‎

Going to the Old Town there's a new yarn store. They sell also pottery. They have good quality Estonian wool. Prices are affordable, but not the cheapest. I really liked the place.

In the Old Town very near Raekoja plats there's a store called VeTa (part of Calisto Varahaldur OÜ). In the second floor there is very beautiful Turkish yarn and zazzling coloured crochet hooks. I bought a lot of that wonderful Turkish mohair. It's devine. The yarn is multicoloured but instead of stupid ready-made patterns and dots some sock yarns have and blunt stripes the colours change wave-like as on a luxorious aquarell work. Yarn looks stripey on the skein, but knitted it's really beautiful. I have never seen as beutiful colour changes on any yarn when the yarn is knitted.

The Turkish company is called Yünteks.

If you look above you'll see some devine Turkish mohair in minty green and purple tones reminding of Crocus flowers pushing through snow in early Spring.

For the friends of rosey and gray tones is this baby here:

More beauty on these pages:

www.alize.gen.tr

www.yunteks.com.tr

VeTa on Pikk

http://www.veta.ee/www?id=294

This web page is in English. VeTa also sell clothes, both to men and women.

Koko näyttö

Calisto Varahaldur OuO

Poistopyyntö on tehty ()Pyydetty palautustaMuokattu

Sijainti kartalla on suuntaa antava

Kullassepa 4

10146 Tallinn, Eesti

Hanki reittiohjeet

6 46 41 40

Calisto Varahaldur Ou‎(Map)

Kool Rock Ski Hat without Kool Rock

I made this hat for the trip to Estonia. The pattern is from Hip Hats and Cool Caps by Ibomu. I altered the pattern a little: Because I used a thinner yarn than suggested, I needed more stitches and rows. I also used hdc instead of puff stitch. I made the hat part deeper and earflaps longer to adjust the thing to fit my head. Earflaps are started following the intructions, but they have more sticthes for proper width. Then I skipped one stitch at the beginning of the row every row until I had twelve stitches wide end. Then I continued ceocheting the flaps until long enough and finished by again skipping one stitch in the beginning of every row until I had three stiched to bind of. If I had worked like suggested in the original pattern skipping one stitch every row I would have got a very unflattering sharply narrowing v-shape instead of what the picture suggested. When working with a different yarn you always must use your eyes and not only follow the directions, because the directions fit for the suggested yarn only.

Here the picture is taken indoors and not in natural light. Yarn is deep dark burgundy coloured Alpaka Fashion.

For the National Economy of Estonia

I and my friend took the boat to Tallinn to buy some yarn. We were planning the day ahead in the cabin and the other travellers were mostly drinking ahead. Dunk dunk dunk... the Ship Police! You have some illegal drinks in there... We decided to take breakfast and then sleep a little.
Dunk dunk dunk... The police... Open the door...

We went to the Karnaluks yarn market. Karnaluks sells everything for yarn and fabric crafting. I had a small list with me so I wasn't totally confused between all those shelves and boxes. Karnaluks is good for buing European yarn for really ridiculous prices.

Next stop was in Kaubamaja. There is a small yarn store. I found there Tunisian circular needles which Karnaluks didn't happen to have. Then we continued to walk to Old Town. There was a new hand arts store with some very good quality Estonian wool. I bought a kilo of some Estonian merino wool that only had been there for two days.

Near the Town Square there is a store called VaTa. They sell some Turkish yarn. The brand is called Yünteks. I bought everything that I could afford because they don't sell that stuff in Finland.
I write more about the shops and yarns later in new chapters.

The trip back went well. We tried to sleep. The others did not. Dunk dunk dunk dunk dunk... the police! Open the door! ... dunk dunk dunk dunk...

They Don't Want Me to Leave

It was my last day at work. I was in a hurry trying to get everything done. All the people who have had their last day had been organized a small coffee party. One girl got a big bunch of sunflowers because she's so bright and cheerful all the time. I was waiting for a big bucket of sour grapes. I got books and only very careful attention. Well, it's ok. I like books a lot better because they last longer.

My workmate was counting the money and I signed out, put my keys and the name tag in an envelope. I was told that there would be someone at the main door. It would have been smart to wait my workmate and she would have let me out. None of the other doors work without the electric key. The large door customers use was already bolted so I went to the microfilm room. I was pitch dark. I found the swing doors and there was a huge bolt. I went to the end of the room an found a door I got open. I went throught some swing doors in the darkness and got into the entrance hall. The main door was locked and bolted. So I panicked. I tried yelling my workmate's name. I found a door and went down to find another locked door. I panicked a lot more.

