Nora Sweater Pattern Released

Posted on July 23, 2014 by Linda Marveng

Thanks to my test knitters whom assisted in improving my Nora Sweater Pattern and to my vigilant technical editor Heather Zoppetti of Stitch Sprouts. The cover pictures are taken by photographer Kim Müller of dancer, Francesca Golfetto. The English pattern has been released in my Ravelry Store with helpful video links, a schematic and charts. Here is the essential pattern info: A mélange taupe in a delicate fingering weight yarn was chosen for this slightly fitted stylish cable sweater with a shawl collar. I chose a Missoni shaped puffed sleeve for a modern twist but you can chose a set in sleeve option if you prefer. A voluptuous small cable encased by side cables, reverse stocking stitch and double seed stitch was the beginning of this design.

Sizes: S (M, L, XL)

Finished measurements: Bust: 90 (94, 99, 104) cm/35.5 (37, 39, 41)” Waist: 78 (82, 87, 92) cm/30.75 (32.25, 34.25, 36.25)” Hip: 90 (94, 99, 104) cm/35.5 (37, 39, 41)” Length: 56.5 (57.5, 58.5, 59.5) cm/22.25 (22,75, 23, 23.5)” Sleeve length: 46cm/18”

Yarn: BC Garn Semilla Fino in sh ox103 (100% certified ecological wool, 240m/262yds, 50 g): 7 (8, 9, 10) balls; 1560 (1800, 2040, 2280) m/ 1706 (1969, 2231, 2493) yds. BCgarn.

Alternative yarns: Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift (100% wool, 105 m/115 yds, 25 g) Jamiesonsofshetland. Rauma, Røros Lamullsgarn (100% lambswool, 250 m/273 yds, 50 g) Raumaull. Or a similar 4ply/Fingering yarn.

Needles 3 mm/US 2.5 (80 cm/32″) circular needle, 3 mm/US 2.5 (100 cm/40″) circular needle and 3.5 mm/US 4 DPNs or needle to match gauge.

Notions: Cable needle, 2 stitch markers, yarn needle and scrap yarn for running yarn markers.

Gauge 28 sts and 38 rows in reverse stocking stitch measures 10 cm/4″ square. 26 sts and 38 rows in double seed pattern measures 10 cm/4″ square. 40 sts in cable panel on sleeve measures 12 cm/4.75″ wide.

Notes: Sleeves and body are worked in the round until armhole and then are worked back and forth. The large cable on front is changed to small cable with rev st st and dbl seed st before neck shaping. The small cable on the sleeves is the centre of the large cable on the body. The I-cord cast off tightens the collar, so if you prefer to it to lie flatter, bind off in pattern instead. Chose if you want to work a puff sleeve or a set-in sleeve.

Nora Sweater Knitted by Yelena Malcolm Dasher

Posted on July 19, 2014 by Linda Marveng

I was delighted that Yelena Malcolm Dasher wanted to take part in yet another of my test knits, since all her project photos are equally stunning. Just take a look at these photos as well as her project page on Ravelry, where she is ymalcolm. Yelena wanted a rustic yarn for her Nora Sweater, and discovered the Masgot Fine a natural colored French wool by Polo & Co, see their yarn shop at Etsy. She describes the yarn as “a delight – very rustic, but sturdy and not too hard on the hands.” Using a 3.25 mm/US 3, Yelena made size S and chose the set-in sleeve option instead of the puffed sleeve option the sample has, see my blogpost: Photo Shoot Pics Part Four Nora Sweater. The only modification she did was to knit the sleeves top down, instead of bottom-up as described. The pattern was revised during the test knitting, thanks to test knitter Tanja Boukal, aka Tanja7301, who reported that the shawl neck pulled the sweater outwards and suggested narrowing the shoulders together with fewer short rows on the collar, which was done with the help from my tech editor Heather Zoppetti of Stitch Sprouts. I love Yelena’s notes: “Another incredible design from Linda. I love knitting her designs because they are challenging and inventive and I always seem to learn something new or combine techniques in a new way and this pattern was no different”. Here are only two of the brilliant photos of her Distaff, named after the tool used in spinning. I love how Yelena styled her Nora Sweater, and share her love of shoes, as you probably know by now. Do read her blog called Le Pull Juste/The Right Sweater, here: lepulljuste. Thank you so much Yelena!

The Norwegian pattern was printed in the special issue of Familiens Strikkebok published in March, while the English pattern is nearly ready for my Ravelry Store.

