Meeting The Dutch Knitters

In November 2012, I started reading a blog written by CarlaM, one of The Dutch Knitters.  I found the blog when I started to consider a trip to Estonia to attend the Conference on Traditional Knitted Sweaters around the Baltic Sea.  I googled "knitting estonia" or something like that and found an informational and entertaining blog written by a Dutch woman who has travelled to Estonia and teaches knitting in the Netherlands (and elsewhere) along with her cohort, Hilly.  You can find CarlaM's blog here:

http://www.lifenknitting.net/

Carla & Hilly (the combo that is The Dutch Knitters) have written a wonderful book about Estonian mittens titled Warme Handen/Warm Hands.  It is a bilingual book; in Dutch and English.  Well, maybe trilingual, since it's also about Estonian mittens.

I began a virtual friendship with Carla 6 months ago and finally met both of The Dutch Knitters in person at the conference.  We sat together in front row seats at the conference and later that day connected at a kohvik (cafe) over beer and cider.

Hilly and Carla, The Dutch Knitters

 

The conference was a great opportunity to make real friends out of virtual friends!