two-end knitting, twined knitting, two-toned or two-color brioche stitch...

I have been interested of this Scandinavian specialty for a very long time... then I finally looked it up, and to my "disappointment" I found out that I already know how to do it... I just haven't known that it's "two-end knitting".

"Twined knitting is a peculiarly Scandinavian method of two-stranded knitting, now most commonly practiced in rural forested areas of Sweden and Norway. Stitches are alternately knitted with two strands of yarn of the same colour, which are twisted after each stitch. The resulting fabric is durable and warm, only slightly elastic, with an even surface that rivals machine knitting in its appearance of knitting perfection. Twined knitting was traditionally used to make mittens and gloves, caps, stockings and sleeves. Knitted ornamentation was added with purl stitches or by the use of a contrasting colour. Twined knitting, with its firm fabric, was particularly suited to decorative embroidery."

Here's Anne-Maj Ling's homepage. It's in Swedish.

Here Theresa Vinson Thenersen tells how to do it.

On-line demo with pictures.

Knitting in color; twined knitting I and twined knitting II

Two-toned brioche stitch watchcap

Two color brioche stitch scarf

Then there's socks and mittens done with Karelian pattern, with twined knitting cord on the cuff. But that's in Finnish. I might translate it one day... Hopefully someone else does it first ;-)