Tag Archives: House of Yarn

Nordic Living Fair at Lillestrøm January 2019

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Oslo Design Fair is now only once a year in August, while the fair in January is re-named “Nordic Living” with more focus on Interiors, but both are taking place at Norway Trade Fairs at Lillestrøm (outside of Oslo). Hence Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk did not have a stand at this trade fair. Michael and I went on Wednesday, the opening and press day. As you can see in these photos there were less people than usual visiting the fair.

This is the main exhibition in Hall C, presenting the topic of this fair: Embracing Change. One of the quotes on the wall read: “Embracing change in all aspects of life, gives room to humanly development.” The fair’s website reveals that: “Nordic Living is directed towards lifestyle and retail. First and foremost it is a buyers’ fair with exhibitors in focus, but it will also offer a program and inspiration”.

I was intrigued by the new Swedish designer who is taking over after Solveig Hisdal, who is retiring, at Oleana (and do notice where they photographed their Autumn/Winter 2018 collection). She has a very different style to Hisdal but the knitwear and the fabrics are still all made in Norway. The black dress in the background is woven in a Wool and Linen mixture, resulting in a jeans like fabric.

Now, in Hall B there were still a number of yarn producers: Rauma, House of Yarn, Sandnes, Permin (Danish), Cewec (Danish) and Viking Garn among others. I spoke to some of the exhibitors and find it useful to hear their take on the latest trends and their best sellers. Mohair yarn and especially thick mohair yarn knitted up into straight sweater with a bit of lace or cable and wide sleeves seemed to be The trend. To me this is a return to the 80’s and best suited for teenagers or skinny women (or in the past…).

Above are some of the new designs made for House of Yarn. As usual I met up with designer and author Tove Fevang, handicraft editor for the magazine “Familien” Åse Myhrvold Egeland and designer Bente Presterud Røvik. For the first time I also met Trine Lise Høyseth, another freelance designer working a lot for House of Yarn. We all had lunch and talked about designing and the social media pressure.

Even the product exhibition in the street with the entrance to all the halls was smaller than usual and only in one part and on one side of it. Michael and I also had a second coffee with Åse later in the afternoon before we headed off to the train station to meet friends visiting from London. I must admit that I enjoyed the fair and the opportunity to meet people I work with.

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Photoshoot at Architecture Museum: Aylwen

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@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: Biondo Scarf

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Here is the last new design I will show you for awhile. Biondo – Italian for blond – scarf is reversible with a twisted stitch as a divider between each of the three cables. The stitch also work as a folding line, hence emphasises the more relaxed alternate side. The scarf is knitted in a divine silk and alpaca mixture for that lovely feel and sheen. Du Store Alpakka Baby Silk is the yarn and the shade is Pale yellow 352. The Norwegian pattern will be published in the magazine Familien the date will be confirmed later, while the English pattern will be test knitted in February in my Ravelry group before its release.

The scarf measures 29.5 cm/11.5″ wide and 140 cm/55″ long. It is knitted using a 3.5 mm/US 4 needle with a gauge of 24 stitches and 32 rows in stocking stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square. The luxurious fibres in Du Store Alpakka Baby Silk; 80% alpaca and 20% mulberry silk make it both warm and soft around your neck. The yarn has been kindly sponsored by House of Yarn.

My husband photographed me wearing the scarf in our garden late in November. The photo above shows the wrong side out giving a softer appearance of the reversible cables. Next I will begin to show you the wonderful professional photos Eivind Røhne took of gorgeous model Silje Andresen.

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New Design: Aylwen

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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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New Design: Hanasa

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mmp-xt1b5069Du 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.

mmp-xt1b5079Here 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.

mmp-xt1b5075As 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.

mmp-xt1b5089My 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.

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New Design: Cavallo

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mmp-xt1b4964I wanted to have another go at designing an a-line sweater with a rounded hem, this time with a Henley neck. This comes after my most successful pattern to date; the Oydis Sweater. Just as last time I found an attractive cable to be the focus point, but chose a solid yarn this time instead of a home made tweed mix; Dale Pure Eco Wool in a stunning soft sea-green colour.  I tend to get easily bored knitting stockinette stitch, hence the row gauge is slightly off (28 rows instead of 30 rows) and it has become 3 cm/1.25″ longer than intended. The fit is based upon the Oydis Sweater, and it is meant to be worn with around 5 cm/2″ ease. The Norwegian pattern will be published in the special issue called Familien Kreativ which will be published in March next year. While the English pattern will be test knitted in my Ravelry group, beginning in May, before its release.

mmp-xt1b4984Here is my introduction to the pattern: 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.

mmp-xt1b4958Cavallo is knitted in Dale, Pure Eco Wool made of 70% wool, 30% alpaca in 50 gram balls with 112 meters/122 yards, using a 4 mm/US 6 needle. The gauge is 21 stitches and 30 rows in stockinette stitch measures 10 cm/4″ square. The yarn was generously sponsored by House of Yarn. I choose to work all parts back and forth, then sewed it together. Each side on all parts has a few garter stitches as a side band.  You can easily knit the sleeves and also the body in the round after the rounded hem.

mmp-xt1b4977I found the cable too large to fit on the sleeves and chose a check pattern which looks like fake cables on the center of the sleeve. It adds a bit of texture and makes the sleeves more fun to knit. I knitted both flat at the same time. I have graded the sweater in sizes XS to 2XL with a bust circumference of 84 to 126 cm/33 to 49.5″. I am wearing size S in the photos above taken by my husband at the end of October at Ormøya by the fjord in Oslo, close to where we live.

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