Showing posts with label craft trip. Show all posts
Showing posts with label craft trip. Show all posts

Monday 17 December 2012

Pomeranian Advent

There are Christmas fairs in many cities across Europe in the month of December to get you in the real holiday mood. I visited the one in Gdansk, Pomerania region of Poland on the Baltic coast - a beautiful place I had wanted to see for a long time.

Gdansk Dlugi Targ in Christmas lights


The fair takes place on The Coal Market (Targ Weglowy) near the main railway station and stays open until December 23th. Looking quite empty as pictured here on the opening day, the square filled up with many more fair booths over the next few days.

Gdansk  Christmas fair on Targ Weglowy


All sorts of Christmas themed decorations and souvenirs, sweets and lollipops, warm socks and fur slippers, and leather goods are to be found. From the catering side, hot sausages and Glühwein is a must to stay warm in the slightly subzero temperatures.

Gdansk Christmas fair

Gdansk Christmas fair


Part of the fair is placed indoors, in the hall next to the market square, and decorated with many colourful light installations.

Gdansk Christmas fair


The booth displays are also very colorful and abundant.

Gdansk Christmas fair


The warm and festive atmosphere generated by all of those nicely wrapped and displayed items will certainly last longer than the visit itself.

Gdansk Christmas fair


Santa was sitting among his helpers and snowmen, gazing delightedly at the merry visitors around him.

Gdansk Christmas fair Santa Claus


After just a short walk in the old town, the inevitable is bound to happen: knitter spotting a yarn shop (Lawendowa St. 2).

Gdansk yarn shop Valdi


There is also a shop of ready made woollen clothes and accessories on the famous Mariacka Street (the mannequin should be wearing some knitted stockings in this weather!).

Gdansk Mariacka Street sweater shop


On the upper floor of the Main Town Hall museum, the vintage room displays of various professions include this seamstress' room.

Gdansk Town Hall sewing room


And while in the area, it is worth visiting the art museum in Abbot's Palace and the etnographic museum next to it in the Oliwa park, which are just a tram ride away.

Oliwa park



Saturday 28 April 2012

Window shopping in Venlo

Craft shops are really hard to pass by, especially when there is a pile of yarns on the window. But as the saying goes, when travelling light, do not enter a yarn shop.
Here are some impressions of craft and souvenir shop displays in the small town of Venlo, the Netherlands.


Yarn, thread, ribbon


Venlo craft shop


Craft shop window


Sewing kit


Purple craft shop display


Dutch motives and tulips craft paper


Dutch tiles


Deco chocolates and fruit cakes


Flower tea pot and cake


Tea set with roses




Monday 23 April 2012

Inspiration from around the world

My weekend trip to visit Floriade, World Horticultural Expo in the Netherlands, quite unexpectedly proved to be interesting craftwise as well. Many participating countries had included souvenirs and textiles in their expositions, for some it was the main attraction with very little to show in the gardening area.

This tree with a colourful knitted sweater was probably the only living creature on the fair grounds not suffering from the fierce cold wind and frequent rain and hail showers of the weekend:

Knitted graffiti tree yarn bombing Floriade 2012


Crafty hands could easily make a garden sculpture like this cyclist from Luxembourg

Willow sculpture cyclist

or any other decorative willow object:

Willow art


Motive of a cosy knitted throw on a garden shed chair:

Knitted throw motive


Bobbin lace samples of Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka lace

and how they are made by diligent hands:

Sri Lanka bobbin lace making


Chinese silk lantern:

Chinese silk lantern


Fine printed fabrics of Indonesia:

Indonesian textiles


Patterns from Afghanistan:

Afghanistan textiles


Colours of Tunisia:

Tunisian textiles


Moroccan sofa with a beautiful patterned fabric in chocolate and turquoise:

Moroccan sofa


Andean knits and textiles from Ecuador:

Ecuador textiles


And some more pretty textile patterns with mystery origin:

Sudan textiles

Ethnic textiles


Last but not least, some fashion ideas to steal from this performer's costume:

Floriade performer on crutches



Monday 15 August 2011

Haapsalu Shawl Day

The picturesque town of Haapsalu celebrated the annual lace knitting day yesterday: woolwhite lacework was to be spotted everywhere, both in finished and work-in-progress status. The seaside resort atmosphere was something well worth envying as always.

The lace knitting contest was not too crowded with its fourteen participants:

Haapsalu Shawl Day knitting contest


Some people just knitted on the street without competing:

Haapsalu lace knitters


Shawl dance presented by a classy local dance group:

Shawl dance group

Shawl dance

Shawl dance


And some other highlights of the program:

Haapsalu folk dancers

Haapsalu Shawl Day 2011 singers


Shawls and other lacy items made by the local master knitters were also sold at the craft fair. And for a shocking price of 50 Euros - unfortunately, this is what people who value handmade can afford here. (The price for being an economically well-behaving country.) Well, start planning your lace shopping trip for next August!

Haapsalu Shawl

Estonian lace


This is the window of the Dome Church chapel, where the White Lady appears on full moon August nights (she must be hiding in there by day as well):

Haapsalu White Lady chapel window


By the end of the day, all this motivation overdose resulted in a midnight swatch with Karukellakiri pattern. This project cannot be postponed any longer and as soon as I'm done with the hardest part - choosing a stitch pattern - my first Haapalu shawl will be cast on.

Lace knitting swatch


There is also a sweet short film about knitting in Haapsalu in 1937 available in the Estonian Film Archives:






Tuesday 21 September 2010

Craft fair in Helsinki

Made a day trip to Helsinki last Sunday to visit the craft fair Kädentaitomessut that took place in the lovely Wanha Satama (Old Harbour) fair centre.

Wanha Satama


There were many exhibitors, selling both crafts and supplies (yarn!), so couple of hours went by very quickly. Most of the handmade items were either sewn, felted, made of leather, wood, wire or ceramics. They were all very unique and kind of modern, not at all what can be seen at the craft fairs in my country - mostly traditional and folk culture based items. I saw some machine knitted knitwear, but actually no handknittings. Must be an unlucrative activity!

Helsinki craft fair

Helsinki craft fair

Helsinki craft fair

Helsinki craft fair

Helsinki craft fair


Other trip highlights:
* Helsinki Vintage fair that had brought together many people interested in vintage fashion and accessories. The most exceptional were the outfits and hair styles from the past, worn by some sellers and visitors.
* Lunch at the fishing harbour, consisting of a large portion of muikku (vendace) and September sun.
* My fair purchases: Addi bamboo needles, a blackberry Zauberball and Kalahari karakul wool made in Botswana(!):

Karakul wool