Familien Strikk March 2018

Posted on March 17, 2018 by Linda Marveng

I am delighted to have two designs in the latest special magazine called Familien Strikk, a Norwegian magazine. The magazine has an incredible 124 designs for women, men, children, babies and the house. Both my designs have been published earlier, Brewster Cardigan in the webzine Wool Studio 2016, by the editors of knit.wear and Bowery Tunic in knit.wear Spring/Summer 2017 issue.

Here is my first page, introducing the Brewster Cardigan with photos taken by Eivind Røhne of the gorgeous model Emma Ross with hair & makeup by Sissel Fylling and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design. Brewster Cardigan is knitted in the soft Valley Yarns, Northfield using a 4 mm/US 6 needle and is available in sizes XS to 2XL. The English pattern is available in the Wool Studio 2016 webzine but also as a single download from my Ravelry store.

Here is the second page with the Bowery Tunic. Both garments where photographed at Bøler Church in Oslo. The Bowery Tunic is knitted in the divine hand dyed Madeline Tosh DK using 4 mm/US 6 needles and available in sizes XS to 2XL. The English pattern is available in the knit.wear Spring/Summer 2017 issue and will be available in my Ravelry store soon. The Familien Strikk magazine is available at selected news agents and super markets. If you are in Norway you can also order it by SMS just write “Strikk18” in addition to your name & address to 2205 or buy a digital version for iPad, see www.klikk.no. If you live abroad you can order the Norwegian special magazine by e-mailing kari.bachke@egmont.com and then transfer payment into their bank account.

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Melva Pattern Released

Posted on March 14, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Emma Boyles of The Little Grey Sheep suggested I launch my Melva pattern in time for the Edinburgh Yarn Festival (read: EYF, for us knitters) and I am happy to say that I made it with the help of my test knitters and new technical editor Kristen TenDyke. The Little Grey Sheep will have a stand at the Festival, sell the yarn Stein Fine Wool 4ply in lovely hand dyed shades as well as my Melva pattern. I would have loved to be there, but know I have my own ambassadors there. One of my Austrian test knitters, Barbara will be there wearing her version of Melva, and so will one of my Norwegian sample knitters, Kristin, as well as my new translator (yes, this is very exciting and more news will follow shortly). Emma also commissioned Amanda, aka demonknitter24 on Ravelry, to make her a version of Melva for the festival, so I am hoping for a small line up of Melva. Both English and the Norwegian pattern are available at Ravelry and at Loveknitting. Above you see it gorgeously worn by Emma Ross, with hair & makeup by Sissel Fylling and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, all brilliantly captured by Eivind Røhne. Below is a photograph of the lovely yarn in the shade Outback taken in our garden last July by my husband.Here is my introduction to the pattern: Named after Melva, Celtic for ruler, a straight sweater with fancy cables at the top and the bottom. The intricate cable is fit for a ruler. Ribbing in the side makes the sweater figure-hugging, while the stockinette stitch center panel shows off the stunning hand dyed Stein Fine Wool 4ply from The Little Grey Sheep. The sleeve mirrors the body, but it is worked flat.

Melva pattern is available in English and in Norwegian (på norsk).

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

Finished measurements:
Bust: 88 (94, 100, 106, 112, 124) cm/34.75 (37, 39.25, 41.75, 44, 48.75)“
Length: 60 (61, 62, 63, 64, 65) cm/23.5 (24, 24.5, 24.75, 25.25, 25.5)”
Sleeve length: 49 (50, 50, 51, 51, 52) cm/19.25 (19.75, 19.75, 20, 20, 20.5)“
Modelled in size XS with 2.5 cm/1” positive ease.

Yarn: The Little Grey Sheep British Stein Fine Wool 4ply (100% wool, 100 g, 330 m/360 yds). Sample is knitted in Outback: 5 (6, 6, 6, 7, 8) skeins;
1536 (1666, 1796, 1926, 2056, 2316) m/1679 (1821, 1964, 2106, 2248, 2423) yds.
https://www.thelittlegreysheep.co.uk/collections/stein-fi…

Needles: 3 mm/US 2.5 circular needle (80 cm/32” and 40 cm/16”).
Adjust needle size as needed to match gauge.

