Customer Reviews

Folk Mittens (Folk Knitting series)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book has lots and lots of nice patterns for mittens. There are fancy mittnes and plain mittens, many colored mittens and some textured mittens. There is also a "basic mitten" pattern, which is nice for people who either have never knit mittens before, or who wish to have a template from which to branch off in designing their own mittens. The informational sections preceding the patterns from each country, though not extensive, are interesting.

For sheer number and variety of mittnes, this book can't be beat. My personal favorites are a beautiful pair of cabled aran mittens and a fairly simple but elegant two-color pattern from the Faroe Islands. I do, however, have one criticism. The section on thumbs is, well, pathetic. The different kinds of thumbs are each given a short paragraph, but there are no diagrams or proper explanations as to how to go about knitting them. Thumbs are not terribly difficult, but as they are particular to mittens and gloves I do think that a book devoted entirely to the mitten should cover their construction clearly and thoroughly. A relatively new knitter, or even an experienced knitter who has never made mittens before, will likely need a step-by-step book with diagrams or a personal teacher to show them the thumb on their first attempt at mittens.

Thumb section aside, this book is very fine, with simple but clear photography that more than adequately shows what the mittens really look like. No specific yarns are listed for each pattern, but the weights and gauges used in ihe models are listed, so unless you want to make an exact copy of the model (and where is the fun, or for that matter the "folksiness" in that?), it should not be a problem. Overall, I highly recommend this book.

I gave this book 5 stars because the mitten patterns and the history behind each mitten is awesome but....frankly her explaination on how to knit them, especially the thumbs is rather pathetic! I have been knitting for quite a few years and have knit many pairs of mittens, and knitting these mittens, or at least just the thumbs were rather difficult to figure out. At least I think so. If her explaination on how to knit the thumb gussets where better explained, I don't believe the mittens would be very difficult to knit. The graphs in the book are very good. Very easy and not confusing. Even with the thumbs being confusing...I think it's definately a book worth buying. You can always go to a local yarn store to get help on the thumbs if you need to. The finished mittens are beautiful and I know I'm glad I took the time to figure out the thumb gussets.

OK, so I haven't really found that many mitten patterns at all, but I looked almost everywhere before I discovered this book. This book gave me a multitude of patterns ranging from the very complex to the very easy...I ended up knitting Halland mittens for myself and am going to make the Norwegian Selbu mittens too. The charts are easy to read but I was slightly confused by the description of thumb gussets (gores) and how to knit them. It seems that she slightly glossed over their descriptions, although you can extrapolate (to a degree) what she means. The patterns are nevertheless gorgeous and generally straightforward. Aesthetically, the photography is beautiful too. I like the fact that this is a collection of mittens from around the world, & doesn't just focus on one particular region so the selection is large.

If you're looking for unusual, beautiful mittens to make, this is the book for you. The patterns are adaptations of traditional styles and designs from around the world, with well-written directions and explanations of various techniques. Most of them, however, require time and patience to complete, so if you're trying to whip up a few pairs as gifts, these are probably too complicated. But any of them would make a very special gift. Lovely collection.

I love this book! This book is the best (only?) mitten book I have ever seen. The patterns were clear and easy to read, the color charts were easy to follow, and the stories behind every mitten were interesting to read. I read the book cover to cover before I knit a single pattern. The book is also laid out well, with great photos and diagrams for each mitten.
This is not a book for inexperienced knitters, however. Some prior knitting knowledge is required, because many patterns have color-work techniques that are difficult to master, and some patterns' charts could be very complicated if a beginner were to attempt them.
Over all, I thought the book was fantastic. It is also a good reference source for charted designs to include in other knitting projects. It is a must-have for the well rounded knitting library.

This is the book that made me want to knit again, after years of doing needlepoint and quilting. I have problems with my shoulders, which makes sweing hard these days, but knitting small projects does not require a large range of sholder motion, so I bought this book and I was hooked. Wonderful information about other cultures and exceptionally beautiful, unusual patterns. I have worked my way through half of the book and have made mittens as gifts and for sale. The patterns are very easy to follow and the text is very easy to follow. This is a wonderful teaching book.