I got back to the entrance hall. It was pitch dark and every single door was bolted and locked. The alarm system would go on at 8.30. My final plan was to wave my arms to wake the motion detector. But I didn't know how big an alarm it would be and would there be police cars and everything and I would end up in the evening news... the idiot who got locked in the National Library of Finland.

I found a phone and because of the darkness and I honestly couldn't tell if everything was turned off or protected with alarm I got the bright idea to call the Emergency number. I know I should have called the security because I only was going to get very hungry and probably get a bad migraine. I couldn't find a number or anything. The person who answered told me to calm down because it was not dangerous to be locked up in the National Library. He asked if there was any numbers. I told I couln't see anything. He asked if I had a cell phone that I could use as a light source. God, he's smart! I had a phone and finally found a number instead of a speed dial and name. It was like in a bad sitcom because I talked in two phones simultaniously. The emergency person told me to hang up because the line could not be kept busy.

The guard said it takes a while to come and told me to wait. I went to the window and thought about scarying the passer-by's. I saw the Helsinki Cathedral to turn lights off. It was making me quite freakt out. I thought about taking a photo because I probably would not be locked in the National Library ever again. Or writing something on Facebook. Or updating my story about the Absurdistan. Everything was so dark. Finally I could hear something. It took forever. Then a door opened at the other end and the guard lead me out through the Southern reading room, Rotunda, personnel corridor, a small inner garden, mail delivery corridor and finally out. It was the long route because of the locked doors and alarms. I was toldthat I was in one point standing close to motion detector alarm because I was staying in doorway afraid that door would get locked too.

The guard told me that people get locked in all the time and it hardly would be any news. The person I had called to came too. I had to show my brand new passport to be identified. I started laughing. Finally it was very funny but it's odd how the absurd is catching me all the time. How do I end up in situations like that?

Living in Absurdistan

I like Finland. Nothing ever happens here. It's safe and wonderfully dull. But something has made this everything really odd.

It's my last day on this job. When I had been here couple of weeks a workmate brought me a beautiful glass heart from Venice. I made a necklace of it with two glass pearls. Today another workmate brought me something that looks exactly like the necklace but the heart was missing. What had the thing done on her desk for so long? She found it some weeks ago. The weird part is that I never knew it was missing because I just saw the thing at home.

Recently I bought a small green prayer chain for 30 cents. Some days later it had mysteriously disappeared from the metal ring I put it on. I hope the finder is happy.

One night I was pondering about whether I should check if my bonuscards are on their places or is it just dumb. Sometimes I feel the need for checking my stuff. None of the cards are for buying. They are always in the same place and have no use for the others so I fell asleep without checking. Two days later I was paying my groceries and couldn't find the bonuscard. I felt weird remembering my thoughts from that night. Where can a thing go from its place? I found it later in one shop I had used it in earlier.

Once I found a ribbon on the ground and took it home. At home I noticed my cardigan had only one ribbon left. Later I lost one of the ribbons again, this time for real.

Ten years ago I was turning my cell phone off when it rang. My father was perplexed about the fact I wasn't at home and told me he had left the computer at my neighbor. I had been in school at those hours since 1986 except on vacations. What computer?

I had a job interwieve today. I have spent a good part of my life studying because I think it's important. I have had a good work now too. At the interwieve the people were worried about the fact I might be too academic and would be into reseach rather than the ordinary office-type work they needed me for. I told them I can mob the floor for them if needed. I do any work. They told me the cleaner takes care of that but the bookshelves may need wiping. I said "Yeah, I'll do it". I got the work.

I had a friend who worked at a grocery store. My father took me to the store to buy exotic fruits. I choosed mine and he choosed his and we went to my friend. She bleeped the fruits on the reader. Then she lift up a coconut with a price tag on it and said: "This is not a mango". The price tag said "mango". I looked at my father, then my friend and then the nut that thought it was a mango. We went back to find the price for the coconut.

At home I hit the nut on the weak spot as one saleswoman had adviced me earlier in the store. I ate the flesh. Later I bought a new coconut. I took the water out through the weak spot like earlier. Then I put it the weak spot up as earlier. I hit with the hammer like earlier. Nothing. I hit again. Nothing. I call my father. "How do you open this thing?" He told me the same I just did.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang... He could hear it on the phone. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang... Have you ever talked on phone with a person who is trying to broke a coconut at the same time? My father has.

