"A Corner of Lithuania Frozen in Time"

Photographs from the Lithuanian "panhandle."

War Room

When my Dad was a Displaced Person, he collected several folders of reproduced art prints. The subject matter of the prints is primarily related to World War II. Some prints also are representative of the German inter-war Expressionist movement.

Schweinfurt, Germany, about 1946. This piece is by Willi Geiger.

Related by Marriage: Explorer

Los Angeles, California, about 1962. Mr. Irene's Los Angeles Cousin contemplates the future.

Thanks to Los Angeles Cousin for making this photo available to us.

How much snow must fall before school districts cancel classes?

A regional map.

Chicago is an exceptional pocket. Maybe it's because the city is accustomed to lake-effect snow. Or maybe it's the school district. Or maybe Chicagoans are "flinty."

UPDATE: Updated links and edits added.

"Google Gondola"

Google Street View does Venice.

Thanks to my friend Donna for directing me to this story.

9250 Kilometers

1940. This map shows the Germans' view of the European situation. Lithuania is the country colored in green.

Geography Lesson

"40 maps that explain the world."

SWANTS

Shetland knitwear designers Kate Davies features a post about SWANTS, or "sweater-pants." Artist Stephen West bought an old Norwegian sweater—a Setesdal—at an Amsterdam thrift shop. He then steeked the vintage garment into a pair of pants. Yes, the first thing I see is the codpiece, which looks like it came from a central motif on the sweater's back.
 
Here's a man wearing a knitted jumpsuit. The creator called it an "Aran catsuit."

Mr. Irene has never worn knitted pants—and he'd never wear a knitted onsie. But he has humored me by wearing some brightly colored sweaters:

Madison, Wisconsin, November 17, 1991. Mr. Irene and I attend a post-performance party hosted by our folk dance group, Žaibas. I wear Vogue Knitting's 1991 Map of the World sweater. Note that I altered the pattern by knitting the Soviet Union in red, not pink, and adding Lithuanian as an independent country. I also knit the sweater in Merino Wool (Baruffa's "Maratona"), not in cotton. Mr. Irene wears a cotton (Tahki's "Cotton Classic"), sport-weight Aran based on a sweater, knit in the same salmon color, in this issue of Filatura di Crosa.

Hand knitting peaked somewhat in the early- to mid-1990s (I worked in a yarn shop as a sales girl between 1991 and 1992, so my view may be skewed). The garments were complicated and challenging, and designers like Missoni and Fendi regularly created new patterns. I think if today you want to knit something in that same league, you should turn to some Japanese patterns. Many of the American knitting magazines now target beginner, or "quick," projects.

Fortunately, one of the best designers from the earlier era—Alice Starmore and her daughter, Jade Starmore—still create stunning designs.

Street View

Google maps Venice.

"Pronounce Wisconsin"

I have trouble with "Manitowoc." Is it "MAN-it-oh-wok," "Man-IT-oh-wok," or "Man-it—OH-wok?"

How do you say "Oconomowoc"?

The State Cartographer's Office has introduced an online map with pronunciation guide.

Related by Marriage: Mapping the plan.

Camp Irwin, Barstow, California, December 1951. Mr. Irene's Dad and a fellow serviceman work on a mapping exercise.

A Mapped Plan

Near the Isar River, Germany, about 1947 of 1948. The Lithuanian scouts at the Schweinfurt Displaced Persons camp created an elaborate plan for camping along the Isar River. The circled area on the right is the spot at which the scouts displayed the Lithuanian flag.

Watch the Lithuanian Empire grow and shrink …

… on this time-lapse map of Europe's last 1,000 years.

I used to teach "Western Civilizations," so I love stuff like this.

(Thanks to a Facebook friend for pointing out the map.)