At the moment it is podcasts from BBC Radio 4, which is one of the few things I miss from the UK, I listen to when I knit. I had forgotten or possibly erased from memory how few programs on NRK, the Norwegian Television Broadcaster I enjoy watching. My British husband finds Norwegian television rubbish most of the time and we are grateful for Itunes so that we can rent movies, television series from the BBC and easily listen to podcasts. Anyway, listening to a podcast is so much easier when you knit and need to keep checking your pattern and your calculations. My favourite, at the moment – actually for the last year or so – is Saturday Live with Rev Richard Coles and broadcaster Sian Williams.

“Real life but not as you know it. Radio 4’s Saturday morning show is full of the stuff that matters, extraordinary stories, inheritance tracks, guerrilla reports, secret lives, poetry and more.” The friendly, chatty and charming presenters and guests in the studio brightens and enlightens you. It even includes one time Lebanon hostage, now acknowledge travel journalist John McCarthy’s program Excess Baggage that take you to foreign and less traveled places. Listen and enjoy: bbc.

I have been to two knit cafés this week, the first one on Thursday in Halden where I successfully presented my book to the charming local husflidslag and the second one at Gyldendal – the publisher, but not mine – where I  just attended for a change. I did wonder how many would attend and where exactly the knit cafe would be in their award winning building by Sverre Fehn – yes, he did also build the Fehn pavilion at the Architectural Museum chosen as location for my book photography –  close to the National Gallery in Oslo, see more photos here: gyldendalhuset. It is old fashioned on the outside but modern on the inside and has a small open house inside its central atrium with several small living rooms inside ideal for cosy meetings. I have been lucky enough to have a friend – thank you, Mette Børja! – who worked there for years to take me and my husband on a tour and ending up on the sofa inside the house!

The invitation to the knit café was posted on the Norwegian Strikkesida/The Knitting Page group on Facebook, which currently has 23 000 members and increasing rapidly, as well as sent to individuals. A free event with expert help in the shape of authors of craft books published by gyldendal will be available in addition to a few selected yarn producers – raumaull and garnstudio; who is offering 25% off their alpaca yarn – and as if that was not enough to tempt us knitters they also offered free coffee and cakes. How could I refuse such an invitation? Well, I could not. I was smart and quickly signed on when editor Ann Kristin Nås Gjerde asked if I was coming.

I quickly spotted one of my Facebook friends Marthe Sveen Edvardsen – the Study Leader for Vestre Aker Husflidslag, see husflid – which I was ever so pleased to meet in real life, present in the background above. We were seated in the canteen and quickly the space filled with knitters. The authors were presented along with their book on special offer, before they were called upon as experts. Some went shopping for yarn and books while others were happy to knit, exchange ideas, chat and eat cake!

I seem to be into a period of cabling at the moment. These periods do last a long time for me and I am starting to believe I am coming out of a lace period entering cabling, again. Yes, I have been there before several years back. There are two designers that reign supreme – to me at least – Elsebeth Lavold and Norah Gaughan. Strikk i Vikingmønster/Viking Patterns for Knitting by Elsebeth Lavold is close to my heart with cables inspired by Scandinavian archeology richly illustrated with photographs and drawings. Here is my version of Lavold’s design Ragna, fitted, shortened without the splits and knitted in double stranded Thin Alpaca by Norwegian yarn company Du Store Alpakka using 4 mm/US 6, see dustorealpakka. Since it was made decades ago – another knitting era – I even inserted shoulder pads!

The book was published in 1998 but it still one of the best books available on imaginative cables. I am not the only one with that view. Do read Karen Berthine’s blogpost and look at the photos of the vest she has designed for her husband using – guess which Lavold sweater? Yes, Ragna – sweatyknitter. Have you knitted one or used it as inspiration? There are hundreds of versions of it here on ravelry. I would like to end with a Lavold quote from her preface: “Knitting keeps your hands moving, but free your thoughts. To knit is a necessity.”

