Summer Saturday Night in Tallinn + bonus: craft camp participants
It's summer, and in the Northern Hemisphere, that means it's wedding season. On the way to dinner, I saw young man in a black suit, white shirt and blue tie, and thought he might be on his way to a wedding. Then I saw three young men dressed in suits and looked for their Mormon name tags. It's only been a week since I saw the Book of Mormon in London, so it wasn't that much of a stretch.
As I approached the main square, I started to notice groups of young women dressed in the same sorts of party clothes -- poofy tulle skirts, or big hair and big dresses. Sometimes one would have a sash or a bouquet of balloons. By the time we sat down for dinner, we’d seen about five groups; by the time dinner ended, we noticed another ten.
The most elegant group were all dressed in blue pencil skirts and looked a lot like flight attendants.
At dinner, the women who had been to Estonia before said that big hair, big makeup and poofy dresses is a hallmark of Russian descent.
Regardless, the youngest woman in our group was 40, and we were all intrigued by this strange pre-wedding ritual. Getting pictures of the bride at certain landmarks was clearly part of the program, otherwise they wouldn't have all trooped through the town square. Approaching strangers to get or give objects seemed to be another.
I saw a few groups of men too. One had a pink tutu and fairy wings. He responded well to requests for photos, and was in good spirits.
Of course, when I left dinner it was barely dusk (10 pm), so it was still early.
*******
A friend asked me to talk a bit about the other participants at Estonian Craft Camp. First, all instruction was in English. That was clear from the website and registration process.
There were about 70 of us this year, from 17 countries. The largest number were from Iceland. Last year, one woman came from Iceland, and the work spread quickly. I would have said “like wildfire”, but given the activity in British Columbia forests right now, it's not the analogy to make.
Like any group of women, some of the Icelandic women were shy and others boisterous. They were all skilled and talented, and interested in the Estonian traditions and techniques. Going into lunch today, one told me that she's really enjoyed the camp, but finds the Estonian weather to be hot.
The highs have been in the low 20s, and since the sun rises before five and sets after 10, it feels comfortably (for me) warm. Of course, Iceland is also a northern country, with Reykjavik at 64 degrees north and Tallinn at 58. Iceland’s summer days are even longer.
The next largest group were Americans. About a dozen had been on a two week tour of Estonia led by Nancy Bush, a renowned author of Estonian knitting books. These women were hardcore knitters. Some of the remaining Americans were of Estonian descent; others were fans of the unique styles. One woman was a bobbin lace maker, and attended the camp to improve her techniques.
The Brits and Australians that I talked to were of Estonian descent. Just like rather two Canadians, and I think the New Zealanders. The other Canadian also lives in Victoria, although only for five years (previously in Portland Oregon), and this fall, she and her Estonian-descent husband are emigrating to Estonia.
The women from Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands were hard core crafters, and were attracted by the techniques. Similarly, the large contingent from Finland were there to learn more about traditions and methods. The woman from Latvia (but living in Luxembourg) is a very accomplished knitter and pattern designer, and she wanted to expand her knowledge.
Of note is the fact that there were no Estonian campers. Many do not know about it. Others may take classes throughout the year and weren't interested in a residential program. Or it could have been the price.
The instructors were all Estonian, and masters of their crafts. The teacher of my medieval mittens and finger gloves courses has published two books on Estonian knitting, and is working on a three part series. The woman who ran the Haapsalu shawl course has knit 400 such shawls in the past five years. I hope to complete one over a three year period.
My point is the instructors were renowned masters sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with a diverse group of foreigners. It was amazing.
As I approached the main square, I started to notice groups of young women dressed in the same sorts of party clothes -- poofy tulle skirts, or big hair and big dresses. Sometimes one would have a sash or a bouquet of balloons. By the time we sat down for dinner, we’d seen about five groups; by the time dinner ended, we noticed another ten.
The most elegant group were all dressed in blue pencil skirts and looked a lot like flight attendants.
At dinner, the women who had been to Estonia before said that big hair, big makeup and poofy dresses is a hallmark of Russian descent.
Regardless, the youngest woman in our group was 40, and we were all intrigued by this strange pre-wedding ritual. Getting pictures of the bride at certain landmarks was clearly part of the program, otherwise they wouldn't have all trooped through the town square. Approaching strangers to get or give objects seemed to be another.
I saw a few groups of men too. One had a pink tutu and fairy wings. He responded well to requests for photos, and was in good spirits.
Of course, when I left dinner it was barely dusk (10 pm), so it was still early.
*******
A friend asked me to talk a bit about the other participants at Estonian Craft Camp. First, all instruction was in English. That was clear from the website and registration process.
There were about 70 of us this year, from 17 countries. The largest number were from Iceland. Last year, one woman came from Iceland, and the work spread quickly. I would have said “like wildfire”, but given the activity in British Columbia forests right now, it's not the analogy to make.
Like any group of women, some of the Icelandic women were shy and others boisterous. They were all skilled and talented, and interested in the Estonian traditions and techniques. Going into lunch today, one told me that she's really enjoyed the camp, but finds the Estonian weather to be hot.
The highs have been in the low 20s, and since the sun rises before five and sets after 10, it feels comfortably (for me) warm. Of course, Iceland is also a northern country, with Reykjavik at 64 degrees north and Tallinn at 58. Iceland’s summer days are even longer.
The next largest group were Americans. About a dozen had been on a two week tour of Estonia led by Nancy Bush, a renowned author of Estonian knitting books. These women were hardcore knitters. Some of the remaining Americans were of Estonian descent; others were fans of the unique styles. One woman was a bobbin lace maker, and attended the camp to improve her techniques.
The Brits and Australians that I talked to were of Estonian descent. Just like rather two Canadians, and I think the New Zealanders. The other Canadian also lives in Victoria, although only for five years (previously in Portland Oregon), and this fall, she and her Estonian-descent husband are emigrating to Estonia.
The women from Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands were hard core crafters, and were attracted by the techniques. Similarly, the large contingent from Finland were there to learn more about traditions and methods. The woman from Latvia (but living in Luxembourg) is a very accomplished knitter and pattern designer, and she wanted to expand her knowledge.
Of note is the fact that there were no Estonian campers. Many do not know about it. Others may take classes throughout the year and weren't interested in a residential program. Or it could have been the price.
The instructors were all Estonian, and masters of their crafts. The teacher of my medieval mittens and finger gloves courses has published two books on Estonian knitting, and is working on a three part series. The woman who ran the Haapsalu shawl course has knit 400 such shawls in the past five years. I hope to complete one over a three year period.
My point is the instructors were renowned masters sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with a diverse group of foreigners. It was amazing.
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