New Site, New Folk Bag and Other News

My new website has been published and the blog has moved to the new address.
Check it out: www.peonyandparakeet.com

The location of the new blog:
www.peonyandparakeet.com/blog

And a new blog post is up!
Go to the new blog to see it:
New Site, New Folk Bag and Other News

Florabell

Florabell, available at Etsy

It was so much fun to make this bag. I used to make these regularly but had to take a break once I moved to a new house. The inspiration of making these stopped then but when I found a bottom part from my stack of unfinished projects, it all came back! I also have another one on needles.

Doodling on Fabric

Crazy doodler, eh? I made a new folk bag and added doodling on it, even on the back side of the fabric.

See more pictures at my Etsy store, it's called Aurora Borealis.

From Three Bags To Three Idols

Here are my newest folk bags, all custom orders. The fabrics I have used in these bags are my own designs and create an illusion of continuous knitted fabric. I think of my bags as collage, combining different elements in uniform way.

I would love to add more artistic elements to my bags, like wild paintings. I often think my work is too controlled, too designed. I admire the look of relaxed illustrations, especially lively drawings. It is like I have walked a long way to be able to create something detailed and then, I just wish I could go back to the child's world where anything is possible and everything is relaxed and playful.

That's why I admire Miina Äkkijyrkkä so much. She is not only brilliant sculptor, but also outstanding illustrator who has designed fabrics for Marimekko. She, Anni Rapinoja and Sirkka Könönen are my three idols!

Why I Would Like To Be Purple

Here's a very special folk bag that I have made by custom order. It is meant for a spindle, that's why its longer than my regular bags.

I got the fabric with the order and I just fell in love with it. It was pure joy to make the matching crochet and knits. I love blue purples! They are very spiritual colors and there's nothing mundane in them. I wish I could be purple - well over everyday worries and petty thoughts!

Making this bag was color therapy for me. It makes me think how important it is to work with the colors that have some kind of personal meaning. What colours touch your soul?

Swedish Wedding and Finnish Summer

Here in Scandinavia the biggest news in July has been Swedish Princess Viktoria's wedding. I watched them on television as most of the women in Finland certainly did. So romantic! I could not help making a few folk bags inspired by the celebration.

Here are Silvia (the queen mother), Viktoria (the bride) and Madeleine (the sister of the bride)!

After all the silk and chiffon I went back to Finnish culture and visited Visavuori, a finnish sculptor's Emil Wikström's summer cottage and studio. Very Arts and Crafts, my favorite style!

I have a summer holiday and a lot of going on with my craft projects. It is so tempting to be awake late when Finnish summer is so unique and wonderful. The sun hardly goes down, it's so much light and the weather has been warm, almost hot. I hope all those who have planned to visit Finland are here right now as it's now as good as it can get!

Cards Are Here and About Sirkka Bag

I have my first set of cards printed out. The next ones are already being designed. These all are made to go with my folk bags and the colorful world I love and adore. I was a bit puzzled of how to sell the cards. I made mixed sets for Kukkilintu store but if you miss a certain combination, leave me a convo and I will list it for you.

I also made some Moo cards. I will include a Moo card for the next orders at Kukkilintu. Aren't they just so wonderfully rich and colorful!

In my last post I promised to write more about a very special bag I made during the spring. It was a custom order folk bag whose owner just loves Sirkka Könönen, a Finnish textile designer. Well, I am Sirkka's fans too so the project was not only challenging but very interesting! I started with the collage of Sirkka's work, then picked the colors and designed the motif. I started thinking about cranberries and cloudberries. My father used to pick these berries. One morning he left early to pick some cranberries and came back before dinner. My mother made a desert from the berries and said to me that “this desert could be served in the finest restaurants”. She appreciated the cranberries so much.

When constructing the bag I thought how memories and stories are so important in everything I make. My concept of living is a "Knit your story" thing. My inner critic has a strong, powerful voice, but it is silenced by the stories. There cannot be anything wrong in storytelling. It is so hard work to try to be a better designer and I am afraid I never will be good enough. But whatever happens, the power of stories always surprises me and makes me forget all the possibilities I might never get. Everything is possible in my imaginary world! I wish I can give a glimpse of it for you via this blog!

More photos of Sirkka at my Flickr site.

Welcome Summer, Welcome New Products and Gardening!

First, I want to thank you all for so many wonderful messages I have received in May. It means a lot to me that there are people in the world who share the colorful world of Kukkilintu. In the picture you can see few of my latest folk bags and also a couple of my mixed media art work. I will have few greeting cards printed from these in the summer and they will be available for purchase at Kukkilintu store.

