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
Tag Archives: Grete Jenssen
New Design: Dearaim
The next new design I will show you, is Dearaim a seamless jacket made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. My idea was to knit a jacket to go with the Armas dress, hence the choice of colour was my starting point for this design. Continue reading
Postcard from the Lyngen Alps
Michael and I have been on holiday in Northern Norway for a second time around! We had such a fantastic time last year, hence we decided to travel back to Tromsø. First we stayed two nights with my sample knitter Grete Jenssen & her husband Jan Sverre in Storsteinnes, and then another four nights at the Scandic Ishavshotel in Tromsø.
Unlike last year we had mainly rain and 8 to 12 degrees Celsius/46 to 53 degrees Fahrenheit, so it did not feel like summer at all. Still that did not stop us from travelling to Lyngen North at the Spåkenes peninsula, with a majestic view of the Lyngen Alps. All these wonderful photos are taken by my husband, except the one below.
I had brought thick tights but had to borrow a woollen hat from Grete – photographed above – to wear under my all-weather jacket hood. In Tromsø, I just gave in and bought a pair of leather gloves to keep me warm. A large number of the visiting Southerners could easily be spotted as they were wearing only shorts with t-shirts due to the heat wave in the South of Norway.
Jan Sverre was the designated driver that took us north on the E6 towards Alta, around the Kåfjord– see photo above and below for scale – to Spåkenes Coastal Fort. It was built by the Germans (or Soviet prisoners of war and German prisoners to be precise) in 1941.
The heavy enduring rain made the command bunker look even bleaker, giving us a shudder to the German occupation during WW2. I stood on top of the command bunker capturing both Grete and the view from it.
From the fort we trekked to the Bird Watching Tower, except that the signs stopped and in the end we gave up finding it, as the view was majestic anyway. Check out the ferry in the photo above for scale – click on the photo for a larger version. On the way there we crossed the bog and did however discover nearly ripe Cloudberries; that was a treat! We had a fabulous stay with Grete and Jan Sverre! Thank you so much! We will be back in the future, and you can see last year’s Postcard from Northern Norway here. If you have not been, do add it to your bucket list for the future, when it is safe to travel abroad again! Stay safe and healthy! Regards from Lyngen North in Northern Norway!
New Design: Keila
Keila is my new dress design made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk in their bouncy Sølje pelt wool yarn. My initial plan was an all over Honeycomb pattern with a wide skirt that could be turned into a balloon dress or a minidress/tunic with a Henley neck. The skirt and the band part are worked in the round in two different Honeycomb patterns, while the dress is divided into parts at the armhole. Skilled sample knitter Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry, knitted this for me in size Small in light turquoise. Michael photographed me at the outdoor theatre seating at the lock in Ørje.
Above you see the dress worn as a balloon dress after I have insert long boot laces into the hem and tied it together. The dress is knitted using a 3.5 mm/US 4 needle with a 24 stitches and 32 rounds gauge in stockinette stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square.
The dress is worked in the round up to armhole, then back and forth to the end. The hem is worked with 2 sets of circular needles held parallel when casting on, so that the hem can be closed by knitting it together. The skirt is worked straight, then decreased into the ray of honey pattern for the band before you increase for the honeycomb pattern and the bust. The Henley neck divides the front into two parts after the armhole.
Keila is Norse for straight, just as the skirt part of this honeycomb dress is. Elongated honeycomb covers the skirt, while ray of honey makes the high waistband, both are worked in the round. The pattern flow continues with a body in honeycomb including armhole stitches in stockinette stitch. Keila is worked flat from the armhole and ends in a Henley neck. Only the center of the sleeve has a honeycomb panel.
I have graded the dress from size XS to 5XL with a bust circumference of 86 to 158 cm/33.75 to 62.25″, while the skirt width is 144 to 199 cm/56.75 to 78.25″. The dress length can be adjusted in length by removing or adding repeats of the Elongated Honeycomb pattern.
Here you see me tying the boot laces at the bottom of the dress. One of the behind the scenes photos that Michael took.
Yarn kits with English or Norwegian pattern will be available early in September from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, while the single pattern will be released after test knitting set to begin 15th of November in my Ravelry group. Long before that I will show you how stunning it looked on model Aksa Mortensen, photographed by Eivind Røhne at Hvalstrand Bad at the end of May.
