The Selbu Rose / Eight-Point Star
Many of the typical Norwegian patterns are in the tradition of the Selbu Rose.
Selbu is a place in Trøndelag county, Norway. They're city crest includes this rose. The rose is in Norwegian knitting, knitted in the shape of a regular octagram.
These two photos represent the most common variations of the rose/star
Trøndelag county had extensive contact with neighboring districts - various elements of what is now Selbu Knitting migrated together from trade
Weaving patterns transitioned to Stranded Colorwork after Stranded colorwork came to Selbu in 1840-1850
Mali Emstad/ Weaver Mali - person who began weaving stars/eight-petal rose as embellishment on jacquard loom from Germany
Double Weaving Motifs - one side light one side dark, patterns composed of geometric shapes - best known in Trøndelag
Transferred Motifs:
Large number of selbu patterns based on lattice of diagonal blocks. Many variations occur where lines cross & in the center of the block, when lines involved are diagonal, the knitting is more even because the shifts between colors are staggered and that produces and even structure in the fabric. Additional patterns will be replicating longitudinal panels. This produces what looks like an endless pattern.
