Category Archives: Knitting

Pickles’ New Shop in Oslo

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I have finally managed to visit the new Pickles’ new yarn shop at Grünerløkka in Oslo. It is bright, airy and tidy unlike their previous shop but that was their in their warehouse, so no wonder really. Pickles is the designers Heidi Grønvold and Anna Enge, who set up in 2009. The shop is not huge, but their website and sales are, due to several reasons I believe: A popular blog with easy and fun patterns, in Norwegian and English, with little finishing and beautifully photographed. They offer one of the pattern sizes for free while you buy and download the pattern for any other size. A huge selection of yarn at reasonable prices; the brand Abuelita from Paraguay in addition to their own brand. The shop was buzy on a Friday afternoon, during my visit, but I did notice that they had iPads for loan and comfy chairs so you could easily check out your pattern at Pickles.no. Very impressive, I thought! Here are more photos from the shop and a blog post on the opening: hurra-hooray.

A popular new pattern, at least according to the Norwegian Facebook group Strikkesida is Garland Sweater-poncho,where size L/XL is available for free, see: garland-sweater-poncho. In addition they also offer kits with pdf pattern and yarn, knitting equipment and buttons. I was attracted to Pickles Merino Tweed, see bottom shelf in the photo above or more here: pickles-merino-tweed. The bottom shelf in the shop had Pickles Extra Fine Merino, just to let you know what is outside the photo. So, well worth a visit when in Oslo!

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Patent Poncho Pattern Released

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Inspired by all the Fisherman’s rib patterns in fashion, I have designed a poncho in an oversized sweater style with longs splits in the side. The poncho is knitted in parts to create a contrast between the unstructured cable and the linear rib, called patent in Norwegian. The large splits on the sides make the poncho less voluminous. The sleeves are knitted long, to keep you warm on cold days. The poncho is knitted in a beautiful camelbrown Ask – Hifa 2, a pure wool with plenty of bounce.

Size: One size

Finished Measurements: Bust: 150 cm/59” Length: 67 cm/261⁄4” Sleeve length: 44 cm/171⁄4”

Yarn: Hifa: Ask – Hifa 2: 6 skeins of Camelbrown sh 6098: 1890 m/2067 yds (100% fine wool, 315 m/ 344yds, 100 g). Ask-Hifa-2 also available from Strickideen.

Yarn alternative: Cascade, 220 Sport (100% Peruvian wool, 150 m/164 yds, 50 g). Cascade-220 Sport or a similar Sport/5 ply yarn.

Needles: 3 mm/US 2.5 circular needles (100 cm/40”) and 3 mm/US 2.5 (60 cm/24”) for collar or size needed to match gauge .

Notions: Cable needle, 1 Stitch marker, 6 Stitch holders, and Yarn needle.

Gauge: 16 sts and 20 rows in Fisherman’s rib, 24 sts and 32 rows in st st equals 10 cm/4” square.

Notes: The poncho is knitted in 4 identical Fisherman’s Rib Side Panels and 2 Center Panels where the front is one pattern repeat shorter than the back. The sleeve is an extended Center Panel with 3 cables instead of 2. The length, including sleeve length, can easily be adjusted by knitting the panels/sleeves longer or shorter.

The pattern contains chart, schematic and video links to techniques used. Here is the link to the English pattern available to buy, then download from Ravelry: ravelry.com/patterns/library/patent-poncho.

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Workshop Schedule

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The summer has finally ended, and the autumn workshop schedule has began for me. I am  currently adding the final touches to a new workshop, I have called “Japanske Mønstre”/Japanese Patterns. How do you interpret those schematic drawings with sets of numbers on the sides? Is it possible to knit from a schematic pattern without understanding Japanese? It is obviously not a disadvantage if you do speak it, but it is not essential. I will go through examples step-by-step, and we will spend time knitting swatches from Japanese stitch manuals which are a huge source of inspiration for designers, myself included. We will discuss their never-ending appeal and useful websites like this one: tata-tatao.

