• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Patterns
  • Classes
  • Books
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Newsletter

Mary Jane Mucklestone

Hand Knitting Blog & Knitting Patterns

Icelandic Insoles – Part One

April 3, 2014 by Mary Jane 9 Comments

Iceland has been on my mind since Cirilia Rose has been instagraming from Iceland along with her buddy Steven West. You have to check out their photostreams – so entertaining!!! This picture of fish skin shoes had me remembering the time Gudrun and I spent at the Textile Museum up in Blönduós. It turns out that the traditional knitting of Iceland, or rather the antique knitting of Iceland, isn’t the ubiquitous Lopapeysa yoked sweaters, but  garter stitch insoles for fish skin shoes. I’d heard about these from Helene Magnusson’s fantastic knitting books, especially Icelandic Color Knitting: Using Rose Patterns.

While wandering the galleries, I was so enthralled with the insoles that the kind women at the museum offered to show me some of the collection not on display.

It is about time I shared them with you!

Is_insole.1

Is_insole.2

Is_insoles.4

Is_insole.3

Is_insole

IMG_4293

Here’s how they are stored.

box_o_insoles

Ok that’s all for now, soon I’ll show you the shoes and some more examples.

Filed Under: Knitting, Travel Tagged With: colorwork, garter stitch, Iceland, intarsia

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Connie says

    April 3, 2014 at 8:51 pm

    Beautiful!! I really like that 2nd one!!!

    Reply
    • Mary Jane says

      April 4, 2014 at 12:08 pm

      it is so hard to choose!

      Reply
  2. stacy says

    April 3, 2014 at 9:13 pm

    We were in Iceland last May. 2 wks too early for most of the specialized museums. I remember being in Blondos on a Sunday morning, pressing my nose against the window of the Textile museum. It was to open that following week. Boo Hoo. I rarely travel to the same place, but I find myself longing for Iceland and all of it’s empty, vast beauty. Please share more from the musuem.

    Reply
    • Mary Jane says

      April 4, 2014 at 12:12 pm

      Stacy, it is really worth a trip back! They have a contemporary exhibit and the permanent collection. It is just the right size, not too big not too small, and loaded with wonderful textiles. And if you go back you can go over the peninsula and visit the fish skin tannery in Sauðárkrókur ( http://www.visiticeland.com/SearchResults/TravelService/the-tannery-visitor-centre ) Worth a stop while you’re in the neighborhood.

      Reply
  3. Raymonde says

    April 3, 2014 at 10:02 pm

    How wonderful to give so much attention to something that was made to be hidden! Can’t wait to see the shoes!

    Reply
    • Mary Jane says

      April 4, 2014 at 12:12 pm

      I know, they are the wearers own little special secret!

      Reply
  4. Asimina says

    April 4, 2014 at 11:16 am

    The insoles are very beautiful! 🙂 But those on display are just as good.
    The staff in the Textile Museum is very friendly and they are happy to elaborate to more details if the visitor is interested 🙂
    At least they did in my case! xD

    Reply
    • Mary Jane says

      April 4, 2014 at 12:14 pm

      I agree there are some really really nice ones on exhibit, a lot of them too. I was so obsessed that the wonderful women of the museum staff offered to show me even more of them. I highly recommend taking the trip to the north of Iceland to visit the museum.

      Reply
  5. MRS LILIAN BURTON says

    November 14, 2022 at 3:48 pm

    i WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE A PAIR OF ICEANDIC INSOLES
    PLEASE COULD YOU ADVISE ME WHERE I CAN SEE/PURCHASE
    THESE FOR CHRISTMAS GIFT.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Before Footer

Happy Fair Isle Friday. The sea brings solace. V Happy Fair Isle Friday.  The sea brings solace.  Veesik from my book Fair Isle Weekend knit with DK weight @jamiesonsofshetland Shetland wool. 
#fairislefriday #fairisleweekend #maryjanemucklestone #shetlandwool #fairisleknitting 📷 @jenireid 💃🏽@ellagordondesigns #fairisle
9 from last year. It was a wonderful year for me i 9 from last year. It was a wonderful year for me in so many ways, despite the strange and scary times. Number one was your number one too, baby Otis!  Thank you for all your support this year and the outpouring if love for my new book Fair Isle Weekend. 🙏 we’ve got some adventure and exploring ahead! Even if it’s in our own neighborhood. 🏡 🏔I’m glad we’ve started a new year. May it be happy and safe for everyone. ✨⭐️✨ 
Now go eat some black eyed peas! 
. 