Viking Knits & Ancient Ornaments by Elsebeth Lavold

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Linda Marveng

It has been a long wait for a new knitting book by Swedish designer Elsebeth Lavold, since she published the international bestseller Viking Knits in 1998. Her approach as well as use of Viking ornaments is ground breaking. Lavold invented a lifted increase to create interlace patterns rather than just to shape garments and also let the cables do the shaping to a certain degree. I admit I have a special interest, due to my own Norwegian ancestry as well as my love for cables. She has continued to research and work with the ornamental treasures and discovered how multifaceted they are. The book is beautifully photographed and richly illustrated with drawings by her partner Anders Rydell. The book contains 21 patterns; mainly sweaters and jackets for women, accessories, a few children’s garments and only one sweater for men, to some knitters disappointment see the Elsebeth Lavold Fans Group on Ravelry. All the garments are knitted in her own yarn, Elsebeth Lavold Designer’s Choice Yarns, see ingenkonst.se, which she was asked to create after her book success, distributed in the USA by Knitting Fever. And no, I have neither seen nor tested any of them but know them by reputation, especially the Silky Wool which seem to have a large group of admirers. Each chapter covers a group of Viking ornamentation with its history and location of a specific photographed item, in addition to how you would cable it e.g. loops, shown with charts as well as swatches. Not only are the knitting patterns interesting to study, so is all the history, photos, and drawings in this marvelous book. You can have a peak inside the book here: amazon.com. I found my copy at adlibris.com.

Professionally Photographed: Autumn Symphony

Posted on July 12, 2014 by Linda Marveng

I am delighted to show you my Autumn Symphony Jacket with Wrap and Tweed Belt professionally photographed by Petter Berg, the in-house photographer at the magazine Familien. Especially so, since it shows the set worn in different ways. Here is my introduction to the pattern: 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 colors in Ask – Hifa 2, then make your outfit using a 3.5 mm/US 4 knitting needle. I choose three beautiful melange colors but there are many more to choose from here: Ask. The Norwegian pattern will be published in Familien, probably in late September. The English pattern has been test knitted, in stunning color combinations; grey tones with apple green; blue tones; natural tones, lilac plus lime just to mention a few and will be released shortly in my Ravelry Store.

The Jacket and Tweed Belt is available in sizes S (M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL) while the wrap is one size but can easily be adjusted by adding or removing pattern repeats. A few of the test knitters preferred to lengthen the Tweed Belt into a skirt by adding extra length, while others continued to extend their outfit with a hat, wrist warmers and a narrow belt to go with the skirt. I am ever so pleased when I can inspire knitters to make their own modifications and continue with their own designs!

I knitted the body in one piece to the armholes, with a fake seam stitch in reverse stockinette stitch, then separated it into three parts. The sleeves on the other hand are knitted in the round. The leaf pattern is discontinued where the bind-off interferes 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. The belt is worked flat and shaped.

The Lacy Rib pattern on the wrap is easy to memorize unlike the Leaf pattern on the jacket. During test knitting it was discovered that the k3tog is loose and larger than the k3tog tbl, which can be fixed by working k2tog, then move the resulting stitch back to left needle and pass the next stitch over. Or if you prefer, you can choose to adjust the size of the increase by working the second yarn over twice, and then letting the second one off your needle on the next round. You can study my knitted sample in detail above.

For those of you who choose to make the outfit when the pattern is available, I hope you will enjoy doing it as much as I did!

Day Trips on the Fjord

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Linda Marveng

Summer is here, and I have been enjoying several day trips on the Oslo Fjord. The last one was to visit my mum holidaying on Lågøya, an island not far from Drøbak. A short ferry trip is ideal on a hot day, and convenient from Aker Brygge/Wharf going to Lågøya. I spent a day chatting, reading, watching the boats & cruise ships passing by and knitting while listening to wave crashing. Above is a photo of the cottage my mum rented from Statoil, the company she used to work for before she retired. It is quite basic without running water and electricity but charming with a perfect location. Another day trip I have been on was to Drøbak, after receiving an invitation from Thomas Kvist to come and have a look at Mondial’s shade cards. Such a perfect invitation for me at least, not so tempting for my husband who preferred to stay at home. Thomas is now an agent for the Italian yarn brand Mondial, and I was more than happy to come to his childhood home in Drøbak to have a look. Below is a view from his terrace. We looked at the best of Mondial and I soon found my favorites in the luxury selection, just as Thomas had anticipated…

We are experiencing typical Norwegian summer weather at the moment, with rain and sunshine on the same day but with higher temperatures than usual. Leaving Drøbak town centre by bus, the weather had changed see below.

For now I am making sure I enjoy the summer, so you will find me sitting on the terrace knitting.