Notions: Stitch markers, stitch holders, cable needle and yarn needle.

Gauge: 26 sts and 34 rows/rnds in st st measures 10 cm/4” square.
Melva cable (12-sts) measures 4 cm/1.5” wide.

Notes: The body is worked in the round to the armhole and then worked back and forth in rows. While the sleeves are worked flat. If your row gauge differs, begin second Melva cable 54 rows (16 cm/6.25”) before final row on back, front and sleeves. If you want to lengthen the bottom half of the body and add a section to the Melva cable, work these additional rows: 4 to 13, then rows 44 to 49.

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The Andor Poncho Gang

Posted on March 10, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Look at this amazing group of friends that went to London, all wearing their Andor poncho, all knitted in the original Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, Tinde Pelsull! Nina Hove Myhre, aka FiberAndArt, had decided to knit the poncho and told her colleagues at their lunch table. The result was that they all wanted to join in and ordered Andor yarn kits online. Here are five of the seven knitters, photographed at Marble Arch. Nina, to the right, was pregnant at that time but you can see her son Olav on her project page in his Fana jacket, here on Ravelry. I met Nina 5 years ago, when she organised a book presentation for me at Larvik Husflidslag/Handcraft association, see my blogpost. If you follow my blog you have seen several of the astonishing total of 22 of my designs Nina has knitted. She is showing off a number of them in this blogpost: www.FiberAndArt.no. I love Nina’s description of me: “She is no longer a Norwegian knitwear designer living in London, now she is an international knitwear designer living in Norway! Thank you so much, Nina!

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Arcade Vest KAL

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Just as one knit along is coming to an end another one is beginning. Next up is the Arcade Vest in the A Place to KAL my Own group on Ravelry. The best acronym for this fairly new group must be KALMYO, I figured out and the moderators agreed. Yes, I do know two of them and they wanted to set up a poll in order to decide which of these three patterns of mine to have a KAL for: Japanese Lace Jacket, Arcade Vest or Cablewing Sweater. Now, that was a fun poll to watch and there were more than two votes, I am relieved to say. The result was the Arcade Vest knitted in Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, Tinde Pelsull. Above you see it photographed by Kim Müller worn by the gorgeous former ballerina now yoga queen – see chiccayoga.com – Francesca Golfetto. The KAL begins 2nd April and lasts until 30th June. I will offer a discount on the pattern, as well as pattern prizes and I am delighted that Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk will offer 20% discount on the yarn. You can check out all the details here: ravelry.com/discuss/a-place-to-kal-my-own. Several of the group members have already remarked that the Arcade Vest was the first of my test knits they took part in, 3 years ago and taken us down memory lane. Now, I am curious to see who will join in.

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Suli Pattern Released

Posted on March 3, 2018 by Linda Marveng

The test knit of Suli is coming to an end and I have released the English pattern on Ravelry. The Norwegian pattern has been updated and both are available to buy on Ravelry and on Loveknitting. My amazing test knitters have corrected and improved the pattern. Some of them also decided to modify the collar and make it shorter or with buttons at the end instead of a seam. Suli is part of the collection I have made in collaboration with Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. Yarn kits are available at www.ull.no. Suli was brilliantly photographed by Eivind Røhne, worn by Alexandria Eissinger with hair & makeup by Jens J. Wiker as well as jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design. Do take a look at the finished versions at Ravelry.

Suli is Eskimo for more, ideal for this cardigan with a loop collar that you can drape as you please, adorned with a lace pattern on center back, sleeve and collar. 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. A fake garter stitch seam adds a bit of structure to this cardigan knitted in the beautiful Sølje.

Suli pattern is available in English and in Norwegian (på norsk).

