Easter is Here

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Easter arrived with summer here in Ørje, we seem to have skipped spring this year. In one week from freezing temperatures and snowflakes to brilliant summer & shorts weather. You can see flake ice on the lake in the bottom photo, taken last week. Michael and I am are staying at home. I am working on designs for my next photoshoot as well as translations, while Michael is out in his newly acquired boat or yacht as our neighbours call it. It is after all a skiff (tiny boat for maximum two people), 8 foot and with no engine, so far that is.

Yesterday we went abroad to Sweden, which is only 15 minutes away, and checked out the newly opened extension of our nearest shopping centre in Töcksfors. There were plenty of Norwegians there, since all shops in Norway are closed for the Easter holiday.

 Michael made the top image: God Påske means Happy Easter. Our house is known as the British Embassy since Michael is a British citizen as well as a Norwegian one (read: dual citizenship). This Easter the ambassador is out on his yacht.

I wish you all a Happy Easter and hope you will receive an Easter Egg, regardless whether you have to fill it yourself or not!

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Aibell Pattern Released

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The test knit of Aibell has come to an end, and the pattern has been corrected as well as improved. I am delighted to let you know that the pattern is now available in both Norwegian and English in my Ravelry Store and on Loveknitting. Aibell was made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk and is knitted in their divine Tinde pelt wool yarn using 3 mm/US 2.5 needle and 3.5 mm/US 4 needle. The dress came alive to me when Emma Ross wore it at the Vigeland Museum last November. Sissel Fylling who did her hair and make up also suggested wearing the cowl as a belt for those who dare. The stunning jewellery is by Kaja Gjedebo Design, while the black Benedetta wedge boots are designed by Monica Stålvang. Eivind Røhne captured it all.

The idea began as a balloon dress, with a tight rib at the bottom and a voluminous stockinette stitch part. What if I used the stockinette stitches to make cables instead of decreasing and what if I made the introduction of the cables to look like a royal sash? Hence the front and back had to be opposite and not identical. I made a small swatch to see if the idea would work out. Yes, it did to my excitement. I choose to make the sample in a neutral colour and went for natural grey.

Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry, knitted the sample for me in her usual turbo speed and grafted the ends of the cowl together. After I had finished crocheting the dress together and made the neckband, I tried it on and discovered that I could wear it with the rib pulled up a bit, or folded in to make a thick layered tunic or merely hanging down.

Named after the Celtic Goddess of Munster who had a magical harp in her possession is this balloon shaped dress where the shaping is done by the cables. The a-line created by the cables is mirrored on the body. The front has Right cables beginning at hip one at a time, while the back has Left cables. A cowl make a high cabled collar or a belt. Wear it loose hanging down, slightly pulled up or as a tunic with the rib turned.

The dress is available in sizes XS to 2XL and you can see the gorgeous projects from the test knit on the pattern page on Ravelry.

Happy Easter! Enjoy the holidays!

You can read and hear more about my creative life, by becoming a patron with rewards such as monthly free pattern on Patreon.com

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Mohair Poncho in Japanese

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The Mohair Poncho was made for my Norwegian book “To rett, en vrang. Designstrikk” in 2012 and it has been the most popular pattern from my book. Above you see it photographed by Kim Müller, worn by dancer Cristiane Sa. Now, the pattern is also available in Japanese, translated by Tomoko Nishimura, I am delighted to say. Here is the introduction in Japanese, followed by the English version.

70年代を懐かしむ訳ではなく、ただ暖かくお洒 落なポンチョを思い描きました。同じ長方形を3 枚編むので簡単。合わせ方を少しています。使 用した糸はTexere Yarnsのアルパカとモヘアに アクリルを混紡糸です。

A poncho – not too reminiscent of the ‘70s but fashionable in addition to being warm – was my aim. It is easy to knit in 3 identical rectangular pieces but an intermediate challenge to sew together. The yarn I have chosen is a mixture of alpaca and mohair with a little acrylic from Texere Yarns.

The poncho is available in one size 120 cm/47.25″ wide and 105 cm/41.5″ long, knitted in a lightweight mohair mix yarn using 5 mm/US 8 needles with a 14 stitches and 18 rows in pattern gauge. You can also make it into a stunning Poncho Jacket like Irene did. For more versions take a look at the Ravelry Pattern Page.

