by Annemor Sundbo
$45.95 CDN
$39.95 US
157 pages, colour photos, hardcover
(to order - go to Shopping Cart)
Category: knitting books
In the Author's Words....
Setesdal Sweaters
"The 'louse' is the smallest pattern element in two stranded knitting. It was captured and knitted in an undershirt in Setesdal one day around the middle of the 1800's, and later so frequently used that it has more descendants than any other pattern in knitting history. This is the story of the lice patterned sweater from Setesdal (Norway)." (pg 8 in English translation)
Setesdal Sweaters
The simple pattern of 'lice' is used in the main body of sweaters from Setesdal and is often bordered with complex 2 colour designs. This pattern has become the most popular design in Norwegian knitting and shows up in sweater designs around the world. The author documents the history of Setesdal sweaters, traditional costume, related designs, and much more. The photographs and paintings illustrate the rich history of Setesdal costume and the variety of knitting designs in Setesdal sweaters. Many of the traditional sweaters had intricate embroideries around the cuffs and collars (as shown on the photo of an historical garment on the left.
 There are dozens of photos of people wearing the Lice patterned sweater - from the Crown Prince of Norway lighting the Olympic Flame in 1994 to rock stars, movie stars, and everyday people. One family photo shows the work of one knitter - 49 Lice patterned sweaters!(shown on right) There are over 30 pages of charted stitch designs based on historical photos, starting with a child's sweater in 1854.Some of the sweaters shown were rescued by the author from a ragpile of sweaters some 40 to 50 years old, which she discovered when she purchased a recycling mill. There are several charted stitch patterns for sweaters originally discovered in museum collections. The author has re-knit them with traditional embroidery trim.
 Inspired by the traditional Setesdal designs, new designers have created garments which reflect the original design features. The garment on the left has knitted florals cuff sections, inspired by the traditional embroideries that were used on cuffs and collars.
Chapter Headings
- The Story of the lice patterned sweater 'lusefokte" from Setesdal
- Genuine sweaters from Setesdal
- Woolen mills and designers
- Patterns and Diagrams (note these are charted stitch patterns and not full instructions for sweaters)
- Photo and Illustration Text
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