I applaud their self-discipline. I even applaud not-so-healthy need to find knitting patterns so difficult no one can actually knit them. As long as it makes them happy. But I’m still not knitting a Herbert Niebling tablecloth on size 000 needles. Or spinning up my cat’s hair. Or eating brussel sprouts. Or getting a pedicure. First, mountain avens are knit on a stockinette background; then follows a beautiful lace fell row; and finally a border of Lapland rosebay. For the flowers’ lace patterns I sought inspiration from patterns in the “Kunststricken” magazine published in Germany in 1937, created by Herbert Niebling in the beginning of the 20th century.

Herbert Niebling Books

Kunststricken

• Cover of Beyers Handarbeitsbücher, Band 45: Kunst-Stricken I by Marie Niedner and Gussi Von Reden

• Page from Beyers Handarbeitsbücher, Band 45: Kunst-Stricken I showing what the pattern symbols looked like in the 1920s

• Hand-drawn chart made by Niebling circa 1963. Later published as pattern 418/43 'Filigrane Spitzenblüte' by Burda

• Side-by-side comparison of knitting chart symbols (hand-drawn vs. printed) for the pattern 418/43 'Filigrane Spitzenblüte'

• Description and image of 'Filigrane Spitzenblüte' as published in Burda E418