Fishermen’s Knits From the Coast of Norway, by Line Iversen and Margareth Sandvik, is another book that pretty much tells you exactly what it is going to be about and then delivers. It is a somewhat recent book, published in December 2022.

It starts with an in-depth look at what life was like for Norwegian fishermen, including a lot of discussion of what sailors’ garments and equipment was like and how it would have been made. Given that this is somewhat a knitting book, much attention is paid to the knitted and felted garments that played a part in the fishermen’s kit.

Then there are the knitting patterns. This book differs from a lot of others in this general line by not trying to exactly recreate historical sweaters. Some of the patterns are pretty much influenced by pictures of older garments or examples in museums, such as the historical image on the left below and the new design on the right. All are “inspired by” older garments, but not direct copies.

The authors devote some space to explaining their decision, so if you do read this book and are wondering what’s up with that, you will find your answers.

Most of the patterns in this book are for sweaters, though there are a few accessory patterns – some hats, socks, and mittens. And one pair of knitted leggings!

There’s a good variety of sweater styles represented. Techniques include a lot of colorwork and a little bit of cable as well. The designs are not fussy or complicated, but rather more straightforward. The patterns don’t include a very big range of sized, but are graded to some extent.

I like this book, and will likely knit several of the projects. If you are into this type of history and are OK with the patterns being modern ones inspired from historical examples, you may want to check out this book!