New Design: Varun
I am thrilled to show you my new design called Varun – Norse for secret keeper – an A-line pullover with a cowl knitted in the gorgeous Norwegian Norne Yarn, DK – Merino/Silk/Yak in Fimbulwinter in size Small. The sample is beautifully knitted by Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry. My idea began with having a cable as a sash – signifying a position not necessarily royal but a secret one of your own choosing. Instead of a crown, make and wear a cowl. One sleeve has a cable cuff to match the sash, like an honorary bangle, while the second one has two small cables running along the sleeve. I am happy with the result and here you see me wearing size Small with only 2 cm/0.75″ of positive ease, photographed by my husband in our back garden early in April.
Varun will be graded into sizes XS to 5XL with a bust circumference of 82 til 164 cm/32.5 to 64.5″. Yes, I do have a number of calculations to make first and that is the reason why this pattern will probably be the last of the seven new patterns I have designed to be finished.
The sample is knitted using a 4 mm/US 6 needle and a 20 stitches and 30 rows in stockinette stitch gauge. Varun is worked back and forth in separate pieces and seamed.
While I am wearing it with a brown pleated skirt in these photos, I choose cream coloured silk trousers for new model Aksa Mortensen. I also brought a silk scarf to match the colour which she wore around her hair and it looked stunning on her! I look forward to show you the photos that Eivind Røhne took at Hvalstrand Bad at the end of May.
Both the English and the Norwegian pattern will be released after at the end of November as the test knitting begins on 18th of October.
Postcard from Northern Norway
I have been to Northern Norway for the first time ever! Michael and I have spent four nights with my sample knitter Grete Jenssen & her husband Jan Sverre in Storsteinnes and three nights at Scandic Ishavshotel in Tromsø. We decided early in July to travel north and to meet Grete for the first time in real life. Grete and I have been in touch since 2012, when she found me on Facebook. It did not take long until I felt like I had know her for ages! Above you see the view of Tromsø from the Cable Car going up to the mountain ledge Storsteinen (421 m above sea level). The weather was surprisingly warm and summery with 24 degrees Celsius/75 degrees Fahrenheit for being so far north – a two hour flight from Oslo. Michael and I did not walk down, but there were plenty of people who did. The 1250 steps are built by sherpas and some of the stones had their names inscribed, see below.
We had a magnificent view of the cable car and the Arctic Cathedral, in the centre of the photo below, from our room at the Scandic Ishavshotel to the right.
Grete had researched what to do while we were staying with them and we happily agreed to hike to the Blåisvannet/Blue Lake in Lyngen on Friday and to visit Senja on Saturday. On our first day, it was raining heavily so we went for a short drive to see some rock carvings nearby. The rain stopped and we had a lovely walk.
Jan Sverre drove us for about two hours to the carpark about 4 kilometers from the Blue Lake and we quickly realised that we were far from alone. A number of Finnish families had driven across the border and prepared for the easy trek. The last part of the walk up to the lake involves climbing over large stones and scree. The blue colour is due to the high content of silt particles in the meltwater from the Lenangsbreen glacier.
Here you see a number of people on their way up to the lake and with shadow on the glacier at the top.
Senja is the second largest island in Norway and spectacular! We stopped at a Norwegian Scenic Route point with a view that took my breath away! Jan Sverre is photographing the view. You can read more the Norwegian Scenic Route at Senja here: www.nasjonaleturistveger.no.
The view the other direction give you an idea of the scale and ruggedness of these mountains facing the Atlantic coast.
Senja has amazing beaches but very cold water. We spotted a few children in the water but only one brave adult.
Here is Michael sitting at the smooth rock surface at Tungeneset with that view to the Okshornan/Ox horn cliffs. I should specify that all these photos are taken by me and not Michael.
The easy access to the rock surface from another Norwegian Scenic Route viewpoint. Do notice the rugged mountains and the people photographed to add scale.
The Midnight Sun from the beach in front of Grete’s house, taken 15 minutes past midnight. The brightly light nights made it difficult to sleep, but they were amazing. One more post from Northern Norway is coming, this time including some knits! We had a fabulous week in the north, and want to come back to see more! If you have not been, do add it to your bucket list for the future, when it is safe to travel abroad again! Stay safe and healthy! Regards from Northern Norway!
