northern knits: designs inspired by the knitting traditions of scandinavia, iceland, and the...

8/14/2019 Northern Knits: Designs Inspired by the Knitting Traditions of Scandinavia, Iceland, and the Shetland Isles

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Designs inspired bythe knitting traditions of Scandinavia,

Iceland, and The Shetland Isles

Lucinda Guy


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The rich diversity and proliferation of folk art and handicrafts from the northern areas of

Europe are owed in no small part to the long, dark, cold winters that forced people insideduring the endless winter months. The home and everything relating to it was all-important, and it

was only natural that attention and care was taken to transform everyday domestic objects into hand-

some decorative pieces and that many hours were spent knitting and stitching impressive, beautiful

clothes for festive occasions. Folk handicrafts are directly representative of the people who made

them, the way in which they lived, their customs, how they survived and managed their lives.

I have always been deeply interested in northern European folk art, and since I rst started

designing, I have been heavily inuenced by traditional folk textiles. Shetland, Iceland, Norway,

and Sweden have always held a particular fascination for me, each with a rich heritage of unique

knitted folk artShetland Fair Isle sweaters and lace shawls, Icelandic bulky round-yoke sweaters,

Norwegian black-and-white Selbu mittens, and Swedish twined knitted mittens.

Our lives are still inuenced by the cycles of the natural world, by the rhythms of the seasons,

and, despite our central heating and cheap abundant mass-made woolens, handknitting remains a

means for making warm and protective clothing beautiful. The designs in this book, in true handi-

craft fashion, are not only inspired directly from the past, but use elements from our rich heritage of

folk art to combine the new with the old.


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ffiefairislep u l l o v e r

Knitted seamlessly in the round, just as Shetlanders

have always done it, Efe is an elegant example

of a contemporary Fair Isle sweater. The vibrant,

rich colors of Jamieson & Smiths pure wool 2-ply

jumper yarn (there are more than eighty shades!),

have been used on Shetland to knit traditional Fair

Isle sweaters for decades. Here, a combination

of twelve shades, with brights working alongside

softer, muted tones, give the ancient Shetland OXO

pattern its distinctive classic look.

finished size

35 (40, 45, 50)" (90 [103, 115.5, 128.5] cm)

bust circumference.

Sweater shown measures 40" (103 cm).

yarn

Fingering (#1 Super Fine).

shown here:Jamieson & Smith 2-Ply Jumper Weight

(100% wool; 130 yd [119 m]/25 g): #54 dark gray

(A), #203 light gray (C), #FC43 sand (H), #121 yel-

low (J), and #125 dark orange (L), 3 (3, 4, 4) balls

each; #93 bright red (E) and #202 beige (G), 2 balls

each; #27 medium gray (B), #FC6 pink (D), #1403dark red (F), #FC7 peach (K), #75 pale turquoise

(M), and #14 light blue (N), 1 ball each.

needles

Size U.S. 3 (3.25 mm): 16" and 32" (40 and 80 cm)

circular and set of 4 or 5 double-pointed (dpn).

Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct

gauge.

notions

Markers (m); stitch holders; tapestry needle.

gauge

30 stitches and 34 rounds/rows = 4" (10 cm) in

charted color patterns.


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gallery

Crowning Glory Shawl

Annemor Turtleneck Pullover

Ulla Twined Socks

Ola Placket Pullover


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Mrta Embroidered Bag

Moth Short-Sleeved Top

Otillia Twined Mittens


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about the author

lucinda guyis a knitwear and textile designer

and author of four books of handknitting for kids, all

originally published by Rowan in the U.K. (Trafalgar

Square in the U.S.) and all designed and illustrated by

her partner, Franois Hall. She started her knitwear

career designing swatches for women and menswear

and successfully sold designs to Edina Ronay, Laura

Ashley, Marks and Spencer, and Rowan Yarns.

ceLebrate e traditionsand historyf wl.

Northern Knitsopens with an introduction that explores the traditions of

quintessential European knitting cultures, from the wool and yarns tothe history of the garments traditionally made from them. Accompanyingthe information is a breathtaking montage of photos showing vintagetraditional garments, landscapes, and sheep from Iceland, Shetland,Norway, and Sweden.

The collection of 20 womens garments and accessories uses traditionalknitting techniques and folk motifs inspired by these regions to showcasethese classic wool yarns. The projects explore a range of techniques andknitwear construction ideas that are both interesting to knit and very

wearable.

Featured techniques include:

knitting in the roundlace

Fair Isle twined knitting embroidery

Rowan designer Lucinda Guys newest collection includes the best of newand old in knitwear: the inspiration of folk traditions, the wholesomepurity of natural wool yarns, and the styles of todays knitter.

Paperback, 8 9, 144 pages80 photographs, 30 illustrationsISBN 978-1-59668-171-2$24.95

Available March 2010Introduction

iceland

Hulda Striped Pullover

Ennid Shawl

Yrsa Laceweight Fingerless Mitts

Unnur Icelandic Pullover

Lilja Textured Jacket

shetland

Crowning Glory Shawl

Moth Short-Sleeved Top Effie Fair Isle Pullover

Nell Shetland Cap

Hester Chevron Lace Pullover

norway

Annemor Turtleneck Pullover

Thora Cardigan with Pewter Clasps

Inger Ski Cap

Elise Colorwork Gloves

Liv Colorwork Socks

sweden

Ola Placket Pullover

Pia Laceweight Pullover

Marta Embroidered Bag Ulla Twined Socks

Ottilia Twined Mittens

Glossary

Sources for Supplies

Index

contents

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