The Knitted Fabric of Finland: Contemporary Handcrafted Wooly Socks Depicting the Nation State

Abstract

Textiles have played a key role in local and national cultures not only because of their utility and functionality, but also in terms of the symbolic value that they have for a particular social group, populace, or nation. Given the erratic and myriad nature of these communities, the focus of this article is on mapping out differentiation in the designs of contemporary wooly socks that find their source of inspiration in an imaginary of Finland celebrating its national centenary in 2017. In this endeavor, the article refines how an idea of a nation is reflected on through knitted craftwork, and how the divergence and layeredness of these designs not only reaffirms and evokes traditions but also develops the culture of knitting in contemporary times. In conclusion, the article contributes to the decoding of a textile design process in reflection of the recollection of the experiences of rootedness, the reproduction of the expression and the use of communicative images, and the negotiation of hybrid social realities voiced through the materiality of making.

Keywords:

• contemporary crafts
• knitting
• textile traditions
• textile design
• national identity

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Suuri Käsityö for providing access to the wooly socks for photographic purposes before they were displayed and donated to charity.

Notes

1 In eastern Finnish dialects, knitting is referred to with the verb neuloa (deriving from the word neula, a needle or a pin), which translates as “to knit.” Western Finnish dialects have preferred the word kutoa for knitting, although kutoa is commonly translated as “to weave.” Today, the eastern concept, neuloa, is considered the more precise term for knitting, but the western word, kutoa, still has use as an attributing quality, as kudottu, and as a metaphorical term for something that has been (re)constructed or assembled (Almay, Luutonen, and Mitronen, 1993, 8).

2 Vikkelikuvio (vikkeli has its origins in the German word Zwickel, which translates as “pierce” or “corner”) is a decorative, often square- or rectangle-shaped pattern applied to single-colored socks or mittens with a technique based on alternations of knit and purl stitches (Kaukonen, 1985, 95; Rauhala, 2003, 187–188, 213).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Anna Kouhia

Anna Kouhia, PhD., is a researcher, craft enthusiast, and university lecturer in craft studies at the University of Helsinki. Her work is driven by an interest in lived experiences at the intersection of making and materiality. Her research is inspired by feminism, new materialism, and autoethnography, and focuses extensively on the meanings of textile-based hobby crafts. [email protected]