Summer Leaves Sweater Published in Familien

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Linda Marveng

The Norwegian pattern for the Summer Leaves Sweater has finally been published in Familien in their latest issue. The photo is from the first, of three, photo shoots and taken by Esten A. Borgos (see them all on the link above). A deep rich wine red shade was a perfect choice for a leaf vines stitch pattern in lace, which makes up the sleeves of this summer sweater. The A-shape is created by the frame to the lace pattern and worked in twisted rib, while the rest of the body is made up of stocking stitch. The bottom hem is knitted double and folded while the v-shaped neckline is single and rolls up to the purl row. The sweater is knitted in a pure mercerized Egyptian cotton called Luxor, available in more than 60 stunning shades from Hifa, see here: ull. The yarn was kindly sponsored by Hifa for this design.

The test knit was held in my Ravelry group from May to September 2013, you can see all the results on the pattern page, as well as Siv Jorunn’s beautiful photo here on my blog: Summer Leaves Sweater by Siv Jorunn Hjellbrekke. The sweater is available in sizes S to 2XL, with bust measurements from 90 cm/35.5″ to 124 cm/48.75″ while the hip measurements are from 110 cm/43.25″ to 144 cm/56.75″ and length from 74 cm/29.25″ to 79 cm/31″. Above is the cover of Familien which in this issue has 40 pages of knits. My sweater is not on the cover this time, only on the contents page, and across two pattern pages, see below.

Both the body and the sleeves are knitted using a 3 mm/US 2.5 and worked in the round to the armholes, then flat. The lace pattern is demanding but the shape guides you through it after a few repeats. Hence I found it satisfying to knit both sleeves at once using magic loop, see my post magic-loop-two-sleeves-at-a-time. I also preferred a simpler body stitch pattern to highlight the intricate sleeves. That also means that the body is quick to knit, and a nice rest after working the sleeves. The neckline needed a bit of pondering and I ended up with a different solution than I initally had planned. As most designs it had a life of its own and did not want a double neckline but a softer simpler one. You can read more about my design in this blog post (and see me wearing it): New Design: Summer Leaves Sweater. The English pattern is available in my Ravelry Store and on LoveKnitting.

New Design: Hertha

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Linda Marveng

Jaggeryarn Zephyr Lace 2/18 is a divine mixture of 50% merino and 50% tussah silk, I love. This time, I chose the shade Mulberry, held it double and designed a shawl with collar, a continuation of the design Bech, this time a wider shawl but with similar long loose sleeves. Hertha in old Norse means a powerful woman, ideal for this modern shawl with a shawl collar, that can be worn as a scarf around the neck, a shawl around the shoulders, or as a top; if worn upside down and pinned together with a shawl pin. A traditional lace pattern with shadow triangles in half stocking stitch and half garter stitch. Here you see me wearing Hertha, photographed by my husband. The Norwegian pattern will be published in the separat issue “Småstrikk” by Familien this autumn, while the English pattern will be published on Ravelry.

The loose sleeves have elastic inserted into the top hem to keep them in place. They are knitted in the round unlike the shawl. The collar on the shawl is shaped by short rows, and ends in an i-cord bind off. The hem and tucks are all knitted with 2 circular needles held parallel. When you wear the shawl around your shoulders together with the loose sleeves it looks like a bolero since you can not see the top of the loose sleeves.

Here you see the shawl worn around the body as a top, held together with a shawl pin. It is not my favorite way of wearing it, but it is an option. If you prefer to wear it this way, I would make it so it fits both in length and width by adjusting the number of pattern repeats. You can however easily see how the loose sleeve ends, with elastic inserted into the top hem.

From the back you see the slight curve of the collar when it is worn upside down along the bottom instead of the top. The lace pattern creates an easy pattern to memorize. I decided to use a 3 mm/US 2.5 circular needle on the lace pattern on the shawl and a 3.5 mm/US 4 on the lace pattern on the sleeves merely because I tend to knit tighter when working in the round.

Or how about this option with the collar down, showing a slight curve at the back. The set is ideal for party outfit in my mind, so I asked dress designer Judith Bech if I please could borrow her marvelous fringe skirt for the photo shoot. She said yes, so I can promise you a stunning set of photos taken by professional photographer Eivind Røhne of model Anne Dorthe/Team Models to come.

New Design: Nuala

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Linda Marveng

I love this intricate woven lacy stitch pattern by Lynne Barr. I found it so well suited to the cable structured Rowan Softknit Cotton and selected a color which captures summer in an instant; a turquoise called Marina. The stitch pattern is reversible so well suited for a rectangular shawl that can be buttoned into a shrug. If you wear it with a cowl as a collar you have the perfect accompaniment to your favorite summer dress. The Norwegian pattern will be printed in the special issue Familien Småstrikk this autumn, while the English pattern will be published on Ravelry. The photos show me wearing it, they are taken by my husband a few days before the professional photo shoot at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter.

