New Design: Irpa

Posted on June 16, 2018 by Linda Marveng

I have, for awhile, wanted to design a long oversized jacket, and when I discovered an intricate cable pattern online, I decided it was time. Irpa is made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk in the lovely Tinde yarn, again in their Light Brown since it is a shade that seem to embrace several tones from the brown spectre. The Norwegian pattern and yarn kit will be launched at Oslo Design Fair while the English pattern will be test knitted in my group on Ravelry in November before its release. Irpa is Norse for dark brown and suited this long oversized cardigan with a v-neck and a slight shaping for waist. Pine cable cover the center back, while only one pattern repeat adorns the fronts and sleeve. A wide rib makes this casual jacket a perfect extra layer to the Sigyn dress.

I was busy knitting a design for a magazine, so I had Kristin Nygård knit this jacket for me. She did a wonderful job as always. The cable pattern is time consuming but very rewarding to knit, so Kristin had to return the jacket with express post to me so that I could finish it in time for the photoshoot. I choose some stunning handmade vintage buttons in bone, bought from Perlehuset before they closed down their shop in Oslo. You will still find Perlehuset online, though.

The cardigan is knitted in pieces and seamed. The second part of the v-neck decreases on the fronts moves to the opposite side of the cable in order for the cable to continue to the shoulder. The sleeve has one pattern repeat, just as the front, while the back has three pattern repeats and cover most of the cross back. Yes, I also used the same cable on the vest, Var.

Irpa is graded is sizes S (M, L, XL, 2XL) with a bust circumference of 110 cm to 154 cm/43.25 to 60.75″. I am wearing size S in these photos taken by Michael at the beach in Ørje. Not that I needed to wear wool at all that day and it was funny to see the women in bikini sunbathing on the beach just next to where I am standing.

Layering is popular and essential if you live in Norway, so Irpa was designed to be worn on top of the dress; Sigyn. I also wanted Irpa to give Sigyn a more casual as well as cool look. My model Em succeeded in making it look cool, while I show off the more classic look. Yes, it has to do with age and a certain edge, I believe.

The back of Irpa hangs loose over the more figure hugging Sigyn. I like how the cable patterns differs and move in opposite directions to each other. I have one more new design to show you, and that is the fourth of the new designs for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. You can look forward to seeing the professional photos taken by Eivind Røhne at Villa Malla. He sent me around 300 of the 10 garments we photographed and I finally managed to squeeze it down to a selection of 55. It was painfully hard for me to do, but the result is terrific!

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Elsebeth Lavold Visit

Posted on June 13, 2018 by Linda Marveng

@ Anders Rydell

Yes, I am excited to tell you that Elsebeth Lavold and her husband Anders Rydell came to visit us last week. They were going on holiday, driving from Stockholm and past our house to Kongsberg. Elsebeth wrote me a message on Facebook saying it was an opportunity for us to meet in real life. I could not let this opportunity pass me by since I have been admiring Elsebeth ever since she published her first Viking Knits book back in 1998 (see below). I did ask her to bring me a few balls of Elsebeth Lavold Yarns, actually the two most popular yarns: Hempathy and Silky Wool if possible. Guess what, she brought me four whole bags of yarn, one in each colour plus a skein of a new yarn. Thank you so much, Elsebeth! I have been in yarn heaven since then, and wanting to do nothing else than try out those new yarns. Only my work commitments have stopped my from doing just that. Elsebeth knew too well that a few balls would not take me very far… In the picture above she is wearing Grainne knitted in LinSilk.If you, like me, have wondered what nationality Elsebeth is and indeed what country she lives in, I can reveal the following: Elsebeth is half Norwegian, half Danish and lives in Sweden. Yes, she has also lived a number of years in the US and is a Norwegian citizen. Elsebeth spoke fluent Norwegian, Swedish and American-English so I could not guess her mother tongue from our conversation. It all made sense when she told me that she studied linguistics at University. Anders Rydell is the Swede. He is a former musician and song writer turned graphic designer & photographer to assist Elsebeth in her design work.

