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New Design: Mella

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The third new design made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk is a sweater. Mella, Norse for knot, is a straight cabled pullover. A wide central cable panel adorns the center of the body and the sleeves. Boxes of garter stitches interfere with the cables and erase half the cable. The sleeves have garter stitch edging while the front and back fade into a check pattern. The sweater ends in a crew neck decorated with an I-cord. Mella is knitted in the bouncy Sølje pelt wool from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.

The sample was skilfully knitted by Grete Jenssen, aka ma9, in size Small in a Dusty Air-blue. In these photos, taken by Michael at the beach in Ørje, you see me wearing beautiful silver rings by Kaja Gjedebo Design and the sample with 4 cm/1.5″ positive ease. I have graded Mella in sizes XS to 5XL with a bust circumference of 85 to 165 cm/33.5 to 65″. The gauge is 24 stitches and 32 rows in stockinette stitch measures 10 cm/4″ square using 3 mm/US 2.5 needle.

The pullover is worked back and forth in separate pieces and seamed. The neckband is worked in the round. Stitches are picked up and knitted from the first round of the neckband for the I-cord bind off decoration. 

The English and Norwegian pattern will be released after test knitting beginning on February 7th, while the yarn kit with either an English or a Norwegian pattern will be launched at the beginning of September. Before then, I will show you how it looked on the gorgeous model Aksa Mortensen from our photoshoot in late May.

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Photoshoot at Hvalstrand Bad: Syrin Shrug

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Finally, the time has come to begin to show you the magnificent photos Eivind Røhne took of model Aksa Mortensen, with hair & make-up by Nina Hjertaas Bull and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, at Hvalstrand Bad back in June. The first set of photos is of my old design Syrin Shrug, first published in Norwegian in my book “To rett, en vrang. Designstrikk” published by Cappelen Damm in 2012. It was actually the last design we photographed on that first hot day of the summer. Aksa was introduced to me by photographer Geir Arnesen and his wife designer/author/journalist Tove Fevang, early in the spring. My plan was to use both Aksa and Olivia Lindtein at the photoshoot, but Olivia had to go into a Covid waiting quarantine – as a friend of hers had been exposed to the virus – so she could not come (her friend tested negative a few days later). To my relief, Aksa could stay on for the full day.

I styled the shrug and the wrist warmers with cream coloured silk trousers and a top. Nina suggested to take Aksa’s hair down for these photos and I agreed. We photographed it in the different ways that the shrug can be worn and with the wrist warmers buttoned on. I love the look on Aksa!

The Syrin Shrug is knitted in the Australian Wagtail 4ply Kid Mohair in Violet using a 3.5 mm/US 4 circular needle. The pattern includes a pair of wrist warmers that can be worn as loose sleeves and was first published only in one size. I have revised the pattern and included three more sizes: XS to M (L to 2XL, 3XL/4XL, 5XL). With the elastic bind off worn at the bottom, the shrug can be lightly stretched to 110 (127, 145, 162) cm/43.25 (50, 57, 63.75)” wide.

Choose a larger size shrug only if you want to wear it around your bust. The sample shrug width 87 cm/34.25” (size XS to M) is worn on model with an 86 cm/33.75” bust circumference.

The eyelet pattern creates a spiral that moves around the shrug and the wrist warmer. The shrug is worn upside down with the cast on edge at the top, as the elastic bind off makes it wider. The yarn overs on the bottom of the shrug are used as buttonholes for the wrist warmers when they are worn as loose sleeves.

A beautiful subtle sheen mohair yarn shown off by an eyelet pattern, gives this set, consisting of a shrug and button-on wrist warmers, an elegant look. The color capsulates the essence of the lilac flower hence it is irresistible for warming your neck and shoulders. The Syrin Shrug can also be used as a hood or a cowl with wrist warmers that can be buttoned on like sleeves by using the yarn overs. The set is knitted in the round with the stunning Wagtail 4ply Kid Mohair.

