I don’t know what happened to the summer, as I seem to believe we are at the beginning of August and not September. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Permin
New Design: Kori
As promised here is more details and a presentation of my design: 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. The intricate cable crossings are filled by seed stitch, hence seed stitch bands and playful tucks at the bottom. The jacket has a shawl collar and ends in I-cord bind offs. It is knitted in parts to give extra shape in the beautiful Rowan Baby Merino Silk DK. The yarn was generously sponsored by Permin, Rowan’s Scandinavian agent. Luckily for me Airin Hansen, aka Teodor on Ravelry, had time to help me knit this sample in time for the photoshoot as you saw in the previous post. The Norwegian pattern will be published in Familien Strikk in late August, while the English pattern will be test knitted in my Ravelry group before its release.
Kori is a design I planned for the previous collection but time ran out and I set it aside. When I picked it up again, I did not remember that there were two versions of the cable chart: one where the cable legs are across 3 stitches and another one where the cable legs are across 4 stitches. Of course I chose the wrong one and ended up with a jacket close to size Large and not Small. So I have sewn it up twice, and adjusted the pattern so that the cross back will be slightly narrower than on the sample.
I have graded the pattern for sizes XS to 2XL with finished bust measurements from 84 cm to 126 cm/33 to 49.5″, and waist measurements from 74 to 116 cm/29.25 to 47.75″. The jacket is knitted using 4 mm/US 6 with a gauge of 22 stitches and 32 rows in stocking stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square. I decided to work the body flat in pieces, unlike the long sleeves which are worked in the round to the armhole. The hem and the tuck is worked with 2 sets of circular needles helt together. To avoid the slight flare on the body, I suggest using a smaller needle size like 3.5 mm/US 4 instead of 4 mm/US 6. The photos above are all taken by my husband in the cold drizzle a couple of weeks before the blistering heat on the day of the photoshoot. I can promise you some stunning photos of Alexandria Eissinger wearing it…
New Design: Githa
I am busy preparing for my next photoshoot on Wednesday, which I look forward to despite the fact that I am still knitting on three of the nine new designs to be photographed. Today you can see more proof of why I choose to hire a professional model. Here is one of the new designs that is ready. 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 makes 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 Norwegian pattern will be published in Familien Strikk at the end of August.
The tunic started its life as a top, and was rejected as a design submission twice. Firstly, because the whole collection collapsed. Secondly, because it did not fit into the magazine. The proposal was given new life with a longer body, and a scoop neck with an additional shaped cowl. The tunic pattern has been graded from size XS to 2XL, while the cowl comes in XS/S (M/L, XL/2XL).
The lovely slubby yarn has unfortunately been discontinued, but is still available to buy. It had already been knitted by the speedy sample knitter Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry, before I found out. A number of alternative yarns has been listed in the pattern. Rowan Panama is listed as a fingering/4-ply yarn with a gauge of 27 stitches and 36 rows using a 3.25 mm/US 3. Neither Grete nor I managed to knit it at that gauge. I tried with a 3 mm/US 2.5 and ended up with 25 sts and 36 rows. It did however look too tight for the yarn, and I opted for the suggested needle size 3.25 mm/US 3 and a gauge of 24 sts and 32 rows instead. The yarn has been generously sponsored by Rowan Yarns’ Scandinavian Agent, Permin.
I am wearing size S and was trying to keep warm in the cold wind and drizzle. My husband was given the order of being quick to photograph me so I could put on more clothes. My favorite of these photos are definitely the back view. If the stitch pattern seem familiar to you, I can reveal that it is the same one I used for the Adoe jacket. I cannot wait to see how this will look on my stunning model Alexandria Eissinger. You wait and see.
New Design: Maith
The new silk yarn from Rowan, called Rowan Truesilk, captivated me in an instant. In addition to making a jacket in the cream color called Adoe, I decided to make a shrug with a cowl for collar. The pure mulberry silk has a generous 150 meters on each 50 gram ball, and for the shrug I choose the shade Hush 333 which I believed to be like a gold shade. It was more green than I anticipated but still divine. The shrug is worked from one sleeve cuff, across the back to the opposite sleeve cuff, with gracious cables all along it. The set was beautifully knitted by my sample knitter Grete Jenssen, aka ma9 on Ravelry. The yarn was kindly sponsored by Permin, Rowan’s Scandinavian agent. I will self publish the Norwegian pattern in my Ravelry Store in February, but have the English pattern test knitted in my Ravelry group before its release in the late autumn.
