Hel Pattern Released

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Linda Marveng

The long a-line vest Hel was received with excitement in my Ravelry group together with a request of a much earlier test knit than the one I had scheduled for next spring. I was happy to oblige and moved the test knit to July in time for late summer. The result was numerous stunning versions of Hel. You can see a selection of them here: Hel. The pattern was published in Norwegian in the special magazine Familien Strikk in August 2016. You will also find the English pattern available at Loveknitting. The sample knitted vest is one of five designs exhibited at Strikke 2016 at Hadeland Glassverk, and will be there until 30. October. Hel was brilliantly photographed by Eivind Røhne at Villa Malla by the fjord in June, worn by gorgeous model Alexandria Eissinger with hair & make up by Jens J. Wiker and jewelry by Kaja Gjedebo Design. Here is my introduction to the pattern:

Sweeping Cables crown this long a-line vest with vents. The v-neck, framed by an I-cord bind-off, can be worn on the front or on the back. The cables have areas of rib in between hence a high rib became the obvious bottom band. Hel means complete in Norwegian and the Norse Hel ruled over nine worlds.

Sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2XL)

Finished measurements: Bust: 82 (90, 98, 106, 116 126) cm/32.25 (35.5, 38.5, 41.75, 45.75, 49.5)” Hip: 92 (100, 108, 116, 126, 136) cm/36.25 (39.25, 42.5, 45.75, 49.5, 53.5)” Length: 77 cm/30.25″

Yarn: Rowan Yarns, Alpaca Merino DK (83% alpaca, 10% nylon, 7% wool, 25 g, 105 m/115 yds). Sample is knitted in Belvoir 107. 9 (10, 11, 12, 13, 14) skeins; 869 (1016, 1103, 1200, 1310, 1420) m/950 (1111, 1206, 1312, 1432, 1553) yds. http://www.knitrowan.com/yarns/alpaca-merino-dk

Alternative yarn: Rowan Softyak DK (76% cotton, 15% yak, 9% nylon, 50 g, 135 m/148 yds). http://www.knitrowan.com/yarns/softyak-dk

Needles: 4.5 mm/US 7 circular needle (80 cm/32″). 4 mm/US 6 circular needle (40 cm/16″) for armhole bands. Adjust needle size as needed to match gauge.

Notions: Stitch markers, stitch holders, waste yarn and yarn needle.

Gauge: 22 sts and 30 rows in st st measures 10 cm/4″ square. 24 sts and 30 rows in rib measures 10 cm/4″ square. 62 sts Sweeping Cables measures 18 cm/7″ across.

Notes: The vest is knitted back and forth in parts.

Strikke 2016 at Hadeland Glassverk

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Linda Marveng

I spent last weekend at Hadeland Glassverk holding two different workshops and visiting the knitting exhibition in the amazing new gallery, with the glass entry part designed by Snøhetta, during their knitting festival called “Strikke 2016”. The exhibition was initiated by one of the owners Atle Brynestad, who started his first company a knitwear company at the age of 16. A selection of the first sweaters are exhibited together with photos from the -70s and -80s. There are 19 participating Norwegian designers in addition to 4 International designers. Among them are Christel Seyfarth, Sonya Yong James, Tine Solheim, Sidsel Høivik, Tove Fevang, Nina Granlund Sæther, Bente Røvik, Vanja Blix Langsrud, Denise Samson and me. The festival, including the exhibition, opened on the 3. September and will hang until the 30. October.

The yarn shower containing 1000 strands of yarn, sponsored by the House of Yarn is at one end of the exhibition while the coffeeshop and the beautiful view of Hadeland is on the opposite side.

The intricate and colorful designs by Sidsel Høivik, accompanied by her first book and flyers for her second book. Sidsel now sell her designs as yarn kits directly from her website.

My part of the exhibition, taken by my husband so that I could stand next to my designs. I am wearing my long jacket, Helka and displayed are from right to left: Yellow Gold Pullover, Shalana, Hel, Kori and Ronette. I choose to display these designs since the Norwegian patterns are all found in the special magazine Familien Strikk now on sale in Norway.

Danish designer Christel Seyfarth is know for her colorwork and pattern combinations. She is one of the designers giving a talk about her inspiration on the 22. October. Here is the full list of talks: Hadeland Glassverk.

Here is a view taken from the coffee tables next to the large windows seeing the shop part at the front.

The shop with the Festival sweater hanging on the wall. The shop has a large selection of books, yarn kits, ready made knitwear, some knitting needles, patterns and accessories. I am happy to have my Norwegian book for sale there.

I know the photo is dark but I wanted to share the amazing view as well as weather with the Randsfjord in the background. Here is the full program. So if you have the chance to see it, do! Do bring your knitting too!

