Nina's favorite mittens & socks from around Norway Over 40 traditional knitting patterns inspired by Norwegian folk-art collections

Review by Booklist Review

With the disclaimer that socks and mittens rarely make good beginner projects--especially those patterns sporting intricate, multicolor Scandinavian designs--this volume gathers Sæther's favorites from two previous books (Mittens from around Norway, 2017, and Socks from around Norway, 2019). Color photographs are worth a drool or two, as are the patterns (none of which indicate level of difficulty). Further favoring primarily the experienced knitter, pattern instructions are via charts only, as opposed to written. Sizes for men and women are differentiated only by yarn quantities and needle sizes; in other words, two sizes fit most. The narrative prefacing each design is sparse and sometimes obviously intended for the author's fellow Norwegians. Another caveat: yarns, especially those indigenous to Norway and its neighbors, may be extraordinarily difficult to find in the U.S., resulting in finished products that resemble rather than replicate the author's well-researched patterns. But tradition, after all, lives on; add this to the spate of recently published how-tos for Scandinavian knitwear.

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.

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Review by Publisher's Weekly Review

In this cozy outing, craft instructor Sæther (Knits from Around Norway) collects her favorite Norwegian mitten and sock patterns. She provides designs inspired by her 2015 trek around Norway to study traditional mittens and updates the patterns to be more colorful and as "user-friendly as possible for modern knitters." Highlights include black and green mittens modeled on the "oldest patterned mittens from Norway we can date with certainty," made in 1858; beige socks that feature the distinctive combination of knit, twisted, and purl stitches typical of the traditional style of the Setesdal valley; and black and white mittens based on a pair in the West Agder Museum collection that were saved from a shoddy mill where they were to be shredded and spun into new yarn. The cultural tidbits fascinate and the knitting charts have simple keys that are easy to understand, but the charts' unnumbered rows and columns are difficult to navigate and require knitters to manually keep track of their progress. Still, this will appeal to those who like some history with their knitting. (Mar.)

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Review by Library Journal Review

Knitting designer Sæther (Knits from Around Norway) delves into the storied history of Norwegian knitting. In this collection of more than 40 patterns--both brand new and her favorites from previous books--the author draws on her extensive research of Norway's museum collections to showcase a wide variety of Norwegian knitting styles beyond the iconic Selbu mittens. Readers are treated to well-written and engaging historical content that accompanies each pattern. The book provides designs that are direct replicas of historical styles, and there are some modern interpretations as well. Most patterns, however, are for knitters who are at the intermediate/advanced level. The book also contains complex colorwork charts. A basic familiarity with knitting mittens and socks and colorwork is therefore required, but the wide variety of patterns means that numerous knitters will find something they want to create. VERDICT Perfect for adventurous or experienced knitters, libraries with robust craft collections, and readers interested in knitting history.--Whitney Kramer

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

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