New Design: Sigyn
I know some of you have waited years for a knitted dress from me, well, here it is: Sigyn. Now, I just hope that you do not feel you have waited in vain. The reason it took me so long time is that I had so many conceptions of how to design a dress that is comfortable, flattering and that will suit most body types. In the end I choose a classic look with ribbing, an a-line silhouette and with a central cable that makes a v-neck at the front but follows your spine at the back. Sigyn is Norse for victorious girl-friend and ideal for this a-line dress with a central swing cable, surrounded by ribbing to make it figure hugging. Decreases are made in the purl sections to emphasize the silhouette of Sigyn. The dress is beautifully knitted in the bouncy Sølje from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, by Grete Jenssen, in size S but with a tighter gauge 28 stitches instead of 24 stitches, hence it has the bust measurement of size XS 88 cm/34.75″. So I am wearing it with zero ease in these photographs taken by my husband at the beach in Ørje in a sweltering 26 degrees Celsius/78 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, there were a couple of women sunbathing next to us, wearing only their bikinis. They smiled at me wearing a woolly dress, then even more as when I put on yet another woolly cardigan on top. Yes, a long cardigan that can be worn casually on top is the next new design. 
The swing cable is the same I used on the sweater Vaga and found in Norah Gaughan’s inspiring Knitted Cable Sourcebook. I mirrored it and added 6 stitches in rib in between the two swing cables. The dress will be available in six sizes from XS to 2XL with a bust measurement of 88 to 130 cm/34.75 to 51.25″. The suggested length is 118 cm to 123 cm/46.5 to 48.5″. You can easily adjust the length of the dress if you prefer. I suggest shortening (or lengthening) it with up to 7 cm/2.75″ before the a-line shaping begins.
I decided to work the dress back and forth in pieces and then sew it together to make the fit even better. The reason I choose to move the cable towards the shoulder is that I did ponder on whether to make it a v-neck, but realised it is unpractical in Norway. The grass green colour of Sølje was ideal in my opinion and I knew it would suit the red-haired model Emma Ross well. Sølje is made of Norwegian pelt wool with 350 meters/383 yards per 100 gram skein and comes in 30 colours. The dress is knitted using 3 mm/US 2.5 needles and with a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows in stockinette stitch per 10 cm/4″ square.
The central cable continue straight up to the neckline unlike the front one. The neckline is lower at the front than at the back. And yes, the back of my legs are very white compared to my face and hands that has been in the sun these last weeks of Mediterranean summer temperatures in Ørje.
I like wearing a belt on my knitted dresses and picked a narrow leather one (read: not the same we used for the photo shoot). It is just hanging loosely around my waist. The English pattern will be test knitted in my Ravelry group in early September, before it is released. The Norwegian pattern and yarn kit will be available launched by Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk at Oslo Design Fair at the end of August. I will show you the dress looks with a long cardigan soon as well as how it looked on model Emma Ross at Villa Malla.
New Design: Cahal
Olive green was the second shade I chose for the new collection for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk to be launched at the Oslo Design Fair in late January. Yes, in the divine Tinde Pelsull, that is. Origami vest with reversible cables that folds into shape. Vents are made by leaving the seam open at the bottom. The horizontal seam draws a line across the shoulders ending in a curve at the armhole. You can wear the vest with both sides out by making a neat or flat seam. The name Cahal is Celtic for strong in battle.
The brilliant sample knitter is none other than Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry, who knitted this vest in a week’s time. Yes, she is a turbo knitter, that is for sure! I am wearing size S with a bust measurement of 106.5 cm/42″ with the intended right side out in the top two photos and with the wrong side out as well as visible seams in the bottom two photos. The pattern is graded into two larger sizes too (m, XL/2XL) with (117, 127) cm/42 (46, 50)” bust.
The vest is knitted in two parts. The front is a square, while the back has 30.5 cm/12″ extra body length that folds to the front at each shoulder to form the upper front and the neck opening. Above you see the wrong side out and visible seams. The vest is knitted using 3.5 mm/US 4 needle with a gauge of 21 stitches and 30 rows in stockinette stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square. Tinde Pelsull is made of 100% pelt wool with 260 meters/284 yards per 100 gram skein and comes in 30 divine colours all with the natural black base.