#topnine #granny #fairisleweekend #fairisleweekendbook #knitting #norwegianpurl #demo #wearalltheknits
Have a lovely evening! #maine Have a lovely evening!
#maine
Happy Sunday in Maine! Clearing our heads at the b Happy Sunday in Maine! Clearing our heads at the beach.
.
Twelve21 hats fresh off the needles ~ still 15%off through tonight. Secret code 1221
. 
#maine #twelve21hat @hiravelry #knittersofinstagram
Happiest of Holidays! Leelee the Wonder dog, Empre Happiest of Holidays! Leelee the Wonder dog, Empress of the Universe extends her love and benevolence to you all and every being on the planet and in our solar system and all other solar and other systems ✨ blessing on us all. On a personal note, Vogue Knitting Magazine arrived Christmas Eve! Such a gift!!! And and slide 3 The Man from Cebu Borneo is surrounded by special snowflake light!
✨ 
MeRrY mErRy🌟
Twelve21 !! Happy Solstice 🌞New pattern today! Twelve21 !! Happy Solstice 🌞New pattern today! Use code: 1221 for 15% off on @hi.ravelry thru Sunday ~ link in bio. Cozy cozy with super bulky or bulky yarn. Two skeins of @quinceandco Puffin made 2 hats (not including pompous) One already gifted and away! Many thanks to busy mommy Sophie for agreeing to an impromptu photo shoot. Pandemic make do - safety in the backyard! 
.
In 3 sizes, shown grey in large, black in small. Medium was absconded with 🤣 I mean...gifted
.
Newsletter subscribers check your on box for a special discount✨
. 
. 

#Twelve21Hat #quickgift #knitgift #strandedknitting #strandedcolorwork #maryjanemucklestone #knittersofinstagram #knittingaddict #newpatternrelease
Happy Fair Isle Friday! Kuvvel is a cowl with a tw Happy Fair Isle Friday! Kuvvel is a cowl with a twist! Knit as a tube, given a turn and grafted together. I love testing out different color combinations. The two swatches on the left are simply rearrangements of the same 5 colors as the original. The monochromatic swatch on the right uses 4 shades of @woolfolk_yarn Tynd. The possibilities are endless! I even have a swatch that used glitter yarn, but it’s so hard to photograph! Which one do you like best? Have a great weekend friends - have some fun! Swipe for an example 😂
. 
. 

 #fairisleweekend #kuvvel #fairisleweekendbook #fairisleknitting #shetland #fairislebook #knittingbook
#maryjanemucklestone #fairislefriday 
#lainepublishing #lainemagazine #strandedknitting #stickning #tricoter #stricken #neulonta  #編み物  #フェア 📷 photos 2&3: @jenireid
So happy to share with you what I was working on t So happy to share with you what I was working on this summer. Such an honor to work alongside editor and chief Norah Gaughan and art director Emily Jones, and with all the talented  designers, writers and photographers. Teamwork ❤️ 
Photo: @gretarybus 
. 
Repost from @vogueknittingmagazine
•
From pandemics to politics, the world has changed. I think you’ll agree that the next issue of Vogue Knitting has also changed radically. The issue is inclusive and diverse, and represents what Vogue Knitting is known for: solid, painstakingly accurate instruction and our signature fashion-forward designs. I want to thank Norah Gaughan and her team who put together such a uniquely different publication. I truly hope you find enjoyment in this well-crafted collection.⁠
⁠
Art Joinnides⁠
President⁠
SoHo Publishing Company

Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Mary Jane Mucklestone © 2020