I had some stomach aches in May and was examined carefully. Luckily they were just untypical symptoms of appendicitis and I was operated. Before I knew the relieving results (yes, going to a surgery can be relieving!), I only had one regret in life: not putting enough effort on gardening. So I had to make this cabbage themed folk bag for all the gardeners!

I also have finished the folk bag I told you in my last post. It was the one inspired by the finnish textile artist Sirkka Könönen. That was a very special project for me and I will tell more about it in my next blog post in the coming weeks.

Feelings About Fabric

Sometimes I think that the life is about fabric. It is like a the mother of all materials. Those who sew collect fabric. Those who prefer knitting to sewing make their own fabric. And you can even make fabric from fabric, by quilting that is.

The fat quarters of the fabric I have designed from my hand knits were sold out for a short while, but now I have added them again to my Etsy shop. I could not resist taking a photo of them, they looked so bright and so Scandinavian.

Some may remember the hedgehog bag I made quite a long time ago. I got a request of the hedgedog bag and had just enough fabric to replicate it. I do not buy huge quantities of fabric in time, so it is often difficult to fulfill requests where an old bag should be replicated.

My next project is to design a bag inspired by Sirkka Könönen, a Finnish textile artist. If you do not know her, I can tell you that she is a real artist in stranded knitting and colorwork. I would call her Finnish Kaffe Fasset! Have a look at one of her cardigans. It is going to be so much fun to get inspiration of her work!

Speaking of fabric, check out the recent post in my papercrafting blog Peony and Parakeet where I have used pen as a needle and paper as fabric. Happy sewing, everyone!

The Process of Making Folk Bags

I want to share with you how I make folk bags!

I start my bags usually by sketching the idea of form, patterning and structure. If I make the regular folk bag, I usually skip this phase and start by choosing a color to my liking and crocheting the bottom. This gives me time to think about the theme of the bag.

After I have finished the bottom part I usually have the idea of what the story behind the bag is. I use the story to guide the creative process. If I need some more inspiration at this point, I go to my huge stash of fabric. Sometimes I choose the fabric before starting the knitted part, sometimes I choose the fabric after I have finished knitting. Either way, it is very important that the proportions and colors of the patterns in fabric are in harmony with the knitted part.

I never draw charts for the stranded knitting. I only browse few chart books and then combine and form the motifs in my head. I never plan in which order I use the colors. When I start knitting it is like painting: you have the colors and the tools and the process guides you. I often find myself in a flow state when knitting, I think it's the best and the most creative part when making these bags. I absolutely love knitting little motifs and changing colors even more often than necessary. I mostly use Estonian wool as it has many shades in the same yarn. This way I can have very subtle changes in color and make the bag look lively.

I try to watch the proportions of each part of the bag. I often add decoration to the bottom by crocheting when the bag is almost finished. Sometimes I add a decorative ribbon or embroidery. I try to keep everything balanced but maintain necessary contrasts to appeal to the eye.

Here's my newest folk bag that has a very romantic name: Flower Fairy's Treasure. These colors remind me of fairy tales and everything whimsical!

Winter Days

We have had incredibly snowy and cold winter in southern Finland this year. So I have had my fair share of knitting in the living room while it's been snowing outside. The newest bag is called Spring as we are really quite desperate for spring in Finland!

My husband has spend a lot of time trying clear the routes from the snow. This photo shows how our little garden is filled with the snow. We even had to take some snow from the roof so that it does not get too heavy. Our youngest dog Cosmo enjoys watching him working!

Warm And Cold

My recent projects represent the contrasts. The first is a new folk bag in warm colors. The second is a custom order doll cardigan in cold colors.
In this bag I thought about sustainable living and growing vegetables from seeds. The bag is a combination of crochet, knitting and one of those fabrics I have designed myself.



The cardigan has a spring theme: snow, yellow-green and the first flowers of the season. I love those buttons, I was lucky to find them! I have hand dyed the colored yarns.

Tiny But Overwhelming

I wanted to make something festive but not too christmassy. Something scandinavian, yet oriental. So I made a tiny folk bag combining the things I cherish in my stash. Some might think it is too busy, at least when the photo is showing one of my fabrics in the background. But I need to have this kind of pictures now, when it is so dark outside.

Speaking of design, Helsinki, the nearest city, has been name as the world capital of design in 2012. Can't wait for all the events of the year! My main profession is about designing digital services so I hope they will not be forgotten either.

