This is Rúf English Radio with Darin Adam, Daily English Language Radio from Iceland's national broadcaster, Rúf.Rúf English Radio from Iceland's national broadcaster, Rúf.Rúf English Radio from Iceland's national broadcaster, Rúf.Rúf English Radio from Iceland's national broadcaster, Rúf.Rúf English Radio from Iceland's national broadcaster, Rúf.Rúf English Radio from Iceland's national broadcaster, Rúf.Rúf English Radio from Iceland's national broadcaster, Rúf.Now the subtitle, the English title of your event, Knitting Without a Net,I think sort of encapsulates what you've just said there,the idea that this is preformed knitting to continue with that musical idea.The first event is on the 22nd of September at the library in Kuppervorðand that is next Tuesday at 12.15 and you'll be giving a talk on that day, won't you?Yes, that'll be a 30-minute talk where I talk about my journeystarting with a road trip around the Ring Roadand sitting in the back seat of my friend's carand starting my first knitting piece that had no patternand no real understanding of where it was going to end.Then how I developed a strategy for making large pieces.Some of my pieces, they're all based on Icelandic landscape.Some of my pieces are, you know, seven feet by five feetand they can be used as wall hangings.I remember when we met, you actually, we went to a cafe in Reykjavíkand you unfolded these amazing fabrics that you had made.These, well, what would you call them collectively?Because I think some were scarves or could have been used as scarvesand some could be used as shawls.They could be wraps, they could be wall hangings,they could be, you know, lap robes to keep you warm, cuddling up on the couch.Yes, I do remember just, I remember,I remember just how striking it was that you'd been influenced directlyby the site of Icelandic landscape.That came through very clearly, I think.No, thank you.It's such a spectacular landscape with so much variationand the photographers who I've been following have such an incredible eyeand are able to encapsulate in just one or two frames in their videosthe spectacular, striking, amazing landscape that Iceland has.And my hope is to try and capture that in knitting.And in fact, the Zoom background that you have today,it's a much more Icelandic photograph than the one that's behind me at the moment.One of the photos that you took and probably still inspires you.Where is that? I'm trying to recognize that.This was on, we were going up to Salfoss from Reykjavík.Okay.So this is going, I think this was going past Klevervatn, but I'm not sure.Okay, yes.I don't remember who went there.Was it that road or the other road?So, yeah, that's the long way around, certainly, to Salfoss, past Klevervatn.But it is, of course, very beautiful.Let's talk then about what's happening on the 24th and 26th of Septemberwhen you're at Gunnhansstudio in Þorparfjörður.Yes.When I was in Iceland in 2024, I met Gunnlaig Hanna's daughter at her studio,Gunnhansstudio, and she asked if I would consider teaching a class at her place.And I said,Well, I haven't taught before.And I thought about it, and this opportunity came up to come to Iceland in a couple of weeks.So I'll be teaching two sessions.The first session, we will make our improvisational piece,and they're generally around, you know, 8 by 10 inches.And then in the second session, we will frame them.Okay.And so then each student will be able to take home a piece that they've made with a frame.Now, do these...Do these courses or these events on the 24th and 26th,do these assume some kind of ability to knit to begin?Yes, you should have some middle to advanced knitting skill.It is not a beginner course.I'm not teaching how to knit.This is a course where I take what you've learned and apply it to this new style.Fantastic.Tell me more about Gunnlaig, how you met and the conversation that you had that led you to...working in this way with her.Well, she is a knitter and an educator, and she has her studio in Koppavær,and she teaches embroidery and knitting and sewing.We met through a mutual friend, and she saw my pieces and was very intrigued.I saw her pieces and was also very intrigued.I have a wonderful bag that she made using bonus coffee labels,and yeah, it's my favorite bag.From bonus, did you say?From the supermarket bonus?Yes, absolutely.And I will be bringing that bag with me.And it just worked out.So she invited me to give the talk at the library and to do classes at her studio.That sounds like a wonderful, I don't know,example of the kind of interaction that we kind of theoretically discussed,you know, between Iceland and...Mm-hmm....and Seattle, where you are, where you're from, when it comes to knitting.This is really bringing those two things together, isn't it?Yes, it's our micro sister city organization.And then on the 30th of September, which is a week on Wednesday,I think I'm right in saying, as part of Icelandic Wool Week,you're going to be in, and you mentioned it before in the conversation,you'll be in Salfoss.Yes, again, back in 2024 when I was here,I met with Gudrun Bjarnsdóttir at her studio in Salfoss at Hespa Húsit.And she suggested, after seeing my pieces,that I consider teaching at Íslandsko útlarvíkin.And