finnish names - part four

 Leena of Björbacka, her images are some of the warmest I've seen.

Her's was amongst the four Finnish blogs I featured last week in my debut post for Design for Mankind. Today I'd like to show a bit more of the aforementioned blogs, along with a few more I saved for this week. Today's post also brings my second list of Finnish word names, bringing this series just a few posts shy of it's completion.  

Suvi sur Levif, I'm as in love with your new blog and all the food it's bringing my way as I am with the name Suvi.

I enjoy kotipalapeli most for her family goodness and bright colors.

Minna's time of the aquarius is full of interior jewels and one lovely name, to boot. 

And the blogs I saved for today:

  

After meeting in the woods at a music festival, Saana ja Olli got together for life and business. They now make the prettiest textiles (sustainably!!!). The blog and lookbooks are a real treat. Images by Unto Rautio, and heavens, see the rest of his photography!

Jutta of kootut murut is hosting a design blog and bits of her own home, as well. I think laundry might be a pretty cheery task amidst those colors.

Illustrator, Susanna, is sharing a blog as lovely as her art, and I so love her name. I sure would love to sew up some dresses from the magazine she featured. Sew along, Susanna?  

Jennan sure makes some lovely buns and photos. 

I couldn't possibly list all the lovely Finnish blogs I fancy in one post, so expect to see the rest popping up here and there, tucked amongst other blog gems, at Design for Mankind every other Thursday.

 The word names I'm featuring today venture a bit into nature, leading us nicely toward the last remaining posts of this series, where I'll focus on more direct nature names and Finnish naming practices. 


So here they are, some Finnish words that might well appeal to those inclined toward selections of this sort. Some may be better in the middle, and as always, please correct me if I've got something wrong.  

Ainoa (the only one)

Lahja (gift)

Taika  (magic)

Aika  (time)

Aamu (morning)

Hämärä (dusk)

Ilta (evening)

Päivä (day)

Sesonki (season)

Kesä (Summer) or

Suvi (Summer)

Siski (fall)

Talvi (winter)

Kevät (spring)

Helmikuu (February)

Elokuu (August)

Syyskuu (September)

Perjantai (Friday)

Lauantai (Saturday)

Sunnuntai (Sunday)

Sininen (blue)

Vihreä (green)

Kulta (gold)

Hopea (silver)

Pronssi (bronze)

Kupari (copper)

Koru (jewel)

Helmi (pearl)

Safiiri (sapphire)

Kivi (stone)

Jalo (noble)

Jalokivi (gemstone)(I assume jalokivi translates more literally to "noble stone"? wow.)

(images: courtesy of and by each featured blogger alongside them, unless otherwise noted.)

finnish names - part three

These three beautiful images come to us from a Finnish blog, run by Satu Palander--author, photographer and curator. 

bamarik, run by Outi, "an active seeker, interested in life, nature, people and adventures", is a must visit.

finlandia, run by Essi, is a "frame of mind and a collection of photographs".  I'm envious of all the mushroom hunts.

lumetta, run by Ritva, who loves "snow and silence, old and worn out things",  is so pretty.  Visit and get your snow fix if you're missing pretty fluffs this year in your neck of the woods. 

himalainen --  so pretty.

Varpunen ('sparrow') is run by Suki, mom to Varpu ('twig').  Don't these names sound so nice together? 

 Road Trip in Finland -- lots of design, lots of Finland. 

Yes, today I'm turning to the more modern in both entertainment and names: blogs and word names. There are a host of lovely Finnish blogs to please your senses, and some to get you thinking, as well.  When my first post in this series was included on a Finnish society and culture page on ScoopIt (curated by Ulla Saikku), I immediately began checking out all of the great sources there. I loved this article, in particular, on the successes of the Finnish education system.   

The beauty that abounds in the Finnish blogosphere is vast.  It's so vast, in fact, that there will be one more post on Finnish blogs and word names to follow this one! 

In addition to those pictured above, here are some more Finnish blogs for our first collection of links:

manteli --a mother and fantastic photographer is serving up slices of life. If snow, craft projects and wide-planked wooden floors are what you're craving, fill up your plate here.

