The Complete Andor Poncho Gang

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Linda Marveng

I proudly present the complete Andor Poncho gang with all 7 knitters – all colleagues at Jotun – photographed in Sandefjord this glorious summer. My Andor design was made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk and part of the first collection. The pattern is available in Norwegian and English to download from Ravelry and in yarn kits online from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk’s website: www.ull.no and in selected yarn stores. It was Nina Hove Myhre, aka FiberAndArt (far right) that wanted to knit the poncho and told her colleagues at their lunch table. I was so thrilled to hear that 6 of them wanted to join in. All knitted the poncho in the original Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, Tinde Pelsull choosing different colours.

I love seeing their results and so honoured that they all wanted to knit it! Thank you so much to the gang! I first 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. Nina is also one of my group moderators at Ravelry. You can see the Andor Poncho Gang in London with a pregnant Nina here. This summer, Nina with her husband and little Olav – now 8 months old – came to visit us in Ørje. I can reveal that Olav likes to look at knitting charts and is especially fond of my colour coding. In other words, Nina is working on yet another of my designs, I am delighted to say!

Postcard From Mallorca

Posted on August 24, 2018 by Linda Marveng

I have spent a lovely week at Mallorca with my mum. Of course, I wanted to join her for another holiday. The travel agent friend of my mum suggested we try the island of Mallorca in Spain. Last time I was there was 31 years ago, when I was attending a guide school organised by the then Scandinavian company Star Tour – now part of the Tui group. So this trip has brought back a lot of memories but were little of the basic hotel Spanish we learnt at the school, except for a few phrases. We have been staying at a family hotel called Sunwing Cala Bona Beach about 10 minutes outside of Cala Millor on the East coast of the island. Last time I stayed for 2 months at Santa Ponsa. Above is the view from our balcony, where we had our breakfast and enjoyed the sunset several evenings.

Here is my mum standing on the balcony of the hotel. On our first day, we went to the beach in Cala Millor, where my mum had been together with my dad years ago, but found it incredibly busy and no available parasols. So I was ever so pleased that I had finally found a sun hat – in Oslo of all places – that actually suited me. So this time I did not sunburn my forehead but my ears instead.

The next days we spent at the Cala Bona Beach, which was a smaller beach with a cove that we preferred, see below. It was about 800 meters from the hotel but due to the heat we went by taxi after trying the bus a couple of times. There was a bus schedule, but sometimes “mañana” (read: tomorrow) seemed more correct. No change there, then in 31 years.

Yes, the hotel is has beach in its name; Sunwing Cala Bona Beach, but it does not have one. It did however have a couple of pools. I have enjoyed reading on the beach but found it too hot to even consider bringing my knitting. At the hotel was a Spa which we tested. We began by having a glass of champagne while we waited and it did not go downhill from there. My mum had a leg message combined with a pedicure, while I had a full body massage with hot oil. That was excellent and I feel re-aligned and re-assembled.

I also used the gym in the mornings and it was quite busy to my surprise. First I had a short run in the nearby area and spotted a number of fancy villas next to our hotel. On my run I found a local restaurant, Sa Punta that looked ever so nice, and it was a good thing that I could not see the meny since it was closed. We decided to have dinner there in the evening and discovered that it was a luxurious and very expensive one with a stunning location next to the sea. Check out the video on the restaurant website and see our hotel to the left.

Here we are photographed by the English waiter. We both chose the grilled cod with all-i-oli and it was delicious. Definitely our best meal in Mallorca. Followed by a pizza at the closest Italian restaurant.

The only reason we got a table without a reservation was that we were there early in the evening. To our delight there were mainly Spanish customers in the restaurant. You can glimpse the sea out between the palms on the right hand side.

Last but not least I want to show you the marina and part of the beach promenade that goes all the way from our hotel through Cala Bona and to Cala Millor. It offers a number of restaurants, cafés, bars, shops and hotels. We tried a few of the restaurants along with the other tourists mainly from Scandinavia, Germany, United Kingdom and Spain. We planned to book an excursion with our tour operator Ving but it was cancelled so we went to Cala Millor for a bit of shopping instead. Tomorrow, we are heading home after a wonderful holiday! Greetings from Mallorca!

