Sunnhordaland Hat and Mittens

Sunnhordaland Hat and Mittens by Beth Brown-Reinsel

Project Overview

The Sunnhordaland Hat and Mittens is an advanced knitting pattern set inspired by a 19th-century Norwegian sweater from the Sunnhordaland region. Designer Beth Brown-Reinsel created this coordinating hat and mitten set to showcase traditional Norwegian motifs, specifically the two types of stars known as "eight-petaled roses" in Norwegian knitting tradition. The design draws historical inspiration from a sweater documented in Nordic Knitting by Susanne Palgoldh (Interweave Press, 1991), adapted into a complete accessory set suitable for advanced knitters seeking intricate colorwork and detailed stitch work.

What Is Being Made

This pattern provides instructions for creating a coordinated pair of mittens and a matching hat, both featuring traditional Norwegian star motifs. The set represents a complete winter accessory collection with authentic Scandinavian design elements. While the designer chose Swedish colors for the featured mittens, the pattern is versatile and suitable for multiple color combinations, allowing knitters to personalize their finished pieces while maintaining the historical aesthetic.

Featured Techniques

This advanced project incorporates several sophisticated knitting techniques that elevate the construction beyond basic colorwork:

• Invisible Cast-On: Creates a seamless, professional beginning edge
• Picot Turning Ridge: Adds a decorative and functional detail at turning points
• Provisional Cast-On: Allows for later joining of pieces without visible seams
• Joining Facings by Knitting Together: A method for attaching facing pieces while creating clean, finished edges on the hat brim and mitten cuffs
• Gussetless Thumb: A construction technique for mittens that creates a fitted thumb without the traditional gusset shaping
• Kitchener Stitch: Used for seamless grafting and finishing details

Stitches and Stitch Work

The pattern employs high-gauge knitting to showcase intricate detail work. The primary stitch structure features colorwork patterning with the traditional Norwegian eight-petaled rose motifs worked throughout. The facing construction utilizes a picot turning ridge, which requires knitters to work a specific turning row that creates a decorative edge. The use of provisional cast-on and subsequent knitting together of facing pieces demonstrates advanced finishing techniques. Kitchener stitch application provides invisible seaming for a polished final appearance.

Materials and Yarn Specifications

The pattern calls for Redfish Dyeworks' 2-ply yarn composed of 50% silk and 50% superfine merino, worked at a high gauge to achieve the detailed colorwork required for the Norwegian motifs. The lace-weight yarn classification combined with high-gauge knitting creates the fine, detailed fabric necessary to display the intricate star patterns clearly. The silk and superfine merino blend provides both warmth and the smooth finish appropriate for traditional Norwegian knitting aesthetics.

Difficulty Level

Rated as an advanced pattern, the Sunnhordaland Hat and Mittens is designed for experienced knitters. The combination of high-gauge colorwork, multiple specialized techniques (invisible cast-on, picot turning ridges, gussetless thumb construction, and Kitchener stitch), and the need to manage multiple colors simultaneously throughout the project requires substantial knitting knowledge and skill. The pattern assumes familiarity with intermediate to advanced techniques and the ability to work from detailed instructions with minimal guidance.