Tag Archives: Shibui Knits Maai

Eira Pullover and White Mountain Ruana in Vårens Strikk

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Vårens Strikk/Spring Knits is a special knitting issue published by the bimonthly magazine Familien in Norway released yesterday. I am delighted to have two designs: Eira Pullover and White Mountain Ruana as well as a brief interview in this magazine. Eira Pullover was made for knit.wear Fall/Winter 2017 and knitted in the lovely The Fibre Co. Cumbria using 4 mm/US 6 needles, while the White Mountain Ruana was made for Interweave Knits Winter 2018, knitted in the divine Shibui Knits, Maai using 4 mm/US 6 needles. Both designs were photographed for the second time around worn by the gorgeous Emma Ross, with hair & make up by Sissel Fylling and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, this time by Eivind Røhne at the Vigeland Museum in November 2018.

The heading is a play on the word “flette” meaning cable in Norwegian, joined with the word “fin” meaning beautiful. Feminine garments with exciting cables is the introduction to the two patterns. The picture text is a short version of my introduction to Eira Pullover: A visually striking center cable named Kanik which is Eskimo for snowflake, adorns the center front and back on this pullover with saddle shoulders.

Here is the White Mountain Ruana, with part of the pattern text in Norwegian. My pages cover a total of 6 page in this special magazine which has a total of 100 pages with patterns for mainly women but also a few for men, children and babies.

The handcraft editor Åse Myhrvold Egeland, sent me a number of questions about my life in stitches such as what is your favourite pattern. I replied: “It is a difficult question. Just now, it is cables designed by the Polish designer Dorota Kowalczyk, aka devorgilla on Ravelry. I have used one of those on Corra, designed for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk and their Tinde Pelsull, which is currently being test knitted”. Åse also wanted a number of photos not only of Em but also of me, so I sent her a small selection she could choose from. Michael is pleased to have his name as a photographer in the magazine. I am wearing Ataraxia, the sample I made that had to be re-knitted since the colour did not fit in together with the other designs in Pom Pom Quarterly Winter 2018 magazine. On the next page you see me wearing the dress Sigyn designed for Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk.

This special issue is for sale in newsagents and in selected super markets in Norway. 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.

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Photoshoot at Vigeland Museum: White Mountain Ruana

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Next out is the White Mountain Ruana, worn by the gorgeous model Emma Ross, with Hair & Make up by Sissel Fylling and jewellery by Kaja Gjedebo Design, brilliantly captured by Eivind Røhne at the Vigeland Museum. The Ruana was an accepted design submission to Interweave Knits Winter 2018, knitted in the divine Shibui Knits Maai; a chainette yarn made of 70% superbaby alpaca, 30% fine merino, with 160 meters/175 yards on each 50 gram skein. I chose to style it with black pencil trousers, a black top and black sculptural shoes by Amanda Skovgaard so the lovely brick colour would stand out.

Voluptuous, luxurious, and enveloping, the White Mountain Ruana is a chic layer perfect for winter wanderings. The overlapping fronts can be worn loose or closed with snap fasteners and an I-cord tie. An easy-to-knit allover ripple rib pattern gives this ruana an elegant texture; garter stitch on the collar offers contrast to the body. I love the contrast in texture and colour to the plaster sculptures in the Monolith Hall. You can see Em in front of the finished granite Monolith sculpture in the Vigeland Park in this blogpost: Behind the Scenes: Photoshoot at Vigeland Museum.

The Ruana is worked back and forth in pieces and seamed. A provisional cast on is replaced by an I-cord bind off, at the end. Stitches are cast-on for the width of the sleeve parts. The sleeve parts are identical for all sizes but the larger sizes end in a shorter rib that are picked up and knitted at the end. Two I-cords are made for a tie; one part is attached to the collar and the other to the inside seam. Three snap fasteners are sewed on along seam under arm on Right Front with the corresponding parts on the inside of the collar.

I chose this second side photo since it shows the ruana closed and the first one since you can see the snap fasteners. The White Mountain Ruana is knitted with a 25 stitch and 32 rows in Ripple Rib gauge measuring 10 cm/4” square using a 4 mm/US 6 needle. It was the first time I tried a Shibui Knits yarn and definitely not the last, since they have an impressive selection of luxurious yarns.

Em is wearing size Extra Small/Small, but the pattern is also available in sizes M/L and XL/2XL with a bust measurement (including sleeveparts) of 217 (234, 250) cm/85.5 (92.25, 98.5)” and a lower circumference: 151 (167.5, 184) cm/59.5 (66, 72.5)”. The English pattern is available on Ravelry and on Loveknitting. The Norwegian pattern will be printed in the magazine Familien at a later date. These photos convey the casual stylish look I was aiming for! So thank you to my fabulous team!

