Familien Trend Photoshoot: Hillevi

Posted on March 25, 2015 by Linda Marveng

I am delighted to show you how elegantly my scarf Hillevi can be worn. Gorgeous model Alexandria Eissinger at Pholk, with beautiful hair and make-up by Sissel Fylling, is wearing a divine pleated deep olive silk dress with a blue reflection by Judith Bech, with the scarf elegantly on top, brilliantly captured by Eivind Røhne who suggested the bar at Hvalstrand Bad as the backdrop. The statement bracelet is Monies, and unfortunately you can not see the stunning shoes by Monica Stålvang in these photos. Hillevi is part of my Nordic Vintage series recently published in Norwegian in the new magazine Familien Trend.

My introduction to Hillevi: A reversible scarf with a large shawl collar in a self-made tweed mixture of Rowan Lima and Rowan Fine Tweed. Two staghorn cables form the stitch pattern combined with garter stitch edges and shawl collar. Wear it as a scarf with the collar tight around your neck, or as a shawl with the collar around your shoulders. You can even wear it upside down with the collar as a shaped curve, or as a top around your bust pinned together with a shawl pin. We had only time for these two different wearing options at the photoshoot, but you can see me wearing it with all the options in this blogpost: New Design: Hillevi. The English pattern will be released on Ravelry after it has been test knitted in my group.

Familien Trend Photoshoot: Freja

Posted on March 21, 2015 by Linda Marveng

My design Freja, worn by model Alexandria Eissinger at Pholk looking like a goddess, with a stunning fringe skirt with a train by Judith Bech, beautiful hair and make-up by Sissel Fylling, and captured by Eivind Røhne. No wonder it was chosen as the introduction to our Nordic Vintage series in the recent Norwegian magazine Familien Trend. Freja, named after the goddess of love with the added meaning of like a lady, is knitted with a longer back shaped at the bottom. Three Lace panels adorn the sleeveless top with garter stitch bands and vents in the side. A fine tweed yarn is held together with an alpaca lace yarn, with a chain construction, to create a fabric with beautiful stitch definition and a slight halo.

I was enchanted with the result of combining Dreamline Soul, a fine lace weight alpaca mix in tonal colors from Du Store Alpakka with Merino Tweed, a fingering/4-ply yarn from Pickles in the same range of shades of light turquoise. Using a 4 mm/US 6, I got a gauge similar to a thick DK with 20 sts and 30 rows in stockinette stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square. The top is knitted flat in two pieces, while the armhole and neck band are worked in the round. The bottom of the back is shaped by short rows in garter stitch before the decreases are worked in between the lace panels. Both parts have edge stitches in garter stitch at the bottom for the vents.

I made a chocker to go with the top using one lace panel with garter stitch all around. 3 snap fasteners where sewed onto the chocker for closure. The chocker is one size but can easily be adjusted by adding or removing garter stitch rows as well as pattern repeats. The top is made in size XS to 2XL with a finished bust circumference of 84 to 126 cm/33 to 49.5″.

Above is another gorgeous photo Eivind took, I could not resist! Why? Because, here you see the train on the skirt, and how the back of the top mimics it, at least it does in my imagination. I would like to have the English pattern test knitted before it is released in my Ravelry store. In the meantime I will show you some more of the fantastic photos Eivind took.

Familien Trend Photoshoot: Jacket in Cross

Posted on March 18, 2015 by Linda Marveng

Jacket in Cross is one of my favorite patterns from my Norwegian knitting book: “To rett en vrang. Designstrikk“, and I do wear it for special occasions during the summer such as the meeting with former editor Mary-Ann Astrup of Made by Me and the two designers I had selected to work with; dress designer Judith Bech and shoe designer Monica Stålvang, last July at Egmont Publishing. Hence the jacket became picked to be included in the Nordic Vintage series, published in February in the Norwegian magazine Familien Trend which took over from Made by Me. We choose a cream thai silk dress designed by Judith to be worn under it. Gorgeous model Alexandria Eissinger at Pholk was beautiful hair and make-up by Sissel Fylling and brilliantly captured by photographer Eivind Røhne who suggested the yellow column as the background.

