Finally, I am able to show you a sneak peek of my book ‘To rett en vrang. Designstrikk’ available in Norway from the 25th January. Professional make-up and hair styling was a priority for me since I wanted different looks to go with the garments. Here you can see the amazing result made by make-up artist Line Sekkingstad Sigberg, see also post on her dated December 2011. The stylist is yours truly since I have a too strong fashion opinion to allow anybody else to interfere with my knitwear designs. I love statement jewelry, especially chosen for its chic boldness, made by Monies, see www.monies.dk, on loan from one of my favourite shops in Oslo, Zenit in Skovveien at Frogner. And I also adore out-standing sculptural shoes from Camilla Skovgaard, see www.camillaskovgaard.com

Please note, all photographs are copyright and may not be used or reproduced without permission.

First, I would like to show you the inside cover of ballerina Cristiane Sá, photographed at the Architectural Museum in Oslo, wearing the Tweed Jacket knitted in Alv Kamgarn by Hifa, held double, together with the Dewdrop Cowl and Wrist Warmers knitted in Huldra Kamgarn by Hifa using a 3 mm/US 2-3 and a 2.5 mm/US 1-2. Both are pure wools in clear colours and available from www.ull.no

Photograph: Kim Müller

Second, the Snood with Cables worn by Kari-Anne Næssø, photographed at Aker Brygge/Wharf in Oslo, knitted in Ultra Alpaca Fine by Berroco using a 4 mm/US 6. It is a soft wool and alpaca mixture with nylon, see www.berroco.com

Photograph: Kim Müller

Third, ballerina Francesca Golfetto, photographed at the Architectural Museum in Oslo, wearing the Jacket in Cross knitted in Tencel 8/2 by Valley Yarns, held double using a 3 mm/US 2-3. A natural yarn made of cellulose with stunning drape and shine, see also post on Swatches from My Book (December 2011), available from www.yarn.com

Photograph: Kim Müller

Fourth, Francesca, photographed at Aker Brygge, wearing Lacy Rib Shawl with cowl and wrist-warmers knitted in Colina by Thomas Kvist Yarns using a 4 mm/US 6. A slubby cotton and linen mixture which gives the yarn an uneven surface, see www.thomaskvist.se

Photograph: Kim Müller

Fifth, Anna Pfeifer, photographed at Nøklevann in Oslo, wearing Blackberry Sweater and Snood knitted in Egyptian Cotton by BC Garn, held double, using a 3mm/US 2-3. The mercerised cotton has a beautiful twist and pattern definition and is available at www.garn.dk One more sneak peak will follow!

Photograph: Kim Müller

The Cappelen Damm & Tanum Hobby Book Club Magazine for January 2012 has now been sent out to its 66 000 members, with my book ‘To Rett En Vrang. Designstrikk’ as the main book of the month. The cover photo the book club department chose is this one:

‘Knit your favourite garment this winter. This is the book for those that love knitting and need new inspiration.’ In the bubble at the top it says: ‘Fashionable garments with new and exciting textural patterns’. The model on the cover is Anna Pfeifer wearing Magenta Fairisle Cowl and Cardigan with Cluster pattern, both knitted in Jaggerspun’s Zephyr Lace held double using a needle size 3 mm/US 2-3.

The book is brilliantly introduced by Karin Range, Book Club Manager at Cappelen Damm on the first four pages of the book club magazine. The ballerina is Francesca Golfetto from the National Ballet in Oslo. Here is the next page:

Featuring the model Kari-Anne Næssø. All the photographs in the book are by Kim Müller, make-up artist is Line Sekkingstad Sigberg and stylist is yours truly. A couple of sneak peaks will follow shortly…

I have waited so long to be able to present the cover of my book and finally it is ready. Most of my friends who have seen my designs agree that the Aran Bolero, knitted in Mostly Merino Lightweight colour October, was the best suited garment but there were less agreement on which of the photos that was the stunner, thanks to Kim Müller’s fantastic photography. The cover was chosen because it shows the details of the garment and the delicacy with which ballerina Francesca Golfetto holds on to it. Here is the cover chosen:

My favourite photo is the one where she is wearing her tutu and her pointe shoes together with the knitted belt I designed for the bolero to lengthen it. I believe you would have seen the stars in my eyes if you had been there when Francesca went up on her toes and how it knocked all breath out of me. It is photographed at the Ekeberg Restaurant high on the hill overlooking Oslo. Here is the photo I wanted for the cover:

Photograph: Kim Müller

I live in the dream that, one day, one brave foreign publisher will chose my favourite cover. The book title: ‘To Rett En Vrang. Designstrikk’ translates to ‘Two Knit One Purl. Design Knit’ but also has a second meaning as in ‘Two Right One Inside Out. Design Knit’. It is available, in Norwegian, from 25. January and will be available in Finnish, from January 2013.

