Fiber Art
Skolt Sami Inspired Hat
Course Overview
The Skolt Sami people’s homeland is where the modern countries of Norway, Russia and Finland meet. There are several subsets of the Sami people. Traditional dress and language is unique and can vary as widely as the Danish language and traditional dress differs from a rural Norwegian dialect and dress. The Skolt Sami homeland is in an out-of-the-way place and provided a sheltered area to raise reindeer and sheep. Its isolation also helped protect and preserve handcrafts. This hat is inspired by several of the Skolt Sami knitted motifs, many of which I observed at the Sami Museum Siida in Inari, Finland, the Ä’vv Skolt Sami Museum in Neiden, Norway and the Skolt Sami Heritage House in Sevettijärvi-Näätämö, Finland. The pattern is written with choices in patterning, crown decrease and toppers. Students should feel comfortable knitting, purling, knitting in the round and stranding.