Binge Knitting

Yes, it was time for me to once again go back to HV Craft School and learn about the traditional knitting of Halland, in the south west part of Sweden. It´s called Binge and the patterns from this region are very distinct and usually made in blue, red and white. Like this:

Our teacher Karin has made this beautiful big sample.

They used to make not only sweaters, but long coats to be worn on the beach in the summer.

Summers can be pretty miserable in Sweden, so it´s not such a bad idea actually. Also it would do a good job of hiding the wobbly parts. Of course wearing a coat on the beach might make one appear a bit odd – but hey, what´s new?

There were also smaller garments to be worn in the winter, such as hats:

This Binge hat is really warm, because it´s doubled up. It has a kind of lining inside.

This is a hat for a small child that Karin brought along to show us.

Sorry about the shaky quality of the photos, but Binge knitting can apparently have that effect... 

Some of the students in the class started making swatches in the shape of wristlets.

Same, same, but different.

This is the same pattern and the same colours, but combined in a different way. Interesting, isn´t it? (To non-knitters who might be reading this: I´m being serious. I do find it interesting.)

But in a book about Binge knitting I spotted a pattern that differed from the rest. It was a carnation and it wasn´t made in red, blue or white. It was made in red and green, resembling the knitting of Hälsingland, in the north east of Sweden.

Did the carnation pattern travel from the south west to the north east or was it the other way round? Or did two knitters in different parts of Sweden come up with the same idea?

I just love flower patterns – maybe because I´m useless at growing plants and have been known to kill plants in less than 24 hours – so I simply couldn´t resist the beautiful little carnation. 

Since I don´t like knitting swatches I decided to make a whole new mitten using the carnation in combination with another pattern from Halland – also a bit flowery.

Pretty in pink.

I really felt that the carnation would look good in pink, so I decided to break away from tradition and use some pink and mauve Cherry Tree Hill from my rather well stocked up Cherry Tree Hill stash.

Now, should I call this mitten Nelly Nejlika, because nejlika means carnation in Swedish. Or would that be just too naff?

Anyway, what you see in that photo is the result of a whole weekend of knitting. One single mitten. Without a thumb. 

I knitted on it a little bit longer after taking the picture, but still – it´s not very impressing, is it? 

Drat. I´d better not chuck in my day job just yet.

Comments

[EvaL8]

Snygga vantar. Min mamma stickade en hel kappa med Bjärbobården i slutet av 70-talet. Sticka vantar är kul. Må så gott.

[Maria]

Corny Carnation? *moahahaha*
Snygg vante!
Ännu nördigare gällande provlapparna är väl när man tänkter att stickfastheten pekar på att olika personer stickat:-) Intressant färgeffekt oavsett.

[Nancy]

How did the carnation get there? Perhaps through a marriage someone moved there and sent a present back home with the carnation knitted on it; or, part of a trousseau?

[knitgirl]

the pink and mauve is lovely.
very interesting stuff!!

[Pinneguri]

Jeg skjønner ikke dette med at blir sagt at det er så mye mer norsk strikketradisjon? Dere (svensker) har jo veldig mye, dere også? Dette er bare helt utrolig, det er jo hverdagskunst.

[EvaL8]

Hej igen.
Jag är gärna med i "Tumkilens vänner". Jag stickar t o m tumkilar på Lovikkavantar. Ha det så bra i regnrusket. Ta hand om 08-råttorna.

[MaryjoO]

how lucky that you got to see the samples and get to learn something .... fun!