The back cover chosen, to my relief, was ballerina Cristiane Sá in the Pleated Cropped Cardigan, also knitted in Mostly Merino Lightweight but in Granite, with her wonderful Swanlake tutu on, photographed at the Architectural Museum in Oslo.

Photograph: Kim Müller

I am so happy to announce that I have received a design contract from Thomas Kvist Yarns. The patterns I make will be sold as pdfs available in both Norwegian and English, in selected yarn shops and online shops, for a complete list see www.thomaskvist.se

My first design for Thomas Kvist Yarns is a vest with a short front and a long back. Professional photos will follow, but here is a photo of the swatch, knitted in Delicious Tweed, made of 65% lambswool, 10% angora, 5% cashmere and 20% nylon, 100 g/3.5 oz, 190 meters/207 yds 16 sts to 10 cm/4” on a 5 mm/US 8.

Here is a detail of the cowl I made to match the vest. In my book ‘To rett en vrang. Designstrikk’ published on the 25. January, in Norwegian, you will find 3 patterns using Thomas Kvist Yarns. A scarf that can be tied up to sculptural jewelry, knitted in the very same Delicious Tweed, a rectangular shawl with buttons that can be worn as a shrug, knitted in Colina, a linen and cotton mixture and a vintage Japanese inspired jacket, knitted in Amoretto, an alpaca and cotton mixture with a bit of nylon.

What is masking tape and why am I posting a blog about it? It was originally used in construction sites and vehicle paint shops for curing and to avoid articles from being painted but now a Japanese company has made a huge colourful selection for use in wrapping, interior, to collage and most importantly of all, to me at least, for reading knitting charts! Mt can be re-used numerous times on a plastic cover or glossy paper and does not leave any stain after peeling off. It is made by rice paper and you can write on it, if you want to. You can read the full story of how it was re-invented on www.masking-tape.jp

Here you see it displayed at Norway Designs in Oslo. They have a huge selection of colours, thickness and patterns. You will find it at Loop in London and also on their online shop under Washi Tape.

Up until recently I used post-it notes on my charts when I was knitting, placing them neatly on the row above the one I was working on so that I could work the row but also at the same time double check that the previous one was correct. The post-it note would quickly start to slide and fall off and I would loose track of my row, an annoying and expensive method. Using mt has changed chart reading completely: it does not only stay in place it lasts an awful long time before it needs to be replaced. I recommend you do not take my word for it, try it!

Kari-Anne Næssø came like a whirlwind into my life, when I was desperate for a model for the photo shoot on a Friday in September. I had several ballerinas that could work on the weekend but none that could work on a Friday, during the daytime.  My editor, Inger Margrethe Karlsen at Cappelen Damm came to my assistance and suggested Kari-Anne who is an artist with a dancers’ degree, and in her forties, to my delight! Kari-Anne’s blond Norwegian looks completed my preferred wide age and hair range. When we took our lunch break at the fashionable Bølgen & Moi at Tjuvholmen, Kari-Anne was the only one dressed for the part in full make-up, hair beautifully pinned into a bun and wearing styled clothes. See www.kanart.no

I wanted to share this popular Christmas event with you all, a successful attempt to build the world longest gingerbread train at Oslo Central Train station. It was 4 tracks wide with a total of 617 carriages and measured 206 meters, a new world record according to Guinness World Records. The decoration of ready made coaches has been mainly done by kindergarden children but also by other people, with a large number of commuters whom have lost several trains in their attempt to decorate the perfect carriage. Half of the train will be given to the charity Alternative Christmas, who organises Christmas dinners for the homeless in the Oslo area, while the remainder will be divided among the city’s hospitals.

It is a common event in Norway, especially if you have children, to make a gingerbread house. Each year the house needs to be even better, and as you can imagine the architecture students usually organise their own competition. The decorating sweets usually ‘disappear’ during Christmas and some inventive people, like my friend Mette, organises a demolition party after Christmas where the children get a plastic hammer each! Sounds fun to me!

If you do not have time to make the dough yourself, there is help at hand, you can buy it ready made and among the most popular ones is the one bought at Åpent Bakeri. Unique because their philosophy is to bake by hand, using less machines compared to the rest of the bakeries. See how their bakers work at night at www.apentbakeri.no Their ‘pepperkaker’ tastes delicious, and here is their recipe by popular demand:

• 250 g butter
• 150 g syrup
• 400 g sugar
• 130 g whipping cream
• 6 g cloves
• 7 g cinnamon
• 850 g plain flour
• 12 g bicarbonate soda
• 1/4 dl water
• 1 egg.

Method: Mix butter, syrup and sugar in a pot. Heat until sugar is completely melted. Let it cool slightly. Add cream and the egg. Mix bicarbonate soda in the water and add in.