I said, I'll think about it.And she goes, well, you have two years.So I applied this spring and was accepted to teach a class.And this is Þingborg in Salfoss.The exploration, as you say,of free time.And this will use a photo for inspiration.Yes, all my classes will have a student bring a photo.We will select yarns that match the colorways of the photoand then try to capture the idea of the photo.I'm not asking people to do a precise copy of a photo,but to capture the idea and get the feeling.And this is, of course, for those who are not beginners,as we've discussed, I'm looking at some of the information,some of the information about this workshop.And I have to say, because, as you know,I don't understand how knitting works.I think it's basically magical.You can take two bits of metal and essentially a piece of colored stringand make something amazing out of it.But looking at the details of this event in Salfoss,you plan to aggressively block the swatch to around 30 square centimeters.Stitches used include I-cord cast on, garter tab cast on, increases,wrap and turn, intarsia or intersia,decreases and I-cord edging.I don't know what any of that means, but it sounds amazing.These are all stitches that you learn how to doso you can create visual effects that work for your garment or your object.OK, so deep within that, for those who have the skills,for those who have the magic, there's a lot of detail in this.You're going deep into this process with these students or these participants.Yes, and it was kind of a challenge to come up with a coursewhere you can teach someone in just a few hours to make a simplified version of what I dobecause my pieces are really big and sometimes we'll use 15 to 20 different types of yarn.And these will be much smaller and use much less yarn,but I want them to be able to capture the idea of their image.So the talk is in Cup of Oil at the Library next Tuesday.22nd and then the two-day course, basically, at Gunnhamn Studio in Cup of Oil.And then, as we've just mentioned, at SELFOS as part of Íslandi Wool Weekon the 30th of September, that knitting course taking place.So you have quite a busy schedule while you're here.I do, but I have enough free time to where I can go and do some yarn shoppingand go get some coffee and maybe go to a few museums.Fantastic. Well, always great to see you, of course.We look forward to that.That being the case.We'll put details of your Instagram and your website on the page of the company for sure.But I want to just mention the, because you did point it out to me and it's very beautiful,the sweater that you are currently wearing.Tell me about that because you knitted this yourself from an existing pattern.Yes, this, I actually followed instructions.This sweater is in English called Shelterand it is a fundraiser for the Íslandic Women's Shelter.It came out, I believe, in April or May.And you will see this sweater all over Ísland.Women around the country and around the world have been making this sweater.You might need to stand up just a bit so I can describe it.OK, there we go.So we've got four wavy lines, essentially, broken in a couple of places in different colours.There's white and there's pink and there's yellow and there's red.And it feels very Íslandic and it feels a bit like an eruption.Yes, this sweater, I made this one using plotalopi,which is an Íslandic wool, and I held it with alpaka and mohairto give it a bit more softness.And if you see me wearing it around town in Reykjavík or in Kofur, please say hi.What is the weather like in Seattle just now?Because I'm wondering if even in September, is it cold enough to merit the warmthof an Ísland?Íslandic woolen sweater, I look what they say.Not quite.It's still, it's still rather warm.I don't know my, you know, Celsius.So I'll have to give you temperatures in Fahrenheit.It's around 50 in the evening and 70, 75 during the day.But that will be changing soon.Yeah, 75.So that's about 21, 22 degrees.Yeah, that's, yeah, that's, that's warmer than I'd ever want to be in any circumstance.No, it is not sweater weather.But it's coming, it's coming.Have a wonderful time.We will meet up, of course, when you are here.Looking forward to that.The details of all of those events coming up.And it sounds like you will want to do more, I think.Because your love of Iceland is obvious.Your love of knitting is obvious.Your love of enthusing about knitting is also obvious.And you'll want to bring these things together again, I guess.Yes, this is my first international teaching venture.And I'm very excited about it.And I'm hoping to learn more about Iceland.More about Icelandic wool.And more about the geology and the landscape that I love so much.You plainly do.Lesley, great to talk to you.We'll see you when you're here.For now, head along to the page accompanying the show from Rúf English Radiofor details of everything that we have talked about.Lesley, thanks very much.Thank you.This is Rúf English Radio.My name is Darren Adam.And you can get in touch anytime.We're english at ruv.is.There is more from Rúf Englishwith all the news from Iceland in Englishat ruv.is slash english.Rúf English Radio is a daily English language radiofrom Iceland's national broadcaster, Rúf.
