"Trekanten" (the Triangle) - hat in twined knitting

Trekanten

This really is a summer for knitting. The occasional sunny and warm days are separated by periods with cold, cloudy and rainy days perfect for spending time indoors with a nice cup of tea and knitting.

I had long pondered knitting something from Kerstin Jönssons´s book "Tvåändsstickning - Mina mönster och idéer".  Mainly because I like some of the hats that are featured in the book. 

Kerstin Jönsson: Tvåändsstickning - Mina mönster och idéer

Kerstin Jönsson has a non traditional approach to twined-knitting based on a long experience of teaching twined knitting. She uses a rather thick 3-ply, s-plied yarn instead of thinner 2-ply, z-plied yarn that is the traditional choice for twined knitting. Consequently she also uses thicker knitting needles.

I am, admittedly, strongly in favour of following the tradition when it comes to twined knitting. My opinion is based on the fact that the reasons why twined knitting survived so long was due to the qualities that the produced fabric had. These qualities were a consequence of the materials (yarns and needles) used and the traditional knitting techniques. I also find the traditional knitted mittens, hats, socks etc. and their patterns extremely beautiful and interesting.

But I am not opposed to trying new things. So I followed the instructions regarding yarn and needles and knitted the hat "Trekanten". The book is written so that you can combine instructions and vary your hats and mittens accordingly. I think that that is a nice thing to do, since it shows you how easy it is to make your own designs and adaptations of given patterns. 

This is also in line with Kerstin´s view on her patterns and texts. She writes in the beginning of the book that she can´t understand why most books have restrictions regarding how the content is to be used, that it is not to be copied or spread. She says that she has written this book to spread her ideas regarding knitting and that she wants her patterns to be used, spread, inspiring and knitted as much as possible. The main thing is to get people to be creative with their hands.

Nice decreases

The hat ended up being a little on the big side, but I think that the pattern and especially the decreases are very nice. I will probably make some changes and knit some more hats inspired by this one. The finished material is thick and probably very warm. All in all a nice experience.

Mittens knitted by my godmother

Last week my mother showed me two pairs of mittens knitted by my godmother. They were knitted in the 1960´s as gifts for my mother and they have been worn a lot. 

I remember my godmother as always being busy making things. Knitting, crocheting, embroidery, weaving and other crafty things filled her days when she retired from her work. She was also a great cook and famous for her cookies. She knitted similar mittens for other persons, but never identical. There are always variations in how the patterns are knitted. I think that she originally had a pattern for the mittens and then gradually over the years just knitted from memory. Adapting, adjusting, changing the pattern as she felt like.

Knitting Hats

I had not planned to knit a whole lot this summer, but the weather being as it is (rainy and cold) has given me ample opportunity to spend time indoors knitting - I am not complaining, just explaining ...

I have always liked hats with a [k3, p1] ribbing. I can't say why. I just think that they are simple but a bit more interesting than plain knit or a [k2, p2] ribbing.

So I have been experimenting and now found my own "formula" for this kind of hat.

The decreases here are simple and yet functional enough for me. I have tried a couple of patterns from other designs earlier but I think that the decreases were made more complicated than what is necessary.

The hats are knitted in various yarns but they all have a similar thickness and they are around 150 metres per 100 grams. 100 grams is more than enough for one hat with a circumference of 57-58 centimetres.The hats in this post use 75-85 grams each.

I played around with the cast on and the first rows on the hats. On some of them I mixed techniques and started them in twined knitting to get a more prominent edge, then changed back to "ordinary" knitting for the rest of the hat.

They knit up pretty quickly and are a bit "addictive" to make - perhaps these will become Christmas gifts ...

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.