Finnish Heritage Museum

Earlier this afternoon, my sister and I went to Fairport Harbor to check out the Finnish Heritage Museum. We watched a wall hanging being woven on a 100+ year-old loom that was in pieces when it was given to the museum. The loom was huge -- taller than me and about 5 feet wide. It looked really complicated to use. How could someone design something like that so many years ago? How did they know that if they put this wheel here and ran that thread there, they could weave a beautiful picture of a church with trees around it?

Along that same line, who discovered that you could twist a strand of yarn around a hook, or pull it through itself with a pair of needles, and it would make something warm and beautiful? Who discovered all the intricate needle movements that would make the stitches we use today? Who discovered that you could use hair from animals to make yarn in the first place? I'm sure someone has the answers to these questions, but I won't try to research them. It is more fun to wonder.

Oh, and yes, the Finnish Heritage Museum is well worth the visit. You can even buy a cup of coffee and a slice of home made nisu after you browse the exhibits. If you can't make the trip to the museum in person, the website is: www.finnishheritagemuseum.org.