Monthly Archives: June 2020

Sirona Knitted by Melissa Wehrle

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I am so thrilled to show you the gorgeous Sirona pullover that Melissa Wehrle has knitted in Foxhill Farm Cormo DK. Melissa is not one of my test knitters but a knitwear designer better known as neoknits on Ravelry and Instagram. I instantly recognised her name from the Brooklyn Tweed Wool People Collections. She graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in 2002 with a BFA in Fashion Design. Currently, Melissa is a Sweater Tech for a manufacturer in New York City.

Melissa worked size L and explains why on her Sirona project page: “The yarn chosen is a little bit lighter than what the pattern calls for. I’ve worked around it by casting on for the size L, once all said and done, it will probably measure to about the size M”. Foxhill Farm Cormo DK is made of 100% wool and each 100 gram skein has 282 meters/308 yards. Melissa used 3.5 mm/US 4 and 4 mm/US 6 needles as the pattern suggests. The gauge, in the pattern, is 20 stitches and 28 rows in stockinette stitch using 4 mm/US 6 measures 10 cm/4” square. The pattern is available in sizes XS to 2XL, with a bust circumference of 86 to 126 cm/33.75 to 49.5, in English on Ravelry and on LoveCrafts.

Here is another beautiful photo, this time of the sweater in progress. Melissa writes on her project page: “Really loving the cables. The center main cable is tough to memorize, but the more twists the better!” Thank you ever so much for making such a stunning version of my design Sirona, Melissa!

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New Design: Milana

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I am thrilled to show you my new design Milana, knitted in the divine Norwegian Norne Yarn, Merino-Silk-Yak in Volva. I was introduced to the yarn dyer Tuva Hoen at Oslo Knitting Festival back in October last year by designer Marianne Skatten. Tuva also took part in both Bergen Knitting Festival and Barcelona Knits, so I had reminders to pick a yarn and colour to make a design. I decided to go for Volva and requested six skeins.
The cable I chose for Milana is a favourite from the Charted Knitting Designs (third book) in the Barbara Walker’s Treasury of Knitting series. I wanted the cables to move towards the shoulder and decided to add a high waisted rib with the straight silhouette, since the rib holds in the waist, that was popular on Epona. I told Tuva about my idea and colour choice! She dyed the yarn and sent it to me, without any costs. 
I really wanted to test out this yarn and knit this pullover myself, but as usual, my hands were not free to do so as I was working on my Leylak. But I knew I could trust Grete, aka ma9 on Ravelry, with the task. Grete did a brilliant job, as usual! Thank you, Grete! So I only knitted the swatch with the Body cable (wider than the Sleeve cable), crocheted the pullover together and worked the neckband in the end. 
In these photos you can see me wearing size S, with a 92 cm/36.25″ bust circumference with 4 cm/1.5″ positive ease. I have not finished the pattern yet, it is the last one of the new ones I am working on, but it will be graded from XS to 5XL. And yes, Michael did make me wait for the duck to come into the photo.
There was so little yarn left over, since I wanted a cowl instead of a high neck, that I had to use scrap yarn for crocheting the pullover together so I had enough yarn left over for the neckband. In the end, the neckband had to be shorter than I would have wanted, but I ran out of yarn. I also had to search for a video for a tubular cast on method that did nor require several rounds of double knitting first, since I did not have enough yarn for it. Very Pink Knits has this Tubular Bind Off, that I used. 
The Norne Yarn, DK – Merino/Silk/Yak is made of 60% Superwash Merino, 20% silk, 20% Yak and comes in 100 gram skeins with 212 meters/232 yards. It is lovely and soft with a beautiful sheen as well as a slight halo. Milana is knitted using 4 mm/US 6 needle with a gauge of 20 stitches and 30 rows in stockinette stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square.
My plan is to schedule the test knit for mid August with a release of the pattern on 12th of October.  
If you are interested in learning more about my life as a designer, read more about Milana, see my new Hillesvåg designs and want to support me, choose your level based on the rewards – such as monthly newsletter, sneak peeks of new designs, Hillesvåg yarn discount, pattern discount, free monthly pattern and monthly video – here: www.patreon.com/lindamarveng.
 
 
 
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Grian Pattern Released

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The test knit of Grian is over and the English pattern, in sizes XS to 5XL, has been released in my Ravelry store. My brilliant test knitters corrected and improved the pattern in addition to making some wonderful versions of the pullover! Above you see it worn by the gorgeous Olivia Lindtein, with make-up & hair styling by Erica Poppe and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, photographed by Eivind Røhne in Mortensrud Church back in November last year.

Named after the Faery Goddess from County Tipperary, is this pullover with heavy cabled texture. Grian means sunny, from her days as a regional sun deity, perfectly suited for this pullover. Honeycomb and stag horn cables adorn the body, while only honeycomb rule on the sleeves. Grian is slightly fitted with a crew neck and has a high cowl as a collar. The Fibre Co. Cumbria makes the cables pop and allow the texture to shine in all its glory.

Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL)
Shown in size Small.
Skill level: Experienced.

