11.11.11

Couldn't miss this auspicious day on the blog, made even more so by the fact that my little grand-daughter, Lyra, is 11 months old today.  After Dec 12th 2012, apparently it will be 88 years before the next date palindrome. There are many pronouncements on the significance of these dates and of course there are always armageddon predictions, but I prefer to believe it's a numerical novelty which brings good luck, as for me today has been chilled and full of good vibes.

This morning the post contained a delightful surprise, when through the letterbox popped a large, brown padded envelope containing Warme Handen, a beautiful new book on Estonian mittens and wrist warmers by Carla Meijsen and Hilly van der Sluis aka The Dutch Knitters.




















This is a really thoughtfully-produced book - if you're into mittens then you're in for a treat.  There are thirteen projects, eleven are mittens and two wrist warmers, all with fabulous images, clear charts and well explained techniques in both Dutch and English.  The Estonian knitters use several techniques which other knitters may not be familiar with, including different cast-ons, two-colour cast-off, decorative edgings, Estonian spiral knitting (similar effect to entrelac but simpler to knit) and decorative cords and braids.  All are well- illustrated with close-up photos.

Carla and Hilly have researched Estonian knitting extensively, visiting the country both last year and this year.  They fell in love with the country, its people and culture and their aim in this book is to bring traditional Estonian knitting to the attention of all knitters.  Well, they've done an excellent job in this self-published book, which is certainly a feather in the Dutch Knitters' cap. Their love of Estonia and its knit traditions shines through on every page, so if you're looking for some stunning mittens to knit, you won't be disappointed. Facebook, Ravelry and Twitter - thedutchknitters.
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