Tomorrow is St. Lucia Day. The King of All Remote Controls had a link to a good description of how Scandinavians celebrate this day — here.
I had a personal brush with Lucia fame when I was a child. Here’s the account of it, lifted from an old blog entry:
When I was a tiny tot (three years old) our church decided to have a Lucia pageant. I was chosen to be Lucia, most likely because I was a little blonde angel and my mother knew how to make the Lucia bread. Probably more of the latter than the former. Right before the pageant they stuffed me into the long white gown (recycled from my fairy princess costume for Halloween) and tied a red sash around my waist. I was handed the tray of Lucia rolls. The other children in my Sunday school class were dressed in white and given candles to hold. An evergreen wreath with candles was jammed down on my head. Okay, so far so good. Then one of the women stepped up with a box of matches.
My mother said, “Be careful! Don’t set her hair on fire!”
The rest of the pageant is a blur. I’m told I marched down the center aisle of the church in abject terror, wearing my crown of lit candles. Somewhere there’s an old photo of me standing at the front of my Sunday school class, holding the tray of Lucia bread, lit candles on my head, and an expression of primal fear frozen on my face.
Well, L-B thought it was high time that Lucy carried on the family tradition. So she sent Lucy a little gift. Here she is:
Wearing the little Lucia crown sent by the ever-thoughtful L-B. Doesn’t she make a beautiful Lucia?
As you can see, Lucy has recovered.
Bohus Update
I’m working on shaping the armholes on the back of the sweater.
Answers to some questions:
The yarn is very soft — not at all scratchy or itchy.
When knitting the yoke, you increase evenly around several times during the pattern. After the last increase, there are 400 stitches around.
I hold all three yarns in my left hand when knitting with three colors. I just make sure to keep them in the same order throughout a row. I did floats throughout — no weaving.
Here’s the inside:
I’m using the same needle size (2.5mm) for the colorwork and plain sections — my gauge is the same for both.
Back to work tomorrow after a four-day weekend. I did surprisingly little knitting today — but I got the majority of my Christmas gifts wrapped!
Lucy helped.
Thanks for the link to the Lucia info! And I have to say I always thought the lit candles on the girl’s head were a bit dangerous. I wonder how busy the fire departments in Scandanavia are on the 13th of each December
Oh yes, and Lucy looks lovely in her crown!
Lucia bread and rice w/cram for Christmas Eve as dessert with the scalloped (au gratin) potatoes and ham… let’s not forget the pickled herring… Lucy’s Lucia crown It’s Great L-B!
I think that’s a great stuffonmycat.com pic!
And the sweater is, as always, amazing. Are you doing any holiday knitting? Is it done?
I have done nothing but worry about Lucy for 24 hours! What a relief that she is ok and seemingly happy. I do hope she did get extra treats for her performance. The sweater is gorgeous as usual.
Lucy is indeed a princess; but I think she looks kinda pissed about it.
Bohus is lovely.
I can’t stop giggling about Lucy’s Lucia crown. The things we do to our pets!
Lucy looks M-A-D Mad! (as my Louisianan mother would say).
Wow! It actually fits! And she’s captured the “primal fear frozen on your face” look! Well,done,Lucy! And have a Happy St.Lucia Day!
Oh my, does Lucy ever look disgruntled in that first picture! Of course, she looks like a big ole attention-whore in the second. Kinda like she’s saying, “Come on, rub my tummy. You know you want to!”
The bohus is looking gorgeous, by the way!
I just love the color combinations and patterns in colored knitting. And the history of bohus, Fair Isle, Norwegian, etc. Your sweater is gorgeous and your floats are impeccable, Wendy!
What a perfect little Lucy-ia!
*ducks and runs from the pun police*
love the bohus — it absolutely glows. And Lucy makes a wonderful St. Lucia! Although the bored celebrity-diva expression spoils it…but just a bit.
love the bohus — it absolutely glows. And Lucy makes a wonderful St. Lucia! Although the bored celebrity-diva expression spoils it…but just a bit.
Love the sweater! I just finished my first icelandic with yoke and all and loved the speed of the knitting. I have knitted with 2,5 and am most comfortable with 3,5 to 4,5. So I am amazed at your speed! I have just ordered my first Alice Starmore kit and am looking forward to the color and pattern adventure!
I grew up in Chicago, have since lived 20 years in Sweden, am now in D.C. (temporarily) and just had a quasi-Lucia party for my neighbors, Lusse-katter, marsipan, knack, candles and all.
Ever hear about the african american Nobel Prize winner who was awoken at 6 am by white-dressed Swedes with lit candles (in a hotell in Stockholm)? He totally did not get that it was a holiday, and quite a bit of explaining followed…
I love your blog, and am totally hooked!