Familien Strikk 2016

Posted on August 27, 2016 by Linda Marveng

The special issue Familien Strikk is now out in Norway with 79 patterns including 6 of mine: Kori, Yellow Gold Pullover, Ronette, Hel, Shalana and Githa. I am delighted to have a series of patterns included in this magazine together with Tine Solheim and Bente Presterud Røvik. None of my patterns are on the cover but there is a small photo of both Kori and Shalana on the contents page. Two of the patterns: Yellow Gold Pullover and Githa are available in English in my Ravelry Store and on loveknitting. The remaining patterns will be test knitted this autumn in my Ravelry group before they are released.

All the six projects are brilliantly photographed by Eivind Røhne. The gorgeous model is Alexandria Eissinger/Nordic Model Agency with hair and make up by Jens J. Wiker, jewelry by Kaja Gjedebo Design, and tulle skirt by Judith Bech Design. I have named the series “Reiselyst” meaning “Wanderlust” or “Travel-lust” directly translated. “Water, beach and wanderlust have inspired this series by designer Linda Marveng. Intricate cables and lace pattern adorn the garments. Be inspired and travel and travel in the country or abroad. But do remember to bring your knitting!”. The introduction to Kori is as follows: “Kori is old Norse and means perfect; Kori is the result of a complex mathematical equation that cannot be calculated by the human mind. Just as the intricate cable that crowns this fitted jacket.”

On the following page is a photo of the back. Yellow Gold Pullover is next: “Elegant chain link cables framed by a welt pattern adorn this gorgeous pullover. Playful tucks add life to the rib and give the pullover more texture. It is knitted straight from the bottom and up in parts and sewn together at the end. Jamieson’s Spindrift, a fine heathered wool was chosen for its lightness and color.”

Next is Ronette: “A central cable that ends in a bulb captivated me into designing this long a-line sweater with vents in the side along the bottom rib. A few garter stitches in the side makes the seam look like a zip. The sweater ends in an I-cord bind-off at the neck only shaped by the shoulders. It is named Ronette which means ”strong councel” in Old English, because the cable pattern did just that.” Also listed are the pattern details with yarn, sizes and needle. Followed by the vest Hel: “Sweeping Cables crown this long a-line vest with vents. The v-neck, framed by an I-cord bind-off, can be worn on the front or on the back. The cables have areas of rib in between hence a high rib became the obvious bottom band. Hel means complete in Norwegian and the Norse Hel ruled over nine worlds.”

Shalana: “A fitted pullover with Sand Cables that travel from the center towards each shoulder. At the center of the body between the cables is double seed stitch, framed by a twisted stitch which is increased into at the same time as you decrease in the stocking stitch on the opposite side of the cables.”

Githa: “A central wavy lace panel adorns this a-lined tunic tank with garter stitch bands. The lace pattern creates fans with boxes of garter stitch in between creating texture to the uneven chainette yarn made of a mixture of cotton, linen and viscose, Rowan Panama. The yarn make the tunic tank easy to wear during the summer or for a party. A generous shaped cowl covers your shoulders and dress up the tunic tank to make a perfect set called Githa, from Anglo-Saxon; to give or a gift.”

The magazine is available at selected news agents and super markets. If you are in Norway you can also order it by SMS just write “Strikk16” in addition to your name & address to 2205 or buy a digital version for iPad, see www.klikk.no. 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 samples and the professional photographs of all these, except for Githa, will be exhibited at Strikke 2016 Festival at Hadeland Glassverk from 3. September to 30. October.

Photoshoot at Villa Malla: Hel

Posted on July 30, 2016 by Linda Marveng

Next in the series, is the vest Hel. Here is gorgeous model Alexandria Eissinger/Nordic Model Agency – with beautiful hair & make up by Jens J. Wiker and statement jewelry by Kaja Gjedebo Design – wearing Hel over dark grey silk slacks at the terrace of Villa Malla, brilliantly captured by Eivind Røhne. It was a sweltering day in June, which made the Oslo fjord look more like the Mediterranean Sea. We were having our photoshoot surrounded by people having their lunch but found some unused corners we could use as backdrop. The Norwegian pattern will be published in the special magazine Familien Strikkebok, while the English pattern will be released after test knitting which has recently began in my Ravelry group.

Hel is knitted in the lovely Rowan Yarns Alpaca Merino DK, with a chainette construction made in the following fibre mix: 83% alpaca, 10% nylon, 7% wool, on each 25 ball with 105 m/115 yds. The sample is knitted in Belvoir 107 with a gauge of 22 sts and 30 rows in stocking stitch measures 10 cm/4″ square using a 4 mm/US 6 needle. The cable stretches across a large number of stitches hence a yarn with a hard twist and few plies will make the cables look flimsy.

