Baskets 4 Life Exhibit

January 13, 2013 | Verónica

While in Copenhagen, we went to the observation deck of the Rundetaarn. The Round Tower houses one of Europe’s oldest functioning observatories. From the observation deck, we could see the spires of the churches and rooftops of buildings across the city. Rather than stairs, you walk up the winding spiral path to the top. Walking down was much more fun!

Halfway down the tower, there is a large loft space for the museum shop and which serves as a venue for exhibitions. On the day we visited, the loft space was taken over with baskets – large and small baskets woven by hand using many different materials. It was an exhibit of Baskets 4 Life, a collective of ten Danish women who weave the baskets. According to their website, the purpose of the project is to highlight the need for baskets instead of plastic bags and to “break existing norms in relation to the appearance of baskets and the use of materials in making them.” As part of their mission, the group has started producing the baskets in Africa to create a source of employment and income for women. You can read more about the project at Baskets4Life.dk.

Here is a sampling of some of the beautiful baskets on display. My favorite is the crocheted one.

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My very own Scandinavian yarn crawl

January 10, 2013May 10, 2016 | Verónica

Before our trip to Copenhagen, I dreamt of yarn stores on every corner. I compiled a list of stores to visit determined to find yarn that was “Made in Denmark.” Here is a recap of my very own Scandinavian yarn crawl.

Ulstedet, Vendersgade 3: The website for this yarn store beckoned with knit and crochet shawl kits, yarn and notions. When we showed up at the address, it simply wasn’t there. Strike 1.

Strikkeboden, Krystalgade 16: We found this yarn store on a pretty corner very close to the Round Tower, a 17th century astronomical observatory. It’s quite tiny but full of yarn in cubbies on the wall, in baskets and in window displays. Unfortunately, I was greeted by a very surly woman who seemed disturbed that a customer would actually enter the store. She practically barked, “can I help you.” I scanned the store, turned around and left. Strike 2.

Sommerfuglen, Vandkunsten 3: Sommerfuglen is located close to city hall and is bursting with yarn from floor to ceiling. It was a busy morning with many customers coming and going. The sales ladies were busy but very helpful. One sales lady explained that most of the fibers are imported since Denmark does not itself have many fiber-producing animals but some yarns are either spun or dyed or both in Denmark. I picked up this nice wool/silk blend. I thought it fitting to take a photo of it in Denmark. Home run!

Bette Design, Klosterstræde 20: I read about this yarn store on several blogs and set out to find it. It was very close to the Church of the Holy Spirit off Strøget, a wide pedestrian shopping street. We found the location, it even had a pretty sign hanging over the entrance, but the store was empty. By the ladder and bare walls, it may have been unoccupied recently. Strike 3.

Our next yarn forage took us to Malmö, Sweden. We rode a train over the 10 mile Øresund bridge connecting Copenhagen to Sweden’s third largest city.

Garn David Hall, Jörgen Ankersgatan 12: We found this store tucked away on a side street near the center of Malmö. Alas, it was closed. All I could do was stare at the fluffy yarn through the window. Strike 1.

Princess Garn, Lundbergsgatan 4: We walked a long way in search of Princess Yarn but it was not to be. We found the address but there was no yarn and no store. Strike 2.

Irmas Hus, Kalendegatan 21: Third time’s the charm. Irmas Hus is not a yarn store. It seems that it used to be and also carried fine fabrics. They had a wall full of little boxes filled with buttons. They now specialize in clothes but in the middle of a sale table, sitting in a couple of bins, I spotted yarn. These giant hanks are hand-dyed by a woman who lives outside of Malmö. And to make it even sweeter, the sale was a two for one! I picked up these two hanks of hand-dyed merino wool. Another home run!

Here’s a street band in Malmö celebrating my yarn find.

Do you know of any Scandinavian yarn stores we should have tried?

Getting Hygge With It

January 7, 2013May 10, 2016 | Verónica

This year, we decided to do something different for Christmas. We wanted to experience cold weather and possibly snow in winter. While the so-called “Winter Texans” flocked south toward the border, we flew north and crossed an ocean to Denmark. We spent most of our time in Copenhagen, which consistently ranks among the top cities in the world for quality of life.

We stayed in a lovely home in the area of Ørestad. It was a short walk to the metro at Bella Center and from there about a 10-15 minute ride to the city center. There were bicycles everywhere, and babies bundled up in thick jumpsuits and wrapped in cozy strollers, renaissance castles, pickled herring, and plenty of varm chokolade. The weather ranged from 43° F during the day to 25° F at night. It was overcast and gloomy and rained half the time, with intermittent moments of sunshine. It was dark by 4 pm. We didn’t get snow. Ironically, it snowed in South Texas while we were in Denmark.

On New Year’s Eve, fireworks exploded throughout the city. They easily continued for over an hour and even lingered for days after. On the first, the streets were littered with cases of exploded fireworks. We have wonderful memories of our Christmas in Denmark.

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Nikolaj Kunsthal was a church in the early 1200s and now houses the Copenhagen Contemporary Art Center.

Statue of Hans Christian Andersen in the Rådhuspladsen (Town Hall Square). Author of The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling, Thumbelina, and my favorite, The Princess and the Pea.

Tivoli Gardens amusement park.

Beautiful archway inside Copenhagen City Hall.

Alexander Nevsky Church, the only Russian Orthodox Church in Copenhagen.

Frederikskirke, or the marble church, has one of the largest domes in Europe with a diameter of 105 feet.

The Royal Guard at Amalienborg Palace.

Rosenborg Castle.

Lion statue at the entrance to Rosenborg Castle. A moat surrounds the castle past this entrance.

The throne room in Rosenborg Castle. I told my husband that clearly we needed one in the house. He just gave me a funny look and kept walking.

Nyhavn, a 17th century waterfront that catered to maritime businesses. Quintessential Copenhagen.

The Church of Our Saviour, a baroque church located in the Christianshavn neighborhood. The church spire is 9 meters high. There are 400 steps to the top with the last 150 located outside. We understand that the external spiral staircase was not open. Something about slippery steps and the possibility of plunging to one’s death.

View from Christianshavn waterfront.

We visited the Assistens Cemetery on a cold, rainy day. We found the resting places of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen, existentialist philosopher Søren Kierkegaard, architect Finn Juhl, and physicist Niels Bohr. I came across this grave decorated with a yarn-wrapped wreath and pom poms.

Beautiful path along the cemetery.

Finn Juhl’s gravesite. I thought it fitting that this bench would be located next to a furniture designer’s resting place.

On a visit to the Design Museum Danmark, we had the pleasure of viewing a special exhibit commemorating the work of Danish architect Finn Juhl. The exhibit Furniture for the Senses, Finn Juhl 100 featured several chairs designed by Juhl and other Danish architects. Here are a few of my favorites.