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Get a Little Nordic Knitting in Your Life

by 11 Comments

Traditional nordic knits

I’m sending this one to Patty.

This time of year might seem a little silly for knitting hats, mittens, gloves and socks in the Nordic tradition, but hear me out. These projects tend to be kind of small, so they’re great for travel knitting, and even if you’re a slow knitter, if you start now you’ll have a good supply of warmth-bringing knits (or holiday presents) before the weather turns cold again.

Traditional Nordic Knits: Over 40 Hats, Mittens, Gloves, and Socks by Johanna Wallin helps to keep the techniques and colors of Nordic knitting alive with small-scale projects that are full of color (two colors, anyway) but are unintimidating for learning the skills.

From the press release:

The classic Nordic knitting tradition is a widely-respected — and increasingly popular — source of exquisite patterns and design inspiration all over the world. Now, with Traditional Nordic Knits, get a glimpse into the rich history and heritage of this beloved cornerstone of needlecraft. 15 time-honored Scandinavian patterns become over 40 different projects, gracing mitten, gloves, hats, and socks through designs suitable for all levels of experience. Each project is accompanied by an example of a historic knitted item and a fascinating explanation of the pattern’s background and origin. With over 80 full-color photographs, this book will make a stunning addition to any knitter’s library.

Projects on Ravelry

If you’d like to get your hands on this piece of knitting history, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, June 11. I’d love to know if you knit with the seasons or if you knit the same kinds of things all the time. I’m pretty much a knit anything at any time kind of person (right now I’m working on a sock and a crocheted [!] scarf).

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

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Comments

  1. Hi, I love nordic knitting. I pretty much knit anything no matter what the season if I see something I like i’ll knit it 🙂 Thanks for sharing

  2. I don’t always change projects or yarns with the seasons, but I’m certainly putting aside the on-piece throw I’m knitting in all wool until next fall. I might get some work done on it when the air conditioning is turned up later in the summer. Right now, I’m working on a smaller blanket done in squares and with cotton, which happens to be seasonally appropriate for where I live.

  3. I mostly knit small things, and live in a temperate climate, so my knitting is not seasonal. Right now, I’m working on a Christmas stocking. Before that, it was several hats, and a couple of toys.

  4. I tend to knit sweaters and blankets in the cooler months and switch to socks, accessories and toys as the weather warms up!

  5. As I knit many birthday presents I tend to knit what is needed and not according to time of year. I do try to avoid knitting big blankets in the summer though. That’s really TOO hot!

    from rainy VT,
    the Vermonster

  6. I knit hats socks and mittens year round. Currently bwirking in wool socks for hubs and a new hat for winter

  7. I do knit with the seasons as working with wool in South Carolina is usually too hot, but right now I am making a Fair Isle cowl and the wool yarn is so soft, it is a joy to knit. Plus, it is a small project so not too bad.

  8. The seasons don’t really affect the type of knitting I do, at least not in the summer. In the fall I might knit.a few more cowls if my neck gets cold. I am currently knitting a long sleeved pull-over out of a buffalo/merino yarn, which I hope to finish soon so I can start a wool cardigan.

  9. I knit/crochet all kinds of things year round. I like to have something going all the time to relieve stress and make items for Christmas gifts.

  10. I don’t change projects to fit the season, just whatever I find that I want to knit. Right now I am working on a crocheted baby afghan.

  11. I knit in life’s seasons, currently all projects are for the birth of our first grandchild.

Have you read?

Small Cowl Knitting Patterns

I love a little cowl because it’s perfect to tuck into your coat when the weather is cold, but you can also wear it when it’s not as cold because it doesn’t make you as warm as a big scarf wrapped around your neck.

They’re also faster to knit than a big long scarf or shawl, and they make great gifts for anyone on your list. They can also be a way to learn new skills, like with my mosaic knit cowl if you haven’t done mosaic knitting before. Let’s check out some more great small cowl knitting patterns you can whip up as last-minute holiday gifts or a way to treat yourself.

If you’re looking for a perfectly simple cowl knitting pattern for beginners, Luxe Knittery has what you need. Their one skein knitting pattern is mostly stockinette stitch, with a cute picot border on one end and a I-cord bind off on the other. It calls for worsted weight yarn (though they also have a sport weight version) and there are links to video tutorials for the special skills needed for the edges.

Stitch up simple warmth in a hurry with the super bulky Sunrise Cowl form Wooly Bear Knits. This is a great one to use leftover yarn to make an ombre effect, of you can stitch it in stripes or a solid color if you’d rather. Either way it will stitch up in no time and be super warm and cozy!

Add a little more colorwork that’s still really easy with the Over the Rainbow knit cowl from Spruce Hill Knits. This free pattern calls for five colors of yarn but it would also be fun to do with a variegated yarn as the contrasting colors (which would give a similar look as my cowl linked above, just with a different motif). This pattern calls for DK or light worsted yarn and is so cheery it would be perfect for gray winter days.

The Odds and Ends Cowl from Kathryn Ashley-Wright offers a lot of options for using what you have. There are fingering/sport weight and DK/worsted weight options, and you can use as few as two or as many as nine colors depending on what you have on hand. You can grab this one on Ravelry.

For allover colorwork, try the Horae Cowl from VSR Design. It uses two colors of fingering weight yarn, so it will take longer to knit than some of these other options but it will keep you cozy without being too heavy. There’s also a matching tam pattern.

Add a little whimsy with the Road Runner Cowl pattern from Jennifer Berg, which you can find on Ravelry. It uses DK weight yarn in two colors and features a large bird on the body of the cowl.

And lest you think all small cowls have to be tubes, Cloud Drift from Gudrun Johnston turns a small cowl into a kerchief cowl with a fun colorwork design. It uses fingering and lace weight yarns held together (a wool and a mohair/silk blend) to work at a DK gauge and make an accessory that’s light as a cloud. It’s also worked flat and seamed at the back for easy wearing. Find it on Ravelry.

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