ÁSA
These beautifully patterned mittens were given to the Textile Museum in 2000. Elisabet Gumundsdóttir (1884-1969) hand-spun the fine wool and knitted them with a white main color and a black contrast color. The cuffs are in the main color only, and the thumbs are knitted with a gusset out from the sides of the mittens. On the back of the mitten is a leaf pattern, and on the palm an all-over diamond pattern. Similar patterns have been seen in Norwegian knitting instructions, and this particular leaf pattern was published in a booklet from Íslensk ull (Icelandic wool) in 1944. These patterns demand concentration, as the thumb has a gusset in the back as well as the front and the charts are not necessarily easily memorized. With some patience, a beautiful result can be achieved.