Finished measurements:
Bust/hip: 84 (92, 100, 108, 116, 124, 136, 148, 158) cm/33 (36.25, 39.25, 42.5, 45.75, 48.75, 53.5, 58.25, 62.25)“
Waist: 78 (86, 94, 102, 110, 118, 130, 142, 152) cm/30.75 (33.75, 37, 40.25, 43.25, 46.5, 51.25, 56, 59.75)”
Length: 61 (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69) cm/24 (24.5, 24.75, 25.25, 25.5, 26, 26.5, 26.75, 27.25)“
Sleeve length: 48 (49, 49, 49, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50) cm/19 (19.25, 19.25, 19.25, 19.75, 19.75, 19.75, 19.75, 19.75, 19.75, 19.75)”
Cowl: 62 cm/24.5 wide and 20 cm/8” high
Intended ease: + 5-7 cm/2-2.75”. Sample shown is 92 cm/36.25” and worn with + 9 cm/3.5” ease on model.

Yarn: The Fibre Co. Cumbria (60% merino wool, 30% masham wool, 10% mohair, 100 g, 218 m/238 yds). Sample is knitted in Threlkeld:
Pullover: 5 (6, 6, 7, 8, 8, 8, 9, 9) skeins; 1079 (1177, 1275, 1375, 1474, 1574, 1694, 1814, 1934) m/1180 (1287, 1394, 1504, 1612, 1721, 1852, 1984, 2115) yds.
Cowl: 1 skein; 207 m/226 yds.
https://www.thefibreco.com/product/cumbria/

Needles: 4 mm/US 6 straight needles and circular needle (40 cm/16”) for neckband.

Notions: Stitch markers, stitch holders and yarn needle.

Gauge: 20 sts and 28 sts using 4 mm/US 6 needle in st st measures 10 cm/4” square after blocking.
30-sts Staghorn cable measures 10 cm/4” wide after blocking.
24-sts Honeycomb measures 9 cm/3.5” wide after blocking.

Notes: The pullover is worked back and forth in separate pieces and seamed. The cowl is also worked back and forth ending in a an I-cord bind off on both sides.

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Behind the Scenes: Photoshoot at Bøler Church May 2020

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Last Friday, I had a photoshoot at Bøler Church in Oslo with my brilliant team: Photographer Eivind Røhne, Model Olivia Lindtein, Hair & Make-up Artist Sissel Fylling, Jewellery Designer Kaja Gjedebo and Michael. It was a beautiful day that started out quite cool. Bøler Church in Oslo wished us welcome even during the Corona virus, as long as we used only the rooms we were allocated and made sure to clean all surfaces afterwards. We were met by the manager and the priest Dag Auli, who remembered us from last time we photographed in the church back in October 2017. He wanted to know how many garments we were photographing and where we had photographed since last time. The plan was to photograph seven new designs; four for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk plus Leylak; Skyla and Milana, and four old designs; Ravna – see above – Sculpted Frost, Aran Cuffs and Folded Cardigan. In the photo above you see Eivind securing the sun screen with sand bags and Sissel holding it while texting on her mobile.

Above is a photo I took in the morning when Michael and I were walking around the church looking for backdrops. You can spot me in the window taking the photo. We used this corner for two of the new designs: Skyla and Milana.

 Here we are testing out my Monies statement jewellery, while waiting for Kaja, and Sissel is adjusting Olivia’s pony tail. The bracelet looked way too heavy on her slim wrist, in fact so heavy that it looked like the weight would topple her, Sissel joked. Olivia is wearing Skyla, knitted in Dye Dye Done, Pure Sport while I am wearing my Regal Purple Jacket. I loved seeing my new designs worn by Olivia, as she gave them new life.

I also wanted to share this photo Michael took inside the church hall showing the divine light. The church hall is just inside the window in the two photos above. Bøler Kirke is a community church by HBA Arkitekter completed in 2011. See more photos here: www.bygg.no.

Michael took this photo of us while we were preparing to photograph the Folded Cardigan. Kaja is carrying a tray with the jewellery we had selected for the design. It was convenient that Kaja, who lives at Bøler, could join us on the photoshoot, as it meant I did not have to travel in to Oslo merely to visit her and borrow the jewellery, this time. After photographing this, we had lunch. I was relieved to find that Eckers was open and that they could deliver lunch with juices and smoothies to us. As planned it was delivered at 11 o’clock in good time for our lunch. After lunch we only had three more Hillesvåg designs to photograph. Below you see us planning the first of those; Caravay in Tinde pelt wool.

Michael has made a behind the scenes video including drone footage, which is available for all my patrons, only on Patreon. So if you are interested in learning more about my life as a designer and want to support me, choose your level based on the rewards – such as monthly newsletter, sneak peeks of new designs, Hillesvåg yarn discount, pattern discount, free monthly pattern and monthly video – here: www.patreon.com/lindamarveng.

We had a wonderful day and enjoyed being able to chat face-to-face again. It was yet another magnificent photoshoot! Thanks to my brilliant team! I look forward to showing you the new designs – I still need to finish off those patterns – as well as selecting from Eivind’s photos!

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