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

Finished Measurements:
Bust (incl loop): 86 (92, 98, 106, 116, 126) cm/33.75 (36.25, 38.5, 41.75, 45.75, 49.5)“
Loop closing: 17 cm/6.75” wide and 326 cm/128.25” long
Length: 55 (56, 57, 58, 59, 60) cm/21.75 (22.25, 22.5, 23, 23.5, 23.75)”
Sleeve length: 49 (50, 50, 51, 51, 52) cm/19.25 (19.75, 19.75, 20, 20, 20.5)“

Yarn: Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, Hifa Sølje (100% pelt yarn, 350 m/382 yds, 100 g). Sample is knitted in Light Turquise 2130:
5 (6, 6, 7, 8, 8) skeins; 1687 (1855, 2023, 2232, 2483, 2735) m/1844 (2028, 2212, 2440, 2715, 2991) yds. https://www.ull.no/produktkategori/garn/nyhet-solje-pelsullgarn/

Needles: 3 mm/US 2.5 circular needles (80 cm/32”).
3 mm/US 2.5 DPNs for sleeves.
Adjust needle size as needed to match gauge.

Notions: Stitch markers, stitch holders, 3.25 mm/US D/3 crochet hook (for seaming), waste yarn and yarn needle.

Gauge: 24 sts and 32 rows in st st measures 10 cm/4” square.
25 sts and 32 rows in Dewdrop pattern measures 10 cm/4” square.

Notes: 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. The sleeves are knitted in the round and set-in. The armhole is slightly larger on the fronts than the back in sizes L (XL and 2XL). If you choose to adjust the body length, remember to adjust the length of each part of the loop with the same removed/added length.

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Strikkekafé in Fredrikstad

Posted on February 28, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Last Thursday evening I was invited by Strikkefestivalen/Knitting festival to hold a presentation of my designs in Fredrikstad. So two days in a row, I held my new PowerPoint presentation. I did not even need to re-pack my suitcase. Above you see one of the photos taken at Fredrikstad, a few minutes before I began my presentation. Yes, I was still wearing my Bowery Tunic knitted in Madeline Tosh, Tosh DK made for knit.wear Spring/Summer 2017. On sale was drinks, a small collections of cakes and popular raffle tickets with a selection of prizes. I brought a number of my sample garments, swatches, skeins of yarn, magazines my designs appear in and my book. The stylist Kristin Elise Halkjelsvik of Makeløs/Remarkable – yes, indeed she is – came and so did textile artist Sissel Strand, to my delight! After my presentation, my swatches and garments were studied. Kristin has styled several of my designs for the magazine Made by Me but also for different catwalks, the last one was Strikke 2017 at Hadeland Glassverk. What makes her remarkable, is how she re-designs an old handcrafted item such as embroidered table cloth into a dress and then add a length of tulle fabric together with a knitted or crocheted garment into an colour explosion but also a feast for the eye. It was a pleasure to meet Kristin and Sissel again, but also to meet knitters I knew from my workshop and new knitters!

Marit Larsen is the organiser and also the Managing Director of Explore Travel who is organising a knitting weekend for the Norwegian magazine Hjemmet to Røros in October. I have been invited to hold talks & workshops and look forward to visiting Røros for the first time. If you have not heard about Røros I can tell you that it is one of the oldest towns of wooden buildings in Europe, founded in 1644. Due to its authentic wooden buildings and unique character of an early mining town, Røros was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980. So if you are interested, you will find more details here: Strikk Røros okt 2018.

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Photoshoot at Bøler Church: Autumn Symphony

Posted on February 24, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Last in the series from our photoshoot at Bøler Kirke/Church is the Autumn Symphony, an old design in three parts: jacket, belt and wrap. Named after the three beautiful colours I chose in Ask from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. The jacket is knitted in Melange farm red, the wrap in Melange Orange and the tweed belt in those two colours plus a melange dark terracotta. The set looked divine on model Emma Ross. Her hair & makeup was styled by Sissel Fylling and the jewellery is by Kaja Gjedebo Design. Photographer Eivind Røhne made sure Em was standing at the same spot so that the two letters “Bø” as in “Boo!” was visible at all times. We had such an enjoyable day, like we always do.

