My name is Larisa Vilensky. I’m half Russian and half Polish by blood. I was born and educated in USSR, city Nizhniy Novgorod, river Volga. During Perestroika I immigrated to Israel and 2 years later came to Canada. I live in Ontario and work as a system analyst in a large size cooperation.
In my free time I blog about Russia, her history and culture. The interest to the Russian history evoked during writing my first knitting book “The Book of Russian Knitting” which was published in 2008 in USA.
I’m not the best blogger in the world but I do enjoy sharing information with my readers. You will find my blogs are short and “right to the point”. Do not be surprised to see articles on Russian craft. I think the point of my blog is to bring the history of Russia and Russian craft under the same roof.
hi from Switzerland,
you really have a very interstig blog…
ciao ciao Christa
thank you for your blog. I read the whole thing but ignored to “more” for today.
I would like to know what you know about pedigreed siberian cats. I have several. Some from Rossity in Moscow and some from Valencic. These russian cats are said to come down from felis silvestris caucasica. I would like to know what you know about this breed, in the field, and away from the major cities. They are reported to have been with the monks since medieval times. I am wanting to find native, indigenous, populations in the smaller villages.
Your blog came to me through knitting friends. Keep up the good work. thank you again, thelmasmith
Please, read my story on Russian pedigreed Siberian (and other) cats in Russian Cats, Dogs and Hourses. Thank you for the idea.
Dear Larissa,
Friendly greetings from a Brazilian blogger and knitter.
I discover your blog in Ravelry and enjoyed so much to read your texts!
I love to learn about other cultures and it is a great pleasure to red about Russia and its traditions and crafts.
Right now I am thinking to write on my blog a post regarding Russian knitting patterns and how to understand them without understanting the language, but I coul not find anywhere a list of usual knitting symbols used in most of the patterns.
Can you please help me to find such a list? The translation can be in English or German and I will do the translation to Portuguese.
Thanks a lot for your time and attention,
Grace
Dear Grace,
Freindly greetings from Canada as well. I’m glad you like my blogging. Sure, we can arrange knitting simbols in Russian-English translation. I will make a list and post it on ravelry and here. What is the name of your blog?
Larisa
Hi Larisa hello to a fellow friend of Ontario. I bought a russian knitting magazine and I need to ask about a couple of symbols. If you can help that would be great. One looks like a T but laying on its side one facing left the other facing right. thanks darlene
Darlene,
can you please somehow show me a page with this simbol? There are tons of crochet simbols in russian magazines. T can be a single crochet.
I LOVE YOUR PAGES
thank you!
Dear Ms. Vilensky,
I have recently found your examples of how to knit Russian style on You Tube and was very exicted to see that this is the method of knitting that I was taught years ago as an exchange student in the southern part of Brazil (Rio Grande Do Sul). I would like to purchase a copy of your book The Book of Russian Knitting, but the Headwater Wool site says that it is currently Sold Out. Will there be more on the way or perhaps another printing of this book?
I would like to brush up my knitting skills and find out how to do some things that I didn’t have time to learn during my time in Brazil.
Thanks,
Lori
Hi Lori,
please email sales@headwaterwool.com to request the copy of the book. I have a few available for sale. Just don’t want to re-print it at this moment. I have more new historical information about Russian knitting and crochet but have no time to prepare the material. The information about the technique remains the same. I’m just happy to confirm that folks in Russia were knitting the way I showed in my book since 1870 at least (historical books on Russian craft are rare to find for different reasons, so whatever I can find is a treasure to me)