Fishermen’s Knits from the Coast of Norway by Line Iversen and Margareth Sandfik is a history of the garments worn by Norwegian fishermen from the 1700s to the 1900s, as well as offering knitting patterns to re-create some of those designs.
During this time fishing was done in open boats, so the fishermen needed clothing that was both warm and functional for the months they spent at sea. These garments were mostly made of leather — coats, leggings, boots and apron-like garments called skirts — but they also had woven fabric pants, wool shirts, socks and other garments.
Under-sweaters are present in the Sunnmøre Museum, illustrating their common use as an extra layer of warmth. The authors describe these garments, as well as socks, mittens, a knit hat and leather garments that would have been typical for a fisherman to wear. The book describes each layer fishermen would have worn, including multiple layers of sweaters, shirts and pants, as well as a knit cap, leather hat, scarf, sea sweater and a jacket, among other things.
They cover variations in color and style of garments through time and regional variations, and the fact that most of these garments were made at home by the fisherman’s wife, with materials from their farm or that would have been available locally.
The knitting patterns included are not meant to be reproductions of these original styles but they are inspired by the designs and shapes that would have been used by fishermen. Because a lot of the original garments were not preserved, photographs, paintings and secondary sources describing what garments looked like (and certainly not written by knitters) provide information for contemporary designers to go on.
The patterns include:
- a two-color sawtooth cardigan
- a three-color pullover with horizontal stripes and vertical color lines
- a hat that coordinates with the sweater using a different main color
- a henley style under sweater with stripes
- ribbed pants with an I-cord drawstring at the waist
- a raglan pullover with allover braided cable patterning
- a ribbed under sweater with color blocking at the lower edges and a high-low split hem
- a two-color boatneck pullover with bands of traditional colorwork
- two hat designs using the same colorwork patterns as the sweater
- several raglans with simple allover colorwork
- a zippered jacket worked mostly in a single color, with colorwork at the bottom
- a brioche knit vest with buttons down the front
- a single-color stockinette stitch, V-neck vest
- a traditional red wool stocking cap with characteristic shaping and looped edging like traditional Norwegian caps
- knee-high socks with pointed toe shaping
- shorter socks with a folded cuff and rounded toe
- a tube scarf with a bit of colorwork at the ends
- a two-color checked cowl
- felted mittens with embroidered initials on the cuff
All of the patterns other than the hats are available in four sizes (though not always the same four sizes), and are suitable for intermediate to experienced knitters. The instructions look detailed and colorwork designs are presented in charts. You can see some of the projects in a video and PDF excerpt of the book on the publisher’s website.
If you like your knitting patterns with a side of history or have Norwegian heritage, this is an interesting book full of fun, historically inspired patterns. And even if you don’t have a connection tot hat part of the world, these colorwork projects are a great way to learn new skills and feel a connection to the knitters of the past.
About the book: 172 pages, hardcover, 21 patterns. Published 2022 by Trafalgar Square Books, suggested retail prices $31.95.
