Description ~ Swedish Lovikka Mittens

Lovikka Mittens were first knit in Lovikka, Sweden, in 1892 by a young girl named Erika Aittamaa. They were made with heavy, Swedish wool. They were felted and combed to make them and soft and embroidered to make them festive. If you travel to the tiny village of Lovikka above the Arctic Circle, you can see the world's largest mitten statue, dedicated to traditional mittens that kept them warm in sub-zero temperatures, and the young girl who designed them.

Kristin's version is made with softer, lighter Plötulopi wool from Iceland. You will love working with this lofty, unspun yarn. They are knit in the round with double-pointed needles. The cuff is knitted halfway, and then the mitten is turned inside out, and then the mitten and knit in the round. This makes it so that when the cuff is folded, then the knit side of the cuff is on the outside. Stitches are knit onto scrap yarn for the thumb, and then the mitten is knit in the round to the desired length. The top of the mitten is shaped, and the thumb stitches are picked up and knit. The mitten is washed, felted, air dried, then brushed to make the mitten softer and fuzzier. Finally, the cuff is embroidered with DK-weight yarn. Embroidery includes flowers made with Lazy-daisy stitch, French knots, and duplicate stitch. Knitting Lovikka Mittens will help you master knitting with double-pointed needles. If you are a beginning knitter, it can freak you out to knit with five needles at once, but you'll get used to it. Interlock the DPN's to map a circle will help. It gets easier with practice, and you'll learn to love clicking sound that happens only with DPNs. Practice knitting with your right and your left hand to increase your knitting dexterity with both hands. Learning to use DPNs is an important skill for knitting colorwork on small circumferences. These mittens are super fun to make and so easy that you can memorize the entire pattern and knit mittens on the fly. Knitting mittens without a pattern is a super happy life skill and even a bit of a circus trick. If anyone has five pencils and some string, Kristin can make you a pair of mittens!

Materials Needed ~ Swedish Lovikka Mittens

• Yarn: Worsted | Plötulopi 100 % Icelandic Unspun Roving | 328 yards (300 meters) per 100 g skein | 1 skein | Color: 001 White. Approx 223 yards (195 meters) of equivalent yarn


• Yarn for embroidery: Rauma Strikkeyarn | 3 ply 100% Norwegian Wool | 114 yard per 50 g (1.75 oz) skein | Color: 151 Blue, 131 Gold, 128 Red. Or approx. 8 yards (5.5 meters for embroidery


• Needles: One set of double pointed needles in size needed to obtain gauge. DPNs only. Don't magic loop. Don't use Flexiflips. Suggested needle size: US 7 (4.5 mm)


• Tapestry needle for embroidery


• Notions: Wire brush. Scissors, measuring tape.

Homework ~ Swedish Lovikka Mittens

None