I love this book! The patterns are done from charts, which is great practice. I'm delighted to see how intricate and skilled the patterns are. I'm including a description of the mittens involved, it was fun to read over the patterns and stories as I wrote this up for you. Enjoy!

This book includes the following patterns:
Basic Mittens section:
Basic Mittens - sizing for men's/women's/children's mittens.
Lined Mittens - two mittens joined together at the cuff for extra warmth.
Double-Knit Mittens - two layers knit simultaneously
Houndstooth Double-Knit Mittens - Scottish tweed houndstooth pattern.

Mittens from Europe:
Denmark:
Danish Hotpad, knit in Denmark's damask knitting.
Danish Fisherman's Mittens - mittens with two thumbs, to last longer! I've never seen anything like these in my life, fascinating! Mitten pattern done in brown-and-white checkerboard with brown ribbed wrists. When one thumb wore out, they flipped the mitten around and wore out the other thumb.
Sweden:
Gotland Island Mittens - pattern illustrating the islanders' close ties to nature, with wildflowers, vines, and ivies of local meadows. Red and white diamonds for the hands with pretty green vines on white background for the wrist. Just lovely.
Lovikka Mittens - thick felted mittens in cream colored wool, with embroidered colors for the cuffs.
Mittens from Halland - From the heavily forsted Halland area of Sweden, tightly knit, red and black patterned in small diagonals with cuffs in ribbing with a block for initials.
Bohus Stickning - this famous knitting style is known for its combination of color with fabric texture, and these mittens do not disappoint! Lovely color changes with combinations of knit and purl stitches.
Norway:
Setesdal Mittens - pretty flecked pattern of worsted weight wool of white on black at a tight gauge, with a pretty star pattern for the wrists.
Selbu Mittens - Norway's oldest knitting tradition is two-stranded knitting with both strands from the same strand of yarn. These pretty mittens are blue & white with the eight-petaled rose, known as the Norwegian star.
Fana Mittens - pretty blue and white flecked stripes edged with a checkerboard pattern, lined with wool in a technique called "tufting."
Finland:
Finnish Mittens - pretty stars and diamonds and squres, a collection of Finnish patterns from mittens knit in Tjock.
Lapland:
Mittens from Lapland - these are just pretty! Beautiful white, red, and light blue patterned colorful mittens.
Baltics:
No book on folk knitting could be complete without a mention of Latvian (Baltic area) knitted mittens and the courtship and marriage traditions of mitten-giving. A little Latvian song, or daina, is included:
Good evening, maiden's mother,
As you see my hands are freezing;
All the while my mitten knitter
Snugly in your room is sitting.
Baltic Mittens - These are simply lovely color-patterned mittens of blue, white, green, and red, you just have to see them, I can't describe them in a way that does them justice.
Mittens from the Island of Runo - blue mittens with white diamond and star patterns on the back. Maritime tradition has it that the more remote the island from the mainland, the higher the skills of its craftspeople.
Iceland:
Wool at one time served as Iceland's legal currency, and knitting has always been an important part of Icelandic tradition.
North Iceland Mittens - pretty pattern in white, red, and black.
Lopi Mittens - these mittens are done in the pattern of "Jacob's ladder" and are simple black and white mittens that look so warm. Lopi is the famous wool from Icelandic sheep.
Northern European Fisherfolk:
Fisherman's Mittens - textured one-color pattern, after some of the patterns used by communities that lined Europe's Atlantic coast.
Faeroe Islands:
Faeroe Island Mittens - light and dark blue in diamond pattern with stars in each diamond, dark blue ribbing.
Greece:
Greek Mitten - black and white geometric design, knitted with the Eastern method, beginning at the fingertips and ending at the cuffs.
Bosnia:
This little country is on the Balkan peninsula in the eastern Alps, which has been referred to as "Little Switzerland" and its high elevations are known for its long severe winters. They are known for their sheep and sheep dogs, as well as knitting.
Bosnian Mitten - black and white pattern with pretty flowers/stars down the back.
