Norwegian Beauties

In the early 1990s contemporary sweaters knit by a pre-school mother from Norway caught by eye. In a matter of weeks learning to knit them myself became a  joy. Until then I had never worked with multiple colors or knit in the round. It was fast, fun and addictive. 

Do knitters have milestones, turning points or -- dare we say -- transformational moments? Well, yes -- in their own way!

One of my first Norwegian sweaters for children, knit in the round.

I met Gullborg Johannsson at Ithaca's UCNS pre-school, where parents all took shifts in helping to care for the children. She was knitting a maize-colored sweater at lightning speed, all the while serving as referee at the local Lego table. 

In coming weeks, a small band of us trooped through snow and ice every week to learn more about her knitting techniques. She surrounded herself with stacks of hand-knit sweaters that she had made for her three children and her husband, a Cornell graduate student, since their arrival a few scant years earlier. Gullborg was a more prodigious knitter than I had ever seen, and I had thought my grandmother had knit A LOT.

UCNS was bursting with crafty Moms, some of whom were international. While part of that community I also learned to quilt from the talented Therese Arsenault and make classic pixie dolls from a German graduate student. 

But knitting with Gullborg won me over. She coached me through the intarsia method and soon asked her Mom to ship me yarn and patterns along with her own. Most often we worked from Dale patterns in their classic Heilo wool. But contemporary Norwegians also knit in vibrantly colored cottons, as shown below.

Another keeper! Knit in cotton

I was merrily knitting round and round on my first sweater when Gullborg quietly told me to let her know when I was ready to set in the sleeves. And what drama! Because for that she casually mentioned that she uses her sewing machine to sew two lines of stitches where the sleeves will go and slashes in between.

With scissors?!

I was incredulous.

While to me this seemed like sacrilege, she assured me that this was the recommended method. Any other way takes too long, she explained, and children grow up fast. So we must be quick. Later, of course, I learned that this is a tried-and-true technique called steeking.

In the years that followed more knitting stores began carrying Norwegian patterns and wools (with an extensive line at the former Knitting Machines, etc. here in Ithaca) and then along came the Internet with instant global trade. 

But the old way of learning to knit face-to-face and hip-to-hip on someone's sofa is still my favorite way. 

Thank you, Gullborg!

A classic Norwegian sweater that is now in the wardrobe of my very deserving sister.