Arne and Carlos are delightful – that
will hardly come as a revelation.
I had a nice time. It felt very odd,
setting out on my own for an adventure like that. It went well,
although I felt a bit bewildered-old-lady throughout. The event was a –
forum, would you call it? – at which five designers (counting A&C
as one) each spoke for ten minutes, and then there were some
questions, and then we went home. I didn't learn anything, but it was
fun. And well-attended.
I think Arne and Carlos must spend a
good deal of time, nowadays, travelling around the world being
delightful. They speak, almost, in alternate sentences in what must
be a practised act but sounds spontaneous. Except for the
introduction, explaining which of them is which, they speak entirely
of themselves in the first person plural.
The effect is very much like that duet
of Marco and Giuseppi's in The Gondoliers:
Replying, we/sing as one/ individ/ual
As I/ find I'm a/ king, to my/
kingdom I/ bid you all.
They began, one gathers, as designers
for various outlets, including Comme Des Garcons. Fame came when they
knitted some Christmas baubles, intending them as decorations for the
Paris shop, and found that they were being sold for a great deal of
money. Bugger this, they thought (expressed more politely), and went
to their publisher with the idea for the Christmas Ball book. Now
that their hobby, knitting, has become their profession, they have
been forced to take up gardening in order to have a hobby, they said.
I doubt if it was quite as simple as
that. I've done a bit of belated Googling, and have found
(a) that they have a lot of patterns
available on Ravelry, including the signature Space Invaders design
which Arne wears on the cover of the Christmas Ball book, and Carlos,
in a different version, on the Easter cover;
and (b) that they have already
published the book I have been waiting for – Strikk fra Setesdal.
That's the one that will be published in English in September as
“Norwegian Knits with a Twist”.
Much is explained. They were just cute
Norwegian designers until they stumbled upon Christmas balls. They
followed that international success with dolls and with Easter. They told
us about a competition held (I think) in Germany once, to promote the
doll book, in which contestants were invited to knit themselves. A&C
were invited along to choose the winner – only to discover that
they were also the prize. The winner got to go out to dinner with
them, and a good time was had by all.
Their English is faultless. I suspect
German and French are as good. Arne faltered once, not knowing the
English for a plant he gathers in the mountains and spins into yarn
with wool. Some sort of flax? It's a Norwegian plant, Carlos said.
The designers were already in place
behind a table when we were let into the auditorium. A&C were
knitting, garter stitch squares I think for a blanket the Museum was
assembling as part of the Knitting weekend. Arne appeared to be by
far the more proficient knitter.
Despite great weariness, I got my
self-assigned knitting done here in the evening – three more rounds
of Rams and Yowes, and another bump for the edging of the Unst Bridal
Shawl. The third rank of yowes are acquiring faces. The sixth ball of
lace yarn has only a few yards to go, and will surely give up the
ghost this evening.
Some very odd computer behaviour here,
about which I need to consult you.
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