My most popular workshop is the combined “Fargestrikk og Montering”/Fairisle and Finishing held during a weekend, where I cover how to knit colour-work with yarn in both hands, steeking, different ways of sewing up as well as essential tips, and how to love finishing. You will find some of the lessons in video form here with Norwegian sound: professional-finishing-course-online. I am also holding a weekend “Hullstrikk”/Lace workshop this autumn, where you learn how to read lace, identify pairs & spine, add a lifeline, and practice knitting from charts. It has taken awhile to adjust to doing this workshops in Norwegian instead of English, but I have discovered it is only an advantage that I know all the terms in English as well as Norwegian. I am seeing several of you this autumn, I am looking forward to it! Here is the schedule, in Norwegian with links:

Japanske Mønstre, lørdag 14. september, kl 10 til 18, hos Larvik Husflidslag. Kurskatalogen-Larvik-høsten-2013

Fargestrikk og Montering, lørdag og søndag 19. og 20. oktober, kl 10 til 16, hos Stokke Husflidslag. Stokke_husflidslag/lokale_kurs

Fargestrikk og Montering, lørdag og søndag 26. og 27. oktober, kl 10 til 16, hos Larvik Husflidslag. Kurskatalogen-Larvik-høsten-2013

Hullstrikk, lørdag og søndag 9. og 10. november, kl 10 til 16, hos Oslo Fylkeshusflidslag, Vestre Aker Husflidslag. Kurset er flyttet til fra september til november. Oslo_fylkeshusflidslag/lokale_kurs 

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New design: Lace Ridge Top & Cowl

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I have finished my summer top, far behind my own deadline as usual. A casual, stretchy long sleeveless top in an open lace ridge pattern, with a boat neck and a high twisted rib to be worn on your hips. The top is easy to knit in the round and worked in a divine mercerized cotton from Hifa, called Perle/Pearl, see ull, which is held double to emphasize the structure of the lace pattern. The cable cowl, also worked in the round, accentuates the design and gives the top a more dressed look. The pattern will be published in Norwegian in the magazine Familien, next summer while the English pattern will be published on Ravelry.

Both the top and the cowl is knitted using a 4 mm/US 6 needles. The lace pattern is only a 2 row pattern repeat and quick to knit. If you recognize the cable from another of my designs, you are right. Some stitch patterns stick and I feel as if I have not finished using it yet.  This cable I loved even after using it on the Patent Poncho, see professionally-photographed-patent-poncho. There is no neckband nor armhole bands, and the only shaping is after the twisted rib. The only sewing is the grafting of the ends on the cowl together. I also like to wear the cowl twice around my neck. Professional photos will follow.

Here is my first post on the project and a photo of the swatch: heather-lace-ridge.

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Crafts Market

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Last Friday, I went to the Crafts Market in Oslo. There were ads in the national newspaper stating the 3 days, opening times and location. But I had already received first hand information here on my blog, from the two designers; Rita Nylander and Anne Grut Sørum behind the brand Duodu, whose book I reviewed and love! Here is my post, if you missed it: duodu. I could not miss the opportunity to meet the talented duo from Trondheim – they were lovely – and see more of their collection close up. Obviously, it did not disappoint, and received a lot of attention from visitors to the market.

The yearly market, established in 1970, represents designers and artists who work with Glass, Ceramics, Metal and Textiles. For a full list of deltagere/participants and more photos, see here: kunsthandverksmarkedet. The number of participants has increased from 20 to 100, in addition to the permanent studios at the back which you can visit. The central and historic location, behind Oslo Cathedral, in an area called the Bazaar Halls built in the years 1841-58 by famous Norwegian architect Grosch has contributed to the growth. Out of view are the restaurant and cafes inside the Bazaar Halls, do look at these photos: visit Oslo.

The weather was perfect as you can see, and a lot of people came to see, admire, talk to the artists themselves and to buy. I, on the other hand, only had a brief look after meeting Duodu, because I was delighted to have the chance to meet Sandra, one of my Ravelry friends, who flies for a living at the Radisson Blu Airport Hotel at Oslo Gardermoen. Meeting a fellow knitter, especially one with the same design and project preferences, is always a treat! I had a marvelous lunch there, thank you Sandra!

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3 Patterns in Familien Strikkebok

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I am proud to present my 3 patterns in Familien Strikkebok, that came out in Norway on Monday. It is a magazine even though the name implies that it is a Knitting Book, though all the 124 pages makes it the size of a book! My 3 patterns are: Flettevinger Genser/Cablewing Sweater, Flettevinger Løs Halser og Pulsvarmere/Cablewing Wrap, Cowl & Wristwarmers and Patent Poncho in the shape of an oversized sweater. I am thrilled that they appear just after the contents on page 4, with the heading “Klar for høsten”/Ready for Autumn. The Patent Poncho follows on a single page after the two double spreads. The photos are by Esten A. Borgos, and the stunning blanket with matching cushion is designed by Denise Samson, see more at andreboller.

The a-line Cablewing Sweater, which comes in size S to XXL, and accessories are knitted in Embla – Hifa 3 on 4 mm/US 6 needles which comes in magnificent shades, see ull. The Patent Poncho, which is one size but easy to adjust in both length and width, is knitted in the thinner Ask -Hifa 2 on 3 mm/US 2.5, see all the shades here: ull. The accessories and the poncho will soon be available in English in my Ravelry store, see designers/linda-marveng, while the sweater will be test-knitted in my group on Ravelry first; another reason for you to join us, if you have not already done so: groups/linda-marveng.