Photoshoot at Villa Malla: Tau

Posted on August 17, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Last in the series of photographs taken at our photoshoot at Villa Malla, are these of the scarf Tau made for the Wool 2 Go magazine for Vienna Wool & Design Festival 2017. Here is the gorgeous Emma Ross wearing Tau as a shawl around her shoulders with hair & makeup by Sissel Fylling and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, brilliantly captured by Eivind Røhne at Villa Malla in late May. The building in the back is the Filtvet Lighthouse by the Oslo Fjord. This first photo shows the wrong side of the cable, while the second photo shows the right side. Yes, the scarf is reversible.

The teal colour in this luscious Yak yarn instantly captivated me and I designed this scarf for the Vienna Wool & Design Festival in 2017. A rope like cable worked over rib stitches gives it a sculptural feel. Naturally, I named it Tau meaning rope in Norwegian, and human being in an Eskimo language.

Tau is knitted in Lang Yarns, Yak made of 50% yak, 50% wool in 50 grams balls with 130 meters/142 yards using a 4.5 mm/US 7 needle. The sample is knitted in Teal 772.0074 and takes 4 balls for the one size scarf. You can easily make the scarf wider by adding pattern repeats or making a wider reverse stockinette stitch edge in each side. The outer edge stitches make an I-cord, hence they are slipped with the yarn in front on every second row.

The English pattern will shortly be available in my Ravelry store, while the Norwegian pattern will be printed in Høststrikk/Autumn Knits by Familien launched on the 24th September in Norway.

Thank you to my team for another amazing photoshoot. I am working on designs for the next one.

I am off to Mallorca tomorrow for a one week holiday with my mum, so there will be no blogpost on Wednesday. It is 31 years since I last visited Mallorca to attend the Star Tour’s Guide School. I am excited to be going back.

Prescott Pullover KAL and Cambridge Cardigan KAL

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Linda Marveng

One of my Ravelry group members suggested a Knit Along (KAL) for both of the Prescott Pullover and Cambridge Cardigan published in Interweave Knits Fall 2018. There were several that wanted to take part even before I came around to setting up the threads, so of course I did. I asked Katja, one of my group moderators, to help me out since she has a lot more KAL experience than me and we decided on a joining prize for everyone, then a work in progress (WIP) monthly prize for one knitter each month and finally a finished object (FO) prize for four knitters at the end of the year. One knitter wrote that she did not want to miss this party and joined even before she had the magazine with the pattern nor any yarn ready. It has turned into a large party already with 29 knitters in the Prescott Pullover KAL and 7 knitters in the Cambridge Cardigan KAL. Do join us as we are talking about yarn choices and other related or un-related topics.

Join the Prescott Pullover KAL here: www.ravelry.com

Join the Cambridge Cardigan KAL here: www.ravelry.com

Photoshoot at Villa Malla: Merino Wrap Vest

Posted on August 11, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Hand dyed Tosh Sock yarn in a divine blue would look fabulous on model Emma Ross, I thought and decided to re-photograph the Merino Wrap Vest from my Norwegian knitting book. Photographer Eivind Røhne brilliantly captured the best moments from Em, and I knew I had made the right decision. As always Sissel Fylling made sure that Em’s hair and makeup was impeccable. Statement jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design added a touch of class to the outfit. Em did not need the Merino Wrap Vest on the blistering hot day in May at Villa Malla. You can see that for yourself here; Behind the Scenes 2nd Photoshoot at Villa Malla. Do check out the people sunbathing on the beach. I have revised the English pattern and sent it off to my Technical Editor Kristen TenDyke, before I release it. The Norwegian pattern will be published in a special magazine by Familien called Høststrikk/Autumn Knits out on 24th. September in Norway.Inspired by Tinde Knits gorgeous designs by Norwegian designer Iselin Hafseld is this vest knitted sideways in Tosh Sock hand dyed yarn with Indian crosses. The vest can be used upside down for a smaller collar and a longer vest. Drape it as you please and pin it together.

You will never guess who actually knitted this sample for me. It is knitted by no other than the co-founder and editor of Pom Pom Quarterly: Meghan Fernandes, who used to be my colleague at the yarn store Loop in London several years ago. And yes, I did work together with the other co-founder and editor Lydia Gluck too. We have teamed up again and you will see the result later this autumn.

