Useful Links

Public domain antique patterns.

http://www.antiquepatternlibrary.org/

Some free knitting stitch samples

http://www.craftcookie.com/

Directory of free knitting patterns

http://knittingpatterncentral.com/

Their stitch library

http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/directory/stitches.php

Free patterns for Drops-yarns on sevaral languages

http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/en/kategori_oversikt.php

Free knitting patterns and stitch patterns

http://www.knittingonthenet.com/stitches.htm


These above I have used and liked.

This one is in Latvian and seems really good. I can't wait to become unemployed to have enough time to study these lovely things.

http://www.musturs.lv/

Hobbywool! We love Hobbywool!!!

There is yarn store in Vecriga at the opposite of the National Library of Latvia. It's called Hobbywool and they sell yarn and handmade garments in ridiculous prices (compared to Finnish rip-off prices). They speak English rather than Russian. Here some pictures outside.

Getting Tangled in Latvia

U wanna get rid of extra money?
Come and buy us! We are Latvian linen hanks. We are 900 meters long and we cost 1,75 lati (2,30e). We come in natural linen gray or natural white tones or in wonderful fuchsia or blue tones. (The ones below are very pretty fuchsia-toned light burgundy red, the picture has got a light bulb yellow tone that ruins the shade of colour in the pictures.)




We were bought in a shop called Dzija (yarn) on Merkela street (Merkela iela). It's located near the Tallink Hotel Riga we stayed in. There was a wonderful saleswoman called Irina. She was ever so friendly and showed us what we could make of their yarns. The Dzija is located in the basement floor and only has one small window outside. It's located next to an Armenian restaurant Akhmatar (good food in bargain prices) and Ali Baba pizza place. You should go to Dzija store. It is PACKED with Filati leftover yarns and some other brands too.

The Meaning of Life

I found a very compelling restaurant in the Old Town, Vecriga.

I have found a paradise on Earth. It's not a Central European expensive fancy-ass hellhole because it's located in lower-income-rate Eastern Europe, but it is Western enough not to give a huge culture shock. They speak Russian and have Russian type markets but it's not Russia or too Russian to cause angst to a Westerner.

It's Riga, the capital of Latvia!

The Baltic countries have been treated as one country since Molotov-Ribbenthrop contract when the Baltic countries became Communists while all Jews were exterminated. The horrendous ages of Stalin and Hitler are far away. I hope the Jews feel free to move to Baltic coutries if they like. Antisemitism and all kind of racism are unnecessary waste of time. This planet is ours, we live here together. Get used to it.

So, while Estonians speak a Fenno-Ugric language, the Latvians and Lithuanians speak Baltic languages. The Baltic languages has given many loan words to Finnish and they are considered to be the oldest languages in the Indo-European language family. Lithuanian is older and a more original than Latvian, but the Latvians and Lithuanians understand each other (I've heard). The words of Latvian I know don't much help me to understand Lithuanian.

Latvia has the Protestant faith and Lithuania is Catholic. Riga is the largest city of the Baltics and is located near the sea. The Eastern neighbor to Latvia is the Russian Federation. The capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, is located in Southern Lithuania quite near the Belorussian border. The only harbor town Lithuania has is called Klaipeda. I'll travel to Lithuania later to learn more of it's cultural wonders and craft history.

So as you may have understood my dear readers, I have left a part of my heart and soul to Riga. The people are amazing and the city is wonderful. I'm learning some Latvian so I don't need to speak Russian to them all the time. There are many Russians in Latvia and other Baltic states, but you should remember that the Soviet era and Russian invaders was a nightmare so remamber to be extra nice if you need to speak the war lord language to them. Many Latvians also speak English and German.