The next new design I will show you is a dress, Chiasa made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, knitted in the pelt wool yarn Tinde by my sample knitter Nadja. My idea was to make a two layered dress, with a different stitch pattern on the top. Yarn kits will soon be available directly from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, while the individual pattern will be test knitted before it is released in both English and Norwegian in my Ravelry Store. The test knit begins on the 19th of February in my Ravelry group.

Named Chiasa, Japanese for one thousand mornings, is this A-line dress with a second layer at the top. The skirt part is worked in the round to the join of the second hem, then worked until the armholes before it is divided into two parts and worked flat to the end. The top layer is knitted with double seed stitch at the center, while the sleeves are worked in stockinette stitch. Chiasa ends in a crew neck and is knitted in the lustrous pelt wool yarn Tinde from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.

The dress is worked in the round to the top of the skirt part, the top layer is worked separately and joined with an overlap then back and forth separately to the shoulders. The body and the shoulders are shaped for a better fit. In the photos above from the National Museum in Oslo, taken by Michael, you can see me wearing size 2 with 5.5 cm/2.25 inches positive ease over vegan leggings. I have graded the dress in sizes 1 to 9 with a bust circumference of 85.5 to 162 cm/33.75 to 63.75 inches. 

If you are wondering what needle size as well as gauge it has been knitted with, I can reveal the answers: 21 stitches and 30 rows in Stockinette stitch using 3.5 mm/US 4 needle measures 10 cm/4 inches square after blocking. Above you see it worn by Verity Bradford – married to Tom, Michael’s son, who came to visit us last month – with a belt over black jeans. Verity is an English multidisciplinary circus artist, personal trainer and costume designer, so check out her website to see her in action.

The last photo I will show you for now is the belted back. The next set of photos you will see of this dress is from the photoshoot in Bøler Church last December.