Special Knits for Special Occasions

Over the years, PieceWork has included a variety of article and projects of special knits for special occasions—from a stunning wedding veil (May/June 1998) to a sweet christening gown (May/June 2011). Here we’re focusing on a special knit for a very special occasion—wedding gloves (November/December 2008). Here’s longtime contributor Nancy Bush:

Ingeborg Knudsdatter Rogndokken’s knitted white wool wedding gloves, now in the collection of Vesterheim, The National Norwegian-American Museum & Heritage Center in Decorah, Iowa, are part of this tradition. Ingeborg was born in 1827 on the Rogndokken farm in the municipality of Vestre Slidre in Valdres, Norway, and she married Ole Arneson Breiseth (1805–1886), who came from the same area of Norway. Ole and Ingeborg immigrated to the United States in 1857; she died in 1916 in Minneapolis. We do not know if Ingeborg made the gloves, if they were given to her, or if she bought them as part of her wedding clothing. We also don’t know when and where she and Ole married.

In her book Votten i Norsk Tradisjon [Mittens in the Norwegian Tradition], Ingebjørg Gravjord writes that the wearing of wedding gloves became popular in Scandinavia at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Styles based on those then fashionable in western Europe were adapted to utilize the materials and skills at hand. But the wearing of gloves for other occasions predates this trend: There are records of knitted white cotton gloves from Småland, Sweden, dating from the eighteenth century. Gravjord notes that the province of Dalarna, in Sweden, was known for its knitted decorative white gloves; mannsvantar (men’s gloves) were often sold as bridegroom’s gloves. Artisans from Dalarna traveled great distances to sell their wares, which in addition to knitted goods included baskets and jewelry made from hair. It is likely that decorative knitted gloves arrived in Norway from Sweden and that these imported gloves inspired Norwegian knitters to create their own.

Nancy Bush’s Special Knits for Special Occasions—Norwegian Wedding Gloves. Photo by Joe Coca

Most of the surviving Norwegian gloves made for men had short cuffs; women’s gloves had longer, tapered cuffs that frequently incorporated openwork patterns. The hands on both men’s and women’s gloves were worked in openwork diamonds or other geometric shapes. Sometimes the patterns extended up the fingers and thumb; in this case, the latter was bordered by an openwork zigzag stripe. Some cuffs had fringe, some bore the initials of the wearer and some were decorated with embroidery to highlight an openwork figure on the hand or to add color to the cuff.

Gloves intended for a bride were knitted with finer yarn than that used in other women’s gloves or mittens. Sometimes wedding gloves were dyed; black or red were the most popular colors. Red gloves always were knitted in wool; white or black gloves might be of either cotton or wool.

The fine work, the ornate patterns, and the tradition of using this style of gloves for weddings together, in some cases, with the extra value of cotton yarn, all combined to make these gloves keepsakes. Many were handed down to future generations, enabling us to appreciate them today.

The images shown here feature Nancy’s companion project—Norwegian Wedding Gloves to Knit. The gloves are truly lovely.

Materials

• Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Silk, 52% bamboo/43% merino wool/5% silk yarn, 204 yards (187 m)/50 g skein, 1 skein of #3204 Natural Ecru
• Needles, set of 5 double-pointed, size 0 (2 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge
• Removable markers
• Waste yarn to be used as stitch holders
• Tapestry needle

Finished size: 8½ inches (21.6 cm) long and 3¾ inches (9.5 cm) wide

Gauge: 17 sts and 24 rnds = 2 inches (5.1 cm) in St st worked in rnds

The palm and back sides of Nancy Bush’s Special Knits for Special Occasions—Norwegian Wedding Gloves. Photo by Ann Swanson

Interested in trying your hand at lace gloves for National Hand Holding Day? This project and others can be found in the November/December 2008 issue of PieceWork.

Also, remember that if you are an active subscriber to PieceWork magazine, you have unlimited access to previous issues, including November/December 2008. See our help center for the step-by-step process on how to access them.

Nancy Bush continues her fascination with Estonia and their lace knitting. She travels to Estonia regularly, always finding something new to catch her attention.

Originally published February 20, 2019; updated August 9, 2023.