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White Mountain Ruana Again

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Let me show you the photos Michael took of me wearing the White Mountain Ruana, recently published in Interweave Knits Winter 2018, in our old garden in January. In the photo above you see me wearing it open so you can see the snap fasteners and the I-cord tie. This is how the editor introduced the ruana: “Voluptuous, luxurious, and enveloping, the White Mountain Ruana is a chic layer perfect for winter wanderings. The overlapping fronts can be worn loose or closed with snap fasteners and an I-cord tie. An easy-to-knit allover ripple rib pattern gives this ruana an elegant texture; garter stitch on the collar offers contrast to the body.”

For the first time I could knit with the lovely Shibui Knits Maai yarn. It is a chainette yarn made of 70% super baby alpaca, 30% fine merino with 160 m/175 yds per 50 g skein and knits to a 24 stitches gauge to 10 cm/4″ gauge using 4 mm/US 6. I am wearing the smalest size with a lower edge circumference of 151 cm/59.5″ and have a 88 cm/34.75″ bust. The ruana pattern also includes 2 larger sizes with a lower edge circumference of 167.5 (184) cm/66 (72.5)”. I am stretching out my arms so that you can see the shape of it a bit better.

The back and each front is worked from the bottom and up flat. A provisional cast on is replaced by an I-cord bind off, at the end. Stitches are cast-on for the width of the sleeve parts. The shoulders are shaped with short row shaping and bound off using a 3-needle bind off. The shawl collar is picked up and knitted at the end and worked with short row shaping, ending in an I-cord bind-off. The sleeve parts are identical for all sizes but the larger sizes end in a shorter rib that are picked up and knitted at the end. Two I-cords are made for a tie; one part is attached to the collar and the other to the inside seam. Three snap fasteners are sewed on along seam under arm on Right Front with the corresponding parts on the inside of the collar.

The shade is a warm Brick (115) and closest in colour in the top photo. The Interweave Knits Winter 2018 magazine is available both digitally or in print. In Norway you will find the printed magazine in the larger Narvesen stores, or order it from your local one.

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White Mountain Ruana in Knits Winter 2018

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I am so excited that my White Mountain Ruana has been given so much coverage in the newly released Interweave Knits Winter 2018. It introduces the theme North Country “Rustic winter knits made for warmth and worn with joy”. My ruana is described as follows: “Voluptuous, luxurious, and enveloping, the White Mountain Ruana is a chic layer perfect for winter wanderings. The overlapping fronts can be worn loose or closed with snap fasteners and an I-cord tie. An easy-to-knit allover ripple rib pattern gives this ruana an elegant texture; garter stitch on the collar offers contrast to the body.” The ruana is knitted in the lovely Shibui Knits Maai made of 70% Superbaby Alpaca, 30% Fine Merino with 160 meters/175 yds per 50 grams in a chainette construction in the shade Brick using a 4 mm/US 6.

Interweave / Harper Point

The ruana was submitted with the working title Leva: Old Norwegian for living as well as way of life. Wrap yourself in a comfortable, oversized blanket cardigan with low set 3/4 sleeve parts and a lovely shawl collar. The overlapping fronts can be worn loose or closed with snap fasteners at the lower part as well as an i-cord tie on the inside. An easy to knit all over zig zag pattern gives it a divine texture with a contrasting garter stitch pattern on the collar. The sleeve ends in an rib.

@ Interweave / Harper Point

The back and each front is worked from the bottom and up flat. A provisional cast on is replaced by an I-cord bind off, at the end. Stitches are cast-on for the width of the sleeve parts. The shoulders are shaped with short row shaping and bound off using a 3-needle bind off. The shawl collar is picked up and knitted at the end and worked with short row shaping, ending in an I-cord bind-off. The sleeve parts are identical for all sizes but the larger sizes end in a shorter rib that are picked up and knitted at the end. Two I-cords are made for a tie; one part is attached to the collar and the other to the inside seam. Three snap fasteners are sewed on along seam under arm on Right Front with the corresponding parts on the inside of the collar.

@ Interweave / Harper Point

I love the casual styling by Tina Gill with makeup & hair by Janie Rocek and photographed by Harper Point Photography in Colorado. The model is wearing the smalest size with a lower edge circumference of 151 cm/59.5″ and is a size 90 cm/35.5″ bust. The ruana pattern also includes 2 larger sizes with a lower edge circumference of 167.5 (184) cm/66 (72.5)”.

@ Interweave / Harper Point

Here is a detail of from the side showing the three-needle bind-off on the shoulder and the collar which ends in an I-cord bind-off.

@ Interweave / Harper Point

Finally a detailed photo of the front. Thank you so much, Interweave! The Interweave Knits Winter 2018 magazine is available both digitally or in print. In Norway you will find the printed magazine in the larger Narvesen, or order it from your local one.

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