After high school I decided to spend a year in Finland as a Rotary Youth Exchange Student. When I got to my host community of Iisalmi, I could not believe the variety of yarn available in the supermarket. I immediately bought some purple, variegated Novita Seitsemän Veljestä and started knitting a cowl. It was so nice to live in a place where my hobby was more common and such a part of the culture. The results were also just as practical as they had been in Minnesota, an endless supply of cold weather accessories.