Perlusmokkar

Design: Hélène Magnússon

The Perlusmokkar pattern was first published in my book Icelandic Handknits. The book contains a rich and varied collection of patterns inspired by the traditional handknitted artefacts from the Textile Museum in Blönduós, Iceland and gives an overview about what was knitted in Iceland in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. More than just a book of knitting, it is infused with bits of Icelandic folklore and culture, vintage photographs, and 10 classic Icelandic cooking recipes.

In centuries past, wrist warmers were often worn in the fields by men, women, and children. Women typically wore three- cornered shawls rather than sweaters. They crossed them over the chest and binded them at the back, and the wrist warmers were their “sleeves.” They were commonly made by cutting off a pair of socks at the ankle once the heel and the toe could no longer be mended, or by cutting the arms from an old sweater.

More refined wrist warmers (smokkar in Icelandic) with patterning or lace stitches were worn by women and were considered Sunday best. Decorating wrist warmers with beads (perlur in Icelandic) became fashionable in Iceland in the nineteenth century. The Textile Museum in Blönduós has many different kinds, but I particularly liked the quiet simplicity of the beaded pair made by Olöf Þorbjarnardóttir. I adapted it to our modern yarn and added a little crocheted picot edge.

Size: one size. Rectangle blocked to 45 cm / 18” large and 190 cm / 75” long.
Dimensions unstretched were approx. 25 cm / 10” and 155 cm / 61.
The shawl can easily be made longer/shorter by adding/withdrawing 10-st rep.

Gauge
10 cm / 4” = 20 sts and 26 rows in Stocking st on 4.5 mm / US6 needle with cobweb/lace weight yarn heavily stretched and blocked.
Check your gauge and if necessary, change needle size to obtain the correct gauge. Gauge is quite loose to achieve the airy effect.
Gauge is not essential but will affect the yardage required.

Size: one size. You can achieve more sizes by changing needle size and/or yarn or adding/removing a pattern repeat.

Finished measurements
Circumference: 16 cm / 6¼
Length: 11 cm / 4¼”

Gauge: 10 cm / 4” = 26 sts and 52 rows in garter st on needle 3 mm / US 2½

Wool: Worsted weight.
Shown in: Kambgarn from Ístex, 100% merino wool, 3-ply worsted, 50g/skein = 150m/164 yds: 1 ball in shade #1210
Yardage used: 100 m / 109 yds

 Other material: 287 golden seed beads 2 mm
= approx. 64 cm / 28½” threaded on the yarn.

 Needle: 3 mm / US 2.5 circular needle or size to obtain the gauge. Magic loop technique is used but you can also use double-pointed needles or any other technique to knit in the round.
Crochet hook 2 mm/US 4

 Notions: thread and needle, darning needle, stitch marker

Techniques: knitting with beads, 3 needles BO, provisional CO

Pattern: Once you’ve made your paiement, you will receive an email with a link to download the pattern PDF. We don’t send patterns by snailmail.

Errata: No mistake has been found in this pattern