Norsk Strikkedesign: A Collection from Norway's Foremost Knitting Designers [Hardcover]

Margaretha Finseth (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2002

A colourful, lively and practical book which showcases the variety represented by some of Norway's best knitwear designers. The designers featured in this book have influenced Norwegian hand and commercial knitting during the last fifteen to twenty years. We are proud to present a design book where the designers have had total freedom to create specially designed and unique garments. Included are twenty-two practical designs which show how fantastic and lovely garments can grow from something as simple as needles and skeins of yarn. Handknitting allows and unbounded freedom to create a completely personal expression through colors, embellishments, structure and styling. You would be surprised at how many objects can give birth to creativity: everything from an elegantly worked bridal gown or a postcard to nature's shifting light, grey stones and evenrough logging roads. Norway has always been identified as a knitting nation, and its knitwear is regarded with wonder. Norwegian knitting is associated with traditional patterns and Norwegian motifs, which are readily recognised by the rest of the world. In keeping with tradition, classic Norwegian-spun wool yarns are used in this book. Knitting is the most Norwegian of all crafts, and the skill has been passedfrom mother to daughter. Its is hoped that this book can give inspiration to the subject and that there will be many capable and creative designers in the future

Product Details

• Hardcover: 129 pages
• Publisher: Unicorn Books and Crafts (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893063011
• ISBN-13: 978-1893063013
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,381,031 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mostly for the Coffee Table, April 7, 2007

By 

Rebecca Haden (Fayetteville, AR) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: Norsk Strikkedesign: A Collection from Norway's Foremost Knitting Designers (Hardcover)

I am an experienced knitter, I love my size 1 needles, and I do not fear steeks. Nonetheless, it is pretty clear to me why the reviews of this books tend to be about the photographs, and not about the knitting patterns.
First, while there are 22 sweaters in here, finishing out at everything from 30 to 56 inches, each one generally has a single size. Even when there appear to be size choices, they are so nonstandard as to be largely useless: one sweater comes in two sizes with identical circumference, but one is 1.5 inches longer than the other. Each knitter can expect to find only one or two sweaters in her size, not 22 choices of what to knit.
Then there are the instructions. They are charted, but the charts are very small -- 24 rows to the inch, in some cases, and the squares are in colors like dark blue and black, so following these charts will be about the same as copying a design from a commercially-knitted sweater. In real life, we will probably have to re-chart these, or at least keep a magnifiying glass handy. The directions for one hat tell us to embroider a flower according to the picture, and then include no picture which actually shows the flower on the hat in question. I haven't yet attempted to knit anything from these instructions, but anyone planning to should be prepared to add some creativity to the process.
Now consider the designs themselves. We may rave about them as art objects, but in fact there aren't more than three that would be wearable and stylish as they are written. In general, they are oversized sweaters with boxy shapes and drop sleeves. The colorwork is dramatic and lovely, but enormous. Most of us will look like refrigerators if we wear these. (Slim girls, too, since the sweaters are mostly 45-56" around -- they will just look like drooping refrigerators.)
While there are a couple of sweaters I expect to make at some point, I will probably use this book as a source of color patterns for other designs -- with my magnifying glass at the ready.
Buy this as a reference, or for your coffee table, but don't expect to end up with a couple dozen lovely sweaters from it.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars stunning designs for the advanced knitter, November 9, 2003

By 

S. Flesher (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Norsk Strikkedesign: A Collection from Norway's Foremost Knitting Designers (Hardcover)

This collection is breathtaking and proves there is much more to Norwegian knitwear than the famous house of Dale. The patterns are definitely not for the beginner, and the book does not include any instructions on technique, but intermediate to advanced knitters who want to stretch out will find loads of inspiration.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Knitting of DOOOOOM!, August 31, 2006

By 

Robin E. Mork "caerulius" (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Norsk Strikkedesign: A Collection from Norway's Foremost Knitting Designers (Hardcover)

Ok, so this is a beautiful book, and though it is not out of print, it can be very hard to get hold of. The designs are mostly traditional Norwegian fair isle... But sooooo complex. We're talking mostly size 1 needles here, people, and STEEKING. (Knitters in the know will shudder now, novices get a chill of doom).
But if you flip through, the work is so gorgeous that you actually find yourself wanting to dare... I actually bought the yarn pack for the cover pattern (Season of Darkness and Winter Light). The designs are gorgeous. It is if nothing else, extremely drool-inspiring. [...].