Both the shawl and the cowl are knitted flat with double seed stitch bands. You can easily adjust the width of the shawl and the circumference of the cowl by removing or adding pattern repeats. The shawl has 8 buttonholes, 4 at each end, and I found some beautiful dyed mother of pearl buttons at Perlehuset in Oslo. I have had knitting and pattern design (making neater buttonholes) help from both Airin Hansen, aka Teodor on Ravelry, and Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry. Thank you both for all your assistance!

The dropped stitch pattern has its own rhythm and it is not as difficult to work as it might appear. Since the stitch pattern has a number of centering stitches, I had to make separate buttonholes and could not use the dropped stitches since they were too far into the shawl itself. Above you see me wearing it with black but the set does look great with white too! I look forward to showing you the fantastic photos Eivind took of model Dorthe wearing this set.

New Design: Quamara

Posted on June 6, 2015 by Linda Marveng

I discovered Zenta by the Danish yarn company and agents Permin last December, and was instantly drawn to the vivid lime color as well as their full shade card in a luscious wool and silk mixture: 50% wool, 30% silk, 20% nylon, 50 g, 180 m/196 yds. I decided to design a straight cardigan with a combined lace and cable stitch pattern to adorn the back, sleeves and the generous loop closure named after a beautiful elf, for the special issue called Strikk by Familien to be published at the end of August. The loop collar can be worn loose, folded once behind the neck or twice in front or three times around the neck in a ballerina style. I thought the idea was brilliant until I realized how long I actually need to knit the loop to make it work as I wanted: 300 cm/118″ consisting of two parts joined together at the neck and at the front. Permin could sense my stress, when I phoned them desperate for 2 more skeins to be able to complete the loop to my preferred length. Above you see me wearing it with the loop twice around my neck.

Place the loop around your neck to put the cardigan on, and leave it like that, see above. The photos are taken by my husband, but only give an indication of the cold and the strong wind we experienced at the end of May. Hence I do not look my best. The cardigan has garter stitch edges at the bottom, at the end of the front, as well as a fake garter stitch side seam to add a bit of structure to the cardigan.

The sleeves, knitted in the round, have one pattern repeat with what looks like 3 panels of lace, just as the loop which is knitted flat in two parts and then joined. The back has two pattern repeats with what looks like 5 panels of lace. The garter stitches in the side are divided by one stitch in reverse stocking stitch which give the appearance of a side seam.

The body is knitted in one piece to the armholes, then divided into 3 parts. The loop collar is knitted separately in two pieces, bound off on 3 needles and sewed on from the back neck, while the cast on edges are joined by mattress stitches. Maybe some knitters will opt to make a loop closure at the bottom instead of sewing it together? Or make a shorter scarf collar? The sleeves are knitted in the round and set-in.

Above you see it worn in ballerina style, three times around the neck and with a safety pin at the bottom of the fronts to make it stay flat. With the loop worn like this the cardigan gathers around the bust and the back, making it appear more like a fitted cropped bolero. Hence you have two cardigan in one: a straight casual one and a close fitting one.

The best way to illustrate the length of the loop is having it hang loose as above. I am sure there are more ways to wear the loop if you want a more avant-garde style. I plan to have the English pattern test knitted in my Ravelry group this autumn before it will be released. But long before that I will share the marvelous professional photos Eivind Røhne took of modell Anne Dorthe/Team models.

Behind the Scenes: Familien Strikk Photoshoot

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Linda Marveng

Would it stop raining for our scheduled photoshoot for Familien Strikk on Friday 29th May? It did, it was sunny but still cold. To plan the event I had booked photographer Eivind Røhne, hair & make up artist: Sissel Fylling and model: Anne Dorthe from Team Models. Then I convinced former Made by Me editor Mary-Ann Astrup to join us to for her essential advice. That my husband would be part of the team was obvious from the start. Next on the agenda was picking a location venue, and it is not easy, but I opted for Henie Onstad Kunstsenter because of the building itself and its location with a nature trail and marina. For styling, I borrowed from dress designer Judith Bech her magnificent fringe skirt, jewelry designer Kaja Gjedebo a selection of gorgeous jewelry and then obviously also Monica Stålvang some stunning boots. Above you can see Eivind and Dorthe in action with my husband assisting. Dorthe is wearing Quamara, a jacket with a loop closure knitted in Zenta by Permin in a mixture of wool and silk.