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Why Am I On Patreon?

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Why should you support me through this?  Because it is an incredible opportunity for me to take a step forward in my career, in my creative process. You will know more about what is happening behind the scenes, far away from the social media, and it is on Patreon that this curiosity can be satisfied. Patreon is a support system that gives me a recurring income that allows me to approach new ventures and take more risk by spending time on more innovative or long-term projects, as well as making me able to travel to those knitting festivals I want to attend with the opportunity to meet you all.

I have already had some encouragement from friends to make a page, and in March I was invited by the Fruity Knitting Podcast to take part in a live Web event for their top two level patrons. I accepted without fully understand the concept. It was a 50 minute online video event where their patrons could ask questions in advance, with the last 10 minutes set aside for spontaneous questions/chat amongst the group. The patrons were from all over the world from Europe to the US. I was so grateful for this opportunity and enjoyed talking to their patrons about my creative life. Yet another reason for me to be on Patreon.

How does it work? If you want to support me, simply register on Patreon and subscribe to one of three levels of commitment with your credit card or your Paypal account. Please note that if you are an EU citizen the EU Digital Tax (VAT) will be added to your monthly bill. Then you will have access to the content I create for your tier of commitment. I plan to develop this Patreon page with you as we go, so I will often invite you to let me know what you will be pleased to know. You can choose to end your subscription whenever you want.

So if you are interested, take a look at my Patreon page here: https://www.patreon.com/lindamarveng

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Presentation at Marker Library

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I was so happy to be asked to hold a presentation at my local library in Ørje; Marker bibliotek. To make sure that at least one person would be there, I asked our neighbour Reidun to come along. She obliged and was not alone in the audience, despite the fact that there was a seminar on Mental Health held by an acknowledged professor at the same time upstairs in the town hall in Ørje. Michael was my Technical Manager and made sure that the large screen television was connected to my laptop.  I had brought a large number of garments, swatches, magazines, large pictures (last used at the Strikke 2017 Exhibition at Hadeland Glassverk) and promotional materials. So we arrived early to set it all up.

I wore my Bowery Tunic, made for knit.wear Spring/Summer 2017, knitted in Madeline Tosh DK. Above you see me, in the crime corner, talking about the collaboration I have with the Norwegian shoe designer Monica Stålvang.

After my presentation, the short version which takes about an hour, I encouraged them all to come up and take a closer look at the garments, swatches and magazines. The library also provided cake and coffee for us all! I met women I knew from my local gym, the knitting café which takes place in the library, as well as the former owner of our house. I answered questions on yarn qualities, which magazines I design for, where I am going next and other jobs I do. All in all, I had a lovely evening. Thank you to Marker bibliotek and to everyone who came!

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Prescott Pullover Knitted by Marianne Skatten

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 For the second time around, I am showing one of my designs that Marianne Skatten has knitted, the first one was Halli, which she wore to the  Strikkefestivalen/Knitting Festival in Fredrikstad. Instead of making the Prescott Pullover, Marianne decided to modify it into a dress, by adding more ribbing in the sides and purl stitches in the ribbing for waist shaping. Marianne told us about her plans in the Prescott Pullover Knit-A-Long thread, I set up in my Ravelry group last autumn, just after the pattern was published in Interweave Knits Fall 2018. Marianne made size medium but used a different yarn, Holst Supersoft Wool held together with the discontinued Holst Samarkand Uld/silke, that resulted in a different gauge, hence she had to re-calculate the pattern as well. I have seen Marianne wearing the dress, at Wenche Roald’s book launch at Cappelen Damm, and it looks stunning on her. Marianne has inspired others to make a similar dress too.

Marianne has written a detailed description of her modifications on her project page: Here is one of her points: “I like to knit in the round, so that I don’t have to sew together the sleeves and front and back pieces. I have therefore reworked the pattern for both the sleeves and the body, to be made in the round. I did not knit the sleeves together with the body, which is what I would normally do, but made set in sleeves as the pattern calls for.”

