Lithuania is a knitter's paradise--hand-knitted garments fill tourist street markets to overflowing, traditional crafts are celebrated at summer festivals and in open-air museums, and the first hint of winter turns the capital city of Vilnius into a veritable knitwear fashion show! Now, join knitting experts Donna Druchunas and June L. Hall in their journey through a fascinating and beautiful country, and discover Lithuania's rich textile history for yourself. Dive deep into Lithuanian knitting techniques, pattern stitches, and motifs; explore the stories behind 25 designs for traditional and modern accessories; and practice colorwork, textured stitches, lace, entrelac, and more!
Learn about the traditions and techniques of knitting in Lithuania past, present, and future. Plus find more than 25 mitten, glove, and sock projects to knit.
Beaded wrist warmers are a vital, beloved, and beautiful part of Lithuanian traditional costume. That's how Irena Filomena Juskiene discovered them: As a member of a group of artists dedicated to classic Lithuanian dance and music, she wore them during performances. When she decided to explore the roots of these knitted accessories, Irena found they were a fascinating part of the regional history and culture of Lithuania. The results of her journey have now been brought together in a compilation of beaded knitting patterns that spans centuries, dialects, and multiple museum collections. Irena shares over 60 designs organized according to their place of origin within the current and historical borders of Lithuania. Projects are presented with straightforward instructions and easy-to-follow charts, along with full-color photographs of sample wrist warmer pairs. In addition, readers will find thoroughly researched discussions of the origins of wrist warmers in each region, a catalog of further historical examples of the craft, and personal accounts shared by local contributors.
Her parents never really explained what a D.P. was. Years later Daiva Markelis learned that “displaced person” was the designation bestowed upon European refugees like her mom and dad who fled communist Lithuania after the war. Growing up in the Chicago suburb of Cicero, though, Markelis had only heard the name T.P., since her folks pronounced the D as a T: “In first grade we had learned about the Plains Indians, who had lived in tent-like dwellings made of wood and buffalo skin called teepees. In my childish confusion, I thought that perhaps my parents weren’t Lithuanian at all, but Cherokee. I went around telling people that I was the child of teepees.” So begins this touching and affectionate memoir about growing up as a daughter of Lithuanian immigrants. Markelis was raised during the 1960s and 1970s in a household where Lithuanian was the first language. White Field, Black Sheep derives much of its charm from this collision of old world and new: a tough but cultured generation that can’t quite understand the ways of America and a younger one weaned on Barbie dolls and The Brady Bunch, Hostess cupcakes and comic books, The Monkees and Captain Kangaroo. Throughout, Markelis recalls the amusing contortions of language and identity that animated her childhood. She also humorously recollects the touchstones of her youth, from her First Communion to her first game of Twister. Ultimately, she revisits the troubles that surfaced in the wake of her assimilation into American culture: the constricting expectations of her family and community, her problems with alcoholism and depression, and her sometimes contentious but always loving relationship with her mother. Deftly recreating the emotional world of adolescence, but overlaying it with the hard-won understanding of adulthood, White Field, Black Sheep is a poignant and moving memoir—a lively tale of this Lithuanian-American life.
Filled with a wide array of classic knitting patterns, this book is, in essence, the ultimate mitten book. The patterns are organized from simple to difficult and their origins range from traditional Scandinavian and Canadian Maritime patterns to more contemporary sewn and windblock patterns from right here in Maine. Rounding out the patterns is useful information on caring for and repairing woolens; tips for adding details such as buttons, straps, or leather palms to mittens; and a list of yarn suppliers.
