Sweater Dresses

A sweater dress makes you feel both cosy and comfortable. The key is to make the dress in a lighter yarn instead of a thicker one and to choose a bouncy wool or another fiber you like wearing that will also keep its shape. I admit that I have several in my wardrobe that I wear a lot. Hence it did take me a long time to actually design one as I wanted to make it extra special. Now, four dress designs later I can tell you the story of Sigyn, Aibell, Gyro and Keila – coming very soon.

My first and most popular dress is Sigyn made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk in the fine yarn Sølje pelt wool, modelled by Emma Ross. The A-line silhouette becomes bodycon with the ribbing and has two central swinging cables that are divided, then moving towards the shoulder to make a v-neck at the front.

The second dress I designed was Aibell made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk this time in the slightly thicker yarn Tinde pelt wool, also modelled by Emma Ross. The balloon dress is shaped by cables introduced one at a time and can be worn as tunic or a minidress.

I did not have to appoint Beth Robinson, aka yarnbeth, as my Aibell Ambassador – she actually volunteered after she had made her first Aibell dress. Beth has made another two, so far..

The third one I designed, also for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, is made in two colours and in two yarns both Tinde pelt wool yarn for the center panel and Sølje for the sleeve panels: Gyro modelled by Olivia Lindtein. This time I wanted to try out an oversized dress with bat sleeves. The center cable panel crowns the dress and ends in a wide neck with an I-cord bind off.

Keila is the latest one and you can guess which yarn company it is made for. Yes, it is for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk knitted in their Sølje pelt wool and modelled by Aksa Mortensen. Honeycomb cables cover most of the dress except for the armhole and half the sleeves. You shape the skirt part into the high bodice part by changing the sizes of the cables.

Wear the dress as a balloon dress or a tunic by inserting a cord into the double hem. I am looking forward to the launch of the yarn kit and the test knit of this pattern beginning in November in my Ravelry group. All the dresses are brilliantly photographed by Eivind Røhne. If you are wondering if I am going to design any more dresses, I can reveal that the next one is already in the works! Enjoy the Sweater Season and your Sweater Dresses!

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Gyro Yarn Kit

I am thrilled to let you know that my design Gyro is now available as a yarn kit with Norwegian or English pattern directly from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. Above you see the cover that they made showing the gorgeous Olivia Lindtein, with hair & make-up by Erica Poppe and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, wearing the dress as a tunic captured by Eivind Røhne in Mortensrud Church last November.

Gyro is an oversized dress with bat sleeves knitted in two yarn thicknesses and colours. The center cable panel crowns the dress and ends in a wide neck with an I-cord bind off. Gyro is an old Norwegian female name, well suited to this dress or tunic made in pieces and sewn or crochet together with a garter stitch sleeve band. The dress is knitted in the divine pelt wool yarn from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk; The thicker Tinde for the cable panel and the thinner Sølje for the side parts.

The dress is available in sizes XS to 3XL with a wingspan of 119 to 137/46.75 to 54“,
divided into: Sleevepart/shoulder on each side: 47.5 to 56.5 cm/18.75  to 22.25” and neck: 24 cm/9.5”. The length is from 89 to 95 cm/35 to 37.5”. Olivia wears size S; 122 cm/48” wingspan and has an 83 cm/32.75” bust circumference and stands 167 cm/5’6” tall.

As for construction: The dress is worked in pieces from the bottom up and seamed. You can easily adjust the length of the dress if you prefer, for instance by shortening (or lengthening) it with one or half a cable pattern repeat 12 cm/4.75” or 6 cm/2.25” and work less rows in between the increases.

You can find the Gyro yarn kit available online on Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. The English and Norwegian Gyro pattern is also available from my Ravelry store.

 

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Gyro Pattern Released

The test knit of Gyro has come to an end with beautiful versions made. I look forward to sharing some of those with you. Above is the pattern cover showing the gorgeous Olivia Lindtein, with make-up and hair by Erica Poppe and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, is wearing my Gyro dress – knitted in both Tinde and Sølje pelt wool yarn designed for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk – brilliantly captured by Eivind Røhne, at Mortensrud Church in Oslo in November last year. The English pattern is available on Ravelry and will soon come to Love Crafts. Yarn kits, with Norwegian or English pattern, will soon be available from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.

