This past Wednesday night at the Seattle Knitters Guild meeting, they presented a special guest, Annemor Sundbo from Norway. Here she is signing my book, Invisible Threads. (Notice the darn water bottle in the way, again)
She spoke about the symbolism in knitting and how that has been used throughout the centuries. She had a wonderful slide show of the meaning in varying motifs as well as how certain motifs show up in knitting in x century in x country and then you see it centuries later in y country.
What I took away from this is how connected we are to all knitters-past and present. The motifs they knit all those years ago we knit today.
I'm a very sentimental person and I just eat this kind of thing up. I love being connected to those knitters from centuries ago.
These knitters knit messages into gloves or mittens. The receiver had to know what the symbols meant to understand the message and they did. This was a wonderful way to communicate.
Annemor said that even today in Norway, in expressing love to a suitor, a woman may not say "I love you" but she will express the sentiment in the mittens she knits for a man. I was surprised that this was still the case today but I think it is so touching.
Annemor's Invisible Threads book won a literary award in Norway. When she received her award, the man presenting the award said that he probably never would have read a knitting book but that this book was a fascinating read. He was happy to report that his marriage improved after reading the book because he had much more to talk to with is wife!
Annemor said we should give this book to our husband's for Christmas!
By reading Annemor's book(s) I know I will gain a whole new appreciation for the knitters that have come before me as well as knowledge of the meaning knit into garments.
3 comments:
YOu know how the Yarn Harlot has the sock in all her pictures? I think your water bottle has the same potential.....
(Hey, the word verification code is evlnekk. Doesn't that sound like Evil Neck?)
maybe the water bottle wants to be famous!! you should take a single shot of that water bottle lol
My hubby will never read that book, he can't read hahahha
Wasn't this a fabulous conference? Even if you only had one day, you used it wisely, and took so much away! We are truly fortunate to have had a gathering of such gifted designers.
In my next life (sigh) I will have Wednesday evenings free to join and attend Guild meetings. Thank you for sharing the treasures from this meeting!
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