Cécile mittens « The Icelandic Knitter

Time passes, people meet, traditions evolve, change and get richer. This is my new take on the Icelandic mittens from Skagafjördur, traditionally embroidered with a stylized flowerpot motif in long-armed cross-stitch. You can read more about the tradition here.

I called them Cécile after a popular French embroiderer and blogger who came into one of my knitting tours in the North of Iceland in 2011. I  reinterpreted the geometric flowerpot as a floral fantasist embroidery and the mittens are knitted in a very thick wool by contrast with the old mittens that were knitted on tiny needles, often smaller than 1 mm!

Cécile’s blog: http://www.facilececile.com

The designer

Hélène Magnússon is a leading knit designer in Iceland, the author of many books about traditional Icelandic knitting and the editor of The Icelandic Knitter. She likes to put a new spin on Icelandic traditions. She began her professional life as a lawyer in Paris before she made a complete life change and moved to Iceland, where she studied textile and fashion at Iceland Academy of the Arts and worked as a hired girl in a sheep farm and a mountain guide. The varied skills she learned in those early years richly inform the amazing hiking and knitting tours she passionately guides in collaboration with tour operator Icelandic Mountain Guides. 

 Sizes: 1(2,3,XS,)S,M,L

Sizes 1, 2, 3 for children 2-4, 6-8, 10-12 years old.

Wool: Léttlopi from Ístex (Icelandic wool,light spun, 50g/skein= 100m): 2 skeins, shade 0005 or color of your choice,

Eimbroidery: Léttlopi and Einband-Lodband from Ístex (pure wool, 70% Icelandic, laceweight, 50g/skein= 225m): about 1 m in each color

Needles: 5 mm/US 8 circ needle (using magic loop) or dpn’s

Notions: st markers, darning needle and embroidery needle

Gauge: 10 cm /4” = 15 sts and 22 rows in st st on 5 mm needle

Techniques: knitting in the round, thumb, embroidery.

A link to videos in English of all the embroidery sts used is indicated in the pattern.

Pattern: once you've made your paiement, you will receive an email with  instructions on how to download the pattern. It comes as a PDF file. We don't send pattern by snail mail.

Kit: it includes 3 skeins of Léttlopi and strands of yarn (Léttlopi and Einband-Lodband) in near 20 colors: all the colors featured in the original mittens and some more. If you would like another color for the mittens themselves, please let know in the notes for the buyer at the check out. The kit doesn't include the pattern that has to be purchased separately. Kit doesn’t include the needles and notions. Shipping costs are not included in the price.

Errata: no mistake was found in this pattern.