I am ever so grateful for these new photos of my Syrin Shrug and want to thank my amazing crew!

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Bundingen in Tromsø

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Okay, Bundingen is actually a yarn shop located in Tromsø, at the Jekta shopping centre – close to the airport – to be precise. I went back for the second time around this summer, while Michael and I were on our holiday in Tromsø. Above is the entrance to the inspiring shop, showing about one third of the rather large shop. Owner Hege-Merete Benoni recognised me, just as she did last year. Yes, they do sell Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk yarn and yarn kits. I used the opportunity to have a look at colours at the Hillesvåg corner, the Rowan corner – where I found an old Rowan Magazine  Rowan magazine that I have been looking for – and the Knitting for Olive section. Michael took these photos, as I was too busy looking at yarns!

In the photo above you can spot the Rowan Magazine number 59 that I discovered in the shopping basket. One of the collections in the magazine, including the cover photo, is photographed a Japanese Garden in the UK. I also wanted to have a look at the Knitting for Olive yarns and selected the silk, the merino, the mohair and the new Cashmere yarn. Bundingen also have Clover notions so I took the opportunity to buy another crochet hook and discovered some clips called Wonder Clips. Hege-Merete told me that I stood in front of her great grandmother’s bed which she inherited and is now being used to hold yarn kits. I am wearing my Eah hoodie with a pullover beneath and a jacket on top as it was only 8 degrees Celsius/46 degrees Fahrenheit and rain outside – even though it was summer; the end of July.

Above is a photo of my yarn haul from Tromsø. The tote bag – read knitting bag – says “There will never be too much yarn”, and it was a gift!

Here I am at the till with Hege who told me that they are busy these days and have just started a customer club. Hege loved my Eah that I wore and wondered about my new designs, I showed her and her employees some of the photos of my new designs. I was so chuffed to hear that she wanted to make the Keila dress! I hope to come back to Bunding in Tromsø!

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Cian Sweater Knitted by Valeria

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Valeria Patorra, aka nickknitterton, took part in the secret test knit of the Cian Sweater, first published in the Norwegian book “Norsk strikkedesign. Strikk din favoritt” – now available in English with the title “Knit Like A Norwegian” and as an individual pattern in my Ravelry Store and on LoveCrafts. Yes, you have actually seen this very sweater before, then modelled by Valeria’s youngest daughter (here), but I wanted to share these photos of Valeria herself taken on their holiday back in 2019 at Lønstrup in Denmark. Valeria knitted size Medium in the original yarn Tinde pelt wool in Light Denim Blue sponsored by Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.

On her project page from March 2019, Valeria writes: “I had been so happy about Linda’s invitation to a secret test knit of one her five designs in the upcoming book Norsk Strikkedesign. It contains the designs of six Norwegian designers and will be published in early October by Cappelen Damm. Thank you, dear Linda, for your trust and confidence! It was a great honour and pleasure for me!” I love how fabulous it looks, so thank you dear Valeria, for test knitting and all the fabulous photos! They seem so perfect to share in this summer holiday period.

Valeria continues: “And I’d like to say a big Thank You to the Norwegian yarn company Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk for its tremendous generosity to sponsor this test by gifting us a great amount of yarn. Tinde is a wonderful yarn, so lovely to knit with, light but warm at the same time.” She used the recommended needle size 3.5 mm/US 4 and obtained the pattern gauge of 21 stitches and 30 rows in stockinette stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square.

The Cian Sweater pattern, including the Cian Cowl, is available in sizes XS to XXL, with a bust circumference of 84 to 126 cm/33 to 49.5″ in both English and Norwegian. Here is my introduction to the pattern:

Named Cian after the Irish God who rules over love magic, is this long A-line pullover. Three central Moss cables, framed by double seed stitch, adorn the center of the body which ends in a vent. Cian is crowned with an I-cord decoration around its crew neck. Wear the matching Cian Cowl as a loose collar. The sweater is knit in pieces from bottom up while the cowl sideways, both in the divine Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, Tinde Pelsull.

