I’ve returned to Sydney after a very crafty three week holiday to my home country, Finland. I lost count of the yarn and craft stores I visited but I’ve returned full of great memories of the things I saw and the conversations I had with the people running the stores and encouraging their customers in all things crafty. I visited craft museums and exhibitions, cafes and bookstores, immersed myself in the craftier side of Finland and was taught a few knitting tricks by my relatives. I also came back with a big stash of yarn and a smaller stash of fabrics that will take some time to get through but will make for some lovely projects.

I’ll write more about particular crafts, ideas, materials and experiences over the coming weeks, but to start with, I have become obsessed with knitted mittens.

I bought an armful of yarns by Finnish manufacturer Novita (though quite a few people I met spoke with sadness that while the yarns are designed in Finland, many of the varieties tend to be manufactured overseas these days).  Novita have been making yarn in Finland since 1928 and are the largest yarn manufacturer in Finland.

The Novita 7 Veljestä (translation: 7 Brothers) yarns are known as the go to yarn for socks and mittens – it works up quickly, comes in a variety of colours, has warmth and strength through the 75% wool/25% polyamide mix, and can be gently washed in a machine.

I’ve used 7 Veljestä plain colours and their Raita (translation: Stripe) varieties in the mittens I’ve been making. I love the colour effects without having to weave in dozens of yarn ends!

I found the pattern for these mittens in a few Novita magazines I bought, but for Finnish readers out there they can also be found on the Novita site:
Childrens version: Lapsen neulotut lapaset
Adult version: Peruslapanen 7 Veljestä -langasta
Basic visual instructions: Näin neulot lapasen (PDF link)

While I was looking in to mitten techniques, I found a YouTube video, Lapaset, by Suuri Käsityö Lehti (translation: Big Handcraft Magazine). If you knit continental style you might be able turn off the audio and learn one style of thick yarn mitten knitting because they slow down to demonstrate key steps.