The statement necklace dates back to my first photoshoot for my book, and has been worn regularly ever since. Yes, I could not bare to deliver it back after loaning it for the photoshoot and had to buy it. The design is by the Danish company Monies who specializes in statement jewelry made by natural materials. The cream color suits the taupe colored Tencel 8/2, a new form of viscose, yarn from the American company Valley Yarns and owners of WEBS, one of the largest online stores in the USA. I discovered the tencel yarn at Handweavers Studio in London and love the silky feel as well as its sheen. The jacket is knitted using 3 mm/US 2.5 and 2.5 mm/US 1.5 with the yarn held double. The sleeves are knitted in the round, while the body is worked in parts and sewn together at the end. I have revised the pattern and added sizes XS (Alexandria is wearing size S with the long sleeves, which can be adjusted if preferred) and XL, to fit bust from 82 to 114 cm/32.25″ to 45″. The English pattern will be released soon with a detailed schematic on Ravelry. Watch this space.

On a Sofa at the Archive

Posted on March 14, 2015 by Linda Marveng

“To rette en vrang“/Knit two, purl one, is not only my Norwegian book title but also the name given to a talk I went to at Riksarkivet/The National Archives last Tuesday. Why has knitting become so popular in Norway was the question asked and how did it start? “The knitting wave is washing across the country. People are taking out their knitting everywhere, they blog about it and exchange knitting tips across the continents. But how much do we actually know about our own knitting history? Norwegian textile- and clothing history is in focus this evening.” Journalist and passionate knitter Kristian Elster lead the talk with Curator at KODE – The Art Museums in Bergen – Anne Britt Ylvisåker and Ethnologist Ingun Grimstad Klepp. The simple answer from Ylvisåker is that we know very little about our own Norwegian knitting history because the definition of the term “knitting” is so wide; it include numerous other handicraft techniques and in addition the fragments that are found are not necessarily made by Norwegians. Above is the well filled entrance hall of the impressive building at Sognsvann in Oslo, see the facade here: www.statsbygg.no. It came as no surprise, to me, that this was a new attendance record in their series of talks.

I did not even sit on the first row as you can see from above. Riksarkivet have their own You Tube Channel where you can watch all their “I en sofa på Arkivet” talks in Norwegian, including this one: www.youtube.com. What we do know is that knitting in Norway was done in the 1500 century, and began with poor people knitting socks out of necessity. It was not until the early 1900 century that it became more popular and that the gentry began knitting, but this time in fine cotton and delicate items to prove that this was not because it was an essential item but merely for pure pleasure. Just as knitting is today, and the popularity of all the different Facebook groups like “Koftegruppa” was mentioned due to its large number of members, with more than 36 000 members. Klepp does not believe it is only a wave but something much more permanent and sustainable. Knitters will also become even more aware of the origin plus material of their yarn in the future, predicted Klepp, and compared it to recent food discussions. Ylvisåker believes the rise of the knitting popularity began in the post war years with the nation building. At a time when the enjoyment of the outdoors flourished and dexterity was in demand. Knitting was no exception hence the knitting patterns became public.

Above, is one of Riksarkivet’s photos of Ingun Grimstad Klepp wearing a Fanakofte with crocheted sleeves, Anne Britt Ylvisåker and Kristian Elster wearing a Marius Genser. Klepp told us how she rescues UFO’s found at flea markets, imagines what the knitter’s intention originally was before it was abandoned, and then decides how to re-design it, all on a much smaller scale than artist Kari Steihaug did for her book, see my review here: Archive: The Unfinished Ones. After the talk had finished questions from the audience were answered, but not all were equally easy to answer like when did our tradition with using a sewing machine before steeking – cutting open a colorwork body to make a cardigan begin? Read more about Klepp and her book Ren Ull/Pure Wool here: Ulluka Campaign for Wool Week. It was an enjoyable evening spent knitting in the company of many others.

