Norwegian sweaters, patterns for children, knit your own Fair isle sweater
Knitting (Strikking) in Norway
Norwegian children ( in kindergarten ) are taught to knit, boys as well as
girls. Although the traditional Norwegian sweaters look very intricate in
their design, you only need to know how to knit (and not how to purl) because the
sweater is knitted in a circle, using a circular needle. The sleeves are knitted in a similar fashion and when all three
parts are complete, a cut is made down either side of the body tube
and the circular sleeves are sewn in.
steek technique for original Norwegian knitting
Yarn is displayed on racks inside
and sometimes outside shops that sell wool and patterns. All patterns
are in Norwegian, but some shops sell a small
selection of knitting kits, each having a pattern in English and the
yarn needed to make one garment. So, in most cases, if you wish to knit
a sweater from a pattern, have the pattern translated by a Norwegian
friend who knits.
A selburose
 is a knitted rose pattern
from Selbu in Norway. It is a traditional pattern used for winter
clothing.
Perhaps the most typical garment is the Selbu mitten,
 selbuvott.
The distinctive Selbu rose is a central element. The rose is comprised
of four hearts together, symbolizing peace and friendship. Designs
inspired by some of the most prominent patterns in Norwegian folk
costumes.
The lusekofte
 is a traditional Norwegian sweater, dating from the 19th
century.
The lusekofte features a black and white design, and the name means
"lice jacket", after the isolated black stitches. It is more formally
called a setesdalsgenser (a Setesdal sweater).
The lusekofte is casual attire, mostly worn by men. |
FairIslesweater free knittinggraphs patternFor repeating patterns; the knitting chart shows only one or two repeats, and indicates where you are to begin and end the chart, for the piece you are knitting.
Each square represents one stitch, and the color given in each square represents the color in which you work the stitch. Changing the charts in your own colors, will often make the pattern more
interesting.
The patterns are mostly worked in stockinette stitch, knit right side rows and purl wrong side rows.
Bohus like patterns, have purl stitches on the right side, which adds texture and visual interest.
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More beautiful Norwegian sweaters with knittinggraphs
For centuries, women in the Shetland Islands, 250 miles north of Scotland, have been knitting sweaters decorated with distinctive, multicolored patterns. The designs first appeared on Fair Isle, an island 25 miles south of the rest of the Shetlands, and the sweaters became known as Fair Isles, even though for at least 100 years they have been produced throughout the Shetlands.
Local legend has it that the
designs evolved from Spanish motifs, after a Spanish vessel was shipwrecked on Fair Isle in 1588. Other Shetlanders believe that the patterns have a Scandinavian ancestry, like many of the people themselves. (The islands, 250 miles west of Norway, did not become part of Scotland until 1472.)
The original Fair Isle sweaters were one-of-a-kind pieces, the wool handspun and handknit, the colors drawn from natural dyes, and the rich patterning used lavishly across the whole sweater. That painstaking handwork may still be found on Fair Isle itself, but the journey is a difficult one, even by Shetland standards. A boat makes the crossing from Mainland, the largest and central Shetland Island, to Fair Isle
only once a week, and there is no scheduled air service, although private aircraft may be chartered.
The more modern Fair Isle style, one produced in sufficient quantities to satisfy a worldwide market, is a solid-colored sweater with the multi-hued patterns restricted to the yoke. The patterns are traditional and considerable in variety, through the arrangement of diamonds, stars and stars within squares or
circles, in complementary or contrasting colors to the main body of the sweater. Patterns are not tied to the towns of origin, the woolens vendors say, but rather reflect the taste of the individual knitters.
The process by which these Fair Isles are made is a mix of traditional and modern techniques. Wool from local sheep is sent to mills on the northern coast of Scotland for spinning. Some is left in its
natural tones, some is chemically dyed. Much of the wool is then returned to the islands, where the front and back panels and sleeves are machine-knit, either in factories or on home looms. These pieces are then distributed to cottage knitters, who handknit the yokes and assemble the sweaters. (Some of the sweater parts are machine knit in mainland Scotland, then sent to the Shetlands for yokes and assembly, and a
small portion are assembled with handknit yokes on the mainland.)
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Norwegiansweaters
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Norwegiansweaters
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Norwegiansweaters
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Norwegiansweaters
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Norwegiansweaters
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Norwegiansweaters
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Norwegiansweaters
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Norwegiansweaters
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Norwegiansweaters
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Norwegiansweaters
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Norwegiansweaters
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