Grolse wanten (Groll mittens) have an eight-pointed star in blue and white. Some say that the stars represent the bastions and ravelins of the old fortress called Groll. The original pattern of the Groll mitten has never been documented; it was passed on from mother to daughter. This caused small differences, as the knitters added their own elements or made adjustments. The mittens are knitted by hand, from pure wool. The knitting technique is special: in order not to tangle the yarns and take them along evenly, the knitting is done on two hands. The blue thread is held on the one forefinger, the white one on the other. The yarn on the right forefinger is wrapped in the usual way, but the left hand is, as it were, hooked through the stitches. The mittens are knitted in a circle, with four or five needles number 10. They are also known as Grolse hansken, scheepershansken or voeshansken (fist gloves).
