A few years back I had the opportunity to go to Moscow to visit the parents of one of my friends, who lived there for a few years because of work. We had a fantastic time and were very generously shown around the city by our hosts, who had acquired an impressing knowledge of both the language and the culture in only a short time.
What striked me most about Moscow was that my own image of what the city would look like was in many senses wrong. I imagined it to look more “behind the iron-curtain” gray and dull – it most definitely did not! So if you get the chance to visit Moscow – go! See the buildings, the metro, the parks. Visit the ballet, the handicraft markets, the museums and try the local cuisine. See the Red Square with the Kremlin and the Cathedrals. Everywhere you go you get a strong sense of the rich Russian culture and history. But this is not a travel blog…
Just below the main entrance to the Red Square I bought the most beautiful hand-knit shawl. Pensioners in Russia are in general very poor, and offering their beautiful handicraft is a often a way to make a better living …so I bought two shawls…
This one I love to bits. I have worn it so much I had to let it rest for a while – afraid it would fall apart. In fact I was so afraid it would be ruined that I had to make a copy of it – just to make sure… The shawl is most likely knit in a mohair/silk blend – the fringes are pure silk, and my worries were largely exaggerated. The shawl is still in a very good shape and will luckily last for many more years.
The lace pattern I believe is called “diamonds”. There are several knitting patterns available in this pattern, but I used this as an opportunity to test my skills in lace-pattern-writing. And I think the result is pretty close to the original, and best of all; I can read my own pattern – If I should happen to make another one later.
My Moscow-shawl copy is knit in 100% alpaca, -and is a gift for my friend HG, one of my Moscow travel-companions (I know she envy me the original shawl…).
News: “iSpy double hat” is less than a day away from being published!
