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Gretchen Ronnevik

Gretchen Ronnevik

Yarn Along

Book Reviews, knitting

Knitting and reading are 2 of my favorite past times, and I see I’m not alone.  Ginny hosts the weekly Yarn Along at her blog Small Things.  Feel free to stop by there and be inspired by others.

You have no idea how relieving it was to get the Annie Dress pattern done.  (You can find in on Ravelry here.)  So while I just have the Jane Dress still on my needles, and I’m working on sketches for the next pattern after that, I don’t have anything new to show you.  Well except new squishy yarn.  (Yes, yarn truly is candy for the eyes and the fingers!)  I stopped by the yarn store near Knut’s big ski race last weekend and picked up some Birkie sales.  Apparently we’re not the only household where both skiing and knitting are so obsessed over.  Have a race with over 10,000 participants, and you’re going to get some other wives of skiers who tag along with their knitting needles.

I was really good and only bought yarn for things that will be knitted up for the boutique, so it’s much more easily justified to buy when I use boutique money!  I’m thinking I’ll make a Jane Dress (When the pattern is done) and matching longies to go with them, and then I got some other baby merino super soft yarn to maybe make some fair isle longies.  They have always done well in the past.  I picked a color for a girlish pair and one for a boyish pair.

Birkebeiner: A Story of Motherhood and WarAs I mentioned before, we got a children’s book on the Birkebeiner race last time we went, and even got it signed by the author.  I was hoping that author would be there again, because Knut and I wanted to get a signed copy for our friend Annalise who just named her baby Haakon, who of course is the main character in this story.  (She’ll have to settle for unsigned because that author wasn’t there this year.)  However, we did pick up a new book, hot off the presses, with that author there to sign it for us.

It’s called Birkebeiner: A Story of Motherhood and War.  How’s that for a title?  I’m giving myself a bit of a knitting break (as in, an afternoon) after the pattern release to actually read part of this book.  I can’t remember the last time I picked up a novel.  I think it’s bold of the author to begin the book with the birth of Haakon (or as he spells it, Hakon).  A man writing about what a woman goes through during birth is bold enough.  A birth in 13th century Norway is bolder still.  For my first few chapters of the book, my first impression is that the author has amazing talent in writing descriptively.  However, the conversations giving all of the background/historical information of the war feels forced, and makes Inga, the mother, sound ignorant, which I somehow doubt she was.

Still, it’s amazing to read about the things that people were thinking about in those days.  Christianity was still new to the Norwegians at the time, and only a generation or two back they were still worshiping the pagan gods.  How does Christianity fit into this pagan culture, and are there parts of the culture that were offensive to Jesus?  These were questions that Inga asked.  I find that interesting.  (That’s also the inconsistency in her character that I feel.  Someone who had that many intelligent questions, and was married to the king would not be so ignorant about what the war was about that she had to ask her midwife about it over lunch.)  Although I love the descriptions of 2 year old little Hakon toddling around the house.  Really, this author forgets none of the senses when trying to immerse the reader into the 13th century. 

I am grateful for the year of Norwegian that I studied!  There are little Norwegian phrases slipped in here or there, and I can dissect most of the meanings of them. 

Related

March 2, 2011 · 9 Comments

« Annie Dress
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Comments

  1. Jarka says

    March 2, 2011 at 11:05 am

    beautiful yarn! it looks so soft and warm and awesome! 🙂 love it! 🙂

    Reply
  2. Mary G says

    March 2, 2011 at 12:28 pm

    Ooo, this book sounds wonderful … adding it to my ever-growing pile! And the yarn is gorgeous!

    Reply
  3. Tracey says

    March 2, 2011 at 12:59 pm

    I agree-yarn can be eye candy. The yarn you purchased is fabulous.
    Warmly,
    Tracey

    Reply
  4. Candis Berge says

    March 2, 2011 at 3:23 pm

    Little known fact: Hakon was Wally’s 23rd great grandfather.
    How cool is that?

    Reply
  5. Gretchen R says

    March 2, 2011 at 3:31 pm

    Candis, that made me smile! It’s amazing the things you learn while studying family histories!

    Reply
  6. Elizabeth says

    March 2, 2011 at 11:09 pm

    Oh yes, yarn is eye candy and looks so much better on the hips, neck, head, hands than the real sugar stuff. We live in the heart of New Englad ski county and we see many sitting in the lodge knitting while the rest of the family is on the slopes. The book sounds very interesting. I’m ashamed to admit i don’t know much about Norwegian history.

    Blessings, Elizabeth

    Reply
  7. Swanski says

    March 2, 2011 at 11:52 pm

    I love the yarn 🙂

    Reply
  8. Christina says

    March 3, 2011 at 3:29 am

    These books are new to me, but they make me think of Kristin Lavransdatter…have you read that trilogy? There’s nothing like medieval Norway…ahhhh….

    Reply
  9. Meredith says

    March 3, 2011 at 7:10 pm

    Yummy yarn indeed and darling dress pattern. Book looks intriguing as well 🙂

    Reply

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Welcome!

I’m Gretchen, farmwife, mother and teacher to 6 hilarious children, writer, tutor, knitting designer and mentor.  I am passionate about teaching women about their freedom and identity found in theology of the law and the gospel.  Feel free to sign up below for my newsletter and updates.

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