You may have heard of the traditional Norwegian bunad or folk costume. It is a costume used for special occasions, our independence day, weddings, maybe Christmas and other big days.
Alongside the bunad, there is the knitting tradition, with all it´s patterned jackets and sweaters. The tradition is equally long, and sometimes they overlap (like in the Setesdalsbunad for men). Knitting as a popular craft has had it´s ups and downs the past generations. When my Mom was young, it was more of a necessity, now we have enough money to buy ready-made from the stores.
Still, the tradition won´t die, and now it´s riding a high wave of popularity. Old patterns are copied and get new life. It´s like a whole slow-fashion movement, an alternative to the low-cost, multinational industry.
This evening I attended a traditional knitting event at the library. A small venue, but with an interesting talk by an author who´s spent years gathering old patterns and making a whole community around the interest of the “kufta” (norwegian name for knitted jacket).