Tvåändsstickning: Knitting from both ends in Sweden

A while back I made a trip to Stockholm, Sweden and that got me thinking about Swedish knitting traditions.

Turns out that Sweden is one of the few places in the world where we know when knitting was introduced.

Magna Brita Crasaus, the Dutch wife of the newly appointed governor of the Halland district in the mid-17th century, is credited with bringing this craft into the country.

However, like many Scandinavian countries along nordic trade routes, it was necessary to make knits that could endure the wet, cold weather.

Enter Tvåändsstickning, or twined knitting.

This technique was developed to create waterproof, warm knits by twisting two strands of yarn around each other on every stitch.

The result is some of the most stunning colorwork mittens, slippers, and coats you’ve ever seen.

I could write a bunch more but Piecework Magazine has a great article on the topic, so go send them some love…