Swedish Lovikka Mittens

My version of Lovikka Mittens are in Chapter 2 of the Nordic knitting Primer.

These mittens are worked with a single color. The color is added with embroidery. Swedish Lovikka Mittens were first created above the Arctic Circle in Lovikka, Sweden, by a young girl named Erika Aittamaa in 1892. They were made with heavy, Swedish wool, felted and combed to make them fluffy, then embroidered to make them festive. I designed my version with unspun lopi yarn for my daughter Anna to knit for friends while she recovered from an ice-skating injury when she was 14. She became a fabulous knitting because she made dozens of mittens.

This is an excellent project to learn and practice knitting with double-pointed needles. If you are new to knitting, it might freak you out to knit with 5 needles at once. This is the perfect project ot learn this skill. The yarn is fat and works up in a flash. Use these mittens to learn this valuable colorwork skill! There are step-by step embroidery tutorials in the pattern. You are going to love making these for all your friends. I hope you do!

For more information about The Nordic Knitting Primer, my work and tutorials please visit Scandiwork.com

SIZES
Women’s S/M (Women’s M/L, Men’s M/L)
MATERIALS
YARN: Worsted | Ístex Plötulopi | 100% unspun
Icelandic roving | 328 yards (300 m) per 3.5-ounce
(100-g) skein | 1 skein 233 yards (195 m) | Color: 001
(White)
YARN FOR EMBROIDERY: DK | Rauma Strikkegarn
| 3-ply 100% Norwegian Wool | 114 yards (105 m) per
1.75-ounce (50-g) skein | 8 yards (7.5 m) for embroidery
in each color | Colors: 151 (Blue), 131 (Gold), 128 (Red)
NEEDLES: One set of double-pointed needles
(DPNs) in size needed to obtain gauge. DPNs only.
Don’t magic loop. Don’t use FlexiFlips.
SUGGESTED NEEDLE SIZE: US 7 (4.5 mm)
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS
Measuring tape, scissors, tapestry needle, scrap
yarn, and wire brush
GAUGE AND SWATCH
12 stitches and 19 rounds = 4 inches (10 cm)
Felted to 13 stitches and 20 rounds = 4 inches
(10 cm)
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
WOMEN’S S/M: 4¼ inches (10.75 cm) wide and
9 inches (23 cm) long
WOMEN’S M/L: 4¼ inches (10.75 cm) wide and
9¾ inches (24.5 cm) long
MEN’S M/L: 4¾ inches (12 cm) wide and 11 inches
(28 cm) long

SKILLS YOU’LL PRACTICE
Long-tail cast on
Joining in the round seamlessly
Knitting with five doublepointedneedles (DPNs)—if you are a beginningknitter, it can freak you out to knit with five needles
at once, but take heart, it gets easier with practice
ssk decrease
Creating a thumbhole byknitting onto a scrap of yarn
Picking up and knitting stitches stitches
Felting
Adding embroidered detailswith lazy daisy stitches French knot, and duplicate stitches