27.12.2006 | 19:26

A Christmas Tale

My father's mother, my grandmother Aune is great in crafts. She is (among my mother and her mother) my guru. She has done patchwork, knitted, embroidered and everything. However, when I think of her, two things come first to my mind: weaving and bobbin lace.

And to my mind comes the time she taught me to roll buns against the table. I was maybe ten or a little older, and I cried. I cried and I was sure I would not learn it. The dough got stuck to the table and it was all a mess, but eventually I did learn. Actually, I make great buns now, and Karelian pies and Karelian pot roast. That's all thanks to her. Can you guess now that my grandmother is Karelian?

Here she's with us on our wedding day three years ago.

But even gurus need gurus. My grandmother had a friend called Kyllikki. She said they had different views on things but it did not stop them from being friends and that's how it should be. Kyllikki taught my grandmother to make great bobbin lace and to make tighter knots. She did not settle for mediocre but aimed for superb.

This is Kyllikki's bobbin lace pillow. (One of them, that is.) Or, in fact, it's no longer her but mine. My grandmother got it and gave to me so I could learn how to make bobbin lace. I'm in no hurry, my grandmother said that I could learn now or later or possibly when I have retired from work and that I could even design my own work. I hope I'm worth that trust.

I'd really like to surprise her and make something for her for her birthday. She'll be 85 in January - so I have only two weeks to master the skill and I think I cannot make it. Unfortunately. Two weeks is a short time. (The lace already started is done by my grandmother. I just stare at the bobbins and wonder if they ever make sense to me.)

But, what else did happen on Christmas? The usual stuff. Food, presents, family. I got a new camera (Canon Ixus 850 IS - I love it!) so the quality of photos will rocket to sky high now. Here's proof: a Christmas still life with a cat and an amaryllis.

As you can see, my mother-in-law's cat Takku is doing fine even though he left us a while ago. And he still loves me... See!

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