Icelandic Mittens: 25 Traditional Patterns Reimagined

Review "When I was given the opportunity to review Icelandic Mittens, I jumped at the chance. ... The mittens selected cover a wide range of skill levels and include two pairs of gloves and two solid-color mittens. The patterns themselves are clearly written and—more kudos to the graphic designer who laid out this book—easy to follow. The book also has a section entitled 'Technical Information,' covering all sorts of useful information that will help a new mitten knitter successfully knit the patterns in this book."—Carolyn Vance for Cast On Product Description Gorgeous contemporary reconstructions and reinterpretations of the rich knitting traditions of Iceland.The Textile Museum in Blönduós in northern Iceland houses a unique and fascinating collection of handknit Icelandic mittens, dating back centuries. Now, Guðrun Hannele Hentinnen, an expert with a degree in textile studies―and the owner of a yarn shop located in Reykjavík―has reconstructed patterns and charts based on those historical examples, and breathed new life into a stunning selection of mittens and gloves for the modern knitter.Beautiful, warm, wearable mittens and gloves in a variety of colors and stylesA master class in multi-color stranded knitting and in a wide range of stitches and techniquesFull-color photographs and step-by-step instructions to aid both novice and veteran mitten-knitters About the Author Guðrún Hannele Henttinen owner and manager of Storkurinn, a yarn shop in Reykjavik since 2008. Teacher of various knitting classes, knitting pattern designer, and technical editing for knitting patterns. She resides in Reykjavik, Iceland. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. ICELANDIC KNITTING TECHNIQUESIn Iceland, we use the continental knitting method. We have a long tradition of knitting mittens in the round, mainly using 5 double-pointed needles. We hold both needles the same way in both hands and use them almost equally. The yarn lies from the stitch just knitted on the right needle over the index finger on the left hand. In stranded knitting, the second strand of yarn lies over the middle finger. We like to think that this results in fast knitting, which is good when you knit a lot. If you are used to a different knitting method, however, do not let the descriptions of the continental knitting method confuse you. All knitting methods give the same result. Just knit as you are used to and the outcome will be practically the same or very similar.