ments for dolls and teddy bears, blankets, shawls, vests, cardigans, caps, hats, berets, bonnets, bedspreads and of course sweaters of all kinds. This passion for yarn and colors started in early childhood and is still going on.
Inger Fredholm 1997
A rainy afternoon in late November, two men entered my shop, Gunga Din, Stockholm, Sweden, and started to talk knitting in both English and French. Usually, my customers are women, but I have learned through the years not to ask prospect male customers if it is their wives, mothers or girlfriends who will do the knitting. There are male knitters, too!
The following day, one of them returned and expressed his desire to knit one of my multicolored baby sweaters but in his size. No problem, as I was to translate the Swedish pattern text into English, anyhow. To knit, calculate different sizes, write directions is part of my profession.
He, Alphonse, was so smart and keen to learn my way to knit so I began to wonder what his profession might be. “ Maybe he is a dancer, he is so good with his fingers”, I said to my husband. The following day, I asked about his profession: “ I am a dancer” was the reply!
Alphonse Poulin
In November of 1997, I started my first engagement in Sweden. I was delighted to make new friends and to get to know my new colleagues, many of which are fantastic knitters. One of them recommended a yarn store where she assured me I would not only find the best in quality of yarns but also a highly skillful and creative artist who would not frown upon the fact that I am a man who loves to knit.
On a cold grey afternoon after a day´s work, a friend ac
companied me to this store where I immediately knew I was destined to come. I was impressed with the quantity of beautiful hand-knit creations which were on display and more so by the Swedish technique which had been used in their execution. I am a right-handed knitter and she, Inger, is a left-handed knitter. Within two days I taught myself following an illustration on Fair Isle technique to knit with two threads, one in each hand and that enabled me to commence my first Swedish sweater.
All the models and designs in the book are designed, executed and notated (as I execute them) by me, Inger Fredholm.
Alphonse Poulin has proofread, corrected the English and also knitted many of the designs.
October 2003
Here we are, - a Knitter and a Dancer - good with our fingers, knitting a book together.
