The two-end knitting technique, known as twined knitting or tvåändsstickning, is created when two strands of the same color are alternated stitch by stitch. Common theory is that twined knitting originated in Sweden, perhaps as far back as 1680, to produce a strong, warm fabric that could withstand hard wear during the long winters. These mittens are worked in a variation of the traditional technique in which the two strands are worked Fair Isle fashion with one yarn always carried on top of the other in the back of the work. Beginning with a lined picot cuff, these mittens are decorated with knit and purl stitches to provide subtle texture to the design.