New Design: Hennika

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Linda Marveng

A lace pattern with Gotic shapes adorn this bolero, which has a scarf collar where the pointed arches reigns. Hennika is a name with Gothic origin and means master of the house. The bolero is tapered and worked in pieces, while the sleeves are worked in the round. Wear the collar lying flat or folded in half lengthwise to add volume and close it with a shawl pin or a beautiful brooch. Hennika is knitted in the bouncy Hifa Ask in a lovely Melange Farmblue color using 3.5 mm/US 4. Hennika was designed cropped to fit with Judith Bech’s long light blue halter neck tulle gown in our series Nordic Vintage in Familien Trend.

I chose to knit the sleeves in the round while the body parts are worked in pieces from the bottom and up. On both fronts and back I added columns of lace as found inside the main lace pattern, I named Girlander to avoid solid stockinette stitch parts. On the sleeves on the other hand I worked the inside in stockinette stitch. The collar is knitted in two parts, joined using a 3-needle bind-off or grafting, then sewn in place.

The collar looks even better when it is folded as above, I think. As you can see I did not use a mirror when I put it on, hence the fronts are not level, and the bolero is not pulled down as it should be. The body and the sleeves have hems while the scarf collar has only a few rows of garter stitch to keep it flat. To make the bolero appear longer I decided to photograph it together with Gyda Cowl, initially called Butterfly Cowl based on its butterfly lace panels. The cowl is straight and one size but can easily be adjusted by adding or removing lace panels as well as reverse stockinette stitches in between those to make it fit you.

The bolero appears very cropped on my long back, and looks better worn with a wider skirt or dress, in my opinion. The photos are, as usual taken by my husband in our garden, in early September last year. I will release the English pattern after test knitting in my Ravelry group, date is not yet set but it will be after Honeysuckle Shawl and Saga Jacket which are the next test knits to begin. Now that you have seen all the new designs as they look on me, I am ready to show you each one gorgeously worn by model Alexandria Eissinger, brilliantly captured by photographer Eivind Røhne.

Bespoke Buttons by Siri Berrefjord

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Linda Marveng

Part 2: Yes, I cannot stop ordering bespoke buttons. Just like knitting, it becomes an addiction to have small bespoke pieces of jewelry sewn onto a knitted jacket – see my design Icelandic Jacket. The progress is easy, I merely bring my swatch to Jewelry Designer Siri Berrefjord, ask for small, medium or large buttons and how many I need. In addition I usually beg Siri, who also is a brilliant photographer, to take some pictures of the buttons placed on my swatch. If you where wondering why the photos are so good, it is because she is a trained photographer. I ordered 3 buttons for the Gyda Jacket, and 6 for the accompanying belt, all medium size: 13 mm/0.5”. Siri captured the color of the jacket and the belt, knitted in Hifa Ask magnetically as usual. All are remakes of traditional historic national costume silver in plastic. A number of ready made buttons and jewelry are for sale on Epla under the name Siri’s Skattkammer/Siri’s Treasure Trove.

The photos also capture the yarn texture and show off both the cables and the tweed in all their beauty. The brown chestnut color chosen for the cowl is made of one strand of Hifa Huldra Kamgarn intended for machine knitting combined with Du Store Alpakka, Dreamline Soul.

The test knitting of the Gyda Jacket and Gyda Cowl has recently started in my group on Ravelry. Do join us or follow if you are interested. The English patterns will be released when the test knit is complete. The Norwegian pattern is part of the Nordic Vintage series in Familien Trend that came out on Monday 23. February.

New Design: Honeysuckle Shawl

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Linda Marveng

I love the lush and fairly thick cotton with its cable twist from Rowan Yarns, aptly called Softknit Cotton. Available in lovely bright colors but also several beautiful neutrals like Silver, a grayish white in my opinion, with 105 m/115 yds on a 50 g skein made of 92% cotton and 8% polyamide. I picked a lovely lace pattern which is equally beautiful on both sides and decided to make a rectangular shawl that can be buttoned into a shrug with a matching cowl and stylish belt made up of a hem in stockinette stitch: Honeysuckle Shawl. All perfect accessories to a stunning dress by Judith Bech and wonderful shoes by Monica Stålvang, to be part of the Nordic Vintage series recently published in the Norwegian magazine Familien Trend.

