Arne og Carlos

Carlos (L) & Arne (R)

 
At long last the promised post about Arne & Carlos. If you live outside Scandinavia you are forgiven for not knowing about this dynamic knitting duo - often referred to as "strikning guruer" by the press, yes knitting gurus! 

First a little introductory video:
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=FoDghBI3F34&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%

I was invited to join a group of knitters who went to an October afternoon lecture by Arne & Carlos at the Louisiana Museum http://www.louisiana.dk/uk in conjunction with the New Nordic exhibit. They were introducing their new book "Strikke-Dukker" (Knitted Dolls) and also discussing what led to their gradual transition and shift away from fashion and knitwear design, to becoming authors. Their now famous "Julekugler" (55 Knitted Christmas Balls) book, which is currently the best selling title in Norway, has inspired many knitters to take up teeny (3mm) double pointed needles and start knitting these christmas balls with intricate traditional Norwegian designs.

As the talk was in Danish, I obviously only inferred what details I could from the photos Arne & Carlos shared. Judging from the animated response from the audience and the amount of laughter they were clearly entertaining presenters! I enjoyed the atmosphere and embarked on my very own first julekugler while they spoke. After the book signing we actually got to meet them. It ws fun to hear how they are now promoting their books overseas. They have a book tour planned in Februrary for the US west coast.

Here is ball #1 in construction (only #2 - #55 to go!!) It could be a while before our Christmas tree is decorated with many different fair isle' red and white julekugler.

Here are some julekugler at different stages of the process knitted by Arne & Carlos.

Once smitten, twice ... not shy but energized. When Arne & Carlos mentioned they would be at the annual Danish Bog Forum (Book Fair) mid November and we were welcome to join them and knit at the booth - we were adding the date to our iCalendars faster than you can say knitting needle. So on a grey foggy Copenhagen wintry day I made the journey out to the vast conference complex south of the city center where I spent the afternoon knitting and chatting = perfect combination.

The art of knitting is a very big part of Scandinavian culture. When you are riding on the bus or train you often see knitters at work, and many of the knitting shops have "knit-in" sessions in the afternoon, or the evening. Now my Danish course has started my knitting time has been greatly reduced!

Don't you love these striped tights

 

 

Of course there are patterns for gorgeous knitted dolls clothes too

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fun Fridays: "A Pølser on the Lake"

A few years ago a fellow working mother in Nederland, Colorado, came up with the 'Fun Fridays' concept for her sons. It was during the long summer school break (typically 11 weeks) and she was looking for a way to ensure that each week she did something with the boys at the end of her work week: hence Fun Fridays. My son R loved to be invited to join them occasionally on these outings. Typically one week would be a 'free' activity often in the local mountains, and the alternate week would be a $$ outing.

What has this got to do with 'living in Denmark'? Nothing directly, however, I was reminded of FF these past two Fridays, as I have been at home doing the joyous round of "household chores". I have found light relief and actually downright hilarity at the recurring views I get of a one-off phenomenon - a floating "pølser (hot dog) sculpture" on the Pebling Sø.

The Pølser appeared a few weeks ago, and to my continued amazement it is still cruising out on the lake. Honestly slightly more flacid than when I first spied it mid-October, but the red fabric remains vibrant, and the wavy yellow mustard line glows. Really I'm now just waiting for an enterprising Dane to decorate it with fairy lights!

Finally needing a break from cleaning, laundry I took an afternoon walk around the Pebling So lake, camera in hand, chortling my merry way as I admired the sky, the swans, and the temporary resident giant hot dog. Enjoy!

Happy Fun Friday.

LOUISIANA Museum of Modern Art

At the top of my 'must-see' list for any visitor to Copenhagen is the fabulous LOUISIANA Museum of Modern Art. While discussing our impending move to Denmark with my doctor, Karen, she proclaimed "oh you must go to Louisiana, it's my favorite museum in the world!" So it was a great tip, we visited our first weekend and it was the highlight sandwiched between endless trips to IKEA, and secondly it was an unexpected perk of my annual physical to discuss modern art with my lovely Colorado doctor.



Anyway I digress already, back to the museum. It's a 35 minute train ride north from central Copenhagen to the town of Humblebaek, located on the coast overlooking the Oresund. The setting is stunning. From the entrance it looks like an unassuming white country house, covered in ivy. What first hits you is the view out over the lawns behind the house looking across the sea to Sweden.

I have lived in Denmark for a mere three months, but have already visited Louisiana five times. If I could ignore the daily demands of 'home-keeping' I'd be there every week. A great gift was a museum membership +1, which now means unlimited museum visits and I can take a guest. 

http://www.louisiana.dk/uk/Menu/Visit+Louisiana
The museum is designed in an arc with series of interconnecting buildings branching off from the original house. The indoor display space is framed by the sculpture park outside which you can access from many points. Regardless of the day or the weather, a massive Henry Moore reclining woman on the main lawn, and an Alexander Calder mobile outside the cafe always draw ones eye.