Sift in spices and most of the flour. Stir until it forms a stiff dough. Leave in the fridge over night. Then need with rest of flour and roll out about 3mm thick. Use cookie cutters (or more traditionally, just a knife to make shapes). Place on baking sheet on oven tray and bake at 175 C until golden brown (about 10 mins). Cool cookies before decorating.

Tip: Dip cookie cutters in flour first so the cookie mixture doesn’t stick. If you want to hang your pepperkake on the Christmas tree make a good hole in the dough of each cookie before cooking – a pen cylinder does just the trick. Enjoy!

I wish you all a Merry Christmas! God Jul!

Here is a small selection of swatches I made in preparation for designing garments for my book. I love knitting cables and my favorite yarn for making any aran garment is Mostly Merino Lightweight Yarn, made of 77% merino/fine wool and 23% mohair (56 g/ 2 oz, 228 m/250 yds) because it creates sculptural cables with a lot of give to them. See www.mostlymerino.com

This swatch is knitted with a rich red called October, chosen among 29 hand-dyed colours available, on 3mm/US 2-3. These cables are used together with a woven cable and a large basket pattern in an Aran Bolero with a belt, the garment chosen to be on the cover. Soon to be released, I hope.

photograph: Guri Pfeifer

Tencel is another favourite yarn I have discovered, fairly recently, made of cellulose and is a newer version of rayon. It has a fabulous drape and shine in addition to feeling like wearing silk, but unlike silk it can be pulled into shape and hides all unevenness. This is WEBS’s own Valley Yarn Tencel 8/2, (453 g/1 lb cone, approx. 3072m/3360 yds) knitted double on a 3mm/US 2-3. See www.yarn.com

The swatch below shows it in Taupe and the pattern chosen is called Alternated Twists, which creates an intricate cross effect and look a lot more complicated than it is to knit. I have designed a cross over jacket in this pattern.

photograph: Guri Pfeifer

Huldra Kamgarn from Hifa, made of Norwegian wool, comes in a huge selection of beautiful clear colours (82 in total) which has a beautiful stitch definition. It is made of 100 % wool, knits on a 3mm/US 2-3, and comes on 200 g/0.4 lb cones (850 m/929 yds) See www.ull.no

I chose this dropped stitch pattern, created by Lynne Barr – see her stunning book Reversible Knitting – for a Japanese inspired Vest that has only 1 armhole, large enough to fit both arms, which can be used loose and long or pinned up with a shawl pin.

photograph: Guri Pfeifer

Another swatch knitted in Mostly Merino Lightweight yarn, in a rich Granite colour, in a pleat pattern that creates an added dimension in knitwear. The swatch looks like it has been felted, but it has only been lightly steamed and stretched. I have designed a cropped cardigan using this stitch pattern and a scarf collar knitted in a cabled rib cord pattern. I hope to show you pictures taken by book photographer Kim Müller soon…

Photograph: Guri Pfeifer

Photograph: Mathias Fossum

Professional make-up and hair styling was a priority for my book, since I wanted hairdressing and make-up for different occasions well fitted to the knitted garments. After exhausting all my contacts and asking all the make-up artists I had contacted for their further recommendations without success. I remembered how stunning my sister-in-law looked on her wedding day and asked about her make-up artist. Line Sekkingstad Sigberg works for NRK (Norwegian State Television) and teaches at the Tone Lise Academy, which educates Beauticians and Make-up Artists, and started her career as a hairdresser. Line agreed to participate in my project, albeit at a reduced rate, since it was an exciting project and the styling was well planned. Above you can see a photo from one of her earlier projects, see www.linesekkingstad.com

I had prepared an outline of what I wanted her to do. Each look had a series of photographs to go with it:

1. Natural look: where Anna is wearing oversized sweaters and shawls by Nøklevann, in Marka (a lake in the forest that surrounds Oslo).
2. Vintage look: where Anna and Francesca are wearing either a fitted party sweater, by Nøklevann, or jackets with puffed sleeves at the Ekeberg Restaurant, high on the hill overlooking Oslo.
3. Party look: where Francesca has her amazing waist long hair in a beautiful bun wearing knitted jackets and a tutu at the Ekeberg Restaurant. Plus where Kari-Anne has her Norwegian blond hair in a bun wearing a knitted skirt at Aker Brygge, with a background view of the Oslo Fjord.
4. Ballerina look: where Cristiane has her beautiful hair in a tight bun, wearing an old Swan Lake tutu and pointe shoes, at the Architectural Museum.
5. Smoky eyes: where both Francesca and Cristiane are wearing grey or black garments against the concrete wall surroundings at the Architectural Museum.

Line did a magnificent job, using her vast artistic hair and make-up skills, and I look forward to showing you the result shortly.