I named the design Honeysuckle, inspired by its climbing, and its similarities to the lace pattern itself. Above it is worn without the cowl. Both the shawl and the belt is knitted flat, while the cowl is worked in the round. The shawl and the cowl with their lace patterns are worked using a 4.5 mm/US 7 while the belt is firmly knitted using a 4 mm/US 6 to avoid stretching out of shape. I was fortunate to have help knitting the shawl and the cowl by skilled knitter Airin Hansen, aka Teodor on Ravelry.

You can easily adjust the width of the shawl and the circumference of the cowl by removing or adding pattern repeats of 16-sts. Eyelets in the lace pattern is used as buttonholes. The belt is designed to wrap twice around the waist and then be tied. It is worked like a hem in stockinette stitch and cast on using two circular needles held parallel. Adjust the length of the belt by measuring your waist and add prefered tying length. The belt can also be pinned together with a stunning brooch if preferred. All the photos here of me wearing it, were taken in our garden last August by my husband.

Here you can see the buttons I chose, and how the lace patterns works as buttonholes. I plan to have the shawl test knitted in my group on Ravelry before I release it in English as a downloadable pdf. The test knit will start shortly. I look forward to showing you the brilliant photos Eivind Røhne took of gorgeous model Alexandria Eissinger from Pholk wearing the Honeysuckle Shawl with the intended dress by Judith Bech and shoes by Monica Stålvang.

New Design: Bech

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Linda Marveng

I was smitten by Judith Bech’s halterneck dress, even though the first one I saw was a shop sample made in cotton, at the Made by Me planning meeting last July. Former editor Mary-Ann Astrup suggested grey silk to match my lace swatch and Judith obliged, with a stunning result. My swatch was made of a solid grey in a beautiful pure combed wool Huldra Kamgarn from Hifa combined with a tonal grey in a luscious alpaca mixture Dreamline Soul, from Du Store Alpakka knitted on a 4 mm/US 6. The name for the design had to be Bech after the dress. A shawl to cover the bare back together with loose sleeves to warm the arms, and a belt that could also be worn around your neck as a piece of knitted jewelry, tied or pinned together with a brooch was my design idea. But would the dress not look fabulous with a shawl collar too? Of course it would, hence the shawl must be given a collar.

The collar can be folded down when you wear the shawl around your shoulders or if you wear it close around your neck as a scarf. I decided to knit the collar in garter stitch as a contrast to the lace stitch with its parts of stockinette stitch, and to finish the collar with an i-cord bind off. As a divider between the stitch patterns I made a tuck and I prefer to make it using two circular knitting needles held parallel on the first row or round and then use the second needle as a stitch holder until the tuck is complete instead of picking up stitches on the wrong side afterwards.

The loose sleeves begin with five tucks that adorn the hands before you knit a purl band to add some texture before the lace pattern begins. On the inside of the sleeves is stockinette stitch so that you can easily increase to the full width. I did not want to end the loose sleeves with a rib and decided that a hem where I could insert a thin round elastic would be the best solution. The belt is all about tucks and related to the loose sleeves. I was so delighted that Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry, could assist and knit the belt since I had too many other parts to knit.

Above the shawl is worn with the collar hanging down. The hem is curved by the lace pattern and gives a dramatic wavy edge. As you can see in the photo above, I have pinned it quite loosely with a shawl pin.

The view from the back shows the shaping of the collar and the i-cord bind off. By wearing the shawl low on the shoulders the loose sleeves look attached to the shawl, making it appear as a bolero from a distance and not as several loose parts. You can also see how I just pulled the ties into the belt at the top. If you preferred you could easily add hooks instead of ties on the belt.

