Oslo Design Fair 2017

Posted on September 2, 2017 by Linda Marveng

I spent both Wednesday and Thursday at Oslo Design Fair this time, since I tend to meet more and more people I know. Jewellery designer Kaja Gjedebo Design found me first listening to a talk about Fast and Slow Fashion. Yes, knitting belongs to the slow one, whereas fashion shows where you are able to buy the garments straight after the show belong to the fast one. Kaja captured my hand since I was wearing her stunning Wide Caprifol Ring. I just had to make sure she photographed a bit of the Kohno Kimono I was wearing too. Later I read on Instagram that Kaja after 15 years in the business still enjoys seeing people wearing her jewellery.I spent a lot of time at the Hillesvåg Ullvarefabrikk and made sure those that had not met them did so. Including the VIPs – at least to me – from the UK, Daphne Marinopoulous and Iain Stanley, owners of The Fibre Co. So I got to meet them for the first time in real life after working with them online for my contributions to the Fell Garth II collection (see below). But Photographer Eivind Røhne was first since he has not met them in real life before and could take a look at his photos decorating the stall. He had brought his camera and photographed the stand. While my husband photographed me below and talking to Iselin.

Managing Director Øyvind Myhr to the right. And me photographed mid sentence. Here is a more detailed shot with the Aki sweater on the cover of the brochure they have made with the 4 new designs I made in their Pelsull/Pelt wool yarn qualities: Tinde and Sølje. On the wall is Sulli jacket with a loop and the Aki sweater while the Iglu Poncho and Wa Shawl is displayed on a mannequin.I was thrilled to meet Iselin Hafseld again, she was on the House of Yarn stand launching her new book (in Norwegian): Strikk fra Tinde/Knit from Tinde published by Cappelen Damm as well as a collection for Du Store Alpakka. Iselin has now turned back to designing hand knits from machine knitting and her brand Tinde. She was instrumental in making my book happen and has been a mentor to me since we first met at Heimen Husfliden in 2000. It is her partner Kim Müller who has not only photographed her book but also made the brilliant lay-out. Yes, Kim also photographed my book. You can find Iselin at Instagram as tindeknits and her book available to order from the publisher Cappelen Damm.The fashion show also attracted designers Sidsel Høivik and Kristin Wiola Ødegård, and I photographed them sitting down as we were catching up.The most inspiring part of the fashion show was these three outfits made of thick woven furniture fabrics.

I was also fortunate to meet up with Marketing Manager Mary-Ann Astrup at House of Yarn, Agent Thomas Kvist of House of Hobbies and for the first time the two talented women behind the Norwegian new knitting magazine Bladet Garn– Unni Cathrine Eiken, Malsengarn (see Ravelry) and Solveig Engevold Gaustad, aka Surrehue. Yes, I did enjoy the fair tremendously and received more job offers than I can handle at the moment. Now, that is a vote of confidence I am so grateful for. Thank you!

SaveSave

Photoshoot at Ingierstrand Bad: Kohno

Posted on August 19, 2017 by Linda Marveng

New brilliant photos have been taken of the Kohno Kimono, this time by my magnificent team: photographer Eivind Røhne, model Alexandria Eissinger, hair & makeup artist Jens J. Wiker and jewellery designer Kaja Gjedebo Design at Ingierstrand Bad in late May. New, because the kimono was first photographed by Harper Point Photography for Interweave’s magazine knit.wear Fall/Winter 2016 and the rights will reverted to me in October. Inspired by the sculptural aesthetic of architect Hugo Kohno’s work in Tokyo, is this oversized long kimono style jacket with short wide raglan sleeves. It is adorned with a domed check pattern ending in wide moss stitch borders at the front, bottom and in the sides.The Kohno Kimono is knitted in The Fibre Company Acadia made of 60% wool, 20% alpaca, 20% silk with 133 meters/145 yards on each 50 gram skein using a 4 mm/US 6 needle and a 21 stitches and 32 rows in Moss stitch measuring 10 cm/4″ square. The silk noil in Acadia’s rustic blend of silk noil, baby alpaca and fine merino wool, makes if feel so luxurious and lovely to both knit with and wear. Yes, I wanted more of this yarn and choose enough for a long cardigan as part payment for the designs I made for the Fibre Company this spring: See Beckside and Dash Falls. The Kohno sample is knitted in Sea Lavender in the third size (of six) with a bust circumference of 124.5 cm/49″ and modelled with 38 cm/15″ of ease.I chose to style the kimono with wide cream coloured silk trousers and a matching top for an elegant but comfortable style. The grey-blue-soft lilac shade of the yarn needed to be shown off at its best.

The kimono is worked back and forth in separate pieces and seamed. The front band is worked at the same time as each front. The sleeves have raglan shaping. When working in Domed Check pattern, if there are not enough stitches at the sides to work a complete cable crossing, work the stitches of the partial cables as they appear.

After mid October you will find the English pattern in my Ravelry store and on Loveknitting, while the Norwegian pattern will be published in the magazine Familien at a later date. Yes, the next design in Acadia is nearly ready, as knitting this kimono created a crave for more of this yarn.