It was no surprise to hear that Sissel wanted to cut Dorthe’s hair, and that she was allowed. Just as last time, we could easily have formed a line wanting just that. The meeting room, Onstad, was our base for the day and the storage for all our suitcases packed with equipment and clothing. While Sissel was working away on Dorthe’s make up and hair, we discussed photo locations and order of garments. The strong sun was an issue we had to resolve at times, as well as the strong wind. As a result a couple of our prime locations such as the pier and next to the sculpture in the water with the Marina in the background had to be given up. Above, you can see how Mary-Ann is providing necessary shadow for Dorthe whose legs are covered in blankets, while she is wearing Nuala, a shawl buttoned up with a cowl knitted in Rowan Softknit Cotton.

Sissel is busy putting on nail varnish on Dorthe’s nails, just as we are ready for the first project to be photographed: Hertha shawl with loose sleeves knitted in Jaggerspun Zephyr Lace held double, worn together with Judith Bech’s fringe skirt. The stair case on the side of the building was first out as first back drop. If you look closely on the photo above, over the roof of the black tent you will see part of the sculpture of a banana. Now, using that as a backdrop would have made a very different photoshoot, we agreed!

Here we are looking at locations; 3 geniuses at work as Eivind put it, photographed by my husband. The marina is just in the background but also in the sun, unfortunately. But we did find another suitable location instead. We photographed 9 new designs for Familien, and a secret project. Sissel made sure we had a plan allowing only 30 minutes for each garment so that we would have time for a delicious lunch at Bølgen & Moi as well as finish before we needed to vacate the meeting room at 16.30. We made it, thanks to brilliant co-operation. A marvelous team work, thank you all!

Oslo 8.2

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Linda Marveng

What is 8.2? The length of the Akerselva, the river running through the city of Oslo and the most appropriate name for the project to co-ordinate art, culture, research and experience along the river. Halfway down (or up) is Lilleborg, the former soap factory, with the exterior intact and so far, housing the bakery Kolonihagen and with the main part of the building still vacant. On Thursday the large room was filled to the brim with the launch of the project “8.2”, initiated by property developers; Brødrene Placht with guest speakers from Teknisk Museum/The Norwegian Museum of Technology, Vulkan and Byantikvaren/Oslo Cultural Heritage Management, as well as entertainment from nearby Det Andre Teatret among others. It was unfortunately raining a lot of the time, but the barbecued food and interesting talks plus entertainment made it into an enjoyable afternoon. Why was I invited you may ask? I must admit that my husband is the consultant to the owners of Lilleborg, and responsible for the architecture and graphics, see marveng-puckett.com/på-vei.

Ravelry Group 2nd Year Anniversary

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Linda Marveng

My Ravelry group is now 2 years old! There are now more than 900 members and my fear that only a few would join was needless. I am so pleased to have attracted so many knitters! It has been another thrilling year with many test knits of my English patterns, showing off of finished garments, discussions of different knitting techniques, chatting and bi-monthly free pattern pdf draws just to mention a few of the topics in this lovely group. I am delighted to have met so many new knitters. So it is time to celebrate that two years has passed! How can I best do this? By organizing a draw in my group with exciting prizes like yarn kits, a copy of my printed book with additional English patterns sent by e-mail, and free pdf patterns from my Ravelry store. All you have to do is join my group if you have not already done so, and answer my question (dead easy: are you attracted to a design by its name?) in my Ravelry group. I will use Random org to pick winners based on the number matching the response/posting on Sunday 7th. June. Here is a list of the prizes, and a good reason to join, see ravelry.com/groups/linda-marveng, in my opinion:

1. prize: Hifa Norsk Pelsull (100% pelt wool, 100 g, 260 m/284 yds) 9 skeins in a color of your choice – 20 stunning shades to choose from, see link together with the pdf pattern of my Cable Round in English. The yarn has been generously sponsored by Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.

2. prize: Hifa Ask (100% wool, 100 g, 315 m/345 yds) 6 skeins in a color of your choice – 86 solid shades and 16 melange shades to choose from, see link for solids and see link for melange shades, together with the pdf pattern of my Lattice Back in English. The yarn has been generously sponsored by Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.

3. prize: Borg Tussah Silk 20/2 (100% tussah silk, 100 g, 950 m/1039 yds) now unfortunately discontinued, 2 spools in taupe 2568 from my stash together with the pdf pattern of my Variations by Linda Marveng in English.

4. prize: A copy of my printed book in Norwegian with plain text English patterns sent by e-mail.

5. prize: A pdf pattern of your choice from my Ravelry Store, See link.

6. prize: A pdf pattern of your choice from my Ravelry Store.

7. prize: A pdf pattern of your choice from my Ravelry Store.

