The first new design I will reveal in 2024 is the jacket Iku made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk in their Sol lambswool yarn. I wanted to have another go at making a seamless design with the body worked from the bottom and up, while the sleeves are worked top down in the round. Iku is a new version of my Dearaim jacket I designed for the autumn 2022 collection for Hillesvåg. Dearaim had a cable pattern adorning the center part of the body, while Iku has a lace pattern, both jackets have stockinette stitch sleeves.

I was attracted to this new melange light beige shade in their lambswool yarn Sol, which I have not used earlier. The sample is knitted by yours truly with a gauge of 21 stitches and 30 rows in stockinette stitch using 3.5 mm/US 4 needle measuring 10 cm/4” square after blocking. I have graded the jacket in sizes 1 to 9 with a closed bust circumference of 89 to 169 cm/35 to 66.5″ and a bottom circumference of 85 to 165 cm/33.5 to 65″.

The stitch pattern is from one of my stitch dictionaries; it is a lace pattern with one stitch passed over two others twice, which was a new discovery for me. I like how the resulting pattern looks like a cable crossing or a smock stitch. Michael took these photos of me wearing Iku at the top of Andante Hotel in Barcelona, yes it was selected and paid for by Barcelona Knits as I was teaching at the festival, in the hot November sun.

The jacket is worked seamlessly from the bottom up with set in sleeves worked top down. The body is worked flat in one piece while the sleeves are worked in the round. Yarn kits with a Norwegian or English pattern will soon be available at Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, while the individual pattern will be test knitted before it is released, beginning on Monday (22nd of January) in my Ravelry group. I look forward to showing you how divine it looked on jazz singer Anette Løvtangen at our photoshoot!