Over the last couple of weeks I visited Latvia with my sister for a 5-day Latvian Mitten Retreat, and a few days exploring Riga with a friend. We had a wonderful time, albeit at times very moving (our friend, who is Jewish, took us to visit some holocaust sites).
During the retreat we learned various techniques used in Latvian mitten knitting traditions, and saw lots of Latvian knitting, which also traditionally included socks, jackets, and beaded wristwarmers. We learned a lot about Latvian folk costume traditions in general, with talks, classes and entertainments from folk dressed in the local costume. We also learned some Latvian folk music and dances. It was an altogether wonderful experience!
