Strikkefestivalen in Fredrikstad 2019

I have been back to the lovely Fredrikstad Old Town; the oldest fortified town in Norway (founded in 1567) and in the Nordic countries, and one of the best-preserved fortress towns in Northern Europe. The Strikkefestivalen/knitting festival is in its 4th year and still going very strong, run by four Knitting Motors: Marit Larsen, Lill Bjørnstad, Mette Bakken and Rita Walter together with numerous volunteers. They offer an impressive program with workshops, talks and including events such as “Knit & Poetry”, “Psalms & Knit” and “Knitting Cinema”. Above you see the courtyard surrounded by the museum, the market hall and the knit café, all held in these magnificent historic buildings dating back to 1775.

Michael and I went down to the Fredrikstad Museum on the day before the festival to mount my exhibition. Above you see a photo Michael took of me and my corner. I am wearing Aylwen next to my blue Vela, behind it is the grey Prescott Pullover. On my other side is the natural Nemetona and behind it the green Rørbye Cardigan. I used the opportunity to check if Makeløs – Remarkable Kristin Elise Halkjelsvik if she wanted to meet us for lunch at Café Magenta and she did! Read more about the café at the bottom. Indeed, she found me several times during the festival too and brought her husband to the Indian restaurant where designer Tove Fevang, Michael and I had our dinner on Friday night.

Lunchtime on Friday, Kristin found Tove and me having lunch at the knitting café. Kristin is a culture stylist and her outfits are magnificent and combines stylish elements with bright splashes of colour here made of tulle around the neckband plus cuffs of this otherwise traditional Setesdal Inspired Kofte (read: stranded colorwork jacket with traditional borders from the Setesdal Valley). Michael captured them better than I did.

I held two workshops on Friday: Flettestrikk Masterclass/Cable Knitting Masterclass and Engelske Mønstre/English Patterns. Luckily, I met both knitters I knew from previously but also knitters I had not met earlier! Above is three of them yarn shopping at the Projo stand.

Of course I also had a chat with the other designers present: Tove Fevang, Helle Siggerud, Denise Samson, Kari Hestens and Annemor Sundbø – the Norwegian knitting legend.

Just like me, Helle Siggerud also had an exhibition in another corner of Fredrikstad Museum. Unlike me, Helle is a sewer and have designed all these lovely outfits, inspired by our national costumes. Yes, Helle also sews national costumes, see more on her webpage: Helles Syskrin.

Yarn dyer Hege Dagestad was there – see above – and so was Karen Walthinsen of Enchanted Forest Fibers, who I had not met before. Below is another yarn photo, as I know I cannot include too many of those for you to look at.

Below is a photo Michael took of Tove and me checking out the stands. I am wearing my Aife knitted in the gorgeous hand dyed Dye Dye Done, Pure Sport and it is currently being test knitted before I release the pattern in English and Norwegian on Ravelry and Love Crafts.

I took the other photos above on Saturday morning before the Market Hall became too full and before my third workshop. The festival had booked all the workshops holders into the same hotel so we all met up for breakfast on Saturday morning. That was a nice treat.

Above is the sign and the outdoor seating for my favourite coffee shop in the Old City, Café Magenta – where the captives of the fortress were held back in 1731. The owners have come to love the knitting festival. Back in 2016, they had no idea what caused the invasion (of mainly female vistitors that is) during the first knitting festival. This year they were prepared and their meny was found printed to take away, inside in the Market Hall.

After my workshop on Saturday from 3 to 6 PM, Michael and I drove home. While I was finishing up my workshop, Michael dismounted my exhibition. I had a fab time, as always! Thank you to the organisers, to all the knitters I met and all my designer friends!

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Familien Kreativ 2017

The Norwegian spesial magazine Familien Kreativ 2017 is finally released. I am proud to have my design Cavallo on the cover in the left hand side corner in addition to Aylwen, Hanasa and Gaylia inside the magazine. The garments were brilliantly photographed by Eivind Røhne worn by Silje Andresen/Team Models with hair and makeup by Sissel Fylling, jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design and skirt by Judith Bech Design at National Museum – Architecture in November.

The designs are introduced as follows: Nice in Cables. Intricate cables and a tuck pattern adorn these four gorgeous designs by Linda Marveng.

Cavallo: A playful horseshoe cable adorns the body of this a-line sweater with a rounded hem. The Henley neck crowns the pullover and begins as a v-neck but ends a round neck, following the shape of the cable itself. The sleeves have been given symmetrical check patterns giving the appearance of cables. All parts ends in an I-cord bind off, and have garter stitches to mark the sides. Cavallo means horse in Italian and suits the horseshoe cable.  Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL). Yarn: Dale Garn, Pure Eco WoolNeedles: 4 mm/US 6.

Aylwen: A reversible tuck pattern with the wrong side out, and garter stitch edging adorn this elegant jacket. It has overlapping fronts which are joined into a short loop that can be worn once or twice around the neck or tied around the waist or as you like pinned together with a shawl pin or brooch. For a more flattering look it is slightly shaped at the waist and wider at the hip than at the bust. Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL). Yarn: Du Store Alpakka Baby SilkNeedles: 3.5 mm/US 4.

Hanasa: Named after the Norse godess with gorgeous hair tress remiscent of this cable. This a-line sweater has a cable vent on both the body and the sleeves. A high round collar finishes off the pullover. Why not add an extra cowl to feel extra cosy in. Hanasa is knitted in a divine silk and alpaca mixture for that lovely feel and sheen. Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL). Yarn: Du Store Alpakka Baby Silk. Needles: 3.5 mm/US 4.