Now, back to the Elsebeth Lavold Yarns. They are distributed by Knitting Fever in the US and will soon be coming to Europe. Who will be your Scandinavian agent, I asked and was not surprised to hear that Thomas Kvist and his company House of Hobbies will distribute her yarns. You know I used to design for him and have also done translations for some of the other yarn companies he now represent. It is a small world at times. Elsebeth presents herself like this online: “I’m absolutely passionate about all aspects of knitting. My claim to fame is having translated Viking Age interlace patterns into cable knitting and
documented them in a travelling exhibition and five books. This has led to my own
yarn line, Elsebeth Lavold Designer’s Choice, supported by pattern books. All in
collaboration with my husband, co-worker and playmate, Anders Rydell.” Above you see her latest hard cover book, which I wrote about on my blog: Viking Knits & Ancient Ornaments. Elsebeth has written another 26 books with her designs, so do take a look at her impressive designs here on Ravelry and follow her blog. I am thrilled that Elsebeth admires my work, especially since I find hers unique. Michael and I had such a fantastic time together with Elsebeth and Anders. We hope to see them again!

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Kathe Cardigan in Familien 11/2018

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Linda Marveng

I am thrilled that Kathe Cardigan has been published in the latest issue of the Norwegian magazine Familien issue number 11/2018 and has been given a bit of space on the cover. The cardigan was made for Interweave Knits Fall 2016 and it is knitted in the divine SweetGeorgia Yarns Superwash Sport in the hand dyed shade Tumbled Stone using a 3 mm/US 2.5 needle. That is an incredibly soft pure merino with 300 meters/328 yards per 100 gram skein. Model Alexandria Eissinger, with hair & make up by Jens J. Wiker and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, was brilliantly captured by photographer Eivind Røhne. Alex is wearing size M with a 93 cm/36.5″ bust circumference, but it is available in sizes XS to 2XL with measurements from 79 to 120.5 cm/31 to 47.5″. Here is my introduction to the pattern: Kathe is a straight cardigan with a scarf collar enhanced with an elegant textural all-over lace. The reversible fern pattern adorns the body and sleeves while the collar is divided from it by a tuck and knitted in moss stitch. You can wear the collar hanging flat – overlapping – and pinned together or folded.

It is a time consuming knit, but the finishing off is rewarding, in my opinion. You will find the English pattern on Ravelry and on Loveknitting, while the Norwegian pattern is printed in Familien. The magazine is available to buy at selected news agents and super markets in Norway. If you live abroad you can order the Norwegian magazine by e-mailing kari.bachke@egmont.com and then transfer payment into their bank account.

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New Design: Sigyn

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Linda Marveng

I know some of you have waited years for a knitted dress from me, well, here it is: Sigyn. Now, I just hope that you do not feel you have waited in vain. The reason it took me so long time is that I had so many conceptions of how to design a dress that is comfortable, flattering and that will suit most body types. In the end I choose a classic look with ribbing, an a-line silhouette and with a central cable that makes a v-neck at the front but follows your spine at the back. 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. Decreases are made in the purl sections to emphasize the silhouette of Sigyn. The dress is beautifully knitted in the bouncy Sølje from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, by Grete Jenssen, in size S but with a tighter gauge 28 stitches instead of 24 stitches, hence it has the bust measurement of size XS 88 cm/34.75″. So I am wearing it with zero ease in these photographs taken by my husband at the beach in Ørje in a sweltering 26 degrees Celsius/78 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, there were a couple of women sunbathing next to us, wearing only their bikinis. They smiled at me wearing a woolly dress, then even more as when I put on yet another woolly cardigan on top. Yes, a long cardigan that can be worn casually on top is the next new design. The swing cable is the same I used on the sweater Vaga and found in Norah Gaughan’s inspiring Knitted Cable Sourcebook. I mirrored it and added 6 stitches in rib in between the two swing cables. The dress will be available in six sizes from XS to 2XL with a bust measurement of 88 to 130 cm/34.75 to 51.25″. The suggested length is 118 cm to 123 cm/46.5 to 48.5″. You can easily adjust the length of the dress if you prefer. I suggest shortening (or lengthening) it with up to 7 cm/2.75″ before the a-line shaping begins.

