The gorgeous, patterned knit clothing made by Oleana of Norway is a constant source of inspiration for me. I eagerly look forward to the new collections that are released twice a year to see what new delights await. These high quality, fine-gauge, machine knit garments and accessories are made of a luxurious blend of Merino and silk and designed in a wonderful array of patterns, mostly tone-on-tone florals and botanical motifs, accented with small geometric patterns, bright pops of color and fancy edgings. Solveig Hisdal, Oleana’s chief designer, is the genius behind these amazing garments. She also designs patterns for handknitting, and many knitters know her from her beautiful book, Poetry in Stitches. Neither Oleana’s collections nor Poetry in Stitches offer mittens, however, and so I was inspired to design this pair, inspired by some of the design elements unique to Oleana and Hisdal’s wonderful work. They are a small tribute to Solveg Hisdal’s artistry, and an attempt to capture a bit of her unique and wonderful style.

After a long winter, spring can never arrive quickly enough. In late winter and early spring I find myself longing for the lush beauty of summer flowers, yet still in need of mittens to keep my hands warm. Solveig Mittens, with their springlike design of blossoms and leaves, are knitted in sport weight yarn in the round. These are long, elegant mittens made using traditional Latvian construction techniques, including an invisible thumb. The cuff begins with a simple ribbing and is worked on fewer stitches to fit snugly under coat sleeves and keep out chilly winds.The hand is knitted in the round, and the top shaped with simple decreases. The thumb is placed with waste yarn, and later the stitches are picked up and the thumbs knitted and shaped much like the mitten hand, The stranded colorwork is knitted from a chart, including the thumb, and the pattern includes separate charts for both hands. Only small quantities are needed of several of the colors, so these mittens are a great project for leftovers.

Skills required:
• Long tail or other elastic cast on
• Knit and purl stitches
• Knitting small circumferences in the round
• Stranded color stockinette knitting
• Simple decreases (K2tog and SSK)
• Simple increase of your choice, such as M1L, M1R, or lifted increase.

Yarn colors and amounts:
• 8886 Italian Plum – 150 yds
• 7805 Flamingo Pink – 100 yds
• 9672 Ultramarine Green – 30 yds
• 8914 Granny Smith – 30 yds
• 8891 Cyan Blue – 8 yds
• 9542 Blaze – 30 yds