My husband photographed me at the outdoor stage next to Ørje Brug, today a museum called Haldenvassdragets Kanalmuseum on a very windy day in October. Below is the arty shoot, he took. The background I wanted, but the sun was not in the right position for photos from this angle.
The cables are from Norah Gaughan’s brilliant Knitted Cable Sourcebook, yet again. The English pattern for Cahal will be test knitted in my Ravelry group beginning on 9th of April before it is released in mid May. But before that I will show you how it looked on the gorgeous model Emma Ross with hair & makeup by Sissel Fylling and captured by photographer Eivind Røhne.
New Design: Hanasa
Du Store Alpakka Baby Silk yarn is a divine mixture of alpaca and silk I wanted to test. I fell for this strong olive green colour and decided to make another a-line sweater with a split cable at the bottom of the body and sleeves. The yarn gives the pullover a lovely sheen. It is beautifully knitted by Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry, using 3.5 mm/US 4 needles and a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows. The yarn is made of 80% baby alpaca and 20% mulberry silk and comes in 50 grams ball with 133 meters/145 yards. The sample is knitted in Green 307, and the yarn has been kindly sponsored by House of Yarn. The Norwegian pattern will be published in Familien Kreativ in March, while the English pattern will be test knitted in my Ravelry group in June next year.
Here is my introduction to the pattern: 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. You may have noticed that the cable on the sleeve is a smaller version of the one on the body and does not have the bordering garter stitches on each side.
As usual I have chosen to knit it in part and sew it together for a better fit. The vent at the bottom is made by making each part and each sleeve in two parts before they are joined together. Part two is made first, in order for part one to be worked first when they are joined together. The collar became more generous than I initially had planned so I had to make a cowl to go with it with four of the central body cable. It was finished just in time for the photo shoot so it has only been photographed indoors so far and the colour is so off it does not even look green. You will just have to wait and see the stunning photos of model Silje Andresen/Team Models wearing instead. The cowl I only made in one size but you can easily adjust it if you want to. The sweater is graded in sizes XS to 2XL, with a bust circumference of 84 to 126 cm/33 to 49.5″ and a hip circumference of 98 to 140 cm/38.5 to 55″. I am wearing size S.
My husband photographed me wearing it in late November at Ormøya by the fjord. It was his suggestions that we take som arty shoots in this boxed in bench. Above you see the result. Unfortunately the shadows of the tree covered the whole bench on both sides, so I could not escape.
New Design: Elfa
Elfa is the last of my new designs and the fourth garment made for yarn kits for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. The cables are the same one I used for Idunn, and I loved the idea of making a different but also a more feminine version this time. I decided upon an a-line long jacket as a contrast to the straight pullover. The yarn producer liked my idea, I am pleased to say. It was another project that skilled sample knitter Grete Jenssen, aka ma9, knitted with her usual turbo speed. All four designs with their yarn kits will be launched at Oslo Design Fair at the beginning of September.
Here is my presentation of it: Elfa is an a-line long jacket with central cables along all parts. Tucks divide the different patterns giving a slight flair and a softer touch to the jacket. A large shawl collar crowns the garment, hence the given name Elfa – after the Norse king and warrior. The body is worked in pieces while the sleeves are worked in the round to the underarm. It is knitted in the in the lustrous pelt yarn with a mohair feel, Sølje from Hifa.
Elfa is knitted using 3 mm/US 2.5 needles with a gauge of 24 stitches and 34 rows in stocking stitch measures 10 cm/4″ square. The body is worked flat in pieces, unlike the long sleeves which are worked in the round to the armhole. The hem and the tuck are worked with 2 sets of circular needles held together. To make the bottom band and tuck to flare less choose needle size 2.5 mm/US 1.5. The number of stitches picked up for collar has been adjusted from the sample to avoid the flare. I have graded the jacket from size XS to 2XL, with a bust circumference from 84 to 126 cm/33 to 49.5″, and I am wearing size S above. Elfa was photographed by my husband at Ormøya a couple of weeks ago and by Eivind Røhne at Villa Malla on the 1. of June. Coming up are all the amazing professional photos and the garments worn by model Alexandria Eissinger/Nordic Model Agency.