I decided to work the dress back and forth in pieces and then sew it together to make the fit even better. The reason I choose to move the cable towards the shoulder is that I did ponder on whether to make it a v-neck, but realised it is unpractical in Norway. The grass green colour of Sølje was ideal in my opinion and I knew it would suit the red-haired model Emma Ross well. Sølje is made of Norwegian pelt wool with 350 meters/383 yards per 100 gram skein and comes in 30 colours. The dress is knitted using 3 mm/US 2.5 needles and with a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows in stockinette stitch per 10 cm/4″ square.

The central cable continue straight up to the neckline unlike the front one. The neckline is lower at the front than at the back. And yes, the back of my legs are very white compared to my face and hands that has been in the sun these last weeks of Mediterranean summer temperatures in Ørje.

I like wearing a belt on my knitted dresses and picked a narrow leather one (read: not the same we used for the photo shoot). It is just hanging loosely around my waist. The English pattern will be test knitted in my Ravelry group in early September, before it is released. The Norwegian pattern and yarn kit will be available launched by Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk at Oslo Design Fair at the end of August. I will show you the dress looks with a long cardigan soon as well as how it looked on model Emma Ross at Villa Malla.

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Behind the Scenes: 2nd Photoshoot at Villa Malla

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Villa Malla located by the Oslofjord is a real gem, with its beach and jetty. So I decided to have yet another photoshoot here. It feels like a holiday destination, despite the fact that you can not stay over, only have a meal, drinks or ice creams. We had heavy rain in the evening before, but it stopped by the time we picked up modell Emma Ross arriving after midnight from Manchester, UK in Oslo at the central train station. It was overcast with grey clouds when we left for Villa Malla early Tuesday morning. I had planned for the recent heath and summer temperatures we have had here in Ørje at around 26 to 30 Celsius/78 to 86 Fahrenheit – so we began photographing the long dress I have designed for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. Hair & Makeup Stylist Sissel Fylling wore a skirt for once and was cold until the skies cleared and the heath came back. Em did get a haircut, but none of us where surprised by this anymore, as I cannot recall Sissel not offering to do so. Above you see us in action on the beach, photographer Eivind Røhne is on his way to collect his sand bags so I do not have to hold onto his large reflectors while Em is ready, wearing an old design from my knitting book: Merino omslagsvest/Merino Wrap Vest. Michael captured this wonderful in action photo of us.

Eivind and I walked around at Villa Malla to find the best backgrounds after I had organised the rail with the ten garments to photograph, while Sissel was working on Em’s hair and face. We choose two angles at the beach and the top of the staircase at the upper terrace. As you can see in the photo above, there were several families on the beach and in the water by the time we got down there. Em made several videos while she was visiting, and you can see them all at Instagram, so make sure you follow em450.

Four new designs are for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, and above you see Em wearing Var knitted in the lovely Tinde together with jewellery from Kaja Gjedebo Design. I am making sure the shoulder seams are where they should be. I loved seeing all my designs on the gorgeous Em. We photographed these in the same position as last time and with the same background that looked more like Santorini in Greece than the Oslofjord near Drøbak in Norway. Both Eivind and Michael made sure there were several sail boats as well as one police boat in the background as we started to photograph the garments.

I finished the last garment the day before the photoshoot, but had a few hectic days waiting for packages sent with Next Day delivery in Norway. It only works if they are sent between addresses in the southern part of Norway, I have discovered. Luckily, the other three new designs were ready: Vaga, Ogma – see above – and Sirona. In addition we photographed the Tau scarf made for the Vienna Wool & Design Festival Magazine: Wool 2 Go vol 01 and Free Falling Pullover which has been returned from the US after being published in Interweave Knits Fall 2017. After photographing 5,5 garment – I decided that we needed some more photos of the Merino Omslagsvest – we had a delicious buffet lunch in the shadow on the terrace at Villa Malla. The divine hand dyed colours of The Blue Brick, Escarpment DK in Ogma was perfect on Em, as you can see in the photo above. It was the last of the garments to be photographed and the end of the photoshoot, I thought. But Eivind had other plans and made a couple of short videos, where Sissel had to act as a wind machine in one of them. Yes, we had fun as we always do on these photoshoots. Now, I am looking forward to seeing Eivind’s brilliant photos and then sharing those. So stay tuned for more.