Oriel Ballerina knitted by Elena Troshina

Posted on July 5, 2014 by Linda Marveng

Russian knitter Elena wanted, to my delight, to take part in the test knitting of the English Oriel Ballerina pattern in my group on Ravelry. I had been admiring her photos on her project page as well as the lace berets she has designed. Elena knitted size Large and tested out two different yarns before she discovered Debbie Bliss Rialto Lace in pure merino in Aqua a shade very similar to the one I choose for the sample called Teal – read Turquoise to me – in Jaggerspun Zephyr Lace a beautiful mixture of merino and tussah silk. Elena wanted a yarn “which emphasized to all the beauty of your design”. I had to include this quote, obviously. She found the pattern clear and easy of follow, I am happy to report. I was overwhelmed by Elena’s gorgeous photos, and I am so pleased to share some of them here. You will find even more on her Ravelry page where her name is Lenta. Thank you so much, Elena! The Norwegian pattern was published in the magazine Made By Me, issue no 1 this year, while the English pattern will be released shortly in my Ravelry shop: ravelry.com/stores/linda-marveng.

The ballerina wrap is knitted using 3 mm/US 2.5 needles in stockinette stitch with garter stitch edges and stunning Oriel Lace sleeves. The body is knitted in pieces and sewn together. Both the tie and the front band is knitted at the same time as the front.

I chose to end the outer Oriel Lace pattern repeats at the top of the sleeve cap and made pleats at the top, while Elena chose to work the lace to the end without pleating the cap. These are small adjustments you easily can do to make the garment perfect for you. Here is a link to the pattern page: Oriel Ballerina.

Tudor Roses by Alice Starmore

Posted on July 2, 2014 by Linda Marveng

This is so much more than a knitting book. It encapsulates English history, fashion and photography inspired by members of the Tudor Dynasty and yet it is all knitting by Alice Starmore and her daughter Jade Starmore. Both are famous for their exceptional stranded color work designs. Each Tudor is presented by a model, especially cast for the role, wearing a stunning knitted garment, an elaborate hair style, amazing modern jewelry, and a gorgeous evening gown. Not unlike how a portrait of that time would be planned and staged. The book is naturally cloth bound, hard cover, richly illustrated with a picture quality usually preserved for expensive art books. It is a knitting book in its own league and a lavish vision, so far above all others. Even the pattern layout is rich with large charts and extremely detailed schematics. The amount of white space on each page is nothing short of liberating. Tudor Roses is a book you indulge in, and it is utterly captivating. You can see all the garments on Virtual Yarns as well as the yarns used: Tudor Roses. You will find it for sale online and have a look at the introductory pages at amazon.co.uk and at adlibris.com where I found my copy.

I found these excellent quotes under story on Virtual Yarns: “My daughter Jade and I decided to tell the stories of fourteen women connected with the Tudor dynasty; women who in some way made a stand and chose their own paths – for good or ill. If these renaissance women were not allowed to write their own stories, and their painted portraits were often idealised, how could we know what they were really like? That is the question we sought to answer in creating Tudor Roses. Our approach was to put ourselves in their place; to stand in their shoes; to blend history and imagination; to weave a narrative around the known facts of their lives. We planned to deliver this narrative in a unique manner, using not just writing but photography, art and the only medium through which our subjects could leave a lasting physical record in their world – needlework.”

“Jade undertook fourteen photoshoots, using a different model to play each of our Tudor subjects. The evocation of character was considered when constructing the photographic sets, as each of our dramatis personæ has her own distinct colour scheme, designed to project an aspect of her personality and story. We both took pains to balance the historical with the modern; the garments I created are eminently wearable today, while Jade’s photographs are in the style of renaissance portraits but have a contemporary twist. As a final detail, we enlisted students of silversmithing at City of Glasgow College to produce Tudor-themed jewellery that can be worn by modern women.”

“The result is a unique book that transcends the traditional knitting market. Tudor Roses will appeal to aficionados of art photography, of history, and of fabric and costume. It is also a volume for book-lovers, classically designed on a page size that allows unstinted white space. Jade and I are grateful to Calla Editions for granting such a generous canvas on which to paint our joint vision.” Yes, I agree to all of that, and have been looking at Calla Editions: “This premium imprint features impeccable hardcover reproductions of some of the most beautiful books ever published. Filled with breathtaking artwork and other deluxe features, each Calla Edition recalls a time when bookmaking was considered an art form”. End of story.