Jacket in Cross Pattern Released

Posted on May 23, 2015 by Linda Marveng

One of my favorite jackets, Jacket in Cross, from my knitting bok was selected to be part of my Nordic Vintage series, by Mary-Ann Astrup former editor to Made by Me, to my delighted. You can see the designer portrait, she wrote about me on Egmont’s blog: Tusenideer.no At our photoshoot it was worn by the gorgeous Alexandria Eissinger at Pholk with beautiful hair & make-up by Sissel Fylling, brilliantly photographed by Eivind Røhne. The Norwegian pattern was printed in Familien Trend in February, while the English pattern with a new chart and schematic is available to download from my Ravelry store. Here is my introduction to the pattern: Missoni’s thin and featherlight garments inspired me to design this jacket that can be tied in the back or front. I chose a neutral but fashionable color, namely Taupe in a thin Tencel yarn, a newer form of viscose, knit double with a divine gloss. The pattern creates an intricate cross effect and looks a lot more complicated than it is to knit. Extra long sleeves adorn the hands.

Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL)

Finished measurements: Bust: 82 (90, 98, 106, 114) cm/32.25 (35.5, 38.5, 41.75, 45)” Length: 38 (38, 39, 39, 40) cm/14.5 (15, 15.25, 15.25, 15.75)” Sleeve length: 56 cm/22″

Yarn: Valley Yarns, Tencel 8/2 (100% Lyocell, 453/1lb cone, 3072 m/3360 yds). Sample is knitted in Taupe: 1 (1, 2, 2, 2) cones; 2550 (2916, 3290, 3610, 3994 m/2789 (3189, 3598, 3948, 4368) yds. http://www.yarn.com Note: Yarn is held double throughout.

Yarn alternatives: Jagger Yarn, Zephyr Wool Silk 2/18 held double (50% merino, 50% tussah silk, 454 g/1lb cone, 4609 m/5040 yds) http://www.jaggeryarn.com/wholesale-yarn-lines/zephyr-wool-silk.php Drops, Lace held double (70% alpaca, 30% silk, 800 m/874 yds, 100 g) http://www.garnstudio.com/lang/us/yarn.php?id=100

Needles: 3 mm/US 2.5 circular needle (80 cm/32″). 3 mm/US 2.5 DPNs. 2 sets of 2.5 mm/US 1.5 circular needles (120 cm/48″) for collar.

Notions: Cable needle, stitch markers, stitch holders and yarn needle.

Gauge: 32 sts and 34 rnds in Alternated Twist pattern using yarn held double and 3 mm/US 2.5 needle measures 10 cm/4″ square. 28 sts and 36 rnds in st st using yarn held double and 2.5 mm/US 1.5 needle measures 10 cm/4″ square.

Notes: The stitch pattern is stretchy and knitted loose to create a sculptural effect. The extra long sleeves are knitted in the round, while the body is knitted flat. Adjust the length of the ties if preferred.

Spring!

Posted on May 20, 2015 by Linda Marveng

It does feel like a proper spring with plenty of rain and plants looking greener by the day. I am still waiting for warmer temperatures, so that I can enjoy our marvelous terrace. May is the month of bank holidays here in Norway, but also the month of anniversaries for me: Birthday, Wedding and Ravelry Group. In fact it has been named “Marvengulous” by one of my Ravelry group moderators. I am busy preparing another photo shoot at the end of the month, knitting as obsessed to finish the new designs – including the one for Interweave Knits Winter 2016 issue – as well as planning the anniversary draw in my Ravelry group with several yarn kits and patterns as prizes. More information will be revealed shortly but in the mean time, do join my Ravelry group unless you have already done so, in order to take part in the anniversary draw. Enjoy the Spring!

Knitting Retreat On The Outskirts Of Vienna

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Linda Marveng

Yes, was the obvious answer I gave to the question, from a good Ravelry friend of mine – who is also one of the founders of Austrian Yarn Club – if I wanted to teach at the Wollness Wochenende, Friday 16. to Sunday 18. October, at Steinschalerhof, on the outskirts of Vienna. It was an offer I could not refuse, in fact, I could barely contain my excitement. I will be teaching two different workshops in English: Professional Finishing and Lace Knitting. Both workshops will be split in two half-day sessions, to make sure everyone is in retreat mode. My husband was more than eager to join me, and is currently planning our program for the extra days in Vienna we have added at the end. The workshops, most of them in German, are still being organized, so I will post a full program when it is ready. More fabulous news followed as I am not the only foreign designer invited, so is Polish Hanna Maciejewska of Hada Knits. I am so excited to meet her, as well as my Austrian Ravelry friends. Booking in not yet open, but if you are interested in attending, do join the Austrian Yarn Club on Ravelry and send an e-mail (to info@yarnclub.at) confirming your interest. I am so looking forward to this knitting retreat, and hope to see you there! To be continued.

Linda Marveng

Knit wear designer and author

Author Archives: Linda Marveng