We have spent a week in Hälsingland, in the north of Sweden, the children and I.
Tyra and Hjördis, my two latest pair of mittens came along to search for their roots.
Tyra was put together using traditional patterns common in the folk costume sweaters in this area.
To be a proper traditional mitten Tyra should have been made in red and green, or perhaps in red, black and white. But pink is never really wrong, I think.
The pattern for Hjördis was found on the underside of a sleeve.
My mother copied down the pattern from a sweater at the museum of Hudiksvall, in Hälsingland.
When I saw it I immediately had the idea to make a mitten.
Hm, that seems to happen to me a lot lately...
Maybe Hjördis ought to have been made in black and green in order to stay true to tradition.
But I had a lovely skein of Louet Gems called Winterberry, that I bought at
Garnkorgen earlier this year. And it looked great combined with a skein of solid linen grey Louet Gems.
I actually finished Hjördis when I was in Hälsingland.
Here she is still missing a thumb.
I use two circular needles for making thumbs, too, these days.
I find it so much more convenient than using four dpns.
My mother´s house used to be the village shop.
And when we visit the kids love playing shop with my mother´s very large button collection.
Special price – only for you!
There are buttons of every colour.
And every shape.
Some are new, but most of them are old.
And the children can play with them for hours.
Guess what I occupy myself with in the meantime?
My mother´s living room.
But now that the sun has come out I´m taking a little break from knitting mittens.
I´ve started a "Hyacinth Lace Shawl" by Evelyn Clark using some wonderful Wollmeise.
