Mary Skoy reviews Nina’s Favorite Mittens and Socks from Around Norway
This book is a compilation of favorite patterns from Nina Granlund Sæther’s two previous books: Mittens from Around Norway (2017) and Socks from Around Norway (2019).
Her extensive research and design work are deeply rooted in the Norwegian tradition. Here is how she describes her process in the book’s forward entitled “Clothes to Stay Warm”:
“Selbu mittens are extremely lovely and considered almost a national symbol—but it was important to me to also shine a light on lesser known patterns from Halden and Kristiansand in the south and Kautokeino in the north.…I often find myself excited and inspired by patterns from preserved garments, but I’m not compelled to make exact copies. The yarn is typically different, and I tend to play with more colors than were traditionally in use. I’ve also made some adjustments so the mittens and socks will be as easy to work and user-friendly as possible for modern knitters” (p. 4).
In her description of the pattern she calls Caroline Halvorsen’s Mittens, Sæther refers to the classic Knitting Book for Primary School and Home Use written by Caroline Halvorsen, published in 1901, and used in schools in Norway until the 1950s and 1960s:
“Mittens embellished with cables and fans were usually called “bride’s mittens” or “church mittens,” and eventually “Sunday mittens.” Caroline Halvorsen didn’t write complete instructions for the mittens, but described how to make the cables and fans. This is my variation on this type of mitten” (p. 45).
Sæther’s instructions are complete and well-illustrated as are all the patterns in the collection. In her introduction to Vestland Rose Mittens, she writes:
“I began with a well-known rose pattern and played a bit with the petal shapes.The result was an entirely new rose.The cuffs on these mittens were inspired by an old pair of mittens from Voss.The technique of crossing stitches used here was well known in Fana, which is just outside Bergen” (p. 89).
Vestland Rose mittens and a portion of the graph for her “entirely new rose.”
And introducing Snowflake Mittens:
“All sorts of stars have been widely used as motifs in Norwegian knitting textiles. The stars featured on the palms of these mittens were often knitted in Selbu and are locally called “spit balls.” Many Norwegian designers have used snowflakes in their designs and I wanted to make my own snowflakes” (p. 141).
Snowflake mittens
The first chapter of Nina’s Favorite Mittens and Socks from Around Norway is called “Before You Begin: Tips and Techniques.” Saether has obviously been a teacher (she trained as a craft teacher and taught at the high school level) because she seems able to anticipate questions a knitter might have. She provides her readers clear explanations, photographs, and charts. She devotes ten pages to illustrating and explaining heels—the Hourglass heel, gusset heel, band heel with short or long heel flap, and the shaped common heel.
Some of the heels explained in the book: hourglass heel, gusset heel, and the shaped common heel.
And in another two pages, she explains reinforcing heels and knitting toes. I was amused and agreed with her practical suggestion about knitting heels: “Ask someone who’s knitted heels before for help or check the internet, where you’ll find many good instructional videos” (p. 12). She also explains Latvian braids, weaving in ends, and thumbs. The individual patterns have special techniques and motifs as well—lace or cabled cuff; two-color ribbing; and birds, cats, moose, pinwheels, and roses.
This book comes alive with full page colorful closeups of forty-four pairs of mittens and socks. The instructions for the twenty-four mitten patterns and twenty sock patterns are clearly explained in text and photographs, as well as in easy to read charts. After looking at a knitting book as inspiring as this, I wish I could knit faster.
Nina’s Favorite Mittens and Socks from Around Norway by Nina Granlund Sæther. Trafalgar Square Books (May 2, 2023). ISBN-13 : 978-1646011643
Mary Skoy is a long-time knitter, as well as an experienced knitting and weaving instructor. She is a frequent contributor to the Norwegian Textile Letter.
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Apri 2023