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Cahal Pattern Released

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Linda Marveng

I am thrilled to announce that my Cahal pattern – from my Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk Collaboration – has been released in English, in addition to Norwegian, on Ravelry and on Loveknitting. A number of wonderful test knitters have helped me correct and improve the pattern as well as knitting their own versions of it. Cahal was modelled by Emma Ross, with hair and make up by Sissel Fylling in addition to jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, and brilliantly captured by Eivind Røhne at Bøler Kirke/Church last September.

Origami vest with reversible cables that folds into shape. Vents are made by leaving the seam open at the bottom. The horizontal seam draws a line across the shoulders ending in a curve at the armhole. You can wear the vest with both sides out by making a neat or flat seam. The name Cahal is Celtic for strong in battle.

Sizes: S (M/L, XL/2XL)

Finished measurements:
Bust: 106.5 (117, 127) cm/42 (46, 50)“
Length: 68.5 (73.5, 78.5) cm/27 (29, 31)”

Yarn: Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, Tinde Pelsull (100% pelt wool, 260 m/284 yds, 100 g). The sample is knitted in Olive Green 2118; 5 (6, 7) skeins;
1230 (1400, 1570) m/1345 (1531, 1716) yds.
https://www.ull.no/produktkategori/garn/ullgarn/norsk-pel…

Alternative Yarns: Berroco, Ultra Alpaca Light (50% alpaca, 50% wool, 50 g, 133 m/144 yds). http://www.berroco.com/yarns/berroco-ultra-alpaca-light
Jamieson’s, Double Knitting (100% wool, 25 g, 75 m/82 yds).
http://www.jamiesonsofshetland.co.uk/spindrift-and-double…
Rowan, Tweed (100% wool, 50 g, 118 m/129 yds).
http://www.knitrowan.com/yarns/rowan-tweed
Malabrigo, Arroyo, (100% superwash merino, 100 g, 306 m/335 yds).
http://www.malabrigoyarn.com/subyarn.php?id=29
Or another DK/8 ply yarn.

Needles: 3.5 mm/US 4 circular needle (80 cm/32”).
Adjust needle size as needed to match gauge

Notions: Stitch markers (removable), cable needle and yarn needle.

Gauge: 21 sts and 30 rows in st st, after blocking measures 10 cm/4” square.
14-sts Lattice Cable measures 5 cm/2” across.

Notes: The vest is knitted in two parts. The front is a square, while the back has 30.5 cm/12” extra body length that folds to the front at each shoulder to form the upper front and the neck opening.

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New Design: Var

Posted on May 26, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk commissioned 4 new designs and this was the first one I completed. I had help from British knitter Jean Molloy, who also knitted a sample for my Norwegian knitting book several years ago, to knit the center parts, while I knitted the side panels. We are having very warm summer weather at the moment, so it was hot and also difficult to avoid the strong sunshine, photographing this vest. Pine cables play on the center of this oversized vest, named Var, Norse for beloved. The side panels – giving the vest a dropped shoulder appearance – are knitted sideways in broken rib and is divided from the cable pattern with a tuck as well as a reverse stocking stitch band. Var ends in an I-cord bind off around the shallow neck. The vest is knitted in the luscious pelt wool yarn Tinde from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.I am wearing the smallest size: XS/S but I have graded it into 2 more sizes: M/L and XL/2XL, with a bust measurement (including side panels) of 156 to 188 cm/61.5 to 74″. The vest is knitted in size 3 mm/US 2.5 for the rib and the tuck, while the main parts are knitted using 3.5 mm/US 4 and a 21 stitches and 30 rows in stocking stitch to 10 cm/4″ square.

The bottom two photos are taken in the shadow of our front terrace to show off the colour and texture of the melange Tinde pelsull/pelt wool yarn. The vest is knitted in two parts, then you pick up stitches along the side. Size M/L has a wider side panel but the same center panel as size XS/S. Size XL/2XL has a wider center panel with one extra cable repeat. The English pattern will be test knitted in my Ravelry group in September, before its release. Var will be photographed on Tuesday at Villa Malla together with the other new designs, and I am working on finishing off the last two.