The magazine is available in most newsagents and in selected food stores throughout Norway. Here is a photo of the cover so that you can spot it, easily!

If you want to see more photos and read more about the projects, see my post: new-design-cablewing-sweater-and-cowls and new-design-patent-poncho.

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Letters on Food Exhibition at The Thief

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On Tuesday The Thief, a unique hotel in Oslo which promotes Norwegian art & design, and DogA/The Norwegian Centre for Design and Architecture presented a new selection of young industrial designers in a pop-up exhibition called “Letters on Food” focusing on serving objects. Where better to present it, than at the restaurant, Fru K/Mrs K, so that the products could be shown in use, and we were able to taste the delicious samples? The initiative behind the exhibition is the List of The Thief which lifts industrial designers up from their narrow niches, and into people’s homes in Norway and Internationally. The main focus was on designers Runa Klock and Marte Frøystad who have created a series of innovative serving objects, produced by Figgjo. They consist of three different shell shaped dishes, each made to improve our taste buds by hitting different places of the tongue. Especially, the crispy bacon in a pea sauce garnished with herbs, was divine with its contrasting tastes and hit the right spot. According to the curator Benedicte Sunde the objects where chosen as examples on how to raise the esthetic experience, and at the same time safeguard the product’s functionality. The two are among the designers to be exhibited as part of 100% Norway at  London Design Festival. The pop-up exhitibion is open to the public until 26th August, and why not try their the breakfast on offer at the same time since it was named the jet-setter and given six out of six points by the largest paper in Norway, see osloby. I have tested it too, see inside-the-thief and totally agree!

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Designerkollektivet

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A group of Norwegian designers set up a Collective in 2009, first with a pop-up store but now in a permanent shop in Glasmagasinet, a department store in Oslo.  The shop has recently been launched and contain some stunning pieces made by the 21 brands taking part in the Collective. It feels more like a gallery than a shop and several of the designers offering business-cards to take with you. I was inspired by one-off designs by Sorl ved Strand, they were machine knitted and several were marked with “concept under development”, an extremely fitting phrase for a designer’s work in progress! You can see photos from the launch, which included a fashion show here: designerkollektivet-opens-new-store-during-oslo-fashion-week. Here are links to all the designers participating in the Designerkollektivet.

I love the look of these shoes made by designer Monica Stålvang and were not surprised to find customers trying these ones on. They have heels you can easily walk on without any discomfort, and look trendy – a rare combination, indeed. See more of her collection here: monica-stalvang. You will obviously find beautiful jewelry as well in the Designerkollektivet. Below are some of the stunning brooches made by Siri Berrefjord. They are based on traditional folk costume jewelry several centuries old, but not made in silver nor gold but in colourful plastic. See more at fredenshavn. A marvelous shop, I will be back for more inspiration!

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Beaded Lace by Tilli Tomas

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This is pure luxury in a skein, pure silk yarn hand painted in a rich jade shade with added petite glass beads. Yes, it is not Swarovski crystals which is what Tilli Tomas did add to another silk yarn years ago, but I guess the demand was limited due to the high price. Glass beads are more than good enough for me, and it is ever so nice not to having to thread them onto the yarn in a large quantity by hand. I did that once for a Rowan Yarns’ design that featured approximately 5 500 beads, and have now plans of repeating it, ever. The glass beads in Beaded Lace, is thread onto a separate thread, twisted together with the yarn strand. The gorgeous yarn is available in 29 shades, see here: tillitomas. What am I making? As you might have already guessed, it is a new design and that is all I can reveal at the moment. But I do relish working with this yarn…

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Heather Lace Ridge

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Another vibrant shade of Perle/Pearl, the fantastic 4-ply/fingering pure cotton yarn by Hifa, I could not resist! It is called Røsslyng/Heather after the plant, but you can see more tempting colours here: ull. What am I designing with it? A generous summer top without sleeves to be worn over a tank, made with a long rib to be worn low on the hips. I found a lace ridge pattern and decided I want to knit it with 2 strands held together to emphasize the structure of the stitch pattern as well as the divine yarn. It does make the knitting look rather more like macramé and I relish how exclusive it looks. Of course I needed more yarn to complete it, since I had not originally planned to use it double, but decided to swatch for a cowl in another complementing stitch pattern meanwhile. Yes, I did find a good match and the cowl is now in progress. To be continued!

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