Maaman Uuni --mother of six (no, I don't know their names!) and finder of pretty pictures and words.

minulta (formerly chocolate circus)--a portrait of a beautiful Finnish family life and stunning images.
I'm smitten with this home. 

oh! the light today --so pretty and fun to read.

Lehmuskujala --pretty images and even music.

VIA --run by artist and mother Liivia. I've long had her images amongst my flickr favorites, but only just recently have I discovered her accompanying blog, much to my happy surprise. Her traveling lifestyle with her sweet little girl will fuel your wanderlust.

In keeping with the more modern, I turn now to word names.  Here are some Finnish words that sound very much like names to my ear. Please correct me if I've gotten something wrong, and thank you in advance:

the virtuous and spiritual:
Aito (true/ genuine)

Autuus (bliss)

Halu (wish/desire)

Henki (spirit)

Ilo (joy)

Kappeli (chapel)

Koti (home)

Ohimo (temple)

Onni (fortune/luck)

Osa (fate / destiny)

Rauha (peace)

Sisko (sister)

Sivi (chase)

Toivoa (hope) (verb)

Toivo (hope) (noun)

Tosi and Totta (true)

Unelma ( dream/ day dream)

Usko (faith)

Uusi (new)

Veli (brother)

Ykseys (unity)

trade and craft:

Kutoja (weaver)

Lanka (yarn)

Merimies (sailor)

Mylläri (miller)

Neula (needle)

Ommel (stitch)

Seppo (smith)

Vasara (hammer)

the musical:
Balladi (ballad)

Harppu (harp)

Kello (bell)

Kantel (the national instrument and part of the ballads used for kalevala)

Laulu (song)

Laulelma (tune/ditty)

Sointu (chime or note)

the literary:
Eepos (an epic)

Kertova ( an epic narrative)

Runo (poem)

Satu (fairytale)

Tarina (tale, story)

Taru (story, great myth)

and from today's bloggers (all female):
Satu


Outi


Essi


Ritva


Suki


Varpu


Ulla


Livia 

I hope you will savor the links and names over the coming months. My intention is always for each post to be something to return to, rather than something to digest all at once (thus the tidy archives, so you can put it out of your mind and know it's bookmarked here for you, so there's never a need for mad link clicking and speedy viewing). Still, I hope the list doesn't overwhelm, just the same. 

Any favorite Finnish blogs of your own?

Up next in the series: more blogs, word names, nature names, and naming practices. 

Happy week!

Ask: Jenny Gordy of Wiksten

In honor of fashion week, our Ask segment this week will be a delightful interview with one of my favorite designers, who also happens to have amazing taste in names - you guys are in for such a treat today with these names, I tell you.

 Thank you to Jenny Gordy, of Wiksten, for our awesome interview today. 

Jenny designs, hand-dyes, and sews beautiful garments.

She knits.

She does print design. 

She takes the loveliest photos for her blog.

And Jenny also happens to be a name lover, you guys!   Beyond that, she is just such a pleasure to talk to - just as warm and lovely as her work. Don't you love that?

I've said it before, I love everything Jenny creates.  Over and over I have reached for my own Wiksten necklace as just the thing to make me feel happy and well-styled.

Take her perfectly paired silhouettes and fabric choices - if you can turn that sort of meshing of the classic and comfortable, the  adventuresome and elegant into a name, you'll have a perfect one.

 Her garments are effortlessly cool - chic, feminine, detail conscious, and smart.  

(image courtesycup of joe)

 Jenny named the line after her grandmother, who taught her to sew and helped inspire her sense of style. Wiksten, a swedish name, has such a great sound, but the meaning behind it's selection is what really moves.  I mean, it had to be Wiksten, didn't it? 

(images by Lena Corwin, courtesy of Wikstenmade)

 As I sit gasping at the garments and sewing patterns at Wiksten, I notice the lovely names alongside them.  Jenny tells me she names her pieces after people she loves and who inspire her. The same depth and warmth in such a naming process is abundant in Jenny's work.

 

Nona and I are doing this project over the weekend, from Jenny's Lucky Magazine post - DIY necklaces. 

                                                                                                           (Image courtesy Lucky magazine)

1. Jenny is a lovely name - Do you often go by Jenny or do you have a nickname?

Since so many of my friends are also named Jenny or Jennifer, a lot of people call me Gordy.  I like it because the name Gordy sounds chummy to me, like someone you can pal around with.  Remember Gordie from Stand By Me?  Love that movie.  My husband calls me Jen, which I find endearing.