50 brand new groundbreaking stitch patterns. This is not a new book, but a very cherished one in my knitting library. First, because I am fascinated by any reversible stitch pattern – you can choose your preferred front – and second, because it contains so many wonderful, previously unseen, ingenious stitch combinations. Third, because some of those have become favourites already: like the grey on the front cover. Some of you will recognise it because I used it in my book. And I am certain I will keep choosing more of those challenging stitch patterns, all thoroughly explained! Fourth, because I adore several of the 20 patterns by acknowledged designers – among my favourites are: Norah Gaughan, Teva Durham and Véronik Avery just to mention a few. Plenty of reasons for me to place it on my favourite shelf.

If you do not already own it or know about it, there is an entertaining book review by Jimmy Beans Wool, do look at youtube and enjoy. You will find several more photos of the stitch patterns here at the publishers website: melaniefalickbooks. The dropped stitch pattern, photographed above in grey, I used for the Japanese Vest below.

“This vest is inspired by Japan, with only one large armhole, knitted in Hifa’s beautiful Huldra kamgarn in a pattern by Lynne Barr. You can easily close and fold it as you like using a shawl pin.” Translated from the introduction to the pattern, knitted in a stunning sea green Huldra – for more vibrant colours see ull.no  on a 3mm/US 2.5. Here beautifully worn by Kari Anne Næssø and photographed by Kim Müller. So I do give Reversible Knitting my warmest recommendation: it inspires!

Another post on Pelsullgarn just to let you know how serious this addiction has become! And yet I am still knitting on my first design project in it which I have already showed you a photo of (see norwegian-pelsullgarnfurwoolyarn) but what I have not showed you is the Aran Mansjetter/Cuffs from my book “To Rette En Vrang. Designstrikk” knitted in Pelsullgarn by Anette Toft. The yarn is an excellent substitute for Mostly Merino Light Sportweight, used when I knitted the first pair because it has the same feel – without containing mohair – and even more lustre. Here is Anette’s fabulous result and photo.

So that you can compare I wanted to show you the photograph from the book. Dancer Cristiane Sa is modelling the large cuffs, inspired by Yamamoto’s even larger cuffs, see below. I am afraid there is a mistake in pattern and I apologise; do check my Norwegian book page; the chart shows only the beginning of the round and not the repeat. Mostly Merino Light-Sport is made of 77% merino/fine wool and 23% mohair, 55g/2 oz, 228m/250 yds while Pelsullgarn/Furwoolyarn is 100% Norwegian Furwool, 100 g/3.5 oz, 260m/284 yds both  use a 3mm/US 2.5 or 3.5mm/US 4 knitting needle. Even though the yarn is heavier – it does not contain mohair even though it feels and looks like it does – Pelsullgarn actually knits to the same tension/guage so it can used as a replacement even though you need a larger amount of it.

Photograph: Kim Müller

I know it has been a long wait for some of you, but it is now available online from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, here is the link ull.no. I have more in my stash and I think you are beginning to understand how excited I am to design a garment in this magnificent colour – not an easy choice since I loved all 12 colours! I will keep you posted on my progress!

My husband and I have been visiting the new foodhall in Oslo. Its aim is to offer knowledge, inspiration and experiences. What is in there? A food market, a cooking school, specialist shops, coffee shops and restaurants – there were space for several more upstairs. Mathallen is surrounded by new hotels, yet to open, and is already attracting tourists.

The photos I have seen so far makes it look huge but it is not exactly London size, but it does offer a selection of temptations. We tested out the popular bakery which display window I could not resist, see above. A nice place to have lunch and when the nearby hotels open the surrounding streets will offer an even better attraction. It is located at Grünerløkka, in walking distance from the city centre. Do not take the shortcut through the muddy carpark but cross the river and walk past Dansens Hus/House of Dance then you will enter the magnificent entrance.

It is not many weeks since it opened and there is still building work going on upstairs, so I believe there are more restaurants to come! One of Mathallen’s secrets is Melkerampa/The Milk Ramp promoting dairy products, which did feel like entering someone’s posh kitchen! Go explore if you can, or just check it out here: mathallenoslo

Inspired by all the Fisherman’s rib – patent in Norwegian – garments in fashion at the moment, I have designed a poncho in an oversize sweater style with long splits in each side, to make it less voluminous, and with full arm capacity instead of a restricted one. The poncho is knitted in panels in order to create a contrast between the linear rib and the unstructured braids in a beautiful camel brown – another source of inspiration to me but not necessarily your chosen colour, there are another 85 solid colours to chose from – in Ask – Hifa 2, a pure wool with a lot of bounce, which also is available in an additional 16 stunning melange colours, see ull.no. The sleeves are knitted long to keep your hands warm on cold days.

