“Creative women stand behind most of the stockings I have included. Individual districts have strong, distinctive traditions. In working on this book, I have, among other things, shown how clever and industrious people were at knitting cable stockings, particularly in Telemark and Agder. The yarn is so fine and the techniques so advanced that it’s genuinely difficult to recreate them today. Other places have stockings made with the finest stripe compositions or eight-petal roses. In Numendal, the so-called byggkorn pattern was often uses — a fun but almost forgotten technique. I’ve tried to include something from each of Norway’s provinces. Some places have so much exciting work available it was difficult to choose.” — Nina Granlund Sæther, Socks from Around Norway
Socks from Around Norway, being a knitting pattern book filled with sock patterns from around Norway, does what it says on the tin, and is a colorwork fan’s dream. A large portion of the patterns are based around colorwork, with frequent use of versions of the Selbu Rose. I always thought of that general look as a Norwegian Star, picked up from any of the half-billion knitting publications I’ve read, but it’s enlightening to see what a Norwegian well-versed in knitting traditions calls the motif. There are also plenty of patterns utilizing lace and knit-purl patterns, but the majority of patterns are colorwork, which puts me in mind of traditional Scandinavian sweaters. The patterns vary in style, from socks that rise a few inches above the ankles to a pair of truly stunning lace above-the-knee stockings. The sizing is a bit limited. Some patterns that the author considers unisex come in multiple sizes, but most come in one size. Tell you what, now that I’ve been knitting a pair of Almondine from Sock Knitting Master Class I’ve come to be spoiled by the multiple sizes offered in each pattern, which means I can easily adjust for my loose gauge by casting on for whichever size calls for about 60 stitches and the socks will fit without me having to adjust the pattern.
However, what Socks from Around Norway brings to the theoretical table is a truly inspiring collection of patterns, each with fascinating historical background and inspiration. Each pattern is steeped in tradition, but not a slave to it. Considering what the author has to say about the incredibly thin yarns and intricate techniques used in the original stockings, she’s successfully distilled that knowledge and developed over 40 distinct patterns that are relevant to our lives now. I try to tell myself that I don’t need my own copy, that I’ve already got plenty of sock knitting books, but I don’t doubt I’ll eventually succumb to the call of colorwork.