The shawl can also be worn as a top, wrapped around the body and pinned in place with the collar hanging down making a lovely curve. Then the belt can worn as a necklace, tied together. This is not my idea but given to me by redesign stylist Makeløs/Remarkable Kristin Elise Halkjelsvik who suggested it for the first belt I made in this style to the Lyre Bolero. The improvements I made on the Bech belt is that I designed it with even more tuck and made the last tuck which is the tie strings even longer.

Last view, is of the back with the shawl worn as a top with the collar down and the belt as a necklace. All these photos were as usual taken by my husband, while Eivind Røhne has taken brilliant professional ones of the gorgeous model Alexandria Eissinger from Pholk, see my blogpost: sneak-peak-of-made-by-me-designs and more photos will come. The Norwegian pattern was published on Monday as part of the series Nordic Vintage in Familien Trend, the magazine that takes over from Made by Me, and can be found in selected supermarkets and newsagents all over Norway. The English pattern will be released on Ravelry after it has been test knitted in my group.

Familien Trend February 2015

Posted on February 25, 2015 by Linda Marveng

The new Norwegian magazine; Familien Trend that takes over from Made by Me came out on Monday. My series called Nordic Vintage which includes 10 designs is part of it, and Saga has made it on the cover, worn over a stunning dress by Judith Bech with outstanding shoes by Monica Stålvang, by gorgeous model Alexandria Eissinger at Pholk, beautiful hair and make-up by Sissel Fylling, captured by brilliant photographer Eivind Røhne at Hvalstrand Bad. In addition to jewelry by Kaja Gjedebo and bespoke buttons by Siri Berrefjord. I am so thrilled with the result as well as the feedback I have received for this series, and hope to work with this fantastic team again! Thank you!

The series was commissioned by the skilled former editor Mary-Ann Astrup of Made by Me, now in charge of Egmont Publishing’s handicraft blog Tusenideer.no, and presented by her: “The stitch patterns in these unique garments have clear lines going back to Norse tradition and the intricate patterns we see in the Dragon Style. Paired with gorgeous dresses in Norwegian design, the goddess look becomes complete.”

Freja Top and Chocker: A stunning skirt with a train by Judith Bech, deserves a top with a train. Freja, named after the goddess of love with the added meaning of like a lady, is knitted with a longer back shaped at the bottom. Three Lace panels adorn the sleeveless top with garter stitch bands and vents in the side. A fine tweed yarn is held together with an alpaca lace yarn, with a chain construction, to create a fabric with beautiful stitch definition and a slight halo.

Yarn: Du Store Alpakka, Dreamline Soul held together with Pickles Merino Tweed. Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL). Model is wearing size S. Difficulty level: 4.

Eira Cowl and Belt: A sporty looking cowl with a matching belt knitted in a reverisble rice pattern closed with snap fasteners was the idea for Eira; A Norse name meaning merciful. A thin drapey mercerized cotton called Hifa, Perle, held doubled, seemed ideal for these accessories.

Yarn: Hifa, Perle held double. Size: One Size. Difficulty level: 2.

The bangle is privately owned. Shoes by Monica Stålvang.

Honeysuckle Shawl, Cowl and Belt: Inspired by the climbing of the Honeysuckle is this lace pattern which adorns a soft summer shawl that can be buttoned into a shrug. Like Honeysuckle it is equally beautiful on both sides. Wear it with a cowl as a collar and a stylish belt in stockinette stitch. The belt is worked as a hem and can either be tied or pinned together with a stunning brooch. Knit all parts in the cozy Rowan Softknit Cotton.

Yarn: Rowan Softknit Cotton. Size: One Size. Difficulty level: 4.

Atika Cowl and Loose Sleeves: A cowl to warm your shoulders or your neck. Or why not wear it as top with matching loose sleeves gracing a stunning dress like this designed by Judith Bech. Both the cowl and the loose sleeves are knitted in the round using a beautiful reversible stitch pattern called Hearts of Oak with both texture and a drapy edge. Make your own perfect yarn by combining a lace weight yarn like the luscious Dreamline Soul from Du Store Alpakka with a fingering yarn like Merino Tweed from Pickles.

Yarn: Du Store Alpakka, Dreamline Soul held together with Pickles Merino Tweed. Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL) Model is wearing size S. Difficulty level: 4.