Ganseys are hardwearing sweaters traditionally knitted for fishermen in and around the British Isles. Today, the styling and history of ganseys is as popular as ever and this collection of stitch patterns and projects brings the history of ganseys to a new audience. Learn all about the techniques used for knitting ganseys with this comprehensive sourcebook from experts in the subject, Di Gilpin and Sheila Greenwell. Di and Sheila are knitwear designers and makers based in Scotland where they teach regular workshops on traditional gansey techniques. Discover all the techniques you need to make an authentic gansey sweater with their special features which were developed for warmth and comfort in what were often, harsh conditions out at sea. Ganseys were designed with a special under arm gusset and a shoulder seam which prevented chaffing and improved movement for the wearer even when the jumper got wet and heavy. The authors explain these techniques with step-by-step instructions and artworks so you can replicate these details in your own work. Another key element to the gansey is the stitch pattern which was specific to the local area and often had a symbolism beyond the pattern itself and, some hoped, would act as a charm to keep the fishermen safe while they were out at sea. This collection features a comprehensive directory of 150 gansey stitch patterns so you can choose your favourite designs and motifs and learn which patterns were important to the fishermen in different areas. There are also 10 patterns for garments and accessories so you can practise your skills. The projects include a child's traditional gansey sweater so you can try out your skills on a traditional sweater but on a small scale. There are also some contemporary takes on the traditional gansey using lighter weight yarn and design details: these include a beautiful sweater with a gansey yoke; a contemporary take on the fisherman's kep; a gansey stitch cowl; a pair of mittens and socks; and light linen tank top. The smaller projects such as the mittens and hats are great for practising your skills before you attempt one of the larger projects.
Hero–or Nazi? Silvia Foti was raised on reverent stories about her hero grandfather, a martyr for Lithuanian independence and an unblemished patriot. Jonas Noreika, remembered as “General Storm,” had resisted his country’s German and Soviet occupiers in World War II, surviving two years in a Nazi concentration camp only to be executed in 1947 by the KGB. His granddaughter, growing up in Chicago, was treated like royalty in her tightly knit Lithuanian community. But in 2000, when Silvia traveled to Lithuania for a ceremony honoring her grandfather, she heard a very different story—a “rumor” that her grandfather had been a “Jew-killer.” The Nazi’s Granddaughter is Silvia’s account of her wrenching twenty-year quest for the truth, from a beautiful house confiscated from its Jewish owners, to familial confessions and the Holocaust tour guide who believed that her grandfather had murdered members of his family. A heartbreaking and dramatic story based on exhaustive documentary research and soul-baring interviews, The Nazi’s Granddaughter is an unforgettable journey into World War II history, intensely personal but filled with universal lessons about courage, faith, memory, and justice.
The longtime knitter and vintage fashion expert puts a contemporary twist on classic knit babywear in this beautifully photographed pattern book. While working as a vintage clothing dealer, combing through estate sales and eBay listings, longtime knitter Kristen Rengren amassed hundreds of knitting pattern booklets from 1920 through 1960. Now a knitwear designer, Rengren brings us the result of her combined passions in Vintage Baby Knits, a charming collection of more than 40 contemporary updates of timeless baby patterns. Projects range from small, quick-to-knit items like hats, booties, and shrugs to larger, more challenging designs for sweaters, onesies, and dresses, including a lace christening gown. Beautiful photographs capture a bevy of adorable babies and toddlers wearing these knitted treasures. Also included are sidebars on baby fashion and knitting culture in this bygone era, and a complete reference section. Destined to be a classic itself, Vintage Baby Knits promises family heirlooms for 21st-century babies.
Create legwarmers, ankle socks, and knee-length socks from fifty beautiful Latvian designs. Knit yourself a pair of stunning Latvian socks with this collection of traditional Latvian sock knitting patterns. There are fifty different styles to choose from including simpler variations of the socks such as leg warmers and ankle socks so, even if you are an inexperienced knitter, you can create a beautiful traditional design. Knitted socks have always played an important role in traditional Latvian culture. Girls are taught to knit at a young age, and it is traditional for brides to give socks and mittens as a gift to guests on their wedding day. This collection captures the essence of these stunning folk patterns and shows how you can mix these traditional designs with your contemporary wardrobe.
"What you will find here is solid information on how to build three classic sweater shapes--raglan, circular yoke, and saddle-shoulder--in whatever yarn has caught your fancy, for the size you want to make. You'll discover ways to use color patterning, to build an Aran-style design, and to turn an idea for a pullover into a plan for a cardigan"--Cover, p. 4.