Marianne also wanted a close fitting turtle neck. She explains: “To accomplish this I moved the front neck line 5 cm upwards, compared to the front neck line in the pattern. I did not make any adaptions when placing the back neck line”. Thank you so much, Marianne!

The gorgeous cable is designed by Dorota Kowalczyk, aka devorgilla on Ravelry. The English pattern to the Prescott Pullover is included in the Interweave Knits Fall 2018 magazine and available in a digital edition as well as a print edition.

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Andor Pattern in Japanese

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  A dream has come true, I can offer a pattern of mine translated into Japanese. Actually, Andor is the first of three patterns translated, it was designed for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk and knitted in their divine Tinde Pelsull/Pelt wool. This Japanese story began two years ago, when I met Nancy Marchant for the first time at the airport in Vienna, where we met up to attend the Vienna Wool & Design Festival. Nancy had just been to Japan to meet with her publisher and translator of her last book: Leafy Brioche. Her translator is Tomoko Nishimura, and now she is also my translator. Tomoku also translates patterns for Marianne & Helga Isager and interprets for Arne & Carlos whenever they tour Japan. So I am in the very best company!

Tomoku went to the Edinburgh Yarn Festival last year and the first knitter she met was no other than my sample knitter Kristin Nygård, aka Quiltefeen on Ravelry. The world can seem awfully small at times. Above you see them both inside the EYF. Tomoku is wearing a pullover that her mother made for her a long time ago, since she is no longer around, Tomoku thought it was nice to wear it at EYF. Kristin is wearing a very popular traditional Norwegian sweater called Marius knitted in Drops Baby Merino and a Mad Blood Shawl by Mary-Anne Mace, aka The Lace Eater knitted in The Plucky Knitter Single, with an awful lot of beads attached. Thank you Kristin for the photo, and Tomoku for the translation!

We did several rounds of proof reading and tested out different fonts before Tomoku gave the all clear signal. So here it is the Japanese introduction to my pattern:

両サイドの肩の幅広い部分に装飾性の高いケー ブル模様をあしらった流行りのオーバーサイズ ポンチョです。中央のメリヤス編みからはハイネックの襟が続きます。またサイドバンドはボ タンで閉じることもできます。全体を2つのパ ーツに分けて編み、肩下がりと襟ぐりを編みます。Andor は北欧で鷲を意味する言葉であり、このポンチョはその翼長を彷彿させます。

And here is the text in English: A trendy oversized poncho defined by its pairs of ornamental cables on each wide shoulder part. The stockinette center part is crowned by a high neck collar. The poncho has side bands that can be closed with buttons. It is knitted flat in two parts with shoulder and neck shaping. Andor is the Norse element for Eagle and its wingspan appropriate for this poncho.

Andor is also available in Norwegian, you can download all three languages from my Ravelry store.

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Sigyn Knitted by Georgette

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Georgette, from Canada, is one of my skilled test knitters who took part in the test knit of Sigyn and made this beautiful version of it. The dress is not fitted but figure hugging due to the ribbing on each side of the centre cables, so I did wonder if anyone would volunteer for sizes above small. I am delighted that Georgette did and that she was not the only one. Georgette modified the dress to be a size large at the bottom and size medium at the top. On her project page Georgette has written in detail what she did on her ravelry page, see Gemzones’ Sigyn: “Cast on size L quantity of stitches – added the difference in stitches into the first 7 purl sections on each side closest the outside seam, one extra purl per purl section, for a gradual decrease…”. Georgette knitted her dress in Knit Picks Preciosa Tonal Fingering (now discontinued) in Stormy with a 3.5 mm/US 4 needle and alternated two skeins for an even colour by working 2 rows in each colour throughout. See her start in the bottom photo.

The cables move only on the front part of the dress, while they follow your spine on the back as you can see in the photo above. I love the fit on Georgette! Thank you so much for test knitting for me!

Here is my introduction to the pattern: Sigyn is Norse for victorious girl-friend and ideal for this a-line dress with a central swing cable, surrounded by ribbing to make it figure hugging. The cable is divided and moves towards the shoulder to make a v-neck at the front. Decreases are made in the purl sections to emphasize the silhouette of Sigyn. The dress is knitted in the bouncy Sølje from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.