The divine jewelry:
Kaja Gjedebo
The earrings and ring you see worn by the model above is designed by Kaja Gjedebo under the brand KGD. Kaja says she is not lead by trends, but by personal interests. The result is elegant and timeless jewelry that combines natural shapes with delicate constructions. See more on www.kgd.no.

Hillevi Scarf : A reversible scarf with a large shawl collar in a self-made tweed mixture of Rowan Lima and Rowan Fine Tweed. Two staghorn cables form the stitch pattern combined with garter stitch edges and shawl collar. Wear it as a scarf with the collar tight around your neck, or as a shawl with the collar around your shoulders. You can even wear it upside down with the collar as a shaped curve, or as a top around your bust pinned together with a shawl pin.

Yarn: Rowan Lima held together with Rowan Fine Tweed. Size: One Size. Difficulty level: 3.

Gyda Jacket: Cables that create diamond shapes adorn this fitted jacket on all its parts. A deep v-neck and a button band with three bespoke buttons by Siri Berrefjord make it suitable to wear on top of any treasured outfit. The fronts and back are knitted flat, while the sleeves are knitted in the round, all in the bouncy pure wool melange Ask – Hifa 2.

Yarn: Hifa Ask. Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL). Difficulty level: 4.

Gyda Cowl and Belt: A belt in tweed pattern lengthens the jacket and introduces the brown cowl. You can also wear the cowl as a belt and the belt as a large collar.

Yarn: Hifa Ask. Huldra Kamgarn held together with Du Store Alpakka, Dreamline Soul. Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL). Difficulty level: 4.

The nice buttons:
Siri Berrefjord
The buttons on this set are designed by Siri Berrefjord. They are casts of antique national costume silver. The jewelry is available for sale at Designerkollektivet, Norway Designs in Oslo and Trondheim, Sugarshop Bislett and Briskly, Maihaugen at Lillehammer and Galleri Osebro in Porsgrunn. See more at www.fredenshavn.no.

Saga Jacket with Extra collar/Belt: Inspired by the ancient sagas, I have designed a warm jacket with cross chain link cables that prepares you for the battle of the winter or for a cold Northern summer day. The jacket is straight and closed with three large bespoke buttons at the top, with cross chain link cables continuing across the saddle shoulders. The standing collar is a cable knitted separately and attached at the end. I knitted a second loose collar you can use as a belt if you prefer. The vivid melange color and lovely texture is created by holding Rowan Lima and Hifa Pelsull together.

Yarn: Hifa Norsk Pelsull/Pelt wool held together with Rowan Lima. Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL) Model is wearing size S. Difficulty level: 4.

The standing collar is knitted in cables separately, and attached afterwards. The extra collar is loose, and it can be worn as a belt if you prefer.

Hennika Bolero: A lace pattern with Gotic shapes adorn this bolero, which has a scarf collar where the pointed arches reigns. Hennika is a name with Gothic origin and means master of the house. The bolero is tapered and worked in pieces, while the sleeves are worked in the round. Wear the collar lying flat or folded in half lengthwise to add volume and close it with a shawl pin or a beautiful brooch.

Yarn: Hifa Ask. Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL). Model is wearing size S. Difficulty level: 4.

The lovely dresses
Judith Bech Designs
Judith designs fairytale bridal gowns and ballgowns with cool details and beautiful silhouettes. She likes to combine new and old style, and the fabrics are either made by her or antique Victorian fabrics from England. Do you want to see more of what she makes? Check out her Facebook page: Judith Bech Design.

The belt made of tucks can also be worn around your neck as knitted jewelry, pinned together with a delicate brooch.

Bech Shawl, Loose Sleeves and Belt: A stunning halterneck silk dress with a high waist and bare back, handprinted by Judith Bech inspired Linda to design a shawl, loose sleeves and a matching belt to accessorize it. By combining a beautiful pure combed wool called Huldra from Hifa with the luscious Dreamline Soul from Du Store Alpakka, she found a rich yarn shade and texture. Use the shawl with a shawl collar around your neck, shoulders, bust or upside down, just as you prefer.

