how to survive winter

Wear scarves. All the time. Especially of the hand-knitted variety.
And be with friends.

And even though it's tempting to keep all that knitting-goodness for yourself, knit for your sleepy, chilly friends.

Best of Sweden:: wool

I've decided to start something like a series on this little attempt of a blog. I've noticed the cool bloggers do it anyway. The topic is Sweden, and it will highlight some of the things about this part of the globe that I have grown to love and appreciate in their uniqueness and "swedishness." I've been reflecting that it's easy to become so used to where you live, be it abroad or in the same town where you grew up, that you stop noticing the everyday things. The particular nature and landscape, that old building in town, the local quirks of the people. Everyplace has it's appreciable characteristics.

That intro being said, I love that there is so much wool in Sweden. In this cold climate, you find every small town has a yarn shop, and any random market is compromised of half yarn/wool/sheepskin vendors. Just today I was on the bus to go teach when i noticed a market on the big square in town. As the bus zoomed past, I was alarmed I hadn't heard that this market would be there. I let out a sharp intake of breath at the sight of piles of soft sheepskins. I was planning on heading straight by. But I made the quick decision that the school could wait. I jumped off at the next stop and entered the world of warm mittens, felted hats, and scandinavian sweaters. OK, there was also a donut stand and a lady selling spandex longjohns. But I only had eyes for the handmade. And by the providence of God I resisted buying the ridiculously cheap yarn, only because I had not one bit of cash on me. So I used the opportunity to be inspired instead. That's always free.

casting on

I'm itching to cast on for my next knitting project, but I have a dilemma. Because I'm heading home in April, suitcase space is a topic frequently on my brain. I have lived in Sweden for over a year and a half. And I have accumulated. So my rule for the spring is "don't buy anything." at all. unless i can eat it and it disappears. This leaves me with an obvious problem in the knitting department, yet i suppose one can view it as a challenge as well: I may only knit with my stashed yarn. This may not sound too bad, but my stash is such a hodge podge of ends of skeins and yarn I've had forever but never done anything with because they don't have any appeal. So this is what I'm working with. Alexander, the 4 yr old I'm part-time au pairing for, complained last week "jag fryser på kinden." literally translated: I'm freezing on my chin. So I happily came to the rescue with a promised cowl....the perfect solution for his chin and for my yarn scraps. When I presented the finished item this morning to a too-tired boy, he said with a quivering voice that it wasn't like his buddy's, and that he didn't like it. oh dear.

But mostly the knitting dilemma has been in the background lately. I've been teaching a whole lot, and it can be tiring. Today alone I was on my bicycle for 2 and a half hours, going from school to school. (i counted as i puffed up the hill home) It's easy to feel stressed, rushed, and like the day is a blur. And then I arrive at an elementary school. The building is an old Swedish mansion style; tall and stately. And the playground on this grey, lifeless-looking, slushy day, is full of happy children. Clad in snowboots and head to toe jackets, they embrace the day. They find a patch of ice and are fixated for half an hour, taking turns falling. They don't seem to mind that the snow is no longer white but now grey with dirt and gravel. They remind me to laugh, to relax. My "own" child does a pretty good job of reminding me of this himself. We had a rousing pillow fight a couple evenings ago. Me and Alex versus Erik. the usual teams. :)

one thing ends, another begins

What has ended is the sweater I started knitting on Christmas day. A big chunk was done on the long day of flights back to Sweden, and the rest in bits and pieces of free time. It's fun to wear something handmade....like wearing a secret no one knows about but you. It may look ordinary, even a little less than store-perfect, but there is a pleasure one gets from looking down and thinking, hmm. i made that.
What has begun is semlor season. Is that a kind of animal? you ask. Has some odd hunting season begun in Sweden? no no. Although lately i've been wanting to learn to hunt. That's beside the point. In this northern country, after New Years, a certain treat begins appearing on the bakery shelves called semla (plural semlor). A slightly sweet, fluffy bun, sliced in half and filled with marzipan and whipped cream, on which is placed the top like a hat, then is sprinkled with a bit of powered sugar. de-light-ful. Lately I have been fully aware that this season has begun, but I hadn't yet found the perfect moment to spend a few extra crowns on a semla. But alas, Erik came to my rescue and brought home this box last week:
This was a good sign. This is a nice bakery, one of the most well-respected in Uppsala. Inside were found 2 semlor, and after waiting patiently through dinner, we enjoyed the daily after-dinner coffee with these beauties. The tradition of eating semlor goes back to the 16th century in Sweden, and I doubt this one will ever die out.

sunday evenings

bread and tea. knitting and a streamed sermon. sunday evenings and slowness. some things just go together.

winter walks

I have been sick all week and finally had the energy today that I have been craving. It's not totally back, but at least I got to go for a couple long walks. One in the forest, and one in the valley. Both near my house and equally nice (though the forest is so dark, and in the winter I tend to not gravitate in that direction). These horses faithfully search the ground for something to eat.....something amid the rock-hard, dead, snow-covered field. poor things. I wish I had a few animals to take care of. I crave some good old outdoor chores.

I am almost done knitting a sweater/jacket which I started on this day in December:

Yes, it was Christmas day in SC, and it was gloriously warm. We played tennis later. ahh! the life. But I do love winter, and boy does it make spring SO appreciated. I've been back in Sweden for 3 weeks now, and I'm missing immensly that wonderful time with family, friends, dear church fellowship, and delightful southern accents. It's been back to the darkness, and to the teaching duties for me. But I've been able to squeeze in the knitting, and I'm lighting candles, and I have a couple new mix cds from a friend....songs for the soul.

How do you transition from the after-holiday time back to the everyday?

Sunny South Carolina

I promise this is the last photo i'll snag off someone else. (but isn't it nice? edisto beach, sc) The word on the street is that i may finally be the owner of a digital camera around the 25th of this month. Then i have the lofty goal of becoming a regular blogger. I know, it may be hard to believe, because i've promised it before and always seem to end up with .....nearly a month.....between my posts. But with my own camera i feel certain everything will change. I can't wait to document more of my everyday life here in sweden both for you readers and for myself to be sure and capture this particular, special time in my life.

The point of this post is to say that i am leaving TOMORROW for SC. Sunny, south carolina that is. These days i can't seem to say one without the other. i know it's not always true, but indeed from my perspective the sky is definitely sunnier on the other side. It has been a year since i've seen dad, luke, calvin, harry, caroline. 9 months since i've seen becca and mom. a year and a half since i've seen joe. too long....far too long. though i am grateful for what i have. That I have such a wonderful family that i want to be with all the time. That both me and my älskling can afford a place ticket. That we get to have 24 blissful days in a row together....full force, focused, concentrated time together.

The snow is falling outside my window now. That makes the winter darkness a lot less dark and much more beautiful. Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you have a blessed season.

Sunny SC here i come!!