Take part in the  "Knitting Together" training program  and get more knowledge on the topics

            In the national traditions of Latvia, a mitten symbolizes the character and destiny of a person. 

           The pattern is the language in which the history and traditions speak to you.

           At a time when writing did not yet exist, the pattern was the essence of knowledge that was passed on to children and grandchildren. 

           This is not only a handcraft, the knitters  share with their warmth and soul, protecting those they loved from evil

           Symbols, like letters, are formed into a pattern, as words are formed into a prayer or into a lyrical song - Daina

           At present, more than 5500 Latvian mittens patterns are registered and each of them is unique. Some similar elements can be found in different motives of the pattern, but the rhythm of the motive, the colour, the design of the cuff or the palm, the combination of stitches will not be the same.

           Officially, in Latvia until 2009, there were 553 governmental regions. Today they are joined into 109. It's not just simply the figures - each governmental region has its own tradition in national costumes and the preferences in ornament. Those who are keen on Ethnography easily recognize which costume comes from what region. Real specialists will directly indicate the city, village or even a farm, where this or that item comes from. And if the costume was inherited, they can reconstruct the entire family history for many generations back.

           We would observe four main regions - Kurzeme, Zemgale, Vidzeme, Latgale, and their specific characters in the elements of the ornament.

         Western region of Latvia, Kurzeme - it is a windy shore of the Baltic Sea with lighthouses, ports of Liepaja and Ventspils, deserted beaches and fishing villages in dunes. The unique architecture of Kurzeme Kuldigi and other cities - a real national pride of the country. Here is one of the largest waterfalls in Europe - Venta Rumba and certainly the most beautiful places for rural tourism.  Kurzeme Ethnographic region covers a relatively large western part of the country and, therefore, there is a great variety of patterns and color combinations in ornament.

         Mittens from North Kurzeme and Southern Kurzeme differ sharply

         In Northern Kurzeme the dominated designs are stars or the sun, which are connected by intermediate small patterns - elements or singles

         The ornament on the upper and lower parts of mittens is also different, and it is essential to use a special strip pattern - "belt" between the cuff and the mitten palm

        Mittens for work traditionally are designed with small patterns, but mittens for a gift - large and bright expressive geometric stylized elements of flowers or stars

         Colors are mostly  selected on the contrast:

         Black- white

         Red - Yellow

         Red - Blue

         Black - Blue - Orange

         Black - Green - Red

      * In case of Livu mittens the colors are changed for light green combined with dark blue. 

           In South Kurzeme a dark background is essential: black or dark brown, dark blue, indigo combined with bright red, green, blue, yellow.

        Large stylized patterns  with small squares, stripes, zigzags.

        In the "belt" between the cuffs and the palm there are three primary color stripes , and the "belt" is radically different from the main color palette of mittens

        Fringe - as the beginning of mittens - is the state of the maiden or unmarried woman.

        In other cases, the mitten is started with plane rows 

 All rights reserved © Copyright: Jelena Cekina 2015 Certificate  № 215032301585