How to: Estonian Knitting Techniques

Estonian lace is renowned for its beauty and its use of unusual techniques that create a distinctive-looking finished product. Two of these techniques are nupps (pronounced noops) and a 5-stitch gather, both use increases and decreases to create a gathered section of stitches very similar-looking to a flower or bud. These techniques in a finished piece can appear daunting and complicated, but as with all knitting, taking each technique step by step makes a series of increases and decreases easy and approachable!

Nupps

Nupps are a type of small bobble. They take fewer steps than a traditional bobble and are worked with increases on the right side of the work and one decrease on the wrong side of the work. They are most often used in Estonian knitting within a floral motif like the Lily of the Valley stitch pattern shown above. Nupps are five stitches created out of one stitch on the right-side row that are decreased back to one stitch on the wrong side with a p5tog (purl 5 together). The trick for successful nupps is to make the knit and yarn overs on the right side as loose as possible. This will make the wrong-side decreases easier to work. Nupps are typically placed in motifs with yarn overs in the middle and decreases on the side that move the yarn overs and nupps across the pattern.

How to Work It

Insert needle into the stitch as if to knit, wrap and pull through; do not drop the stitch off the needle.

Yarn over the needle, bringing the yarn forward toward you. Make sure that this is a very loose yarn over with little tension.

Knit into this stitch again, yarn over again, and knit into the stitch a final time, keeping the tension very, very loose; drop the stitch from the left tip. There should be five stitches on the right needle that are all emanating out from a single stitch on the row below.

On the wrong-side row, work to the five stitches just created, p5tog (purl 5 together); the five stitches are now back to one stitch.

5-Stitch Gather

This technique makes a pretty twist in the work. It is easy to accomplish but also requires very loose tension. This technique follows the same pattern of knit, yarn over, knit, yarn over, knit as the nupp, but you will be knitting through five stitches instead of one stitch, and there are no decreases worked on the wrong side.

How to Work It

Insert needle into five stitches as if to k5tog (knit 5 together), wrap yarn and pull through; do not drop stitches off of left tip.

Yarn over the needle, bringing the yarn forward toward you. Make sure that this is a very loose yarn over with little tension.

K5tog again, yarn over again, and k5tog a final time keeping the tension very, very loose, drop the five stitches from the left tip. There should be five stitches on the needle that are all emanating out from the twisted k5tog decrease on the row below.

On the wrong side, purl across these five stitches.

Below is the chart that was used to create the sample. Give it a try!

Here is what these techniques look like in a much finer gauge. These very simple steps can be combined into a masterful piece of finely knit lace, just take it one step at a time.

Want to give nupps a try in a great pattern? Try the Sivia Shawl, this cables and lace shawl pattern also features nupps for texture!

Or try Nupps in the round with the Scarlet Arches Sock pattern!