The vest is graded from size XS to 2XL, with a bust circumference of 82 to 126 cm/32.25 to 49.5″. It is knitted back and forth in parts. The short row shaping of the shoulders make it easy to wear with the v-neck on the front or on the back.

Here shown the other way around. I first planned a boat neck and smaller armholes but changed my mind to give the vest a more casual look with larger armholes and a v-neck to be worn either way.

The sample together with a selection of the photos will be exhibited at the Strikke 2016 Festival at the new gallery at Hadeland Glassverk opening on 3. September to the 30. October. Next in the series is Ronette. So you do have more photos to look forward to.

New Design: Hel

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Linda Marveng

I knew I wanted to design a garment with these Sweeping Cables as soon as I saw them. I knew it had to be a long garment so they would have some space to unfold across. A vest, but should it be open or not? Not, I decided so it could be used as a summer top too. I tested a few yarns before I was happy with the result of the cable which stretches two stitches across four hence need to be of a filling type like Rowan Alpaca Merino DK – an alpaca, merino and nylon mix – of a chainette construction with a generous 105 meters/115 yards on each 25 g ball. The vest is knitted using a 4.5 mm/US 7 with a gauge of 22 stitches and 30 rows in stockinette stitch. The Norwegian pattern will be published in Familien Strikk in late August while the English pattern will be test knitted in my Ravelry group in mid-July.

The rib in the cables became the obvious choice for the bottom band and lent itself to making vents in the side. A relaxed fit, hence an a-line shape, makes the vest wearable for any occasion. It was stunningly worn by model Alexandria Eissinger with silk slacks, see my previous post: Villa Malla Sneak Peek. The deep v-neck can be worn on the front or on the back, due to the shoulder shaping. It is framed by an I-cord bind-off which I tried to offset with a few rows of reverse stocking stitch. Due to the fuzzy yarn the contrast did not work as well I had imagined.

The vest is knitted in two parts due to the vents. I named the vest Hel because it means complete in Norwegian and because the Norse Hel ruled over nine worlds. Complete because of the different looks you can create with it, whether you wear the v-neck at the front or at the back and what you prefer to wear under it.

I have graded the vest from size XS to size 2XL. The sample, the only one of the nine new designs we photographed at Villa Malla, I had time to knit since I was knitting samples for Interweave and SweetGeorgia Yarns. All the photos above are taken at Ormøya, down from where we live. Unlike the heat from the photoshoot day these photos were taken in a very cold wind and I would have preferred to have worn all three on top of each other instead of separately. Hel is the fifth new design and the last in the series to be published in Familien Strikk together with the Yellow Gold Pullover. Next up are each of the four designs I have made for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk and their yarn kits to be launched at Oslo Design Fair in early September. To be continued.

Villa Malla Sneak Peek

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Linda Marveng

I wanted to share some more of the magnificent photos from our photoshoot at Villa Malla on the 1st of June. Above you see Jens Johan Wiker in action, doing some last minute finish to gorgeous model Alexandria Eissinger/Nordic Model Agency wearing my design Githa with cowl together with a tulle skirt by Judith Bech Design and jewelry by Kaja Gjedebo Design. I wanted the blue water as a back drop to this top and suggested using the pier, which photographer Eivind Røhne agreed to. But he ended up with only the sky as the background, like the photo below by Michael.

However, this made the photos quite iconic in my opinion. Alexandria is standing on one reflector, the second is on its stand and to provide enough light at the right spot, I held the third reflector when Eivind started shooting. We photographed 11 garments, 6 for the Norwegian Familien Strikk out in late August and 4 for yarn kits for Norwegian yarn producer: Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk – to be launched at Oslo Design Fair in September – and 1 for Ravelry.

The Yellow Gold Pullover, first published in Interweave Knits Fall 2015, was photographed again this time for my use and it will be published in Norwegian in Familien Strikk and in English in my Ravelry store. I decided to style the sweater with beige trouser and wanted the beach as the backdrop. It worked so well with the jewelry from Kaja Gjedebo Design.

Here is a sneak peek of a new design: Hel to be published in Norwegian in Familien Strikk in August. This is the only design, of the 9 new ones, that I actually knitted this time, in the new and lovely Rowan Alpaca Merino DK. Hence it was finished the day before the photoshoot. It has a slight a-line shape, vents and a v-neck that fits both ways; on the front or on the back. Hence you have two options and the meaning of Hel in Norwegian is complete. In addition the Norse Hel ruled over nine worlds…

More details on this new design will follow. I can also reveal that I have chosen my favorite photos from the huge selection Eivind sent me, and cannot wait to show you those in time.

Linda Marveng

Knit wear designer and author

Tag Archives: Hel