Tuesday, May 26, 2009


A Happy Mistake

For the past two Sunday nights, I have been lost in Sweden. Not serenely strolling through the softly sunwashed colours of artist Carl Larsson, but stranded amidst the harsh landscape of writer Henning Mankell, as his Wallander detective series has now come to television via the new BBC production starring Kenneth Branagh. Set in Ystad, it is a Sweden unfamiliar to me, with a midnight sun that pierces the summer night like the half closed eye of Apollo, never resting, always watching, and a noonday sun that enflames the colours of the landscape - all school bus yellow and chlorine blue - with such vividness they almost sting the eye. These bleakly haunting stories match the intensity of their setting with starkness and weblike intricacy. They are completely engrossing.

So engrossing in fact, that last Sunday after knitting my way through the second episode, I looked down and observed ...yikes.... a mistake. I had changed skeins right after the show had begun and neglected to notice an infinitesimal difference in dyelot. Now here I was, eight inches knitted, and the colours were off course a bit. The yarn I am using is a variegated cotton, sublime in texture and delicious in shades of watery greens, blues and lavenders, but now, about a third of the way into the scarf the colours were a tiny bit more blue than green. I sat stock still as I pondered my next move. As it was a fairly intricate pattern, the thought of ripping out my work was distasteful to say the least. But amazingly, the longer I looked, the more I liked what I saw.... the more I really, really liked what I saw. I am now completely thrilled with this new creation; one I never would have imagined myself. When the scarf is wound around my neck, the subtle change in colour is divine, and looks expertly planned. A happy mistake. The Songwriter says they happen in recording all the time.

It is amusing to think how we humans so often rigidly map out our lives, schedule our days, presuming we know best how things should proceed. Sometimes, if we can manage to let go of the reins a bit, it seems that circumstances may just hand us a better way, present us with a more wondrous idea than we ever could have imagined on our own. The holiday that was planned, the school that was counted on, the career always hoped for, the pattern so dilligently followed. When kismet laughingly shuts the door, that open window across the room just might lead to Neverland.

Or at the very least, there might be a fabulous scarf sitting on the windowsill.


Painting above by Carl Larsson


37 comments:

  1. The scarf does sound lovely. I'm glad you came to like-love-it.

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  2. I've been watching that show, too.

    Yes, letting go.

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  3. What beautiful art selections you make. Thank you for reminding us of the sublime Carl Larsson.
    I'm sure it is a lovely scarf, with subtle shading like the blush of a rose!

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  4. Carl Larsson AND Kenneth Branagh? It had to add up to a wonderful concoction!

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  5. i just wrote about this in my latest blog, a mistake that turned out to be the best thing in the decor!

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  6. oh, yes, the lovely lucky mistake that makes us look in a different way! I also watched the last Wallander - intense!

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  7. Although I so enjoy reading each and every H of E post, this one struck a special chord since I too, watched Wallander just last eve. I had missed the first installment so I came in a bit innocent of what to expect, certainly of where the character was heading. Branagh was, to me, the best of who he is as an actor in this role. Someday I will be able to articulate why.

    I often do beadwork (on cloth) when I watch Masterpiece Theater. But not that night. Ratz! who knows where a mistake might have led me.

    Thank you for all of your truly lovely and thoughtful posts.

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  8. n untidy worker I often drop bits of dyed fabric onto other bits and come up with combinations I have not thought of. The latest was a zingy red onto which I had dropped a pale but still quite vibrant, turquoise.

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  9. Very good food for thought. Letting go, going with the flow, off the grid. Sometimes great things occur through our little errors.

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  10. Fate and chance - my two favourite words. Sometimes we create the most beautiful things when we least expect to - I am sure your scarf will be just that Pamela, xv.

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  11. Happy happenstance, your scarf sounds beautiful. I adored the Wallander series when it was shown here earlier this year as I'm a fan of Kenneth Branagh - you are so right about the colours of the landscape - my friends told me about the series and about the books by Henning Mankell and I'm looking forward to reading them:)

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  12. Love to see your scarf, and your happy little mistake.
    I have many. I find that knitting keeps me honest.

