The Jukkasjärvi Diamonds are based on an antique pair of mittens from Stockholm’s Nordiska museet, or the Nordic Museum. The hand knit mittens were acquired in 1925 from the northern Swedish village of Jukkasjärvi on the Torne river, the border between Sweden and Norway. A beautiful example of bright-colored Sámi colors, I nicknamed them “Masochist’s Mittens” because to make them, the knitter needs to balance four yarns per row for the center of the diamonds.

Antique mittens are a bit smaller than modern mittens. Multiple stranding also contracts fabric; the quadruple stranding in these “Masochist Mittens” makes knitted fabric even less elastic, and a challenge to knit. Two sizes are available to help fit all size hands.

Today, Jukkasjärvi is famous as the home of the Ice Hotel, built anew with fresh ice blocks every winter. Thousands of guests have gone there to spend nights on ice blocks and natural furs -- even more people have it on their bucket list. What could be more romantic than sleeping on a reindeer skin viewing the Northern Lights through a glowing ice room?

These mittens require one ball each of Rauma Finullgarn in #418 red (MC), #458 green (CC1), #4405 yellow (CC2), and #437 royal blue (CC3).