Historical Danish nightshirts with Vivian Hoxbro and FruityKnitting

Faroe

Un-spun
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wMDjM-vGyI

Run time is over 1hr thirty min. You can skip to the second half of this video for info. on this genre of historical knitting.

These to me, are like ganseys, but for women, and they incorporate interesting structural details and motifs of their own. I prefer the semi-structured necklines on these - a more flattering way to frame a woman's face. The can also be shaped at the waist. The discussion focuses on several close reproductions of museum pieces. I really wish more of those were in the book, and that the book had put more emph. on museum reproductions and their clever structural details shown here, rather than fashion re-interpretation contributing scant value to the study. Well, that's publishers for you - you can count on then to take the easy way out. I hope to see more knitters publish technical works on this topic.

Earlier footage in the video has historical dress from the island of Fano. Jackets, not sweaters, but worth the time. Must be chilly year-around over there, IIRC the video was shot in July during a festival. They all look as if wrapped up cosy for Winter.

Back to the sweaters: I don't recall Hoxbro recommending specific yarns, although I expect the book's patterns list what her sample knitters used. Frangipani gansey yarn shows texture knitting beautifully, and can be knit to an historically typical tight gage. I can easily get 8 SPI with this yarn. Even with the extra yarn required for a firmer tight knit, the sweaters are on the shorter and fitted side, so a single 500g cone should have adequate yardage for most pieces. The cost for one cone is currently $68 with shipping from AK (The Net Loft) to me in NM. Budget friendly, given most individual skein prices these days. I've spent at least that on every shawl knitted. Other places sell Frangi, but am recommending TNL simply because they have always given me excellent customer service, and they haven't pushed politics (at least that I've come across).
 
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