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  13. I was taught that lesson some years ago when when every time we made plans, no matter how inconsequential, they were changed into something quite different and better. Now we may aspire to drive to sydney to see our granddaughter play in the youth orchestra, but leve the details up to the powers that be.
    I'm so glad your scarf worked out to best advantage.

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  14. Pamela..it sounds like something I might like. I love BBC series.
    I just finish " The House of Elliot". It has taken me over two months (it's 31 hours)of going back and forth with Netflix mailings but worth every moment!
    The clothes are to die for!!!

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  15. That scarf is a pretty good analogy for life Pamela. Incidentally I too love Carl Larsen's work - many years ago my son went to Sweden and brought me back some prints as a present.

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  16. I just saw the latest Henning Mankell novel “Italian Shoes” in the bookstore and was tempted to buy it, but it sounded too wintery for this time of year. I shall have to revisit later. I haven’t read anything by him. I'll add the series to my Netflix list too.

    How fortunate that an accident improved your knitting. Great story!

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  17. I love your very descriptive post Pamela and you are so very right. It happens a lot to me when I am drawing. How lovely that you didn't have to redo the scarf too. You have wetted our appetites with the colours. Are we going to have a peek?

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  18. I am not a knitter, but a gardener and how many times have I been gobsmacked by plant combination blown in by chance from who knows where nestled in complete beauty and harmony. My only genius was not weeding out the unknown before it had a chance to bloom.

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  19. Happy accidents occur in art too, well,my art certainly :)

    I wanted to watch that show, but found it very intense and couldn't really settle to it.

    Kim x

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  20. Well I love Carl Larsson but hadn't seen that one, thanks for sharing.
    The Wallander series was fantastic, it won awards over here, well deserved. I would watch it again.
    M reads the Mankel books, I have not tried them but they are very popular in the library.

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  21. It's encouraging to think that our mistakes can be so creative and lead on to even better things.

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  22. What a great attitude about a mistake. In this economy we all need to be open to unplanned changes.

    Carl Larsson's works can captivate my imagination for long periods at a time. Can't you just imagine stepping into some of the family rooms?

    I only watch the news on BBC so I'm not familiar with the program you reference but it must be captivating!

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  23. Sometimes mistakes are the best things that happen to us (when we're over the shock, LOL).
    Love the texture of the birches in the painting:)

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  24. Well done with the scarf. Hubby saw the Wallander series on i-player and loved it. He said he also saw it in Swedish with subtitles and the character was very different.

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  25. I thrive on happy mistakes! And cherry pie sounds so good. I just finished walking a few miles. Don't mention pie!
    Catherine

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  26. BBC productions are always so good!

    That appears to be a very serendipitous change in your scarf color, and you'll always remember why it happened.

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  27. I haven't come across this series even though it's a BBC one. Your scarf sounds lovely, such a pretty colour combination. And as for not always sticking to a set plan - I've had some wonderful times as a result of not sticking to original plans though I'm a creature of routine at heart.

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  28. When I saw the painting and the Swedish reference in this post, I wondered whether you were familiar with the Swedish artist Anders Zorn. A few years ago, in my pre-blog era, I was very into an online art community and posting board. Swedish artist Anders Zorn was one of the most revered artist on the oil painting board.

    Hope you have a great weekend!

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  29. I meant to watch that show, but missed it. However, I just read Mankell's first novel translated into English, Faceless Killers. It certainly paints a Sweden different from what I know as well. I do like the idea of the happy mistake. Since I tend to make so many mistakes, I'm glad when they turn out well.

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  30. I've watched and thoroughly enjoyed both of the Wallender episodes..so well filmed and written not to mention acted...The colors! Love it!...I haven't read any of the books yet but will have to some day...

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  31. We all need to loosen up don't we. I love it when a mistake turns into a success. Wish I could see the scarf!

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  32. Wonderful, thoughtful post. I agree with you about letting go of the reins a bit. It's easier said than done, but magical things do often result.

    Your scarf sounds beautiful.

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  33. I love Edward's knitted hat in your sidebar.

    xoxoxo

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  34. It is usually the mistakes that happen in my paintings that are the best bits.

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!