Erika Aittamaa
Swedish mitten inventor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maria Erika "Riiga" Olofsdotter Aittamaa (22 February 1866 – 15 December 1952)[1] was a Tornedalian artisan, famed as the inventor of the Lovikkavante mitten.[2]
22 February 1866
Erika Aittamaa | |
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| Born | Maria Erika Olofsdotter Kruukka 22 February 1866 Junosuando, Sweden |
| Died | 15 December 1952 (aged 86) Junosuando, Sweden |
Aittamaa was born to a poor family with many children.[1] A part of the Finnic Meänkieli-speaking population of the Norrbotten County in northern Sweden,[3] she lived in Lovikka with her husband and children and started to sell mittens to make money. In 1892 she invented the Lovikkavante, a special kind of mittens.[4] Demand for Erika's mittens became so great that she taught others how to make them.[3][5] During the 1930s a local teacher found that she could patent the design. The process however cost money and although the teacher found people who would fund the cost, Aittamaa refused to take charity.[4]
