Mittens from Riga

These are mittens from Riga. After reading about mittens from Latvia we are now proud owners of three pairs of mittens from Riga, the capital of  Latvia. Comparing the pictures and charts with the real thing is a joyful experience.

We haven't been to Riga - yet. That is still to come. But thanks to a friend that recently visited Riga we now have these mittens. You can read more about the visit on her blog En till stickblogg. Thank you Heléne!

It is always a special feeling to hold and examine mittens knitted in a traditional way. The skill of the knitter is to be admired. The patterns are to be enjoyed.

They are all so inspirational. Have to visit Riga!

Mittens from Mora (1909) in twined knitting

These are twined knitted mittens from Mora, Dalecarlia, Sweden. We were given these as a gift from a friend a couple of months ago. They once belonged to her father. Possibly a gift at his birth in 1909, or perhaps bought in 1919 when he spent a summer in Dalecarlia. I think that the first option is the more likely. These mittens are called "Moravantar" (Mittens from Mora) in Swedish and they are all patterned in the same distinctive fashion. The yarn used is s-plied, one white and one red. The red is a bit more loosely spun. The tension is 47 stitches to 10 cm  (4 inches). The yarn is made of wool and seems to be of a fairly good quality.

These were probably knitted to be sold as souvenirs to tourists. The placement of the name and the year are typical for this kind of mittens. On these mittens the name or initials of the recipient are substituted with "MORA".  Probably because the knitter knew they were to be sold to an unknown person. By looking at the surface of the fabric it is clear that the yarn used is not z-plied (and we have checked the yarn by close inspection), since it forms ridges on the fabrics surface. Using s-plied yarn could be due to various reasons. Since they were to be sold it would not be economic to use hand spun yarn due to the time it takes to produce. Industrial yarns were more available and the prices cheap. I have not heard of z-plied yarn for sale at this time in Sweden.

The mitten has no thumb gore, probably because it would interfere with the stitch pattern. The thumb is decorated with different patterns on its two sides. I am really glad to have these mittens. They are a hundred+ years old and a true heritage. Holding items like these and being allowed to examining them and having the time for a close look is always so inspiring.

It is interesting to compare them with these mittens from Nordiska Museet in Stockholm. They are similar but with reversed colours. Photo from Nordiska Museet, Digitalt Museum.

Hat with Estonian pattern

Hat in twined knitting  - Estonian stitch pattern

I wanted to knit a hat in twined knitting. While thinking about how I wanted it to look I searched through some of my knitting books. I found a pattern that only required minor changes to be used for my hat.It was in a book about Estonian socks, called "Eesti sokikirjad" by Elo Lutsepp and Irina Tammis.

"Eesti sokikirjad by Elo Lutsepp and Irina Tammis

I used left over yarn for this hat, one light grey and two nuances of red. The yarn is from Wålstedt and I knitted on 2,50 mm (US 1½) needles.

These old traditional patterns are the best. They look good and they are fun to knit.

"STICKA - Detaljer som gör skillnad" av Ulla Engquist

STICKA - Detaljer som gör skillnad

(English summary at the bottom of this post.)
I tisdags var jag på boksläpp för Ulla Engquists bok "STICKA - Detaljer som gör skillnad", utgiven av Hemslöjdens Förlag. Jag hade hört talas om att Ulla skulle skriva en stickbok och jag hade sett fram emot att läsa den. Intresset för stickning är stort sedan en längre tid tillbaka och det ges ut många nya stickböcker. Ibland har jag suckat över att kvaliteten är rätt varierande på nya stickböcker. Jag har varit tacksam att jag har så många gamla "klassiker" i bokhyllan.

Ulla Engquist, författare

Ullas bok skiljer sig definitivt från flertalet stickböcker på marknaden. Detaljer som gör skillnad är Ullas specialitet inom stickning och följden har blivit att hon skrivit en bok som gör skillnad. Detta är inte en "vanlig stickbok" - det är en kunskapsbok. Ulla fokuserar på teknik och montering. Utifrån sin rika erfarenhet och kunskap ger hon tydliga råd om hur man genom att planera plaggets uppläggningar, avmaskningar, sidsömmar, hoptagningar och utökningar kan skapa ett harmoniskt plagg. Målet är att slippa förargliga skavanker. Råd som vi med tacksamhet tar emot. Att sticka en tröja tar ju trots allt ganska många timmar, och att slippa den frustration som kan uppstå efter missar i monteringsarbetet eller stickningen är värdefullt.

Ullas "provlappar och teknikexempel" fanns att studera på plats

Denna bok är ensam i sitt slag på svenska. Här finns inte inspirerande, softade, romantiska bilder på mönsterstickade tröjor, vantar, sockar mm. Här finns däremot teknikbeskrivningar och tips som kan användas vid stickning av alla sorters plagg. Boken är en möjlighet till förkovran och utveckling för alla oss som stickar. Allt är inte enkelt och okomplicerat om man vill uppnå ett vackert och tillfredsställande resultat. Ulla vet det och inpräntar därför vikten av kunskap, planering och noggrannhet. Det är kanske lite ovanligt idag när "minsta motståndets lag" ofta dominerar. Ulla tar stickning på allvar och delar generöst med sig av sin stora kunskap.

Bokens baksidestext

Glädjande är också att detta är den första boken i en serie. Det ska komma fler böcker. Exempel på vad de innehåller är t.ex. stickade fickor, knapphål, kragar och andra avancerade detaljer. Hur man gör sina egna modeller och anpassar stickbeskrivningar efter sina egna mått och önskemål kommer också. Mycket att se fram emot - och inte alls omöjligt att detta är första delen i en svensk "stick-klassiker".

Instruktionsfilmer på hemslojdensforlag.se/film

I samband med bokens utgivning har Ulla också spelat in ett antal filmer som återfinns på Hemslöjdens Förlags hemsida och deras YouTube-sida.

Läs också om Ullas andra bok här:
"STICKA - Egna modeller och fler detaljer" av Ulla Engquist 

 English Summary:
The above post is a presentation of a new Swedish book written by Ulla Engquist "STICKA - Detaljer som gör skillnad" (a rough translation would be "KNITTING - Details that make a difference"). Ulla has a lifetime of experience in knitting and her specialities are the technical aspects of how to make the finished garment as harmonious and beautiful as possible. Knowledge, planning and choosing the best suited technical solutions combined with meticulous attention to detail will make you a better knitter. 
This book has no fancy, romantic pictures - it is facts and knowledge. Read it if you want to improve your knitting and take it to the next level.
It is the first in a series. The next books will be about knitted pockets, buttonholes, and more advanced details. You will also learn how to construct your own models and how to adapt a pattern to your own measures and likings. I think that this book has a chance to become a Swedish classic - it is packed with useful information.

This book will be published in the USA in 2017.

Digerdöden / Black Death - Hat in Twined Knitting

Digerdöden / Black Death

This is a design by Karin Kahnlund. It was published in a Swedish magazine called "Hemslöjden" in 1988. The design has a peculiar name "Digerdöden", that is the Swedish name for the Black Death.

Hemslöjden 1988/5

I have long planned to knit this hat, but I could not decide which yarn to use until I opened my box with my hand-spun yarns and found a red and a grey yarn which I thought would be nice to use.

The pattern

These yarns were spun a couple of years ago. The red yarn is based on Spelsau mixed with Leicester, and the grey yarn is based on Rya mixed with Gotländsk Pälsull and Leicester.

Digerdöden - close up

I think that the two yarns work well together. It is always a bit special to knit with a yarn that you have made yourself.

Blocking

And I got to test our hatter´s stock - it was perfect for blocking!