| ||||||||||||
Browse our Bookshelf Favorites store for big savings on popular fiction, nonfiction, children's books, and more. |
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Language Notes
Text: English
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images? |
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
30 of 30 people found the following review helpful
By JSB
Format:Paperback
I just received this book in the mail. I love it. It has a great overview of the history and importance of handknit mittens in Latvian history. It also includes several Latvian poems about mitten knitting, which I thought was fantastic.
There are several full length patterns in the book that explain the different techniques used to create the mittens in the book, but then there are many, many more charts in the back of the book, as well as color photographs of finished mittens corresponding to the charts. I don't think this is a great book if you are a very beginning knitter, but I do think that if you've learned how to knit, purl, increase and decrease and done a stranded color project, you should do fine with this book. As another reviewer said, you have to piece together the techniques from other sections of the book to make any of the charts in the back, but really, it's not that hard, and the instructions are clear.
My only criticism of the book is that the charts themselves are in black and white and a little crowded together. Otherwise, I found this book to be well worth the money I spent, and I plan to make lots of the mittens found in it, as well as probably mixing and matching to make my own, unique, mittens.
There are several full length patterns in the book that explain the different techniques used to create the mittens in the book, but then there are many, many more charts in the back of the book, as well as color photographs of finished mittens corresponding to the charts. I don't think this is a great book if you are a very beginning knitter, but I do think that if you've learned how to knit, purl, increase and decrease and done a stranded color project, you should do fine with this book. As another reviewer said, you have to piece together the techniques from other sections of the book to make any of the charts in the back, but really, it's not that hard, and the instructions are clear.
My only criticism of the book is that the charts themselves are in black and white and a little crowded together. Otherwise, I found this book to be well worth the money I spent, and I plan to make lots of the mittens found in it, as well as probably mixing and matching to make my own, unique, mittens.
46 of 49 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Elizabeth Upitis has included many models of Latvian mittens from the various regions of the Baltic state. Mittens play an important part in courtship and marriage rituals in Latvian culture. The patterns are rich and decorative, with edgings of fringe or scallops and small patterns reminiscent of Fair Isle knitting.
Even though you probably won't want to make as many mittens as a Latvian bride should need for her dowry, you will be inspired by the variety. The patterns, colorways and edgings are quite useful for adapting to other knitting designs like sweaters, hats and vests.
All my grandparents came from Latvia, and I wish they'd been able to bring some of these wonderful folk handworks with them when they came to America. I would have loved to have seen some from the old country. The author has done a great job in documenting the patterns and the lore behind them.
23 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By L. Breyer
Format:Paperback
This book is a fabulous treasury of traditional patterns with its colorful pictures. All techniques are covered in detail with drawn illustrations. This is, however, by no means a pattern book for a beginner. To construct a certain mitten, the techniques and patterns must be picked out from different parts of the book and put together. On the practical side, the binding of the book could be better; mine is already falling apart and loosing pages after a couple of weeks of use. Nevertheless, I'm very satisfied with the purchase, and will make many of the mittens in this book.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Intricate designs
Oh the challenge. If you love the challenge of using several different yarns and varied patterns this is the book for you. I love the stories behind the design of the mittens. Read more
Published 19 days ago by Carol Welch
5.0 out of 5 stars
Bought it for my daughter
She is pleased with it so that is all I can say about it as the book is not for me
Published 5 months ago by Donald R. Holte
5.0 out of 5 stars
For the pattern-lover.
This book was a delightful surprise! It's packed to the brim with illustrations, patterns and full colour photos of different Latvian mittens. Read more
Published 14 months ago by Odam
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good Addition to My Collection
I've wanted this book for a long time and thought it was going to feel like a treasury of some sort. I couldn't understand why it wasn't published in hardcover. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Frankly
1.0 out of 5 stars
very disappointing
This book is a huge disappointment. Great photographs suggest there will be patterns for them. But many have only partial patterns with graphs for the body but not the cuff of a... Read more
Published 19 months ago by marcella nowak
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure love
I may not need that many pairs of Latvian mittens (I'm only on the second so far), but the patterns are so pretty, that it's hard not to love it. Read more
Published on September 5, 2010 by Vk
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Addition to Anyone's Knitting Library!
Don't miss your opportunity to add this book to your knitting library! Even if you aren't a color knitter, or into knitting mittens and gloves this book is an excellent read and... Read more
Published on February 8, 2010 by Tama Vaughn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful ethnic mittens with a little history
I was originally intrigued by the cover while looking for some ethnic mittens to knit. This book certainly delivers, having some wonderful examples of a variety of mittens with a... Read more
Published on September 12, 2009 by Rorey D. Pritchard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing book!
I just recently learned how rewarding it is to make mittens, and this was the first book that I bought to fuel my obsession. Read more
Published on June 17, 2009 by Christi
4.0 out of 5 stars
Latvian Mittens
This book is a wonderful historical compilation of the knitters art from Lizbeth Upitis' family's collection of spectacular mittens. Read more
Published on February 2, 2009 by B. Wenninger
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
