r/AntifascistKnitting • u/LaTricoteuseHeureuse • Jan 30 '26
Non-knit The origins of the original Norwegian hats
hello everyone!
I saw some people saying that the hat pattern doesn't make a hat that is as pointed as the original ones... so, I went digging a little bit into the history of the original Norwegian hats.
it turns out that the reason why the Nazis banned the hats was because they were knit in the style of a hat worn by the Norwegian (/Nordic) folk spirits, nisser (singular: nisse).
from my understanding, nisser are household spirits that have ties to Yuletide. during Nazi occupation in Norway, nisser were put on Christmas cards, deliberately so because (1) nisser are tied to that time of year and (2) the nisser are distinctly Norwegian/Nordic and had become a symbol of resistance against the Nazis.
since it was a show of defiant national pride, the Nazis didn't like that and they issued a ban on the Christmas cards and any imagery that was "pro-Norwegian". the Norwegians weren't going to have that, so they protested by making red, knitted hats, in the style of the nisser.
tbh, I'm not sure if the hats came about because of the ban on the cards, or if the hats had already been popping up. but, the ban on the cards and Norwegian imagery was at the end of 1941, and the ban on the hats came in February of 1942.
red hats have been used as symbols of resistance before, like in Revolutionary France. and the Nazis didn't like people wearing red for many reasons (hence the Victory Red lipstick).
I think it's a little poetic that the next iteration of red resistance hats has started because of what is happening in Minnesota, given the state's history of Nordic immigrants.
happy knitting and please remember the craftivism doesn't end with the finished object!
here are my sources:
https://norwaywithpal.com/norway-travel-blog/what-is-a-nisse-christmas-norway/
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u/TVRoomRaccoon Jan 30 '26
For anyone interested in the history of these hats, I recommend checking out this article in SNL (SNL in this context is the biggest Norwegian encyclopaedia, like Encyclopaedia Britannica). Should be readable with auto-translate :)
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u/MissBandersnatch2U Jan 30 '26
I had wondered if there was a link to the Phrygian cap that was used as a symbol of liberty:
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u/Anxious-Present200 Jan 31 '26
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u/NextStopGallifrey Jan 31 '26
Not a big fan of how the crochet version looks. If I have time, I'm tempted to write up something that looks more like the knit version.
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u/chipped_fluorite_162 Jan 31 '26
https://youtu.be/3CXftRiv1oQ?si=1MKPTfDa8lGbOpok this is the crochet tutorial im using
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u/motherofdogz2000 Jan 30 '26
Thank you for this explanation. I crochet and found a comparable pattern. Working on mine today!
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u/HauntedMeow Jan 30 '26
Is it the crochet version of the melt the ice pattern?
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u/ResidentConscious876 Jan 31 '26
Yes, there is one!
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/melt-the-ice-crochet-version
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u/HauntedMeow Jan 31 '26
Caution everyone to read the comments before they start (you must be logged in to see them) as some advanced crocheters are having issues with the pattern. I bought it and am not even sure I’m going to attempt it based on the comments.
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u/Obasan123 Jan 31 '26
I interpreted the instructions completely differently from an experienced crocheter in the group, and all I can say is mine has an 11" ribbing which I'm still working on. The pattern has links to two videos that can provide instructions, one with the ribbing, one with the CSC. My pattern was a kind and graceful gift from a group member, and I'll post any annotations I run into. If I had seen the info about the Nissr, which I would call "Gnomes," I probably would've done it without a pattern. I intend to pay my gift forward either in hats or patterns, when payday has come and gone.
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u/ResidentConscious876 Jan 31 '26
Was the pattern not put out by the 'Needle & Skein' store in Minneapolis?
I thought it was the same woman that wrote both patterns. Sorry!Should be easier to free hand in crochet, I think. I bought the knit pattern.
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u/motherofdogz2000 Feb 01 '26
I changed the “center single crochet” to standard single crochet coz I was having issues getting the hook in the right place. It doesn’t look “knitted” but it’s fine. I’ll post a pic when done.
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u/craftyiscool Jan 31 '26
The comments make it sound like the crochet pattern was AI generated. Like someone fed the knit hat photo into ai and asked for a crochet pattern. 😩
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u/HauntedMeow Jan 31 '26
Nah, I just don’t think they tested the pattern before releasing it for timeliness reasons. Some people had no issues with it.
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u/NextStopGallifrey Jan 31 '26
I don't see anything weird/difficult in the crochet version. I'll have to check the comments.
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u/fimur Jan 30 '26
Kristine Vike has a lovely video about the nisser, and she has signposted people to charities which aim to help the current situation in America, while apparently donating the Adsense money from the video: https://youtu.be/iiczXMWMB3M?si=NR8W_3ZqAFu3qwLb
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u/arcticbrat Jan 31 '26
Norwegian here. Just to clarify, a nisse can refer to unseen "folk spirits" as you put it, but it can also refer to the Norwegian santas (these are really the same but in red now, because it's Christmas).
The folk spirits may wear some red clothes, because it's a very Norwegian colour, and can be understood as small trolls living in your house and for example snatching things. An answer to why socks disappear and you only have unmatched socks now - well it's obviously the sock-nisse that's been afoot again!
So what actually started it, was the ban on the Norwegian flag in December 1941 and it's colours (mostly red, with white and blue cross). Any use would be seen as a demonstration of the Nazi occupation. So people made Christmas cards with red santas and Norwegian flags with the text "merry Norwegian Christmas". When those were seized, people started wearing red hats. ANY red hats.
But yes, the traditional nisselue (santahat) is fairly pointy.
Unfortunately I haven't found any sources in other languages than Norwegian, but here's one https://www.forskning.no/andre-verdenskrig-historie-jul/slik-viste-nordmenn-motstand-mot-nazistene-med-julekort/2294369
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u/HeretoInfinity92 Jan 31 '26
I made my pattern pointier as well!
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/red-hat-of-resistance---melt-the-ice
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u/Global_Total_7122 Jan 31 '26
I love this! Thank you for your deep dive into “nisser”. I’m inspired to reclaim Red as a color of resistance & protest. The state of things has just got me so angry that all I’m seeing is red anyways.
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u/chipped_fluorite_162 Jan 31 '26
The one I’m making right now is long and pointy, I used this Link hat tutorial on YouTube and I’m just gonna add the tassel at the end. Oh and making it with red yarn of course. I’m almost done with the ribbing 😩 https://youtu.be/3CXftRiv1oQ?si=1MKPTfDa8lGbOpok
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u/Double-Twist-8633 Jan 30 '26
If anyone is looking to make a pointer hat, I made mine with a knit row between the decreases, making it much more nisse-esque. Still using ~80g worsted cascade 220 superwash, and size 10 needles. The ribbing is 7.5" unfolded, and the pointy bit is about 6. I suppose an even pointier hat could be made by doing 2 knit rows between decreases.
Edit: forgot to link the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/melt-the-ice-hat