I choose to style the set with navy silk trouser, and thought the rusty cor-ten wall panel with Bøler Kirke carved into it worked perfectly as a matching background. In the photo above you see the set worn as initially intended, while the top photo shows how the belt can be worn as a second wrap. It can also be worn as a capelet around the shoulder, or be extended into a skirt if preferred.

Above you see the wrap worn as belt to make the jacket longer. In the pattern it comes in one size, but it can easily be adjusted by adding or removing pattern repeats. Both the belt and the jacket come in sizes S to 3XL. The jacket comes with a finished bust measurement of 92 to 137 cm/36.25 to 54″.

Leaves cover this A-lined jacket knitted in one piece with a false seam in a middle of the stocking stitch panel. The sleeves are knitted in the round with leaves up to the shaping where the lace pattern is changed to reverse stocking stitch. A belt in autumn coloured tweed lengthens the jacket and introduces the orange wrap. Or why not wear the wrap as a belt and opposite. Choose your three favorite colours, then make your outfit.

Here you see the v-neck of the jacket and how I choose to stop the lace pattern when the decreasing interrupted the lace pattern. To avoid the same issue in the sides, I decided to work the a-line side panel in stocking stitch. See the second to last photo.

The body is knitted in one piece to armholes, with a fake seam st in rev st st, then separated into three parts. The sleeves are knitted in the round. The leaf pattern is discontinued where the bind-off intereferes with it on the sleeves and the fronts. The wrap is worked in the round and can easily be adjusted by adding or removing pattern repeats. If your k3tog on the wrap is loose work k2tog and move resulting stitch back to left needle and pass next stitch over. The belt is worked flat.

The set is knitted using 3.5 mm/US 4 and 3 mm/US 2.5 for the button band. Ask from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk is made of 100% Norwegian wool with 315 meters/345 yards on each 100 gram skein. The gauge is 20 stitches and 28 rows in stocking stitch using 3.5 mm/US 4 needles.

The pattern is available in both English and Norwegian on Ravelry – where you can see a number of sets knitted in different colours – and on Loveknitting.

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Strikkekafé at Sandefjord Husflidslag

Posted on February 21, 2018 by Linda Marveng

I was happy to be back at the knit café organised by Sandefjord Husflidslag/Handicraft Association, this time to present my designs and work after my Norwegian knitting book was published in 2012. Last time, I presented my book and brought a number of the garments with me. This time I brought newer designs, a lot of my swatches and skeins of selected yarns. I had also for the first time made a PowerPoint presentation, starting with my job as a design consultant for Rowan Yarns at Peter Jones department store in London. One of the knitters I met years ago when she organised a book presentation for me at Larvik Husflidslag is Nina Hove Myhre, and she used the opportunity to invite Michael and me for dinner before hand. We were delighted to accept, and to meet her newborn son, Olav for the first time as well as seeing her husband again. Above you see Nina to the left, wearing my design Saga and she is talking to her colleague Kari Cotton. I am wearing my Bowery Tunic talking to Hege Marstein who was wearing my design Cable Round Sweater knitted in a lovely green shade.

Michael was my technical support, photographer and roadie. But unfortunately there were an awful lot of photos where I was pulling faces. Here I am talking about the process of submitting a design proposal to the American magazine Interweave knit.wear and showing off the second set of photos taken of the Irina Pullover by photographer Eivind Røhne. After my presentation, I was given a beautiful bouquet of flowers from treasurer Kristin Stolpestad. Next on the agenda was upcoming events and then the raffle draw.

Several of the women present were busy knitting both during my talk and after, I am happy to report. Above you see me with a tea cup in my hand talking to Nina. Olav was sleeping in his pram next to her. Behind us the rail I had brought with a selection of my designs. I loved seeing knitters turn up in my designs and I had a very enjoyable evening!

