Greetings from the farm,
As most of you know, our Holiday MAL is primarily focused on Norway's Natsjonalgenser -
the Marius-gensersen.
Please do keep in mind that our MAL is not a course and I will not be teaching.
This is a MAL in which we will simply gather together to knit or to weave in fellowship and inspiration.
There seems to be some confusion that this is a course.
For those of you finishing up the knitting of a traditional garment, please refer to your pattern documents, the participant BLOG and the Virtual Classroom.
Everything you need will be found there. Hopefully coming together will inspire you to finish up your traditional piece.
My aim for the MAL is to share the history of this tradtional Marius garment and other stories from my region.
If you would like to read more about the details of our MAL or how to register to join us, you can do so HERE
Today I wanted to share a little clip with you of the man - Marius Eriksen that the genser is named after and the movie that made the genser famous - "Troll i ord" ...
It is a coincidence that the genser ended up being named after Marius.
I will tell you more from this story on Sunday.
To date 5 million Marius genserer have been knit within Norway.
It is said that within 95% of households here, you will find at least one Marius genser.
Did you know that the word "genser" in Norwegian was adapted into the Norwegian language from the English word guernsey?
These langauge adaptations were born out of the connection between the Norwegian Royal Family and the Royal Family within England.
The Marius genser has a bit of a controversial history....as this version with Marius Eirksen goes back to the 1950s....but this has been challenged by another designer's family from 1929. This disagreement has even played out within the court system.
Now all rights to the design have been sold and settled.
This little clip is from the movie "Troll i ord" which loosely means...a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Marius was an avid skier, fighter pilot in World War 2, an actor and the model for the first ever printing of the pattern.
Because of the focus on skiing within this movie and Marius' connection to skiing...this genser is most often seen and worn during the Easter season.
I am looking forward to our introductory gathering on Sunday and sharing a few surprises with you during "romjul" - which is a very special time here in Norway.
Velkommen!
Warmest regards from the farm,
Patricia x