Gyro is an oversized dress with bat sleeves knitted in two yarn thicknesses and colours. The center cable panel crowns the dress and ends in a wide neck with an I-cord bind off. Gyro is an old Norwegian female name, well suited to this dress or tunic made in pieces and sewn or crochet together with a garter stitch sleeve band. The dress is knitted in the divine pelt wool yarn from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk; The thicker Tinde for the cable panel and the thinner Sølje for the side parts.

Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL)
To fit sizes:
UK 6 (8, 10, 12, 14, 16-18, 20-22)
US 2 (4, 6, 8, 10, 12-14, 16-18)
EU 34 (36, 38, 40, 42, 44-46, 48-50)
Shown in size Small
Skill level: Experienced

Finished measurements:
Wingspan: 119 (122, 125, 128, 131, 134, 137) cm/46.75 (48, 49.25, 50.5, 51.5, 52.75, 54)“
Divided into: Sleevepart/shoulder on each side: 47.5 (49, 50.5, 52, 53.5, 55, 56.5) cm/18.75 (19.25, 20, 20.5, 21, 21.75, 22.25)”.
Neck: 24 cm/9.5”.
Bottom circumference: 110 (114, 118, 124, 130, 134, 140) cm/43.25 (45, 46.5, 48.75, 51.25, 52.75, 55)“
Length: 89 (90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95) cm/35 (35.5, 35.75, 36.25, 36.5, 37, 37.5)”
Ease: Model wears second size; 122 cm/48” wingspan and has an 83 cm/32.75” bust circumference and stands 167 cm/5’6” tall.

Yarn: Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, Tinde Pelsull (100% pelt wool, 260 m/284 yds, 100 g).
COL 1: The sample is knitted in Mørk rosa 2114: 3 (3, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4) skeins; 715 (767, 819, 871, 923, 975, 1027) m/782 (839, 896, 953, 1009, 1066, 1123) yds.
Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk, Sølje Pelsull (100% pelt wool, 350 m/383 yds, 100 g)
COL 2: The sample is knitted in Burgunderlilla 2131: 3 (4, 4, 5, 5, 5, 5) skeins; 1050 (1138, 1226, 1314, 1402, 1490, 1578) m/1148 (1245, 1341, 1437, 1533, 1629, 1726) yds.
https://www.ull.no/produktkategori/garn/ullgarn/norsk-pel…
https://www.ull.no/produktkategori/garn/solje-pelsullgarn/

Alternative Yarns for Tinde: Berroco, Ultra Alpaca Light (50% alpaca, 50% wool, 50 g, 133 m/144 yds). http://www.berroco.com/yarns/berroco-ultra-alpaca-light
Jamieson’s, Double Knitting (100% wool, 25 g, 75 m/82 yds).
http://www.jamiesonsofshetland.co.uk/spindrift-and-double…
Rowan, Tweed (100% wool, 50 g, 118 m/129 yds).
http://www.knitrowan.com/yarns/rowan-tweed
Malabrigo, Arroyo, (100% superwash merino, 100 g, 306 m/335 yds).
http://www.malabrigoyarn.com/subyarn.php?id=29
Or another DK/8 ply yarn.

Alternative Yarns for Sølje: Cascade 220 Sport (100% wool, 50 g, 150 m/164 yds).
http://www.cascadeyarns.com/cascade-Cascade220Sport.htm
Tosh Sock (100% wool, 100 g, 361 m/394 yds).
http://madelinetosh.com/tosh-sock/
Berroco Cosma (60% alpaca, 30% wool, 10% silk, 50 g, 150 m/164 yds).
http://www.berroco.com/yarns/berroco-cosma
Or another Sport/5 ply or Fingering 4/ply yarn.

Needles: 3.5 mm/US 4 straight needle.
3 mm/US 2.5 circular needle or straight needle.
3 mm/US 2.5 circular needle (40 cm/16”) for neckband.
Adjust needle size as needed to match gauge.

Notions: Stitch markers (removable), cable needle, stitch holders, waste yarn for sleeveband marker and yarn needle.

Gauge: 21 sts and 30 rows in st st with Tinde (COL 1) and 3.5 mm/US 4 needle measures 10 cm/4” square.
24 sts and 32 rows in st st with Sølje (COL 2) using 3 mm/US 2.5 needle measures 10 cm/4” square.
16 sts in Cable with Tinde (COL 1) and 3.5 mm/US 4 needle measures about 7 cm/2.75” across.
36 rows in Cable with Tinde (COL 1) and 3.5 mm/US 4 needle measure about 12 cm/4.75” high.

