I’m finally getting back to the pile of knitting books on my shelf! Most recently I read two books on mittens and gloves – both were very good in different ways.

The first is not a new book. It was published originally in the US in 2011, so it has been around a while. For anyone interested in mittens and gloves and also in Norwegian knitting design and motifs, this is a great book. The author, Annemor Sundbo, has an interesting stroke of luck at the start of her career. She wanted to apprentice at a shoddy mill (mill that processes and recycles old clothes and other materials), but the owner would only do that if she bought the mill. She did so, and lucked into a huge treasure trove of old handknitted items that had been discarded. Recognizing the historical and artistic wealth that was being destroyed, she wound up saving a lot of the rag pile and has written quite a few books about the items she has found and saved. The mittens and gloves in this book are part of that work. For each of the mitten, she shows a picture of the historical mitten, and then the pattern and her recreation. If the beginning of this paragraph didn’t bore you sick, then you may be interested in this book.

The other is more historical handware. It is a much newer book, published just last summer. This book is more a look at the history of glove knitting, and the differences in techniques and styles through the years and in different parts of the world. There are only 5 patterns in the book, though there is a section at the end on designing your own. I really enjoyed it, as it covers a lot of ground and is written in a lively style, for a fairly academic work. And also I am a gigantic nerd. If you like reading about knitting, fashion, and social history, then you might enjoy this book. If not, maybe pass this one by.

How about you? Read anything interesting lately?