These are traditional Dutch mittens from the town of Groenlo, called Grolse Wanten. Many people think this is a typical Scandinavian pattern, but it comes directly from the Achterhoek or East of the Netherlands.
A while ago, this centuries-old pattern was almost completely lost. You would only see an elderly man every now and then wearing them out on the streets. This is until the Sociëteit Grolse Wanten was created to keep this incredible piece of Dutch culture alive.
These blue and white mittens from the Achterhoek have a star with eight points and a red dot in the middle. It is said that the red dot in the middle is the centre of Groenlo. Some say that the stars are the bastions and fortifications of the old fortified city of Groenlo and the square blocks in the middle represent the two canals that used to surround Groenlo.
It is said that the pattern of these Grolse wanten dates back to at least 1627- but no one knows its origin and why and when people started making them. We know that these gloves were eventually also knitted by shepherds who had their sheep in the surroundings of Groenlo in the 19th century. These mittens are knitted in a very difficult and intricate way, so the craft was taught to their daughters. There has never been one pattern that everyone had to follow, so some knitters made small adaptions here and there.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a Grolse wanten factory- not an actual factory, as they are all made by hand with 100% wool and no machine can do these special stitches. From the company, these Dutch mittens were shipped all over The Netherlands and even exported to Germany.
Many women in Groenlo and its surroundings were knitting these mittens from Groenlo for the company. The wool was delivered to their home and every free hour that they had was spent with knitting these mittens. People didn’t get paid a lot, but every little bit helps. Before the Second World War one would get a few quarters for a pair of these Dutch mittens from the East of The Netherlands. In the 1950s it was risen to 1,75 Guilders for a pair. It took the knitters three to four hours to knit one mitten.
When the knitters finished making the mittens, they would sit on them to make them nice and flat. And when they gave the mittens to the factory, they’d weigh them to make sure the knitters used enough wool. Now, wool was a very useful product and the people weren’t rich. So, they added a little bit of water to the mittens shortly before they were given to the factory. This way the knitters could constantly keep a little bit of wool for themselves and make mittens for themselves with the remnants of the wool. The mittens were stored in big boxes filled with tobacco to keep the moths away.
And you can actually buy these Dutch mittens here, they will keep your hands nice and toasty during cold days!
Sources:
0 Comment