Yarn: Hifa, Huldra Kamgarn held together with Du Store Alpakka, Dreamline Soul. Sizes: S/M (L/XL, 2XL) Difficulty level: 3.

The knitted garments
Linda Marveng
Intricate and beautiful cable patterns characterizes Linda’s knit designs. See more on her blog: www.marveng-puckett.com/wordpress/ and www.ravelry.com/groups/linda-marveng.

The divine shoes
Monica Stålvang Lange
The shoes in this series are by Monica Stålvang Shoes. They are clear-cut and urban in their style. The collections are designed in Norway, but produced in Italy in the best leather quality and often in uncommon combinations. www.monica-stalvang.com.

Jacket in Cross: Missoni’s thin and featherlight garments inspired me to design this jacket that can be tied in the back or front. I chose a neutral but fashionable color, namely Taupe in a thin Tencel yarn, a newer form of viscose, knit double with a divine gloss. The pattern creates an intricate cross effect and looks a lot more complicated than it is to knit. Extra long sleeves adorn the hands.

Yarn: Valley Yarns, Tencel 8/2 held double. Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL). Difficulty level: 3.

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The magazine, Familien Trend, is available in selected supermarkets and newsagents all over Norway. If you live abroad and read Norwegian, or simply are desperate to get your hands on it, you can order a copy and receive an invoice for the magazine plus postage from Customer Services by e-mailing: kari.bachke@egmont.com. Do also check this link to see if it has become available as an iPad app: www.klikk.no/produkthjemmesider/familien/.

The photographer Eivind Røhne has also written a blogpost about the photo shoot with additional new photos available here: erohne.wordpress.com/2015/02/23/nordic-vintage/

All the patterns will be released in English. I will publish Jacket in Cross and Eira shortly, but want to organize test knits for the remaining patterns, beginning with Gyda in the beginning of March.

New Design: Saga

Posted on February 21, 2015 by Linda Marveng

Cross Chain Link Cables became like an obsession for me after I discovered them in one of Barbara Walker’s magnificent stitch dictionaries. They require 2 cable needles and full concentration for a short period of time before addiction sets in, at least that is what happened to me. How could I show off their playfulness in the best possible light? What yarn? You know me, it did take two different yarns to find the texture and vibrant color I wanted. But then I captured the essence of a deep ocean blue, by combining the alpaca soft Rowan Lima in the shade Amazon and the bouncy Hifa Norsk Pelsull/Pelt wool in the shade Jeansblue. The chunky knit using 5.5 mm/US 9 lets the cables pop, next to stockinette stitch and double seed stitch. Saga, inspired by the ancient sagas, was born in the shape of a jacket, knitted straight and closed with three large bespoke buttons at the top by Siri Berrefjord.

To do the cross chain link cables justice I had to let them continue across a saddle shoulder from the bottom of the sleeve. The round neckline demanded a stand-up mandarin like collar, and I knitted it double to make sure it would be standing firmly. It is knitted separately and attached at the end. An extra loose collar, you can wear as a neck tie or attach snap fasteners and wear it as a belt. The collar has one band of cables, while the extra loose collar has two.

To make sure the cables would keep their texture to the end, I gathered them just before final bind off by knitting them together. The back has four cables, while each front has two cables each just as the sleeves. The jacket comes in size XS to 2XL with a finished bust measurement of 86 to 126 cm/33.75 to 49.5″. I knitted a size S, so both Alexandria and I are wearing it, she with a lot more positive ease than on me.

I decided to knit the sleeves in the round while I knitted the back and the fronts flat. The Norwegian pattern is part of the Nordic Vintage series published in Familien Trend on 23. February, while the English pattern will be test knitted before it is released. Below is one of my photos from the fashion shoot showing talented stylist Sissel Fylling and gorgeous model Alexandria Eissinger at Pholk in action.

If you are on Ravelry you can now see all my designs in Familien Trend, with all their essential pattern information. Very soon I will show you all the 12 pages in Familien Trend.