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Photoshoot at Bøler Church: Bowery Tunic

Posted on February 17, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Several months after the Bowery Tunic came back from its trip to the US and the Interweave offices in Colorado, it was time to photograph it in my chosen style. Bowery Tunic was made for knit.wear Spring/Summer 2017 in the divine Madeline Tosh DK in the hand-dyed colourway of Tern. Model Emma Ross with her flaming red hair – perfected by hair & makeup stylist Sissel Fylling – made it look stunning. I decided to style it with black pencil pants, high heeled shoes by Camilla Skovgaard and Kaja Gjedebo’s aptly named “Amazing Mamas Earrings“. Photographer Eivind Røhne knew exactly where he wanted Emma to stand in the entrance at Bøler Church, so that he could capture the best moments.

A cable panel with electronic vibes is the focus point for this a-line pullover with a longer back ending in a vent in the sides. The collar, just like the bottom edge, is in garter stitch and crowns the garment with its i-cord bind off. The Madeline Tosh DK yarn is made of 100% merino wool with 206 meters/225 yards on each 120 gram skein and comes in an amazing 124 hand-dyed colourways.

The sample is knitted in size M with 105.5 cm/41.5″ bust circumference and modelled with 19 cm/7.5″ of positive ease on Em. The tunic is graded into 6 sizes with a bust circumference from 85 to 136 cm/33.5 to 53.5″. The back is one cable pattern repeat longer than the front, 11 cm/4.25″. It is knitted by yours truly using 4 mm/US 6 with a gauge of 20 stitches and 30 rows in stocking stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square.

The intricate cables are fun to knit in a mixture of rib and garter stitch that moves across both the front and the back of the tunic. I found their volume and texture too much for the sleeves and opted for a garter stitch panel on the center of the sleeve since I do love texture. As you might know I also get easily bored working just in stocking stitch.

I did not intend for the back to be in fade, but considering how popular the trend of fading is – in knitting, that is – I am happy with it. This particular fade is actually a result of not alternating skeins, as you should with hand-dyed yarn. Anyway, I think I will have a go at fade on purpose very soon.

The English pattern is in knit.wear Spring/Summer 2017 available in both a digital and a print edition and it will be added to my Ravelry store at the end of March. You can also buy the German version of the magazine Strickmode. The Norwegian pattern will be published in the special magazine called Familien Strikk out on Monday 12th March.

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Photoshoot at Bøler Church: Melva

Posted on February 14, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Melva, here worn by the gorgeous Emma Ross, is currently being test knitted so the pattern will be launched at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival (EYF) in March. Em’s hair & makeup is by Sissel Fylling and her fantastic jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design. Photographer Eivind Røhne brilliantly captured the scene and made sure the letters “Bø” from “Bøler Kirke” (read: as in “Boo!”) was visible. Named after Melva, Celtic for ruler is this straight sweater with fancy cables at the bottom and the top. Ribbing in the side makes the sweater figure hugging. While the stockinette stitch center panel shows off the stunning hand dyed The Little Grey Sheep, British Stein Fine Wool 4ply. The sleeve mirrors the body, but it is worked flat unlike the body.

Em is wearing size XS with a bust circumference of 88 cm/34.75″ with 2.5 cm/1″ positive ease. I have graded the pattern from size XS to 2XL with a finished bust circumference of 88 to 124 cm/34.75 to 48.75″. I chose to style the pullover with a pair of Prada trousers in a mauve colour, that perfectly matched the nail varnish shade Sissel chose. The shoes, not in any of these photos, are Carla in Wine by Monica Stålvang, just in case you were wondering.

The Little Grey Sheep, British Stein Fine Wool 4ply is made of wool from Emma Boyles’s sheep at Well Manor – a small family farm on the Surrey Hampshire borders in the UK. It is 100% wool with 330 meters/360 yards on each 100 gram skein. I used a 3 mm/US 2.5 needle and got a gauge of 26 stitches and 34 rows in stocking stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square. I wanted a red shade and Emma suggested the shade named Outback and kindly offered to sponsor the yarn.

The delicate and intricate cable is again from Norah Gaughan’s excellent Knitted Cable Sourcebook. The Melva pattern will be released on Ravelry and a sample of the pullover will be on show at The Little Grey Sheep stand at EYF in March.

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