Much of the time the crochet books we share on this blog or in the magazine are all about how to make a particular item and are full of patterns and how-to information. There aren’t many that come across our desks that tell a story about crochet in the past and about those who have had an influence in fashion. Mitan & Moni is a self-published (176 page) book written by Jenny Levallius and tells the story of her mother and aunt’s journey, leaving Sweden to come to the USA to start a crochet business.

They moved at a young age to Beverly Hills, California from a small town in Sweden in 1967. They had dreams of creating a crochet business and were fortunate enough to meet the West Coast editor of Vogue magazine, thus propelling their business very quickly. They created custom garments for some of the biggest stars at the time: Goldie Hawn, Diana Ross, Ann-Margaret, Sammy Davis Jr., Patty Duke and more!

Jenny says, “Patty even wore my mom’s own crochet dress when she won her Golden Globe Award in 1970! And in 2021, that dress was named no. 11 out of 62 in Cosmopolitan magazine’s list of ‘the Most Stunning Golden Globe Looks of All Time’! ” Could you imagine creating such a timeless piece that it is still recognized today?

Are you intrigued and want to learn more about this pair and their journey? You can get a copy of the book via Amazon and Apple Books. But stay tuned…It will be coming to more shops in the future.

—Britt Schmiesing, editor