The poncho is one size, but the length can easily be adjusted, and knitted on a 3 mm/US 2.5. I have sold the pattern to the Norwegian magazine Familien/The Family and will come back with details of publication date when it is confirmed. Indeed, it will be part of a series of my designs to be published together so I better knit and design some more! I am afraid that means it will be a year before the pattern will be released and for sale on my webpage, marveng-puckett and on ravelry. But it is not long – mid November – until the next issue of the digital knitting & crochet magazine Clotheshorse, see clotheshorsemag, is out and another of my patterns is released, this time in English. I am very excited to see it styled and photographed professionally. I will keep you posted and go back to my knitting…

Our garden has changed colour over the last month. Beautiful shades of red, orange and yellow have quickly replaced the green. Those are my favourite kind of shades. Vibrant earthy tones that show the gradual change like on a painters palette. I want to capture each one with the same vibrant hue it has when the sun finds it, in my designs! Here is a photo of our garden taken a few weeks back on a crisp autumn day. The hedge went blood red before the birch started turning yellow.

The tree above has captured my kind of orange. The first flurry of snow came on Thursday and we are expecting more this weekend. My husband is delighted and have already found the closest cross country ski tracks to us at Ekeberg – not that he has bought his skis yet – and their state of preparation. Yes, it does seem unlikely that their are already being prepared before the snow has fallen but an even ground does make a better basis for ski tracks.

Equally beautiful are these amazing shaped pods, I have just discovered in our back garden. Not unlike paper party lamps! I hope you enjoy the autumn and treasure the colours!

Does a fursheep exist? Was my first question when I received what felt like my perfect goodie bag, an envelope with a shade card, an information sheet and 3 hanks of Norwegian Pelsullgarn /Furwoolyarn from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrik. Hurrah! At first it was on display but it did not take long until my knitting needles came out and I had to test it. And yes, a Norwegian Pelssau/Fursheep is a mixed breed of Norwegian Spælsau/ Old Norwegian Short Tail Landrace and of Swedish Gotlandsfår – no translation found. Here are photos: nsg. I have found yet another favourite yarn and this time it is Norwegian!

The wool produced is fine, soft with the lustre and feel of mohair. Most of their wool and skin are ideal in production of fur skin hence the name Fursheep but luckily for me and all you knitters out there Hillesvåg has been able to obtain the best quality for their Hifa Pelsullgarn. I am totally smitten by the yarn, which knits on a 3.5 mm/US 4 or a few sizes larger and comes in a few divine colours, all melange see above.

Reversible scarf in a melange grey is the project I started with but the latest list of yarn request to Hillesvåg was becoming longer by the day so I realised I better send it of this instant, which I did. The photo can not tell you how much you want to keep stroking this yarn but I can. Pelsullgarn is not yet on their webpage but the secret is out, so it will not be long before they will receive a deluge of orders, I believe. In the meantime you can study their other yarns and magnificent colours at ull.no.

I have designed another pair of wrist-warmers and a matching cowl in Lerke, a soft snuggly merino and cotton mixture by Dale Yarn, see dalegarn, knitted using 4mm/US 6. Texture and colour is my palette and this design began with a stitch pattern from one of my Japanese stitch dictionaries. I am pleased to say that the design is sold to the Norwegian magazine Familien/The Family but the publication date is not set yet. So it will be a year before I release the pattern on my webpage, see marveng-puckett and on Ravelry, see ravelry.com/designers/linda-marveng.

The diagonal triangles with an opening on top makes you think of Egyptian hieroglyphs depicting the pyramids with the sun above. A delightful image for a cowl to warm your neck or accessorise your dress. Fasten it if you wish, or wear it across one shoulder. Or why not use it double? The cowl and the matching wrist warmers are knitted in a lovely soft and warm mixture of merino and cotton with a stunning stitch definition.

I look forward to seeing it photographed professionally, as always, and will show you those when they are available as well as keep you posted on the publication date.