GayliaA textural cross cable adorns this a-line sweater with vents. The cable ends in two smaller cables that continue along each side of the v-neck. A check pattern that resembles playful cables adds texture to the sleeves. Gaylia is Norse for jovial, and perfect for this everyday sweater knitted in Dale, Pure Eco Wool. Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL). Yarn: Dale Garn, Pure Eco WoolNeedles: 4 mm/US 6.

The Norwegian magazine Familien Kreativ is available in selected supermarkets and news agents in Norway. If you live abroad you can order the Norwegian special magazine by e-mailing kari.bachke@egmont.com and then transfer payment into their bank account.

The English patterns will be released after test knitting in my Ravelry group. Here is the test knit schedule: www.ravelry.com/discuss/linda-marveng.

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Photoshoot at Architecture Museum: Aylwen

@Eivind Røhne

I was so looking forward to seeing Aylwen on modell Silje Andresen/Team Models, with hair and makeup by Sissel Fylling, jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design and skirt by Judith Bech, all brilliantly captured by Eivind Røhne at National Museum – Architecture in late November. It is first when I see my design on a professional model, I get excited about it. Seeing the garment on myself gives me only an idea of its potential, and does not make it come alive like a professional model is able to. The first photo shows Aylwen worn closed with a brooch and the loop hanging around the neck. The Norwegian pattern will be published in the special issue Familien Kreativ, out on 13th March, while the English pattern will be test knitted in my Ravelry group before its release.

@Eivind Røhne

The fringe skirt designed and made by Judith Bech is a favourite of mine. Yes, I have used it before, several times – actually – and also in beige. The texture with the loose hanging fringes as well as the small train makes it so glamorous and a contrast to the knitted texture. This second photo shows cardigan hanging loose with the loop hanging around the neck.

@Eivind Røhne

This third photo shows the loop pulled together at the waist and draped around the neck then through the opposite side of it. While the fourth photo, below, shows the side seam and the bottom band.

@Eivind Røhne

A reversible tuck pattern with the wrong side out, and garter stitch edging adorn this  elegant jacket, called Aylwen. It has overlapping fronts which are joined into a short loop that can be worn once or twice around the neck or tied around the waist or as you like pinned together with a shawl pin or brooch. For a more flattering look it is slightly shaped at the waist and wider at the hip than at the bust.

@Eivind Røhne

The divine yarn, Du Store Alpakka Baby Silk – an alpaca and silk mixture – was chosen for a soft stitch definition but a luxurious feel to the skin. The jacket is slightly shaped at the waist. While I was busy knitting another project, the skilled knitter Airin Hansen, aka Teodor on Ravelry, made this. The fifth photo shows the loop pulled around the waist and through it to secure it.

@Eivind Røhne

Aylwen is knitted using 3.5 mm/US 4 needles with a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows in stocking stitch measuring 10 cm/4″. The Du Store Alpakka Baby Silk yarn was kindly sponsored by House of Yarn. Here in this sixth photo you see the construction of the loop – each part is knitted together with each front and then joined at the end. Silje is wearing size Small but it will be available in sizes XS to 2XL with a bust circumference of 86 to 126 cm/33.75 to 49.5″.

@Eivind Røhne

Last but not least is the seventh photo, showing the back with the loop around the waist. I can confirm that it was a lot easier wrapping the loop on Silje than on myself without a mirror.

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New Design: Aylwen

I am excited to show you my new design; Aylwen. Again I have been playing around with what appear like a short loop but actually is the overlapping fronts joined together. A divine alpaca and silk mixture yarn, Du Store Alpakka Baby Silk, was chosen for a soft stitch definition but a luxurious feel to the skin. The jacket is slightly shaped at the waist. While I was busy knitting another project, the skilled knitter Airin Hansen, aka Teodor on Ravelry, made this. The Norwegian pattern will be published in the special magazine Familien Kreativ and published in March, while the English pattern will be test knitted in my Ravelry group in July before its release.

Here is my introduction to the pattern: A reversible tuck pattern with the wrong side out, and garter stitch edging adorn this  elegant jacket. It has overlapping fronts which are joined into a short loop that can be worn once or twice around the neck or tied around the waist or as you like pinned together with a shawl pin or brooch. For a more flattering look it is slightly shaped at the waist and wider at the hip than at the bust.

It is knitted in Du Store Alpakka Baby Silk made of 80% baby alpaca, 20% silk on 50 grams balls with 133 meters/145 yards in the shade Beige 347, using 3.5 mm/US 4 needles with a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows in stocking stitch measuring 10 cm/4″. The yarn was kindly sponsored by House of Yarn.

Here you see me demonstrating how difficult it is to style a garment on yourself, with cold fingers, as if you did not know that already. All parts are worked back and forth, then sewed together at the end. The loop parts are joined at the end. I am wearing size Small but it will be available in sizes XS to 2XL with a bust circumference of 86 to 126 cm/33.75 to 49.5″.

Above is a back view with the overlapping fronts hanging around the neck. All bands are worked in Garter stitch. In the top photo you can see a bit of the wrong side of the stitch pattern creating bobles. All these photos were taken by my husband in November, on a cold clear day with no snow at Ormøya by the Bunnefjord in Oslo, close to where we live.

Here is the arty shoot of my inside the covered benches. Again demonstrating that this is a lot easier in front of a mirror. I also discovered another way of wearing it during our photoshoot when I could drape it around the model and not on myself.

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