- Paperback
- Publisher: Schoolhouse Press; Revised edition (31 Dec 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0942018141
- ISBN-13: 978-0942018141
- Product Dimensions: 26.9 x 20.8 x 0.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 167,680 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
A feast of colour, pattern and information makes a seasoned knitter want to reach for the yarn, needles and create masterpiece mittens. The colour section, like the cover, is breathtaking and there is a wide range of patterns to try out.
The history of Latvian Mittens is also fascinating to anyone who is interested in the background of knitting from other cultures.
The history of Latvian Mittens is also fascinating to anyone who is interested in the background of knitting from other cultures.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I bought this book in error, late one night when I thought it was something else. What happy mistake! Presented in Latvian and in English, the author gives much information about the social significance of mittens in Latvian farming communities and speaks with affection of how the tradition has been carried across to America by the emigrants.
Punctuated with with charming songs and riddles, the book enchanted me. It took me some time to arrive at the knitting bit. There are graphs and patterns for many different mittens, each documented from its particular area and photographed in colour. The knitting techniques are interesting in their difference from British techniques and there is much to try out and to learn.
If you like adaptation, there are enough patterns in this book to make a hundred sweaters; indeed, I have used one of the patterns for that very purpose and it was great fun, too.
This gem of a book is worthy of a place on every textile-lover's bookshelf. First-rate.
Punctuated with with charming songs and riddles, the book enchanted me. It took me some time to arrive at the knitting bit. There are graphs and patterns for many different mittens, each documented from its particular area and photographed in colour. The knitting techniques are interesting in their difference from British techniques and there is much to try out and to learn.
If you like adaptation, there are enough patterns in this book to make a hundred sweaters; indeed, I have used one of the patterns for that very purpose and it was great fun, too.
This gem of a book is worthy of a place on every textile-lover's bookshelf. First-rate.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
22 reviews
45 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Interesting ethnic knitting and inspiration for your designs
14 Feb 2001
Format:Paperback
Elizabeth Upitis has included many models of Latvian mittens from the various regions of the Baltic state. Mittens play an important part in courtship and marriage rituals in Latvian culture. The patterns are rich and decorative, with edgings of fringe or scallops and small patterns reminiscent of Fair Isle knitting.
Even though you probably won't want to make as many mittens as a Latvian bride should need for her dowry, you will be inspired by the variety. The patterns, colorways and edgings are quite useful for adapting to other knitting designs like sweaters, hats and vests.
All my grandparents came from Latvia, and I wish they'd been able to bring some of these wonderful folk handworks with them when they came to America. I would have loved to have seen some from the old country. The author has done a great job in documenting the patterns and the lore behind them.
26 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Latvian Mittens
3 Nov 2006
Format:Paperback
I just received this book in the mail. I love it. It has a great overview of the history and importance of handknit mittens in Latvian history. It also includes several Latvian poems about mitten knitting, which I thought was fantastic.
There are several full length patterns in the book that explain the different techniques used to create the mittens in the book, but then there are many, many more charts in the back of the book, as well as color photographs of finished mittens corresponding to the charts. I don't think this is a great book if you are a very beginning knitter, but I do think that if you've learned how to knit, purl, increase and decrease and done a stranded color project, you should do fine with this book. As another reviewer said, you have to piece together the techniques from other sections of the book to make any of the charts in the back, but really, it's not that hard, and the instructions are clear.
My only criticism of the book is that the charts themselves are in black and white and a little crowded together. Otherwise, I found this book to be well worth the money I spent, and I plan to make lots of the mittens found in it, as well as probably mixing and matching to make my own, unique, mittens.
There are several full length patterns in the book that explain the different techniques used to create the mittens in the book, but then there are many, many more charts in the back of the book, as well as color photographs of finished mittens corresponding to the charts. I don't think this is a great book if you are a very beginning knitter, but I do think that if you've learned how to knit, purl, increase and decrease and done a stranded color project, you should do fine with this book. As another reviewer said, you have to piece together the techniques from other sections of the book to make any of the charts in the back, but really, it's not that hard, and the instructions are clear.
My only criticism of the book is that the charts themselves are in black and white and a little crowded together. Otherwise, I found this book to be well worth the money I spent, and I plan to make lots of the mittens found in it, as well as probably mixing and matching to make my own, unique, mittens.
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful
Awesome book!
24 Aug 2006
Format:Paperback
This book is a fabulous treasury of traditional patterns with its colorful pictures. All techniques are covered in detail with drawn illustrations. This is, however, by no means a pattern book for a beginner. To construct a certain mitten, the techniques and patterns must be picked out from different parts of the book and put together. On the practical side, the binding of the book could be better; mine is already falling apart and loosing pages after a couple of weeks of use. Nevertheless, I'm very satisfied with the purchase, and will make many of the mittens in this book.
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