2. What are some names that you currently love?

I've been researching a few inspirations as I design my spring collection and will probably use some of the names I've come across for new styles.  The colors are inspired by dyes that come from nature like Madder, Kamala, Annatto, and Indigo.  And the styles are influenced by women artists of the past such as Edith Heath, Sonia Delaunay, Eva Ziezel, Georgia O'Keefe, and Anni Albers.  What would those women wear today to look simple and elegant while creating their work and living their adventurous lives?  That's what inspires me lately.  I've been taking ceramics classes, and I'm working on a potter's smock for the spring collection.  I like Potter as a name.  I'm also obsessed with reading, and some of my favorite names from books are Ollie (a woman's name, short for Olive), Honora (H is silent, pronounced like Anora), Franny (from Franny and Zooey), and Helena (pronounced Hel-ee-na, Lena for short).  Ada is my all-time favorite name, which comes from the Nabokov book.  This explanation, thanks to Wikipedia, explains why it's so special:"According to neurologist David Eagleman , Nabokov named the title character in part after his favorite butterfly. An avid collector of butterflies, Nabokov was especially fond of one species with yellow wings and a black body. As a synesthete, he associated colors with each letter; A was connected to yellow, and D to black. Thus he saw a reflection of his favorite butterfly (yellow-black-yellow) in the name Ada. This also makes sense because Ada wants to be a lepidopterist in the book."Ada" is also pun, a homophone, for "Ardor." Marina, Ada's mother, pronounces her name with "long, deep" Russian "A"s, which is how a Russian would say the word "Ardor"."

3. Do you appreciate the same qualities in names as you do in clothing or home design?

Yep!  I like my names simple, elegant, and practical.  Nothing too flashy, pretentious, or precious.

4. What is on the horizon for Wiksten - anything you can share?

I'd like to branch out in terms of making Wiksten more of a lifestyle brand.  I'm adding more home items to my collection, simple handmade luxuries that people can treat themselves to or save up as a gift for someone special.  In the next month or two my online shop will include products from other makers as well: ceramics, fragrance, beautiful soaps, and jewelry.  I have a hard time keeping my clothing items in stock, and I'd love for my customers to be able to buy all types of handmade products from me that compliment my line.More sewing patterns and more original textiles are in the works as well!

5. Finally, a little create-a-name game!

Because you are a clothing designer:

For the first name: please pick a color you love right now (can be very literal or a color one might see in a catalog or makeup isle.)

For the middle name: please pick a name (first, middle or last) of a loved one (person, animal, character, muse) from past or present:

I came up with two:

Rose Eleanor

  Cotton Lela

Beautiful, Jenny - So fun! I absolutely adore the names you picked, and the inspiration for your spring line is so intriguing and thoughtful. 

 And Here's a list of the names you can find by looking at Wiksten's present and past collections:

Arrow 

Saffron

Lissa

Okada

Andrada

Sarkilahti 

Liberty 

Odette 

Infinity 

Indigo 

Alison

Lena

Orchard 

Tova 

Kate 

Haeshu

Ellybeth 

Jessalyn

Additional names from today's inspiration and musings:

Jenny

Gordy 

Wiksten

Potter 

Rose

Elenor

Cotton 

Lela

Ada

Ardor

Madder

Kamala

Annatto

Indigo 

Edith

Sonia

Eva

Ziezel

Georgia

Anni

Ollie

Olive

Honora

Anora

Franny 

Zooey

Helena 

Further, I just can't resist. I was so inspired by Jenny's description of what she likes in a name: "simple, elegant, and practical. Nothing too flashy, pretentious, or precious".  So here's my own interpretation of her description by way of list:

Elsa

Reve

Yumi

Este

Jane

Ume

Anais

Nettle

Pilvi

Kit

Sachi

Suvi

Virginia

Koemi 

Agnes

Oona

Midori

Claudine 

 If you've yet to discover Wiksten, you'll want to grab your favorite drink and snack and prepare to sit for a while, soaking in all the hand-made goodness on the site and blog.  

Thanks again, Jenny!

  images: unless otherwise noted, all are by and courtesy of Jenny Gordy Wikstenmade