Tosh Sock is made of 100% merino wool, with 361 meters/395 yards on each 100 gram skein. It is categorised as a fingering/4 ply yarn but feels closer to a sport weight. I choose the shade Baltic which has been discontinued but can be replaced by Esoteric or any other shade you prefer. Merino Vest wrap is knitted with a gauge og 24 stitches and 36 rows in Indian cross stitch using 3 mm/US 2.5 needle over 10 cm/4″.The vest wrap is knitted sideways in one rectangular piece with shaped armholes. It comes in one size so to make the vest longer, add pattern repeats of 6 stitches at left side of work (end of RS row) before the border stitches. The finished measurements are 74 cm/29.25″ wide and 112 cm/44″ long. As you can see, I did find it difficult to pick which photographs I liked the best, so I ended up selecting more than I had planned. Yet another proof that my team is the best and know me too well. Next and last in this series is the scarf Tau made for Vienna Wool Design Festival and their Wool 2 Go magazine.

Photoshoot at Villa Malla: Free Falling Pullover

Posted on August 8, 2018 by Linda Marveng

Free Falling Pullover was first published in Interweave Knits Fall 2017 and the sample came back to me from Colorado in the US, early this spring, in time for my photoshoot at Villa Malla in late May. As always it suited model Emma Ross beautifully. I styled it with black pencil pants and Camilla Skovgaard shoes in black, in addition to Kaja Gjedebo’s stunning Queen Creole Earrings. We photographed this pullover after lunch, close to the gallery on the path to the beach. Villa Malla offers a delicious buffet lunch, which is perfect for us since we do not need to wait for the food, despite planning a bit beforehand when to have lunch (read: whenever Em gets hungry). Sissel Fylling always does a quick retouch of hair and makeup after lunch. So she did that while photographer Eivind Røhne moved his gear to the path with Michael’s help. I do have a brilliant team!

The Free Falling Pullover showcases unique and wandering cables, feminine shaping and casual appea. This fitted pullover has two travelling central cables, that are divided by seed stitch and framed by stockinette stitch on the sides. The boat neck is modified by the short-row shaping on the shoulder and ends in an i-cord bind off.

I knitted the pullover in Sugar Bush Yarns, Crisp – a lovely 100% superwash merino woo with 87 meters/95 yards on each 50 gram ball – using 4 mm/US 6 with a gauge of 20 stitches and 28 rows in stockinette stitches measures 10 cm/4″ square.

The pullover is worked back and forth in separate pieces and seamed. There are two mirrored cable panels on back and front but only one on the sleeve. Increases in to the center Seed stitch panel move the cable panels on the body towards the shoulders. Accompanying decreases are done in the stockinette sides, in addition to the extra waist shaping.

Em is wearing size S which measures 87.5 cm/34.5 cm around bust. The pullover is available in sizes XS to 2XL with bust circumferences of 77.5 to 128 cm/30.5 to 50.5″. The English pattern is coming very shortly to my Ravelry store and to Loveknitting, while the Norwegian pattern will be printed in the special magazine Høststrikk/Autum Knits published by Familien which will be available in Norway 24. September.

Cambridge Cardigan and Prescott Pullover in Interweave Knits Fall 2018

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Linda Marveng

I am so thrilled with the presentation of my two designs: Cambridge Cardigan and Prescott Pullover in Interweave Knits Fall 2018. Especially since they were both time-consuming and difficult at times both to design and knit. The story began when I submitted two design proposals for the fall issue in response to the submission call. To my surprise editor Meghan Babin wanted both and suggested stranded colourwork on the body not only on the sleeves of the Cambridge Cardigan. I accepted the challenge, because it has been a long time since I have knitted any colourwork, but soon came to regret it since it seemed to take forever and I only had five weeks to complete the two designs due to slow postage. The lesson learnt was one; that I can only knit until 4 AM before I start making too many mistakes, not throughout the night (read: as sample knitter Grete Jenssen can) and two; that I need at least four hours of sleep to function. Michael helped by taking a few pictures of me wearing the garments before he took me to Oslo to send them off, while I was sleeping in the car. I ran into the Mail Box Etc store with a few minutes to spare and shipped it off to Interweave with UPS. Epilog: Afterwards, I did have a proper rest (read: I could only knit small swatches) and the package did arrive on time. Above is the cover of the issue with the Follins Pond Pullover by Moira Engel.