Familien Strikkebok Photoshoot: Shawl Sleeves

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Linda Marveng

Last but certainly not least in this series of patterns to be printed in the separate issue Strikkebok by Familien in the end of August is the Shawl Sleeves. I knew the color of melange corn yellow in Ask by Hifa, combined with Leyburn – a yellow ochre – in Rowan Fine Tweed would suit dancer Francesca Golfetto brilliantly, since I had seen her perform in an evening gown of the same color, and attract knitters. If you wonder how they work here is my introduction: A sleeve that ends in a shawl, worked in reversible cables with two very different sides and lined by checks, made to drape and pin together as you wish. The cables are worked half in rib, half in reverse stockinette stitch, and provides a soft contrast to the curvy checks. Knit in the round to the armhole, then flat on the shawl to the hem at the end. This is a conceptual accessory with a modern shape. Wear one around your neck and the other one on your arm, or both as sleeves and drape as you please. You can also easily adjust the length of the shawl. Stunningly photographed by Kim Müller and gorgeously styled by Line Sekkingstad. The English pattern will be published in my Ravelry Store.

I have made the Shawl Sleeves pattern in sizes: S/M (L/XL, 2XL), with differences in sleeve width, length and shawl length. Check the length by draping and pinning towels – yes, a common approach for me – before you buy your yarn so that you are able to adjust the length of sleeve and shawl.

Using 4 mm/US 6, the sleeves are worked in the round from the bottom with a hem to the armhole bind-off. Then you cast on for a shawl edge and increase a few stitches to reach full shawl width. The only sewing required is attaching the beginning of the shawl edge to the armhole.

I am very grateful to Airin Hansen who knitted these shawl sleeves for me. I believe they would look magnificent in a much finer yarn with a much longer shawl part too, but I feel in love with the color and yarn combination I had discovered.

And of course: a photo with the Benedetta boots by Monica Stålvang, who made this outfit so marvelous in my opinion.

Familiens Strikkebok Photoshoot: Curvy Check Cowl and Wrist Warmers

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Linda Marveng

Which color do I want for a cowl and wrist warmers, I asked myself a few months back. The answer came instantly: Orange since it is so lovely together with black and other dark colors as well as giving a boost of energy on dark winter days. The new shade Tissington in Rowan Fine Tweed was just like a magnet pulling me in, and held together with melange Orange Ask from Hifa with its magnificent luster, I had made my ideal orange tweed. A 4 mm/US 6 needle was perfect and resulted in a dense Worsted/Aran gauge of 18 stitches and 26 rounds. A simple pattern would show off the tweed, so I choose the Curvy Checks which is fun to knit, and creates a lovely texture with hems in stockinette stitch that I decided to sew up at the end. Fortunately, my neighbor Karin Elise Placht offered to help me knit this set. Here it is beautifully worn by dancer Francesca Golfetto, stunningly styled by Line Sekkingstad and brilliantly photographed by Kim Müller. The Norwegian pattern will be printed in the separate magazine Strikkeboka by Familien in late August while the English pattern will be published in my Ravelry Store.

During our hunt for places to photograph in the shadow at Tjuvholmen, the outer tip of Aker Brygge/Wharf, we discovered this covered walkway next to the entrance of the Astrup Fearnley Museum.

We had a fun day as you can see! My husband, assisting Kim, was also instructing Francesca how to pose and to reveal more of her perfectly toned body while Line and I just marveled looking at her. Next in this Familiens Strikkebok Photoshoot series is the Shawl Sleeves and that concludes the designs to be published in this magazine.

Familiens Strikkebok Photoshoot: Zest Shawl and Cowls

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Linda Marveng

I had Francesca’s dark colors in mind when I chose the yarn colors and I knew the dark lime color as well as the cable structure of the Rowan Softknit Cotton yarn would look fabulous on her. I was not mistaken. The shawl is rectangular so that it can easily be buttoned into a shrug with 8 two toned colored mother of pearl buttons from Perlehuset – spot on color – hence making it look like a bolero. As a decorative collar why not add a cowl or two. I decided to make a smaller one in addition for those extra cool evenings when layering is best. The shawl and large cowl are knitted, using 4.5 mm/US 7, by test knitter Airin Hansen, who I could not have done without, since I was busy knitting the coats. The Norwegian pattern will be published in the separate issue of Familien, called Familiens Strikkebok out in late August while the English pattern will be published in my Ravelry Store. Dancer Francesca Golfetto was brilliantly photographed by Kim Müller and had her make up and hair beautifully styled by Line Sekkingstad. The gorgeous boots, perfectly named Benedetta-Boots, are by Monica Stålvang.

The shawl and cowls are made in a two row lace pattern with garter stitch edges in the cotton which is soft to knit with, and rather quick with due to its cable structure. I chose to knit both cowls flat and sew them up instead of changing the stitch pattern.

The stitch pattern is one of those that looks great on the wrong side too, even though it is flatter in structure than on the right side. You can easily adjust the width and the length of the shawl and the cowls. I discovered that I needed to bind off with a few extra yarn overs on the small cowl to make the bind off as elastic as the cast on.

I have named the set “Zest” for its color and the vigor I believes it gives. There are two more designs in this series, one I have not shown you previously, and the Shawl sleeves.