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Wilma Lind Jackets Knitted By Kari and Sissel

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Kari Kvalberg (left) posted this photo in one of the Norwegian knitting groups on Facebook last week and I was so thrilled to see her and Sissel Hellum, both wearing their Wilma Lind Jackets. They are Norwegian, but this amazing photo is taken at the Caucasus mountain range in Georgia. Kari has posted a series of photos from their recent trip to Georgia and Armenia, which I have been following with interest on both Facebook and Instagram. I was fortunate to met these two lovely women last autumn at Strikkefestivalen/the knitting festival in Fredrikstad where they were attending my Cable Masterclass. They have both used the luscious Sølje Pelsullgarn from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk in size Medium, but choose two different colours. I love how well it suits them both! Thank you so much!

The Norwegian pattern of the Wilma Lind Jacket is available from the author of the crime books about Police Inspector Wilma Lind, Hanne Kristin Rohde, while the English pattern is also available from my Ravelry store and on Loveknitting.

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New Design: Sirona

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Sirona is Celtic for Star Goddess, the name for this fitted pullover with an intricate central cable surrounded with smaller cables and seed stitch. The round neckline needed a crown and was given an I-cord bind off decoration. Sirona is knitted in pieces in the divine The Fibre Co. Cumbria Worsted. Yes, this is the third cabled pullover I have designed in this yarn, and I do have even more of this yarn. I believe it is called an addiction. The yarn is made of 60% merino wool, 30% brown masham wool, 10% mohair and has 218 meters/238 yards on each 100 gram skein. It feels luxurious to knit with and to wear. Using a 4 mm/US 6 needle, I found my gauge at 20 stitches and 28 rows in stocking stitch measures 10 cm/4″ square.The central cable is one I found on Pinterest and liked the look of and enjoyed knitting using a 4 mm/US 6 needle. The rib is worked using a 3.5 mm/US 2.5 needle to make it a bit firmer. I decided to place only the smaller cables and the stag horn cable at the center of the sleeve, instead of the wide center cable.

My husband has photographed me at the beach in Ørje, close to where we live on a sunny day at the end of April. I am wearing size S, but have graded the pullover from size XS to 2XL with a bust circumference from 86 to 126 cm/33.75 to 49.5″.

The English pattern will be test knitted in my Ravelry group beginning in August, before its release, while the Norwegian pattern will be printed in the special magazine Familien Strikk in August. I believe this shade will look stunning on model Emma Ross who is flying in the day before the photoshoot on Monday 27. May. Before that I have a lot of knitting to do.

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Wilma Lind Next Chapter

Posted on May 16, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Author, “Åsted Norge/Crime Scene Norway” television presenter and former Police Inspector Hanne Kristin Rohde has just published her new Wilma Lind crime in Norwegian, the fourth in the series. Hanne Kristin has sold more than 250 000 books in Norway but her thrillers have not been translated to English, yet. The title is “Offerdyr” which means “sacrificial animals” in English. How is this related to knitting and me, you ask? Except for the fact that I love reading her books, Hanne Kristin contacted me to design a long jacket for Wilma Lind, her protagonist, a couple of years back. That was the beginning of our collaboration. And yes, she does knit but have not done so for awhile since her writing take up most of her time. A strong red colour was chosen since Wilma is brave and daring. The wonderful Sølje Pelsull/pelt wool yarn from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk was our choice.

The book has been on the best seller list since it was published several weeks back and it was selected to be part of the Bokklubben/Book Club here in Norway, see the top photo.

The Norwegian & English pattern is available to buy from hannekristinrohde.no, while the English pattern is also available at Ravelry and Loveknitting. I am so thrilled that Hanne Kristin is wearing the Wilma Lind jacket and shawl, on the back flap and that my name is on the Author Thanks list at the back of the book. Thank you, Hanne Kristin! Now, I look forward to reading it, and I will be doing so while knitting (read: using clothes peg to hold the book open for me).

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