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New Design: Nipa

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The second new design made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk is Nipa, knitted in a dusty light lime colour. Nipa, Norse for peak, is a straight cabled pullover. A central intricate cable panel adorns the center of the body and the sleeves. Twisted stitches play in the cable and along the edge of the stockinette parts. Nipa is crowned with an I-cord decoration around its crew neck. The sweater is knit in pieces from the bottom up in the divine Tinde, a pelt wool from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. Airin Hansen, made this beautiful sample for me in dusty light lime, while I was working on another new design. Michael photographed me at the outdoor theatre seating at the lock in Ørje.

The pullover is worked back and forth in pieces and seamed. The neckband is worked in the round. Stitches are picked up and knitted from the first round of the neckband for the I-cord bind off decoration.

Nipa is knitted using a 3.5 mm/US 4 needle and with a gauge of 21 stitches and 30 rows in stockinette stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square.

I have graded the pullover in sizes XS to 5XL, with a bust circumference of 84 cm to 162 cm/33 to 63.75″. In these photos you see me wearing size Medium with 12 cm/4.75″ positive ease. The stunning Silver rings I am wearing are from the Eo Ipso series by Kaja Gjedebo Design.

Yarn kits with English or Norwegian pattern will be available early in September from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, while the single pattern will be released after test knitting set to begin 3rd of January in my Ravelry group. Long before that I will show you how stunning it looked on model Aksa Mortensen, photographed by Eivind Røhne at Hvalstrand Bad at the end of May.

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New Design: Keila

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Keila is my new dress design made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk in their bouncy Sølje pelt wool yarn. My initial plan was an all over Honeycomb pattern with a wide skirt that could be turned into a balloon dress or a minidress/tunic with a Henley neck. The skirt and the band part are worked in the round in two different Honeycomb patterns, while the dress is divided into parts at the armhole. Skilled sample knitter Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry, knitted this for me in size Small in light turquoise. Michael photographed me at the outdoor theatre seating at the lock in Ørje.

Above you see the dress worn as a balloon dress after I have insert long boot laces into the hem and tied it together. The dress is knitted using a 3.5 mm/US 4 needle with a 24 stitches and 32 rounds gauge in stockinette stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square.

The dress is worked in the round up to armhole, then back and forth to the end. The hem is worked with 2 sets of circular needles held parallel when casting on, so that the hem can be closed by knitting it together. The skirt is worked straight, then decreased into the ray of honey pattern for the band before you increase for the honeycomb pattern and the bust. The Henley neck divides the front into two parts after the armhole.

Keila is Norse for straight, just as the skirt part of this honeycomb dress is. Elongated honeycomb covers the skirt, while ray of honey makes the high waistband, both are worked in the round. The pattern flow continues with a body in honeycomb including armhole stitches in stockinette stitch. Keila is worked flat from the armhole and ends in a Henley neck. Only the center of the sleeve has a honeycomb panel.

I have graded the dress from size XS to 5XL with a bust circumference of 86 to 158 cm/33.75 to 62.25″, while the skirt width is 144 to 199 cm/56.75 to 78.25″. The dress length can be adjusted in length by removing or adding repeats of the Elongated Honeycomb pattern.

Here you see me tying the boot laces at the bottom of the dress. One of the behind the scenes photos that Michael took.

Yarn kits with English or Norwegian pattern will be available early in September from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, while the single pattern will be released after test knitting set to begin 15th of November in my Ravelry group. Long before that I will show you how stunning it looked on model Aksa Mortensen, photographed by Eivind Røhne at Hvalstrand Bad at the end of May.

