Russian Stitch 2+3+3  (Joutseno Stitch)


Joutseno (Finland)
Salmi (former Finland; area belongs to Russia since 1940)
Repola (Olonets Carelia, Russia; next to Finnish border)

Hansen's Notation
UUOOOUUU/OOOUUUOOO

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Russian Stitch 2+3+3 F2 (Joutseno Stitch)
front side

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Russian Stitch 2+3+3 F2  (Joutseno Stitch)
reverse side

Video (link)

You can read more about the Russian Stitch Family on page Stitch Grouping by Toini-Inkeri Kaukonen (link).

This stitch type RS 2+3+3 is mentioned in Leinonen's Master's Thesis (2000, p. 93). One of the nalbinders Leinonen interviewed, was living in Joutseno at the time of the interview, but was born in Käkisalmi, and she had learnt this nalbinding stitch from her mother who was born in Salmi, on the north side of the Lake Ladoga. (Both Käkisalmi and Salmi belong to Russia since 1940.)

In 5/2012, I was given as a present an old piece of nalbinding, a beginning of a mitten top, which had been made with this stitch type RS 2+3+3, and the maker of which was born in Joutseno. Based on the year of her birth, however, she is not the same nalbinder mentioned in Leinonen's Master's Thesis.

The beginning of a mitten top I was given, looks like there have been two persons nalbinding it: A more experienced nalbinder, and another who has been learning the nalbinding technique. The last connection stitch at the end is F3 (1 new edge loop and 2 'old' edge loops), but the mitten top is dense and yarn a bit felted, so it is very difficult to follow the yarn, and I think it is possible the F3 was a mistake made by the learner.