Knitting In The Nordic Tradition (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Icelandic knitted garments justly have a worldwide reputation for quality, durability, and style. Simple in cut and decoration, they feature distinctive vertical and horizontal effects and unique imagery. You can make dozens of these beautiful traditional patterns with the more than 100 graphed designs featured here! This pictorial overview not only gives readers patterns to follow, but suggests way of adapting the styles to individual tastes. Every technique is covered. Try purling, openwork, multicolored knitting, and casting. Create narrow and wide ribbing, zigzags, and decorative patterns. Make typical designs, with the fine touches that distinguish Nordic knitwear. Knit sweaters with a stockinette stitch, damask shirts, raglan sweaters, coarse yarn sweaters, and small jackets such as farmhands once wore. Make a Norwegian peasant coat, with its wide yoke, cloth edging, and slanted ribbing. Stay warm all winter with knitted mittens, caps, socks, and leg warmers. For something more delicate, use lacework for pretty blouses, shawls, and scarves. Bonus: details on caring for your handiwork to keep it in great shape! Lark 128 pages (8 in color), 260 b/w illus., 8 x 10 7/8.

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Danish --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Sterling (June 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887374310
• ISBN-13: 978-1887374316
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 7.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,085,113 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good news and bad news!, July 29, 1999

By A Customer

I like this book a great deal, and I reference it frequently. It has information, photos, pattern charts, and drawings that deal with the Scandinavian knitting tradions. Some of it is very different from American or English traditions. HOWEVER, do not expect to find stitch by stitch mitten or sweater patterns. There are none! This book is more about technique; for example, there is a very good section on socks. This includes details for turning the heel, etc, but no exact pattern for the whole sock. Instead you create your own, and now you can knit a sock to any size or with any yarn you might have lying around. This is not a book for a timid knitter who likes to have everything laid out for him/her in the instructions; it does not offer that kind of information. It is still an interesting read and a good reference for those who like traditional and/or ethnic knitting. (And as far as I am concerned, this is the only kind of knitting.)

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Publisher, Please Reprint This Book!!!, October 5, 2008

By	Blank Stare (California) - See all my reviews

I sure do wish the publisher would consider reprinting this book. I've checked it out from my library a zillion times. What an inspiration. The coloring on my ballband dishcloths got really crazy after looking at this book.

There are some real patterns in this book, but they are balanced with a more creative approach that demonstrates how to think about patterns, yarns and colors in order to create one's own personal pieces. The author does this in a way that doesn't seem difficult and seems playful and improvisational. The "Gauge" lesson shows how to make an interesting fabric using all sorts of different size needles, for example.

There is an introductory chapter on Scandinavian knitting and then chapters on making different types of clothing, like sweaters, caps, socks, mittens, shawls.