Firstly, a huge THANK YOU to all of you for your wonderful comments. I feel loved.
Here’s a little story. Last August I took it into my head to make a Danish folk costume. Why? Well, I lived in Denmark for a year… I always been intrigued by folk costumes… There’s a Scandinavian Festival here… I needed a new sewing project…
Since I have no historic, cultural, or familial ties to Denmark I could pretty much choose any area’s dress and call it my own. I wanted a costume from near where I stayed as a student, but then most things are near when you remember Denmark is roughly the size of Massachusetts. Anywho, my main resource was a series of lithographs by FC Lund that depict much of the traditional folk dress in Denmark around the 1860s.
After much hemming and hawing I finally decided on this costume from the island of Laesoe- off the Northeast coast of Jutland. I wanted to make a work costume and liked the simplicity of this girl’s dress. It bothered me a little that this is the costume of an unmarried female, but since I am now divorced I figure it’ll be alright.
With the help of this in-depth article I made a shift and underskirt and set out to knit a pair of stockings. At that point in time my knowledge of knitting was rudimentary at best- I knew how to make garter stitch. I still needed instructions to cast on and I couldn’t purl. I had learned how to knit in the Continental style and I found the learning curve for purling to be very steep. I still dislike purling.
But being young and cocky I figured I could knit a pair of socks. Anything I didn’t know I could find on the internet or in books, right? Actually, yes. With my first set of dpns I discovered the joy of knitting in the round. I knit the first stocking, and when it didn’t fit I ripped it out and decided to get more help.
I came home from the library with Folk Socks and Meg Swansen’s Knitting. That led me to Elizabeth Zimmermann and… well, the rest is history. I am now a knitter.
And that folk costume? Well, it got folded away to make room for needles and yarn. But I found it again a few weeks ago. Scandinavian Festival is 11 days away and I’m madly sewing on it. So If you don’t hear from me, you know what I’m doing. Playing chicken with deadlines.
Ironically though…. I may finish the costume in time, but handknit stockings will have to wait for next year.
How cool!!!!! Not only the making of the costume but having lived in Denmark. I absolutely love Europe and I love Hamlet with Mel Gibson. I can’t think of Denmark without thinking of the movie. A must see. I am looking forward to see the costume as well, even without the stockings.
I have an “uncle” that was born in Copenhagen… Yet another place on my list I’d like to see someday.
http://web.comhem.se/~u31138198/folkdrakt.html is a dress diary of a swedish costume researcher (no, really, she gets to play with all that really cool research for a living!!)’s Swedish folk costume. The rest of her stuff is *very* worth looking at, too. Only thing is.. I don’t think she knits. So her stockings must be store-bought. (as opposed to the medieval ones she sews.)
I’d love to see pictures of your final results!
Woohoo! Can’t wait to see the costume now.
i, too, like the old fashioned womens wear, but only at my choosing. unfortunately, i can’t wear a Bedouin (sp) robe to work. but, i do wear my knitted shawl to work sometimes. see you soon. dotty
Great idea. When are you going to the festival? I’m planning to go too, and bring Michael. Maybe we could meet up for some lefse.
My heritage is Finnish and Icelandic and I had an Icelandic costume until I was a teenager. I still have all the jewelry from the costume and have always intended to make an adult costume for myself. Maybe when this roll of baby fat disappears…
Like Carole, I’m of Scandy extraction (Danish) and I absolutely love the regional costumes. This one: http://vofl3450.homeunix.net/DanishFolk/Costumes/FC-Lund/home.html is the man’s one that I grew up with. My aunty has the female version, which is absolutely beautiful. I will have to try and find a picture to post.
Good luck with completing yours, and do let us see pictures. I wish I was going to the festival and all.
I lived in Northern Jutland as a student and, like you, got it into my head to make a costume. I was singing in a choir at the time that did one multi-cultural concert a year and we were invited to wear some kind of “national dress”. I searched the internet and found a couple of good examples of Thisted-area women’s costumes. I did not always use authentic fabrics because I knew a heavy wool skirt, for instance, would just be too hot for choral performances. And I didn’t even consider knitting long red stockings! A pair of tights from a dance store sufficed. I was really lucky to be given several pieces of genuine Tønder lace to use on the bonnet and at my wrists. It was a fun project.