Four Seasons, finished

The beginning is often difficult. It is hard to believe in something that is just about hundred stitches on a circular needle. I try to make sketches before I actually begin because it gives some hope that there will be a final product in the end. This time I had a lot to do. Lining, flaps and all. I know designing should be simplifying but this time I just had to put all the ideas in the one bag!

At my day job I do simplify, simplify, simplify. But this bag just needed all these details! And, because making these bags is not my day job, I can be as crazy as I want, eh?

I am so inspired by the queens of the 18th and 19th century. I pictured some noble women in their grand gardens carrying their treasures. They would be surrounded by the trees ... Trees! Why not make a bag showing all four seasons using the forms of a tree!

That's how this started.

I have been learning a new skill: spinning! My new spinning wheel is a beauty and truly wonderful. The yarn is not the prettiest possible but it's very dear to me! I am excited about the possibilities spinning can offer! Being close to fibers is just uplifting.

Four Seasons

A glimpse of my newest bag, still unfinished. It's about trees and seasons and quite big. I was supposed to make small bags for Christmas, but got this so tempting idea and after some sketching I just had to start it!

I also have a new blog called Peony and Parakeet. It is about papercrafting. I have been especially keen on collage work and such for the last three years.

And like there's not enough to do with all the hobbies and the rest of the life, I just got a message from France that the spinning wheel I've ordered is now on its way to Finland. How exciting!

Folk Is Pink

These are my favorite colors: browns, pinks, purples and warm greens. I could not resist buying that corduroy fabric! Instantly I knew I had to make a bag. Eight sketches later I was in the middle of making one, by knitting.

I tried to simulate woven fabric with surface textures and some Rowan and some handdyed yarn. Did I mention that I have started to dye yarn? It is so much fun and the best thing is that I can now dye yarn specially designed for my bag projects.

This bag has a corduroy lining. I tried not to exaggerate the portion of the corduroy by making the patchwork strap from cotton fabrics. I included a couple of small pieces of my Kukkilintu fabrics there.

This is my start for fall and I call it Ruska, which is a Finnish word for fall colors.

Folk in the Air

I was asked to make a Bluebell folk bag and I made two. I have really started to like the design, it has weird melancholy built in it. I also finished a couple of folk bags in orange, brown and green. They have been started in the summer but they look like fall fashion to me now.

I am so happy that finally folk and stranded knitting are fashionable again. Even Rowan, one of my favorite yarn companies, is so folk this fall. Lochalsh, for example, is like a folk bag turned into a sweater! Love it!

I had a journey to Estonia recently and I used the opportunity to fill my stash with estonian wool. I have lots going on, including making new Blythe doll clothes, designing bags, hand dyeing yarn ...

I have also ordered a spinning wheel. It has been three years I have been thinking of getting one. Just could not do without anymore!

Joy

My newest folk bag is called Joy. It has been such a joyful summer! The garden has grown beautifully. I have felt relaxed and happy. In crafts, I have a lot of ideas of what to make and how.

I have found an Etsy seller that has beautifully dyed yarn: Hedgehogfibers. Check out her blog too: Fly along. Some might find her tones a bit melancholic but I absolutely adore them!

Memory Bag

I have designed a new bag which is a bit different than my folk bags. This is more two dimensional, without the round bottom. It is fully lined with cotton fabric. I think it has a structure very similar to many old reticules and other old drawstring purses. I call this bag "memory bag" as I think it'll be perfect for storing little treasures that bring us happy memories.

This is my first item where I have used the ribbons bought from Mokuba, Barcelona. Those ribbons are on my mind constantly. There's so much what one can create with ribbons. They also reminded me of an old hobby: weaving ribbons. I used to do that as teenager, I have to try it again soon!

Treasure in the Garden

Finally I have finished my newest bag called "Treasure in the Garden". I have started it already in January and blogged about it then.

Thanks to my graduation, I was finally able to finish the bag. I started the bag by thinking about the Scandinavian porcelain in the 40s to 70s. It is somewhat challenging to try to create something like that from woolen yarn. But I think I made it, I love the colors and the simple motifs. Furthermore this bag really shows how Scandinavian Kukkilintu really is.

I have to confess here that I am so bored about the "form follows function" obsession among industrial designers in Finland.

Probably I should not express myself so strongly as many times there are no alternatives really, trying to keep the manufacturing and material costs low. And yes, I find many modern design fairly inspirational. But still, I cherish the colors, ornaments, everything that is full and organic. It's nature's patchwork, as lively as the tulips in my garden!