Sigyn is available in sizes XS to 2XL, with a bust circumference of 88 to 130 cm/34.5 to 51″, in Norwegian and English on Ravelry and on Loveknitting. Yarn kits are available from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk and in selected yarn stores in Norway.

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Andaman Top Pattern Released

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The rights to my pattern the Andaman Top has come back to me from Interweave and I have released the pattern in English on Ravelry with new photos. The Andaman Top was first published in knit.wear Spring/Summer 2018 and is knitted in the lovely Tahki Stacy Charles Fine Yarns BioMerino in Cobalt using 4 mm/US 6 needles. Above you see the gorgeous Emma Ross, with make up & hair by Sissel Fylling and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design as well as skirt by Judith Bech, wearing the sample made in size Small at the Vigeland Museum. Em is brilliantly captured by Eivind Røhne. 

The Andaman Top will have you craving the intense hues of a Mediterranean summer. With a cropped straight front, the flowing back creates a stylish contrast with its dramatic length and curved hem. The three elegant lace panels running up the front and back of this stylish top have an Egyptian art deco feel, with curving lines and geometric figures.

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

Finished measurements
Bust: 90 (98, 106.5, 114, 124.5, 134.5) cm/35.5 (38.5, 42, 45, 49, 53)“
Front length: 48 (49, 50, 51, 52, 53) cm/18.75 (19, 19.5, 20, 20.25, 20.75)”
Back length: 80 (81, 82, 83, 84, 85) cm/31.25 (31.75, 32, 32.5, 33, 33.25)“

Yarn: Tahki Stacy Charles, Bio Merino (100% merino wool, 50 g, 110 m/120 yds): Sample is knitted in Cobalt 1541: 7 (7, 8, 8, 9, 10) skeins; 680 (750, 810, 870, 945, 1020) m/744 (820, 886, 951, 1033, 1115) yds.

Needles: 4 mm/US 6 straight and circular needle (40 cm/16”) for neck and armhole bands.

Notions: Markers (removable), holders and yarn needle.

Gauge: 20 sts and 28 rows in st st measures 10 cm/4” square.
17-sts Lace repeat measures 9 cm/3.5” wide.
24 rows Lace repeat measures 8.5 cm/3.25” high.

Notes: This top is worked back and forth from the bottom and up in pieces and seamed. The lower back is shaped by short rows. During shaping, if there are not enough stitches to work an increase with its corresponding decrease, work the stitches of the partial lace pattern as they appear.

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Oydis Pattern in Russian

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I was encouraged to have my patterns translated into Russian by one of my Ravelry group moderators Katja, who had received several questions for Russian translations. Katja, aka ekatja, knew dashuta on Ravelry, so she came highly recommended. The first pattern I sent her for translation was my Oydis Sweater, which is also available in English, German and Norwegian. The Japanese version is also coming shortly. But first below is the introduction to my Oydis Sweater in Russian and then in English. Above you see the gorgeous Alexandria Eissinger, with hair & makeup by Sissel Fylling, wearing the Oydis Sweater, captured by Eivind Røhne at the Ekeberg Restaurant in Oslo:

Выразительный узор из ромбов доминирует в этом свитере А-силуэта с закругленной линией низа, которая выгодно подчеркивает фигуру. Низ свитера обрамлен полым шнуром, боковые швы и горловина подчеркнуты полосами платочной вязки. В комплекте с воротом или без, этот свитер станет достойным гардероба. Ойдис, древнескандинавской богини удачи. Перед и спинка вяжутся отдельно, а рукава и ворот – по кругу. В представленном образце нить классического твида соединена с нитью тончайшего шнурочка альпаки, и вместе они создают нежное полотно с восхитительной рельефностью узора.

A shadow diamond cable dominates this a-line sweater with a curved flattering hem. I-cord bands frame the bottom of the sweater, while garter stitches mark the sides and the round neckband. The sweater, with or without the cowl to dress it up, make the outfit ideal for the Goddess of good luck; Oydis. The body of the sweater is knitted flat, while the sleeves and the cowl, are knitted in the round. A fine tweed yarn is held together with an alpaca lace yarn, with a chain construction, to create a fabric with a beautiful stitch definition and a slight halo.

Thank you, Katja and dashuta!

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