Albanian Mittens: intricate patterns of black, yellow, pink, red, magenta, green, and navy.
England:
The English Dales Mitten - salt and pepper patterning for thumb and the body done in shepherd's plaid.
Fair Isle:
Fair Isle is one of the Shetland Islands, located where the North Sea becomes the Atlantic Ocean. Fair Isle knitting has become famous for its lovely intricate color play.
Fair Isle Mittens - beautiful multi-colored mittens.
The Aran Islands:
The islands of Aran lie off the west coast of Ireland in the mouth of Galway Bay, and are known for their heavily textured knit tops called jerseys.
Aran Island Mittens - lovely textured cream-colored mittens.
Austria and Bavaria:
Tyrolean Mittens - lovely textured cream-colored mittens sprinkled liberally with brightly embroidered flowers, these are just pretty! Great way to use your spare bits of colored yarn for embroidery.
Mittens from Asia:
Turkey:
Anatolian Mittens - white and red patterned mittens in Turkish tradition.
Kashmir:
Kashmiri Mittens - these are so strikingly beautiful, possibly the most beautiful pattern in the book! Lovely patterned flowers knit onto a cream background. The Himalayan heights of Kashmir are home to the Kashmiri goat, whose fleece yields one of the world's finest wools.
Pakistan and Afghanistan:
Mittens from Pakistan: this geometric diamond pattern is more then 1,000 years old and was typically used in men's footwear. Done in tan and dark brown with a bit of blue and red.
Mittens from North America:
Canada:
Salish Mittens - the Salish tribe lives in the southwest province of British Columbia, and were highly skilled in weaving before European settlers introduced them to weaving. They quickly adapted their geometric designs to a knitting tradition distinctly their own. Done in brown, black, and cream.
Greenland and America:
Minnesota:
Minnesota Mittens: these are gloves with a top covering to cover the fingers and turn them into mittens.
Mittens from Colonial New England: these mittens have a whole Bible verse worked into them, Matt 6:19-21, 33 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures here on earth . . ." All I can say is, wow, what an amazing amount of work!
Mittens from South America:
Andean Mountains:
Bulky-Weight Andean Mittens multi-colored geometric designs.
Andean Altiplano Mittens - unique mittens with brightly patterned motifs dating from pre-Columbian times.
Other mittens:
Tweedledee and Tweedledum Mittens: whimsical puppet mittens for children.
Miniature mittens: adorable little 2 1/2" by 1 1/2" mittens for decorating a Christmas tree or a doll.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed this little trip around the world through mitten-knitting, I highly enjoyed this book and recommend it for the collections of knitters. It is not ideal for a beginner's book, however, but more for intermediate to advanced knitters -- or to inspire beginners.

If you can knit from charts and don't need directions, this book is for you. While the pictures are pretty, the charts are tiny, and I found the explanatory text weak. Note that each mitten comes in one size only - it's up to you to size up or down by changing needle size and/or yarn weight.
I agree with the other reviewer about the lack of information on how to do thumb gussets. For an advanced knitter, this could be a great idea book. For those who want more detailed instructions, not so much. A better book for those wanting explanations and details about folk mitten traditions is "Favorite Mittens" by Robin Hansen.

I purchased this book hoping for something comparable to Nancy Bush's excellent "Folk Socks" and was very disappointed. The designs and colourways are crude compared to the folk designs they're based on, and Lewandowski's brief accounts of folk traditions are poorly written and patronizing. The book includes some useful information on the construction of mittens, but I would not want to knit any of the patterns.

There are few that I would do (or have done already, like Greek and Lapland), and few I'll never even consider (Iceland, Albania, and Canada), but then again it's all the question of choice. Most of the mittens use sport or worsted weight yarn, which makes mittens faster to knit, but also too thick for most of the places. Overall, not too bad of a book to give you basic regional variety.