Knitting out of Blue

This one is my own design. It's the first sweater I made. The lacy pattern is taken of a Mary Olki knitting book. The sleeves were easy to make, because the lace pattern goes higher than the stockinette stitch so I didn't make the shoulderline round by decreasing. The front and back needed the small cracheted collar of the same reason, otherwise the pieces would have been crooked.

Irishing Up My Knitting

This piece is made after a ready-made pattern. But because nothing ever works well when I follow the intructions I needed to make some moderations. The yarn I decided to use is so bulky I only used the cable chart without the stockinette panels on right and front piece.

Original pattern: Vigdis in Elsebeth Lavold, Viking Patterns for Knitting, North Pomfret, Vermont: Trafalgar Square 2000.

Yarn: Naturgarn n:o1, Asa Gjestal.

Molukkirapu Online Library

The Online Library is a Google-based search system. I have collected there books that are hard to find elsewhere. All fully digitalized publications are free to use in non-commercial purposes. Always respect the copyright laws when using the texts. Re-publications must always have authors permit if it has been less than 50 years of the authors death. I wish you enjoy reading the material and find it useful.
Link to the Molukkirapu Online Library is on the left.

The Contents of Molukkirapu Online Library

 

Use the search in this user's library - search engine to find texts!

I have divided some material in subsections called bookshelves. There's a lot of everything so please be patient while I'm constructing the system!

These below are only some themes! 

Grammar and Literature of Ancient Languages:

1. Armenian
2. Assyrian
3. Avestan
4. Babylonian
5. Basque
6. Gothic
7. Hebraica
8. Latin
9. Persian
   

Christian studies:
 

1. Armenian Bible
2. Lutheran Bible
3. History of the Biblical Texts
   

Zoroasricism:
 

1. Zend-Avesta

History:

1. Armenian
2. Assyrian
3. Azerbaijan
4. Georgian
5. Iranian 

History of Linguistics


Natural history:

1. The Horseshoe Crab
2. Paleonthology
   

Philosophy:

1. Immanuel Kant

Knitting Out of Crowd

I made a kimono-shaped cardigan. The pattern can be found in Spring 2009 issue of Burda Verena by name Feather and Fan Jacket, in the English edition p. 11.

I must have done something wrong because I got stopped on the traffic lights by a passer-by who wanted to tell compliments. I guess it's because I tend to use bold colours instead of the lame ones the original presented. Don't get me wrong, the original is very pretty. Especially if you choose to blend in the background.

Crocheted Horseshoe Crab

Instructions For the Horseshoe Crab

This one is called Poju-rapu and is originally published on Ravelry.

HEAD (Cephalothorax)

Crochet a small circle 2,5” diameter (6-7 rows, worsted weigt yarn[Pic. Pale gray]). Start making a larger D-shaped half circle. Make 29-30 rows [pic. Dark gray].

 Pic. 1 The arrows show the direction of crocheting.

BODY

Continue crocheting 6-8 rows to the straight end of the D-shape [pic. White]. Then continue crocheting the body as if crocheting ”a stem” to the D -shape. Make spikes on both sides of the ”stem”. I made first four wider and then three smaller spikes. Look a picture of a real horseshoe crab for modell. The actual horseshoe crab has got twelve legs of which 10 end to pincers. You can add them on the tummy side same way you make the telson.

Pic. 2. The spikes are made in the same time with the body: Crochet along the straight end of the D-shape, make chain and crochet back. Same at the other end. When the spike is wide enough (2-3 rows), start a new spike with a chain. On Poju the first spikes are 8-9 ch long and 3-4 rows wide. Some smaller spikes are 2-4 ch long and 1-2 rows wide. If you want, you can make the spikes after finishing the side seam.

If you use toy eyes, clip them on before closing side seams.

TUMMY

Crochet a big circle (9”). Make sure it's smaller than the upper part. Crochet lower body without any spikes.

SIDESEAMS

Crochet/sew side seams so that the upper head keeps the helmet-like shape and so thar the spikes remain on the upper part of the body. Fill the crab with something soft and washable. Leave a hole at the rear end.

Pic. 4 Tummy-piece is light gray.

TELSON

Crochet a long, round spike. Fill it. Telson is 2/3 of the horseshoe crabby's whole lenght.

