Selbu 'Sport' Mittens - not to be used for wrestling

Let it snow let it snow let it snow … mainly because I’ve finished my extremely warm graphic Selbu fair isle mittens, and just in time as it happens because there are some brass monkeys out there looking rather cross.

They were nice and quick to knit up and despite the fact that the original pattern calls for generic Germantown wool and there was no tension guide, they weren’t too hard to adapt.  Germantown wool is an American term for a specific yarn from Pennsylvania often used in Navajo weaving - something like DK from what I can fathom but correct me if I’m wrong. I went for something I thought would be soft and thick but fine enough to give a clear fair isle outline, so I decided on good old King Cole Merino DK.  As for the tension, after a couple of false starts I ended up with 3mm dpns, and they fit perfectly. They look enormous due to the extra long cuff - keeps out the snow don’t you know.

I’d vaguely heard of the Selbu tradition but hadn’t really delved any further.  Then I came across a 1920s or ’30s vintage American booklet ‘Ann Orr’s Spreads & Doilies’  which strangely had two patterns for what Ms Orr called ’sports’ mittens and gloves in the middle of all the patterns for lacy bits and bobs - by ’sports’ I presume she means skiing and not wrestling.  I fell in love with the bold graphic designs and that was that.

As ever I couldn’t just knit the things I needed to get all academic and wax lyrical about the history behind them so I delved around a bit … pay attention you at the back, I’ll be asking questions afterwards …

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