The shrug and cowl are both available in 3 sizes: XS/S (M/L, XL/2XL) and both are knitted using a 4 mm/US 6 needle with a gauge of 23 stitches and 30 rounds in stockinette stitch to 10 cm/4″ square. Only the width varies between the different sizes, not the length. You can easily adjust the length by removing or adding pattern repeats to each sleeve if desired. The shrug is worked from cuff to cuff in one piece. The cuff and sleeve is worked in the round, then worked flat across the back to the opposite sleeve where it is worked in the round to the final bind off at the cuff. The increases on the sleeve is first worked into the purl stitches between the cables in reverse stocking stitch, then in garter stitch at each end of round.
All the photos above are taken by my husband on our terrace a few days before the photo shoot. I planned to show the shrug and cowl over one of Judith Bech’s divine wedding gowns but due to time constraints it was professionally photographed by Eivind Røhne on Alexandria Eissinger in the same top but different silk trouser than I am wearing above. I cannot wait to show you those photos but first I will reveal the last design in this bridal series I have made.
New Design: Imra
I found this cable pattern online and instantly adored it. The pattern repetition is long hence length and cable placement had to be carefully planned. This is my introduction to it: Poetic cables framed by reverse stockinette stripes and double seed stitch, was my idea for this straight long vest. Named after the Arabic Poet, Imra. A small round neck has the same I-cord treatment as the armhole, front and bottom edge. Match with a pair of loose sleeve that can also be around the waist or one as a neck tie. To achieve popping cables two yarns were combined to make a rich colored tweed yarn; the bouncy Hifa Ask and Rowan Fine Tweed. The mix as well as the color is one I have used before (read: hooked on) in my Shawl Sleeves. I also choose to knit them with a dense gauge using a 4 mm/US 6. I was delighted that Grete Jenssen – aka turbo test knitter, aka ma9 on Ravelry – knitted the sample vest and the loose sleeves for me! The Norwegian pattern will be published in “Familien Strikk” at the end of August, while the English pattern will be test knitted then released on Ravelry this autumn.
I-cord bind off on the neck and the armhole was essential to me. Why not give the fronts and the bottom I-cord edgings too? I thought. For the bottom one, I tested out a new method to me, make an I-cord and pick up and knit stitches from it. There is an I-cord cast on, but as you may know it does create a very loose first row, hence a different solution had to be found. I found it on YouTube. It has elasticity but holds in the bottom at the same time. Another solution would have been to use a provisional method and then afterwards use the I-cord bind off. The I-cord at the front is worked at the same time as the front using this method: newstitchaday.com/how-to-knit-the-i-cord-edge-stitch. Grete suggested adding a few extra rows in even intervals on the I-cord edge to avoid it holding in the edge, and tested it out, to my utter satisfaction.
The vest is worked in rows in one piece to the armhole where it is separated. Each front has a 3-sts I-cord edge that is worked at the same time as the vest. Both the narrow neckline and the armhole band has an I-cord bind off but the armhole band is worked in the round with a Double Seed stitch band. If you prefer a smaller armhole band continue working decreases. To achieve a looser bottom band, use a provisional cast-on method, and then make an I-cord bind off instead.
I choose double seed stitch as the main contrast stitch and reverse stripes – a welt pattern – in each side bound off for the armhole. To make the armhole smaller, a band was made by picking up and knitting rounds in double seed stitch while decreasing. I could easily have continued to do so to make the armhole even smaller. The vest is graded to fit sizes XS to 2XL, with a finished bust measurement of 84 (91, 98, 106, 116, 126) cm/33 (33.75, 38.5, 41.75, 45.75, 49.5)”. Both yarns have been kindly sponsored by Hifa and Permin, Rowan’s Scandinavian agent. 
Above, I have joined the loose sleeves with 2 shawl pins and wear it as a belt. All the photos above where taken by my husband a few days before the professional photo shoot at Henie Onstad Kunstsenter. I look forward to showing you those stunning photos.