FINISHING

Crochet spine ridge and eye ridges to give shape. (1 row sc.) Give your new pet a name and send the picture to the Happy Crab- group on Ravelry!

Seasons of the Rain

I have a friend in US. We write a lot to each other and I love it more I can describe. The discussions have brought me to think about the differences of culture of the geographical point of wiew. The first thing was that we presumably have intolerable winters in Finland. Oh my, I almost wish it was true. We have had two of those during my life time. One was in 1986, -30 degrees Celsius in the Southern Finland. The second was 2000 or so. It was -51 degrees Celsius in Northern Finland and about -30 in Helsinki. In case you didn't know -51 is the freezing point of hell. I don't know how anyone got through it even if they wore everything they owned and sat beside the radiator all the time, as I've heard. That bad it very seldom gets. The Summer starts later and it's warm very late in the Autumn. And it rains through the Winter.

I'm not a friend of warm climate. I live here because I enjoy the Four Seasons and even the fifth season called Kaamos the Northern countries have. Kaamos is a word for the period the Sun stays under the horizon or at least very close to it. It makes the Northern Winter so dark. But if there's snow it's not so dark at all. The climate change is making the Equator coutries to boil where is already was too hot and the Northern countries to lose all light during the cold months.

Can you people stop ruining our future with those SUVs, plastic items made of oil and destroying the rain forests for palm oil farms? I collected a short time all the small plastic packages of the frozen vegetebles I usually buy because they are so easy to use. The amount made me disgusted. I don't buy them anymore. It's a small contribution but we all can do something. And it actually saves your money! Please try.

The Crocheted Lilac Dress

This is my own pattern. I used as inspiration the Little Black Dress (Knit on the Net by Gudrun Johnston). The lilac dress is crocheted form the neckline down to the lowest end of the armhole. Then I crocheted both front sides same way down. Notice that the parts overlap. Then I crocheted down as one piece, joined the fronts so that they overlap and started the skirt part. The squares of filet lace on the upper back and the hem are taken of Emma Farnes, My book number G,the Antique Design of Spider in many Variations. This booklet is available in the Antique Pattern Library. All the patterns are free for non-commercial use. The lace on the hem is from Mary Olki, Uusia ja vanhoja virkkuupitsejä, WSOY, Porvoo 1950, p.37.

Skirts Crocheted and Fancy

I already told you I crochet. Because of a very dear a work mate of mine I started the blog. She apparently told everybody that I'm writing one even if I didn't. I have a page in Raverly, which the reader must register to if he desires to wiew my work. The Ravelry is a craft community and a very lovely craft community it is!

But this is a blog and this post shows of two of my handmade skirts. The brown and pink one is made after a pattern the Finnish Moda - magazine published in a already forgotten year and issue. The salmon-coloured skirt also was published in one of those issues of past years. The only clue I have that the first one belonged to a set of a hat, a scarf and a skirt made of pale blue yarn. The pattern is called Hame, hattu ja huivi or something of the same fashion. The City Library of Vantaa has got a database for searching magazine articles. So if you wish to find the pattern, go to a City Library in Finland with the Finnish name above and do as I told you. You may find the pattern.

The latter pattern was probably called a crocheted skirt. That one I altered a little because I didn't want the lacy pattern to show my behind. As you can see I made few rows of double crochet first. Both of the skirts are started at the waist. And because they both are a bit loose I use string instead of a zip close, wich the original patterns use. Both skirts are also made in one piece.

Mr. Crab Came from the US

I took him with to my current work place. He's probably one of the first plush horseshoe crabs in Finland. I know there's three living ones in Sealife. But this Mr. Crab is mine.

I knit. I crochet. I love horseshoe crabs. I don't have anything special to say to ther world except those minor facts. Then I have two tuxedo cats who love to lie on everything I knit, crochet or read. Actually they lie on everything I own. I don't need to buy fake fur. I have real fur. The Fur is black and white and it says purrrrrr. Her name is Kissy. The Furry Purry has a friend called Moo. Moo is a quietly purring whirl of hair. Sometimes she walks to the door and scraches until the door is opened by the servant Man. If the door is closed she scratches until she gets back in. The timing for visiting the Great Outdoors on the balcony is crucial. The time is when the servant is sitting down with handywork and piles of yarn.

I asked my friends to send me Mr. Crab so I could have a horseshoe crab plush I haven't made myself. He made me happy. He is not covered with cat hair. He's my silent partner on this blog.

I have a row of books calling me behind my back. I must turn now.