NSF Annual Knitting Weekend in Tromsø

NSF/Norwegian Knitting Association celebrates 10 years this year so this time the annual knitting weekend was in Tromsø and I was invited to join as the editorial team for the digital membership magazine “På pinnen”, working with editor Tove Fevang. Continue reading

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NSF Knitting Weekend

Every weekend is a knitting weekend for me, but the last one was special since I was at the annual meeting for the Norwegian Knitting Association – Norsk Strikkeforbund – at Scandic Oslo Airport Hotel at Gardermoen. I am not a member of the board but I am the editorial “team” for the digital membership magazine called “På pinnen“/On the Needle and work with editor designer & author Tove Fevang (standing talking to a new board member). We were about 60 knitters attending. It was a perfect opportunity to meet known and unknown knitters and I took the opportunity to have a stand to sell my printed patterns. The program for the weekend was filled with annual meeting, talks, workshops, knitting and chatting as well as delicious meals! Below you see part of my stand, next to Margrete Slettan, Villull aka britstrikkenerd shop &  instagram and Jeanette & Jeanine Førland (with the ponytail), aka knitknotnine. Continue reading

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Photoshoot at Mortensrud Church: Ovedine

Ovedine was designed for Værbitt’s Advents Calendar last December and have also been published in the issue 4/2019 of “På Pinnen“/On the Needle, a membership magazine for the Norsk Strikkeforbund/Norwegian Knitting Association, so you have seen some of these photos before but not all of them. Ovedine is knitted in two hand dyed colours, by Værbitt, on Sølje pelt wool by Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. Above you see it worn as a scarf by the gorgeous Olivia Lindtein, with hair & make up by Erica Poppe and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, brilliantly photographed by Eivind Røhne at Mortensrud Church in November last year. I love these serene photos and want to thank my amazing team for all their work!

Named after an old female name from Norway is this shawl with tucks, short rows and garter stitch stripes in two colors. The hem and one tuck made on the wrong side, in addition to the double I-cord bind off, make the shawl two-sided. Choose if you want to wear it as a shawl, or a wrap around your body or as a shawl collar. Ovedine is knitted in two gorgeous hand dyed shades by Værbitt on the pelt wool Sølje from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.

I choose to style this shawl with a long black silk skirt and a top, but it can be worn with a more casual outfit as well. We photographed this upstairs in the church with a magic light coming through the large windows.

The shawl is made in one size, but can easily be adjusted if you prefer. The finished wingspan is 162 cm/64”, the width at widest point is 42 cm/16.5”  and the width at narrowest point is 12 cm/4.75”. Ovedine is knitted using 3 mm/US 2.5 needle for the garter stitch sections and 3.5 mm/US 4 for the tucks.

The divine turquoise colour is Drageegg, Værbitt hand dyed on Sølje pelsull by Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk made of 100% pelt wool on 100 gram skeins with 350 m/383 yds on each skein. You need 2 skeins in this or your preferred main colour; 497 m/544 yds. Lillebror is the darker blue colour also hand dyed by Værbitt on Sølje pelsull. Only 1 skein in this or your preferred contrast colour is needed; 315 m/344 yds.

Ovedine is knitted with a looser than recommended gauge of 21 sts and 40 rows in garter stitch using 3 mm/US 2.5 needle measures 10 cm/4 square. 21 stitches and 32 rows in st st using 3.5 mm/US 4 needle measures 10 cm/4” square.

Both the Norwegian and English pattern is available from my Ravelry store and from Lovecrafts.

Last out in this series of photos from Mortensrud Church is the new ones of the Harding Cardigan coming next week.

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Norsk Strikkeforbund/Norwegian Knitting Association 2019

I was there when the Norsk Strikkeforbund/Norwegian Knitting Association was established in 2014, as a presenter, and last weekend I was back giving a talk on Digital Knitting. The annual meeting was this time held at the Scandic Asker Hotel. Designer and author as well as editor of the membership magazine “På Pinnen“/On the Needles Tove Fevang asked if I wanted to hold a talk at the event, several months back. I am assisting Tove with the magazine (read: the editorial staff). She also suggested that Michael come too and that we stayed with Tove and her photographer husband Geir Arnesen for the weekend, since they live in Asker. What a treat it was. So we all turned up for the meeting, but Geir and Michael went on a photo safari in Asker, while Tove and I joined the knitters.