SaveSave

Kohno Kimono Again

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Linda Marveng

I know you have seen the Kohno Kimono before, since it was published in knit.wear Fall/Winter 2016, but I wanted to show the photos my husband took of me wearing it in our garden last February, just before I sent it off to Interweave. This is how I introduced it: Inspired by the sculptural aesthetic of architect Hugo Kohno’s work in Tokyo, is this oversized long kimono style jacket with short wide raglan sleeves. It is adorned with a domed check pattern ending in wide moss stitch borders at the front, bottom and in the sides.

The yarn I suggested and had used in my swatch was a favourite combination of Rowan Lima – an alpaca and merino blend in a chainette yarn – together with Rowan Fine Tweed. Instead editor Meghan Babin suggested using The Fibre Company, Acadia and that was a clever choice since it is a lovely yarn to knit with and has a luxurious feel to it. This is how it is described by The Fibre Company themselves: “Acadia is a 2-ply yarn with a rustic look and a soft hand. A subtle tweed effect created by the silk noil is combined with a heathered base and then overdyed”. It is made of 60% wool, 20% alpaca, 20% silk with 133 m/145 yards on each 50 g skein and takes a 4 mm/US 6 needle. The gauge is 21 stitches and 32 rows in stockinette stitch measures 10 cm/4″ square. The sample is knitted in Sea Lavender, a soft grey with lilac undertones. The Kimono takes 13 (13, 14, 15, 16, 16) skeins. The Fibre Company Yarns are distributed by Kelbourne Woolens in the US.

The Kohno Kimono is oversized and I am wearing the third size with a bust circumference of 124 cm/49″ with 32 cm/12.5″ of positive ease. The finished size: 112 (118, 124, 132, 137, 142) cm/44 (46½, 49, 52, 54, 56½)”. I was delighted to see one of the knitters attending my workshop in Stavanger had started knitting it. The English pattern is available as a single pattern to download but also as part of the wonderful knit.wear Fall/Winter 2016 digital issue available both as a digital issue or as a print issue. I have ordered a few more colours of Acadia and cannot wait to see them and swatch with them.

knit.wear with my Kohno Kimono

Posted on October 15, 2016 by Linda Marveng

I was excited from the moment I saw the submission call for knit.wear Fall/Winter 2016 with a Japanese theme. It turned out to be an exotic issue with inspiring knits and I am so thrilled to be included. In the editorial letter Meghan Babin writes:

“After that first day in Kinokuniya (a Japanese book store in Portland, Oregon, ed note), I’ve pondered my response to the Japanese aesthetic. In this fast-paced, homogenized, modern age, I’ve found that it strikes a deep chord that resonates on both a personal and a societal level. We desire and constantly seek simplicity, minimalism, peace, beauty, and the unique. In my off -and-on research over the years, I’ve noticed that books, yarns, and designs from Japan off er these desired elements. This issue’s eye is turned to the East to celebrate and explore the beauty of Japan and the unique contributions it has made to the knitting industry.

In this issue of knit.wear, we’ve gathered designs inspired by the Iki aesthetic, interpreted as a chic, sophisticated, minimalist sense of style. The designs focus on the details, finishing work, and precise construction necessary to produce an impeccable garment that remains a pleasure to knit.”

knit.wear/Harper Point Photography

This is how I introduced the Kohno Kimono in the submission: Inspired by the sculptural aesthetic of architect Hugo Kohno’s work in Tokyo, is this oversized long kimono style jacket with short wide raglan sleeves. It is adorned with a domed check pattern ending in wide moss stitch borders at the front, bottom and in the sides.

knit.wear/Harper Point Photography

If you did attend the The National NeedleArt Association (TNNA) Trade Show in Washington in June you might have spotted it in the fashion show. I was not there, but I was pleased that the Norwegian designer Tove Fevang was. Tove was ever so surprised to find two of my designs in the show (the other one was the Amara cardigan). It was shown with black trousers there, but is even more elegant with a pencil skirt like the one the amazing stylist Tina Gill chose. The brilliant photography is by Harper Point Photography. I am ever so impressed with the Japanese hair and make up by Janie Rocek too! Check out those hair pleats in the photo above.

knit.wear/Harper Point Photography

My Kohno Kimono is knitted in The Fibre Company Acadia made of 60% wool, 20% alpaca, 20% silk with 133 meters/145 yards on each 50 gram skein. The sample is knitted in Sea Lavender in the third size (of six) with a bust circumference of 124.5 cm/49″ and modelled with 38 cm/15″ of ease. It was the first time for me knitting with Acadia and I loved the tweedy look of it as well as the soft luxurious feel to it. The gauge is 21 stitches and 32 rows in both Domed check pattern and in Stockinette stitch to 10 cm/4″ square using a 4 mm/US 6 needle. This kimono is worked from the bottom and up in pieces. A circular needle is used to accommodate the large number of stitches.

The digital issue of knit.wear Fall/Winter 2016 magazine is now available, and so is the single pattern pdf of Kohno Kimono. The printed issue of the magazine can be pre-ordered and will be shipped soon.

Linda Marveng

Knit wear designer and author

Tag Archives: The Fibre Company Acadia

Oslo Design Fair 2017

Photoshoot at Ingierstrand Bad: Kohno

Kohno Kimono Again

knit.wear with my Kohno Kimono