My parents came to stay last weekend on their first trip to Denmark. So they had barely had a chance to explore Copenhagen before they were on the train Louisiana bound with me! Friday we were blessed with perfect early winter weather: bright blue skies, crisp cold air, crunchy leaves underfoot, and traces of ice crystals from the freeze the night before. 

As many of you know I have an obsession with the sea - and seek out opportunities to be by the water, in the water, traveling to water .... At the far end of the south wing I discovered this sculpture, which I absolutely love due to the humour and the sense of possibility. It makes me think of  Buzz Lightyear and want to shout out "to infinity and beyond" (BL is the astronaut toy from Toy Story movie if he is unfamiliar to you). Thankfully for my parents I just thought this and didn't create a commotion in this tranquil gallery space.

The highlight of my most recent visit was to take another look at the "NEW NORDIC architecture & identity" exhibit which closes at the beginning of November. To quote the book that accompanies the exhibition:

"Is there a Nordic identity? Can one still speak of what has been called the Nordic way? Can we, despite the tendency of globalization to wipe out national and cultural differences, still speak at all of identity as something associated with particular places, areas or regions? How has Nordic identity developed alongside the development of the rest of the world?" 

It truly is one of the most thought provoking exhibits I have seen - here are a few images to give you an idea.

 As you can see it also catered for my love of all things "wool-related". Next up will be about Arne & Carlos famous for their "Julekugler" & "Strikke-Dukker" (Christmas Balls & Knitted Dolls - doesn't sound nearly as fun in English as in Danish does it!)

efterårsferien = autumn break

Historically the autumn break week off school was for school children to help with the potato harvest. It was really great this fall to enjoy "half-term" as it is called in the UK. We booked our flights relatively late (due to transatlantic relocation) so our choice of destination was determined by availability, and direct flights from Copenhagen .... so off to Rome we headed!

On arrival into Rome we drove southwards. The highlights were an afternoon at a relatively empty Herculaneum - the fishing village buried in mud during the eruption of Vesuvius AD 79 - and a long day at Pompeii - which had plenty of other tourists visitors - but is so vast they are still excavating part of the site.

HERCULANEUM

 

POMPEII

We were spoiled during our five day Italian trip: 24C (75F) sunshine, and crystal blue skies. It was such a joy to be able to take a short flight and be in a completely contrasting culture without changing time zones. To see our teenage children riding the Rome metro and negotiating that marvelously hectic and busy city so competently made us realize the extent of their new found city living confidence after barely three months in Denmark.

Copenhagen K

I have had several emails from friends in the US asking about the adjustment from living in a rural Colorado mountain community to a European capital. Honestly I think for my part it comes down to two things: firstly intrigue, the logistics of changing how you live, how you react to a new setting; and secondly challenge, how you cope, how you respond, how you can find humour even when tested to the limit. I would be seeing through "rose-tinted glasses" if I claimed that the adjustment process for our family had been easy or that it is a quick process!

Here are a selection of photos taken over since our arrival at the start of August from central section of the city: Copenhagen K - our neighborhood.

Brunch - Danish Style

The first time I lived in the USA, as an au-pair in Washington DC, way back when in 1984, I went to "brunch" at a small restaurant in Georgetown with the family. The whole concept of 'all-you-can-eat', or perhaps it should be more aptly termed 'eat what you choose' was new to me. Here were unfamiliar foods I could sample, without the stress of menu ordering. The leisurely pace and family-style dinning was a shock to an 18 year old Londoner just out of high school who had mainly only been to restaurants on special occasions like birthday dinners. Needless to say I was hooked ... brunch & breakfast are still my favourite meals to eat out after nearly two decades living in Colorado.
 

Fast forward to late summer 2012 Copenhagen. A few weeks after we moved, we were invited to join a colleague of B's from Maersk and his family for Sunday brunch in the Danish Film Institute building.The restaurant SULT, which means hunger, http://www.restaurantsult.dk/ offers brunch both weekend days. It is situated on the ground floor with two complete walls of glass windows, long cafeteria style tables with white linen table cloths, and in the area that was the former book shop these amazing lights. The round ones look like woven insect nests.

So a lovely environment to relax with friends and family. With teenage children who like to eat and then leave the table, brunch offers the opportunity to linger over a meal. As C & R grow older I have a new appreciation for 'family-style' dining. And so to the choice, time to let the photos do the talking!

 

Already on our family's Danish food hit list - local pancakes - they are like french crepes but made with a heavier flour, and no sugar. But fear not you are not being deprived of sweetness - there are a range of things to add on top of your pancake including chocolate creme, or chocolate mousse, or different jams .... hard to decide, so you might as well get at least two pancakes as a vehicle for your toppings!

Writing about this scrumptious food is making me hungry, so time to raid the kitchen in search of licorice (lakrids - which is a Danish specialty and I think will deserve a blog post all of its own!)