We started the day with the a knitting café, and I spotted several knitters I knew; among them designer Ellen Andresen, aka Siso Designs (siso is short for stash in, stash out – ask any knitter about this). Geir was asked to do yet another unpaid job, he had to take photos of the new board. But this time at least he got lunch. At noon we had a delicious lunch buffet, before the meeting itself started with Tove as presenter.

Here we are, knitting away also during the meeting. As you can see from Ellen’s instagram posting, we also received a yarn kit for a pair of mittens with the Norsk Strikkeforbund’s logo, designed by Lill C. Schei, as well as two numbers for the prize draw. The prizes were a number of books we have reviewed, yarn and knitting gadgets from Tove’s stash. See Ellen’s photo below.

Here are the prizes we could win. Throughout the year more books have been reviewed and then given away. So if you are a Norwegian knitter and not yet a member do join in, here are the advantages listed: www.norskstrikkeforbund.no

Tove and Geir also listened to my talk, I am pleased to tell you, and they enjoyed it.

I had brought a number of swatches, garments and magazines for the knitters to look at. Here I am talking to Berit who also attended the knitting weekend at Røros. She did not mind that I gave the same talk here at this annual meeting at all and enjoyed the repeat. I had a fabulous day! Thank you, Norsk Strikkeforbund/Norwegian Knitting Association!

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Autumn Symphony Accessories in På Pinnen 4/2018

Happy New Year, I hope it will be a healthy, prosperous and creative year for all of you! 2018 ended with a bang, at least that is what it felt like to me, since one; I again – for the second time – had a design on the cover of the Norwegian Knitting Association’s digital magazine “På Pinnen”/On the Needle and two; I hit number one of Interweave’s Top 5 most knitted patterns of 2018 with my Prescott Pullover. On the cover of “På Pinnen” is the accessories to my Autumn Symphony design. The brilliant photo is taken by Eivind Røhne showing Emma Ross with hair & makeup by Sissel Fylling, photographed at Bøler Church last autumn. The initial plan was to have a design by Norwegian designer Sigrun Gilje Hindal on the cover and include the pattern. I know this, because I am the editorial team (read: all of it), assisting editor Tove Fevang. This time I also had the job of interviewing Sigrun, who is Design Manager at the webshop Garnius – that specialise in yarn kits – and acknowledged for her brilliant use of bright colours, see Malou. All the rights to her patterns are with Garnius, hence Tove asked if I had an accessory pattern we could use and my design ended on the cover. I loved the idea and Tove picked this one from a small selection I sent her. Both the accessories (cowl and tweed belt) and the jacket is knitted in the lovely Ask from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk using 3.5 mm/US 4 and 3 mm/US 2 for the bands on the Tweed Cowl. My Autumn Symphony pattern is available in English and Norwegian on Ravelry and Loveknitting.

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På Pinnen with My Design

papinnen_nr3_2016_tfI am delighted to yet again have a design in the digital magazine: På Pinnen/On the Needle, a membership magazine for the Norsk Strikkeforbund/Norwegian Knitting Association. No, it is not the design on the cover. Luna Cowl is designed by Kari-Helene Rane, a Norwegian designer based in England and the creative half of the company Purl Alpaca Designs. I translated the pattern into Norwegian, even though I am sure Kari-Helene could have done it herself, but I did it since I am part of the editorial staff, working with editor Tove Fevang. Inside there is also an interview of Kari-Helene by Tove, in addition to a pair of mittens designed by Lill C. Schei and a cushion by Janne Wie. My design featured in the magazine is the Honeysuckle Shawl. Below you can see the first two pages of the pattern. I have also contributed with an article about Strik Bornholm.

paapinnen_nr3-2016_extractIf you know my designs, you might know that the Honeysuckle Shawl including the cowl and belt is worn by Alexandria Eissinger at Pholk, with hair & make up by Sissel Fylling, all brilliantly captured by photographer Eivind Røhne. The design was commissioned by former editor Mary-Ann Astrup for Made by Me but the magazine was replaced by Familien Trend in February 2015.

This is the last issue of På Pinnen that editor Tove and I worked on since the board has decided to change the format and look of the magazine, as well as introduce a monthly newsletter. It has been an enjoyable and educational experience! You can read more about the way forward for the Norsk Strikkeforbund in the magazine.

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