Lisa
I love Lucy’s look. I think you should light the candles though or would the entire apartment complex go up in flames? Bohus is looking great. HOW ON EARTH do you ever keep the gauge correct with three colors and no weaving?
That’s it. Lucy and I are calling HSUS to report her abuse.
FYI: St. Lucy was tortured by having her eyes torn out and being set on fire (the flames went out). Neither of these things did the trick and she was finally stabbed to death.
She is often pictured holding a martini glass filled with eyeballs.
Wendy, Lucy has that “I hate you” look Aunt Purl’s cats sometimes wear – I’d watch my back for a couple of days if I were you. Although she does make the best looking little Lucia girl I ever did see
Your knitting, as usual, leaves me green with envy. ‘Nuff said.
P.S. Wendy, I know you’ll take my post in the spirit in which it was intended.
For the rest of you, never mind.
I never got to play St. Lucia in church because, even though I’m Swedish, I’m a brunette. My daughter is blonde, though, and we dressed her up for years as St. Lucia here at home. Great memories – and she had the wreath with the battery operated candles, too.
Lovely progress on your Bohus. Lucy is soooo cute!
Lucy looks quite stunning in her regalia.
Thanks for answering my question re in which hand you hold yarn. If you hold all three in your left hand too, there’s hope for me yet. 
Poor Lucy-ia! Though she looks more bored than terrified, yes?
Your work is stunning, as expected!
I have to get up very early tomorrow morning to make Lussekatter; bring on the saffron!
Lucy is sooo prettty. I say that would make a great holiday card.
tussen tak och kram for the info on the extra patterns available! just what I needed to know before I have to do christmas shopping
For the record: my pocketbook has been placed in protective custody- the kit I want, angora yarn… your killing me lady, KILLING me!
as for St. Lucia… it isnt the little girls that get me. Last year I was in Stockholm for it all and serious if you didnt know… you would think the little boys were in KKK costumes. Pointy hats and all. Anyone know the reason for teh boys costumes??
Your Lucy cat is a beauty, I love cats. The Bohus sweater is so marvellous, and you knit very fast !!!
Bwaha, I love the look on Lucy’s face.
Loved the pic of Lucy as Lucia. That sweater is amazing and beautiful!
That sweater is unbelievably beautiful. I love Bohus sweaters! Thanks for the introduction!
And yes, Lucy is the perfect Lucia!
Wow.. the sweater is looking GOOD.. but then again, so is Lucy! *grin* and what a GOOD little helper she must be ::laughing::
Thought you needed the words to Santa Lucia…
Natten går tunga fjät
rund gård och stuva;
kring jord, som sol förlät,
skuggorna ruva.
Då i vårt mörka hus,
stiger med tända ljus,
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.
Natten går stor och stum
nu hörs dess vingar
i alla tysta rum
sus som av vingar.
Se, på vår tröskel står
vitklädd med ljus i hår
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.
Mörkret ska flykta snart
ur jordens dalar
så hon ett underbart
ord till oss talar.
Dagen ska åter ny
stiga ur rosig sky
Sankta Lucia, Sankta Lucia.
Lucy looks sooo bored with it all, but what a gorgeous photo (and subject!) – I second the “Xmas card” idea! Love love love the Bohus – just amazing…
(((hugs)))
With such a great Lucia memory, I assume you’ve seen one of the funniest Christmas movies ever, The Ref? Great Lucia scene!
OH Lucy how utterly horrified you look. I hope the torture ends soon and you can get back to those luscious salmon treats.
The look on Lucy’s face is precious!! (And it’s a good thing that she’s firmly held!)
That is not primal terror on Lucy’s face. It is “I’m going to barf on your bed as soon as you leave for work.”
I’m loving the sweater….but everytime I look at the pictures, I wonder if it’s the picture or my eyes that are blurry. I finally realized that your pictures are fine, it’s just the play of colour and textures that makes for a fascinating result.
Am I the only one that noticed this? Please tell me it’s not my eyes, LOL.
Wendy, this sweater is gorgeous.
The last photo in your post today makes it look like stained glass, almost, with the sun shining through the luminous white sections into the round, darkened church if you know what I mean….. beautiful. Love the choice of colours.
Your Bohus looks great! I love the pattern in the colors that you’re using.
What a surprise! All this time I thought that Lucy had more of a Mediterranean look…..and now to find out she’s of Scandihoovian extraction. Go figger.
What a surprise! All this time I thought that Lucy had more of a Mediterranean look…..and now to find out she’s of Scandihoovian extraction. Go figger.