Telling the Truth

Why is it that I must answer "Yes" when all I want to do is answer "No?" 

When returning to the U.S., we are required to complete a U.S. Customs Declaration form.  I know that all the customs agent wants to see is a series of X's in the "No" column.  But, it seems I can't do that.

Excerpts from the Customs Declaration form:

I am (We are) bringing fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, food, insects:  Yes or No?
Um, well, yes.  But, no I'm not trying to smuggle in fruits, vegetables, plants, seeds, or insects.  I'm simply bringing home Laima chocolate from Latvia and Kalev chocolate from Estonia.  But, technically, yes I have food.  Okay, the answer is Yes.

I am (We are) bringing soil or have been on a farm/ranch/pasture:  Yes or No?
Um, well, yes.  I guess I've been on a farm and maybe I have some soil on my shoes.  So, okay, the answer is Yes.

I have (We have) been in close proximity of (such as touching or handling) livestock:  Yes or No?

Um, well, yes, if you count me petting a sheep for a photo op when I visited friends and their farm.  Okay, I guess the answer is Yes.  You can read more about this farm visit here.

In spite of that, my return to the U.S. through Chicago was quick and uneventful.  I guess the truth WILL set you free.

Fiber Finds

Yarn shops come and go, so keeping up-to-date on current locations of wool shops can change day by day.  Last year I blogged about fiber shops in Tallinn, Estonia here.

But this year brings some updates.  Pronksi Lõngapood, a yarn shop on Aia Street that carried  a variety of colors of 8/2 wool yarn for mittens, was gone.  8/2 wool refers to the weight or thickness of the yarn.  The 8 indicates the thickness of a single ply of the yarn and the 2 tells us that the yarn is a 2-ply yarn.  In the wool numbering system, the larger the first number is, the finer the yarn.  To make things more confusing, Americans refer to this same yarn as 2/8 wool AND there is a separate, unique numbering system for cotton.  8/2 cotton yarn is not the same weight as 8/2 wool yarn AND in the cotton numbering system, the larger the first number is, the thicker the cotton yarn is (not finer, like wool).

While making my way to Liann Lõngad, a yarn shop near the Kaubamaja department store, I found a new shop, Käsitööpood Pärl ja Lõngad, in the Solaris shopping center. 

Käsitööpood Pärl ja Lõngad opened in September, 2013, and they carry yarn and beads and even some handknitted Haapsalu shawls!  If you can't make it to Estonia but want to buy a shawl, you can find some lovely handknitted Haapsalu shawls on Etsy:  here.

But maybe you're a knitter, like me, and want to knit your own.  Jolleri käsitöö at Müürivahe 11 had some nice Haapsalu shawl yarn (really fine, 32/2 wool!) as well as some nice colors of Leeni, their brand of 8/2 wool, that will be nice for mittens.

Haapsalu-style shawl knit by MaryGtheKnitter

When I got to Riga, Latvia, I was also on the lookout for yarn shops.  Hobbywool, at Maza Pils iela 6, is a popular stop for many knitters.  Yarn bombing on the building, mitten kits so that you can "Knit Like a Latvian," and cards and postcards for knitters grabbed my attention.

Tīnes, located at R. Vāgnera 5 in Riga, is a wonderful shop that sells handknit mittens and other knitwear but also carries their own brand of 8/2 wool for knitting your own mittens.   They have a website here.

And one of my favorite finds for yarn was the bookstore, Zvaigzne ABC.  A new Latvian friend, Mara, told me about Limbažu Tīne, an 8/2 wool yarn made in Latvia, that is available in a wide range of colors and at a great price (just under 2 € per 100 grams in July, 2014).  Zvaigzne ABC has many locations.  I found a good selection of colors at their K. Valdemāra iela 6 location.

Whether it's yarn or knitwear you're looking for, I think you'll find it in Estonia and Latvia!

All That Glitters

I've never been one for expensive jewelry.  What I like in the way of jewelry is handmade, artisan jewelry and jewelry with ethnic origins or connections.  Our house was broken into once and I think the burglar was disappointed in what he found in my jewelry box.  It's not very lucrative for the ne'er-do-well to fence the type of jewelry that you'll find in my jewelry box, but it appeals to me, and for that reason, I treasure it.

I added a few items to my collection on my recent trip to Latvia.  Baltu Rotas, a  shop located very near St. Peter's church in Riga, has lovely jewelry based on ancient Baltic pieces and incorporating traditional Latvian motifs.  I chose a beautiful ring known as a Seven-Day Ring.  I love the movement of the dangling charms and find it very enjoyable to wear. 

The ring is also known as an Engagement Ring.  According to the information that I was given, the ring was originally worn by girls and unmarried women during the 6th-12th centuries in Latvia.  It has seven pendants, or charms, with ancient Latvian symbols that keep away evil spirits and bring luck.  A legend says that there was a beautiful, young girl who had seven admirers and she couldn't make a choice.  She asked the blacksmith to make a ring with seven pendants with different signs on them, each one symbolizing an admirer.  She decided to marry the man whose pendant would come off first.

You can find the website for the jeweler, Baltu Rotas, here.

I found a silver pendant at Senā klēts, the national costume center in Riga.  The pendant is a thundercross or firecross which is an ancient Latvian symbol.  It is a symbol of the sun's energy and fire, and it is believed to attract happiness and good luck while repelling evil.

On a whim, I stopped into an interesting shop on Šķūņu iela, just off the Dome Square, in Riga.  There was no identifying name on the outside of the shop but a small hand-written sign said "Creative Goods/Made in Latvia."  It appeared to be a pop-up shop.  I found a group of earrings that were all based on designs from knitted mittens!  I chose one from Pērkone in the Kurzeme region of Latvia.  I love the balance between the distinctive "cuff" at the bottom and the overall design in the upper portion of the earrings.  Very knitterly!