Notes: The dress is worked in pieces from the bottom up and seamed. You can easily adjust the length of the dress if you prefer, for instance by shortening (or lengthening) it with one or half a cable pattern repeat 12 cm/4.75” or 6 cm/2.25” and work less rows in between the increases.

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Photoshoot at Mortensrud Church: Gyro

I am thrilled to show you the brilliant photos taken by Eivind Røhne, at Mortensrud Church in Oslo in November last year, of the gorgeous Olivia Lindtein, with make-up and hair by Erica Poppe and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, wearing my Gyro dress knitted in both Tinde and Sølje pelt wool yarn, designed for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. I wanted to show Gyro both as a dress and also as a tunic with trousers beneath. Olivia is wearing size S, the second size, which has a 122 cm/48” wingspan. She has an 83 cm/32.75” bust circumference and stands 167 cm/5’6” tall.

Gyro is an oversized dress with bat sleeves knitted in two yarn thicknesses and colours. The center cable panel crowns the dress and ends in a wide neck with an I-cord bind off. Gyro is an old Norwegian female name, well suited to this dress or tunic made in pieces and sewn or crochet together with a garter stitch sleeve band. The dress is knitted in the divine pelt wool yarn from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk; The thicker Tinde for the cable panel and the thinner Sølje for the side parts.

Gyro is graded from size XS to 2XL, To fit sizes:
UK 6 (8, 10, 12, 14, 16-18, 20-22)
US 2 (4, 6, 8, 10, 12-14, 16-18)
EU 34 (36, 38, 40, 42, 44-46, 48-50)

The sample is knitted by Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry, using 3.5 mm/US 4 on the center cable part in Tinde (100% pelt wool, 100 gram,  m/yds) and using 3 mm/US 2.5 on the side part in Sølje (100% pelt wool, 100 gram, m/yds. The gauge for Tinde in stockinette stitch is 21 stitches and 30 rows to 10 cm/4″ square, while for Sølje it is 24 stitches and 32 rows.

The dress is worked in pieces and seamed. You can easily adjust the length of the dress if you prefer, for instance by shortening (or lengthening) it with one or half a cable pattern repeat 12 cm/4.75” or 6 cm/2.25” and work less rows in between the increases.

The English pattern of Gyro will be test knitted beginning on 17th of February in my Ravelry group before the pattern is released. Yarn kits will be available with English or Norwegian pattern from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.

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New Design: Gyro

I am thrilled to show you the new dress I have designed for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk. Gyro works equally well as a tunic so we photographed worn both ways. The sample in size Small is beautifully knitted in pieces in Tinde and Sølje pelt wool by Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry, while I crocheted the seams together and made the I-cord neckband plus the garter stitch sleeveband. Michael took these photos of me wearing Gyro outside our hotel in Barcelona, back in November when I was teaching at Barcelona Knits 2019.

Gyro is an oversized dress with bat sleeves knitted in two yarn thicknesses and colours. The center cable panel crowns the dress and ends in a wide neck with an I-cord bind off. Gyro is an old Norwegian female name, well suited to this dress or tunic made in pieces and sewn or crochet together with a garter stitch sleeve band. The dress is knitted in the divine pelt wool yarn from Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk; The thicker Tinde for the cable panel and the thinner Sølje for the side parts.

I have graded it in these sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL). Since the bust measurement includes the sleeve part I chose to write in to fit sizes and not write out the ease in cm/inches:  To fit sizes:  UK 6 (8, 10, 12, 14, 16-18, 20-22)/US 2 (4, 6, 8, 10, 12-14, 16-18)/EU 34 (36, 38, 40, 42, 44-46, 48-50).

The gauge is 21 sts and 30 rows in st st with Tinde (COL 1) and 3.5 mm/US 4 needle measures 10 cm/4″ square. 24 sts and 32 rows in st st with Sølje (COL 2) using 3 mm/US 2.5 needle measures 10 cm/4″ square.

The dress is worked in pieces and seamed. You can easily adjust the length of the dress if you prefer, for instance by shortening (or lengthening) it with one or half a cable pattern repeat 12 cm/4.75″ or 6 cm/2.25″ and work less rows in between the increases.

The English pattern, and also the Norwegian one, will be released after the test knit which begins 17th of February.

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