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Eah Pattern Released

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Another pattern that has been released earlier this year is Eah, knitted in the divine hand dyed Walk Collection Merino Sport yarn held together with the Kid Mohair Lace. The fitted hoodie with a central cable was test knitted in my Ravelry group and the test knitters helped make a second version of the hood to fit closer around the head, see theDingBat’s photos. Hence you have an option to make a loose or tight fitting hood. Eah is worn by gorgeous Model Olivia Lindtein, with makeup & hair styling by Sissel Fylling and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, photographed by Eivind Røhne at Mortensrud Church back in November 2020. Both the English and the Norwegian pattern is available on Ravelry and on LoveCrafts.

An acronym for each way is this casually fitted cabled hoodie adorned by a herringbone cable on the front, the back and the sleeves. Eah ends in a hood with the cable at the back and an I-cord edge. The pullover is knitted in the divine hand dyed Walk Collection Merino Sport yarn held together with the Kid Mohair Lace, in pieces and seamed for the ultimate fit.

Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL)
Shown in size Small

Finished measurements:
Bust/hip: 84 (92, 100, 108, 116, 124, 136, 148, 160) cm/33 (36.25, 39.25, 42.5, 45.75, 48.75, 53.5, 58.25, 63)“
Waist: 78 (86, 94, 102, 110, 118, 130, 142, 154) cm/30.75 (33.75, 37, 40.25, 43.25, 46.5, 51.25, 56, 60.75)”
Length: 61 (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69) cm/24 (24.5, 24.75, 25.25, 25.5, 26, 26.5, 26.75, 27.25)“
Sleeve length: 48 (49, 50, 50, 50, 51, 51, 51, 51) cm/19 (19.25, 19.75, 19.75, 19.75, 20, 20, 20, 20)”
Intended ease: + 5-10 cm/2-4”. Sample pullover shown is 92 cm/36.25” and worn with 9 cm/3.5” positive ease on model.

Yarn: Walk Collection, Merino Sport (100% Superwash Merino, 100 g, 325 m/355 yds)
Sample is knitted in Camel: 4 (5, 5, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8) skeins; 1202 (1332, 1462, 1592, 1622, 1752, 1947, 2142, 2337, 2556) m/1315 (1457, 1599, 1741, 1774, 1916, 2129, 2342, 2556) yds.
KidMohair Lace (70% mohair, 30% silk, 50 g, 420 m/459 yds)
Sample is knitted in Mica: 3 (4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5, 6, 6) skeins: 1202 (1332, 1462, 1592, 1622, 1752, 1947, 2142, 2337) m/1315 (1457, 1599, 1741, 1774, 1916, 2129, 2342, 2556) yds.
Note: 1 strand of each yarn is held together throughout.
https://www.walkcollection.com

Needles: 4 mm/US 6 straight needle.
4 mm/US 6 circular needle (80 cm/32”) for hood.
Adjust needle size as needed to match gauge.

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

Gauge: 20 sts and 30 rows in st st using a 4 mm/US 6 with one strand of each yarn, after blocking measures 10 cm/4” square.
20-st Herringbone cable measures about 9 cm/3.5” across.

Notes: The pullover is worked back and forth in separate pieces and seamed. The back extends into the back of the hood, while the front hood is picked up and knitted at the end.

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New Design: Varun

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I am thrilled to show you my new design called Varun – Norse for secret keeper – an A-line pullover with a cowl knitted in the gorgeous Norwegian Norne Yarn, DK – Merino/Silk/Yak in Fimbulwinter in size Small. The sample is beautifully knitted by Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry. My idea began with having a cable as a sash – signifying a position not necessarily royal but a secret one of your own choosing. Instead of a crown, make and wear a cowl. One sleeve has a cable cuff to match the sash, like an honorary bangle, while the second one has two small cables running along the sleeve. I am happy with the result and here you see me wearing size Small with only 2 cm/0.75″ of positive ease, photographed by my husband in our back garden early in April.

