A Utah American adopts Estonian culture as her life’s work
Helgi Leesment
She knits. Yes. Professionally. Sometimes in weird places. As a matter fact, her favourite unconventional knitting place is a beach on Hiiumaa Island in western Estonia. She has worked as a designer and consultant for yarn companies, operates a mail-order knitting store Wooly West, and writes for magazines. She is currently the knitting contributor to PieceWork Magazine. She is a very capable and sought after seminar instructor in the USA, Canada and Europe. Her topics usually focus on Estonian knitting but sometimes she teaches a three-day course on Estonian culture in general. She has become so enamoured of Estonia that she states: “I am interested in knitting history …My passion is Estonia; the knitting, the landscape, the traditions. I am trying to learn all I possibly can about this interesting country. ” The result is, all over North America and elsewhere, Estonian style mittens, gloves, socks and Haapsalu shawls are now being knitted. She has even taught a course on Estonian knitting to Estonian students in Estonia at the well known Tartu University Viljandi Cultural Academy.
Who is she? Her name is Nancy Bush and her home is Salt Lake City, Utah. Nancy has no ancestral connection with Estonia. She does not speak Estonian but is now familiar with knitting terminology and, when travelling in Estonia, always finds kind assistants who translate, introduce her to others and take her to interesting places. Sitting and watching a knitter in Estonia, even when neither one speaks the other’s language,
Nancy finds a kind of dialogue, a connection. Nancy claims that she is now emotionally tied to Estonian people, convinced that she has an obligation to protect Estonian culture and traditions.
How does it happen that an American in the State of Utah has become an expert on a branch of Estonian culture? Nancy’s interest arose one day at the Salt Lake City public library when she chanced upon a copy of Eesti Rahvarõivad XIX sajandist ja XX sajandi algult Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus, Tallinn 1957 = Estonian Folk Costumes from the 19 th Century and Beginning of the 20 th Century, Estonian Government Press, Tallinn 1957. Looking at this publication awoke in Nancy her main goal - to deal with Estonian knitting for the rest of her life. Estonian knitting has great variety in both patterns and colour use, also in the types of items knit, and makes regular
use of techniques that are rare in the rest of the world. All of this is brought forth by Nancy in her book Folk Knitting in Estonia: a garland of symbolism, tradition and technique Interweave Press, 1999 of which over 7000 copies have been sold. She has also authored three other books.
An internet commentary on Nancy Bush’s Folk Knitting in Estonia:
“ Margene sent me the book Folk Knitting in Estonia. I had no idea about the Estonians. How did I go this long without knowing how Estonians knit? It's gripping I tell you, gripping… The Estonians are not knitting like me. I have nothing in common with them. They are doing a whole other thing. (Well, they were. I'm doing it now too...) Check it out. I learned a new decrease, a new cast on, a new braid and a whole new stitch. I swear it. After 30 years of pretty darned adventurous knitting, I learned 4 things that I had never even entertained the concept of. Oh Nancy, you have given me so much.
I learned the Kihnu Troi and Double Start Cast On. Just say that to yourself for a while… I'm telling you, Nancy Bush has been trekking around Estonia, learning knitting stuff and writing it down in a way that makes it accessible and interesting to a knitter in Toronto who thought she knew it all. Nancy Bush is a blow to the ego and I like it.” (Posted by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee All Hail Nancy www.yarnharlot.ca Nov 22, 2004.)
Now Nancy Bush is preparing for her next knitting book, specifically about Haapsalu shawls. She is asking for help from Estonians who knit or have knitted Haapsalu shawls and those who have specialized knowledge on this topic . Nancy would like to hear from anyone who might have letters, notes on knitting, photos, drawings/diagrams or other materials which would add to her knowledge and which she may use in her forthcoming book.
Nancy ’s knowledge about Estonian knitting and Haapsalu shawls is already awesome. So, what else is she searching for? She is looking for patterns, specific knitting techniques, and gems about the history of Haapsalu shawls, everyday stuff that one may remember about their mother or other family members. Also, how Haapsalu shawls were made, specifically, how the edges were made. She has many questions that only another knitter would know how to answer. She is also looking for permission from the knitters and/or others, to use the patterns in her book and courses.
Contact information appears at the end of this article.
Truly, the introduction in the book Folk Knitting in Estonia is one of the best brief English language overviews about the country. The author goes on to use photographs and descriptions of folk customs selected from the collections at the Estonian National Museum in Tartu. The latter smooth the way toward the clearly presented directions for knitting gloves, mittens and socks. Some of the illustrations are garnished by aptly selected Estonian folk art pieces or foods.
Comments one knitter on the internet: „ We all owe Nancy Bush a big ‘thank you’ for gifting us with the pictures and patterns of Estonian socks and mittens -- socks and mittens, I might add, which are heart-stoppingly exquisite in their design and achingly beautiful in the love that has gone into making them. This is a knitting tradition that is as alive to the song nature sings us as it is to the beauty and meaning of Estonian culture and tradition. Wonderful, wonderful stuff!“ (Posted on www.knittersbookshelf.com ).
On the Internet there is a half hour program, the middle of which features a 12 minute interview with Nancy Bush about Estonia and her forthcoming book: http://www.cast-on.com/?p=44 , lower on the page choose "Download episode 24".
Contact points for Nancy Bush
P.O. Box 58306,
Salt Lake City, Utah 84158 USA
tel. 801-581-9812
email nancy@woolywest.com
website http://www.woolywest.com/
Nancy Bush books are available in Canada at Indigo & Chapters bookstores, knitting and craft stores & elsewhere; on the Internet at www.interweave.com