Varun will be graded into sizes XS to 5XL with a bust circumference of 82 til 164 cm/32.5 to 64.5″. Yes, I do have a number of calculations to make first and that is the reason why this pattern will probably be the last of the seven new patterns I have designed to be finished.

The sample is knitted using a 4 mm/US 6 needle and a 20 stitches and 30 rows in stockinette stitch gauge. Varun is worked back and forth in separate pieces and seamed.

While I am wearing it with a brown pleated skirt in these photos, I choose cream coloured silk trousers for new model Aksa Mortensen. I also brought a silk scarf to match the colour which she wore around her hair and it looked stunning on her! I look forward to show you the photos that Eivind Røhne took at Hvalstrand Bad at the end of May.

Both the English and the Norwegian pattern will be released after at the end of November as the test knitting begins on 18th of October.

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Milana Knitted by Heidi Torres

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Meet Swedish knitter Heidi Torres, aka Heidi197 on Ravelry, who is one of my test knitters and patrons. I had the pleasure of meeting Heidi in Spain at Barcelona Knits back in 2019, at a workshop I was holding. Here she is wearing her stunning Milana for Halloween, knitted in Madeline Tosh DK Twist. The gorgeous orange shade is called High Plains Drifter. Heidi knitted size XL, with a 116 cm/45.75″ bust, using a 4 mm/US 6 needle to the given gauge of 20 stitches and 30 rows in stockinette stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square. On her project page, she writes: “The pattern is absolutely top notch, I didn’t do any mods at all, except for knitting in the round where possible.” I am so thrilled to hear just that!

As you can see from these photos, Heidi is extremely photogenic and always seem to have fun during her photoshoots!

The hand dyed yarn was ordered directly from Madeline Tosh, but this time she did not receive matching skeins. Heidi writes: “I didnt notice at first, so had to frog quite much where I had alternated the wrong two skeins. Then I decided to use the lighter skeins for the body and the darker skeins for sleeves, neckline and cowl (coming later) That way the color variation looks a bit more intentional.”

The final photo I will share is of the back, see below. The sweater was finished fittingly for Halloween, hence her chosen project name. The photos are taken at the cemetery where the leaves match the colour of the pullover! Thank you so much for these divine photos, Heidi!

The Milana pattern is available in English and Norwegian on Ravelry and on LoveCrafts, in sizes XS to 5XL with a bust circumference of 84 to 160 cm/33 to 63″.

Here is my introduction to the pattern: Named after the sophisticated city of Milan in Italy, is this pullover with a high rib, creating a narrower waist. Two center cables travel towards the shoulder on the body with all their texture; Seed stitch, twisted stitch rib and cables. While a narrower matching cable adorn the sleeve with a panel of seed stitch. Milana is knitted in pieces for the ultimate fit and ends in a crew neck. A separate cowl can be worn as a crowning collar. The hand dyed DK – Merino/Silk/Yak yarn from Norne Yarn makes the cables pop and the texture shine in all its glory.

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Stavanger Strikkefestival 2021

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Yay, Stavanger Knitting Festival is happening this year in Stavanger (on the west coast of Norway), from Thursday 21st of October to Sunday 24th, and I am holding both workshops & a presentation at the Clarion Hotel Stavanger. Just as previous years it is organised by “Strikk og Drikk”/Knit and Drink and has a very impressive program which will happen live this year and not digitally – like last year. Most of the events and workshops are in Norwegian but there are a few workshops in English held by Mona NicLeòid Wagner. Below you see a number of the contributors this year.

In addition there are knitting cafés, fashion show, knitting bingo, knitting clinic, speed knitting competition, last knitter standing competition and a market hall. Below is the list of workshops and the talk I am holding. For a full program and details on how to book, check out their website: Stavanger Strikkefestival. I have lost count of the number of times I have taken part in this knitting festival but I am delighted not to have to miss another one! I hope to see some of you there!

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