Saturday 3 October 2015

Busy September


Where did September go? In my case mainly workshops! Not only the workshops themselves, but also planning them. For example, even though stranded colourwork has been a favourite pattern technique of mine for some 30 years I actually haven’t taught it before. High time!

I do enjoy all aspects of workshops: the best thing is meeting the participants, of course, but I also really like planning content, writing and rewriting instructions, and swatching. To the extent that I often swatch swatches... (“Hmm, in this case 96 stiches would be even better than 100” and so on.) Also, I’m grateful I get opportunities to be a teacher, which was my profession for some ten years but which I quit a couple of years ago. In short, I miss the teenagers and my colleagues, but not the school system. Don’t worry, I won’t bore you with details. I'll write about some sweaters instead!

 
Hanne Falkenberg's Bellis

I finished the "Bellis" sweater, a design by Hanne Falkenberg, just in time for a friend's birthday. Funny - and how typical - that I suddenly had only some ten days to finish it considering I cast on at least half a year ago. Well, at least I managed - and it was even dry when I wrapped it up.

With a sweater off the needles I felt ready for  My friend Lena and I decided we'd both knit Alice Starmore's sweater Na Craga, which is on the cover of her book Aran Knitting. Confession time: I'm being unfaithful to Alice Starmore, using Cascade 220 instead of her Hebridean 3 ply.

Alice Starmore's Na Craga

Another highlight in September was a book release: "Sagornas stickbok" by Celia B Dackenberg. She used illustrations in children's book as her starting point, turning them into real garments in a kind of reverse process. She did a similar thing in "Ylle & bläck" - wool & ink - a few years ago, a book about writers and their real and fictional knitwear, and I have been hoping for a sequel since I first came across it. My sweater Thorsten fiskares tröja was based on a pattern in "Ylle & bläck". 

To brag, I found the book release extra thrilling since I actually made one of the garments in the book, a brownish grey brioche sweater. It was quite a challenge using a picture instead of a pattern to make a sweater that not only should be true to the illustration but also possible for others to knit. And hopefully comfortable to wear. I learnt so much from it – thank you, Celia, for inviting me to take part in this project!

an old in-progress picture of my sweater interpretation

5 comments:

AlpakkaAnna said...

Bellis var en riktigt snygg tröja! Visst är det lustigt hur länge man kan dra ut på projekt man börjar i tid med. Jag håller på med en tröja ur BTman till min make. Den har fått lite dåligt med fokus på sistone ;)

Och den Staremore-tröjan ser fantastisk ut! Underbart långsam och krånglig stickning :D

Grattis till publiceringen! Jag har inte sett några detaljer i boken än, eftersom de har inte kommit upp på ravelry. Men av de sneek-peaks jag sett på Insta verkar det vara superfina kläder!

Jag såg du skulle till syfestivalen och Ullspinneriets monter. Tyvärr ska jag nog bara tid på fredagen, så jag missar dig..

Anonymous said...


I love your Bellis! I looked at all the samples on Hanne Falkenberg's site and am really in love with the pattern. The colors you chose are really beautiful. Can I ask where you got the pattern? I may have missed something on the site.

I have it in my head that you were a Latin teacher...is that right? I teach high school Latin outside of Boston.

hej då/vale!

Sarah

knitbrei said...

Hey Ivar!
The literature / knitting crossover ("Sagornas stickbok") is fun. Reminds me of an article in the latest Piecework magazine about Jan Brett, who has lovely knitting illustrations in her children's books.
A

Anonymous said...

This may seem like an odd question, but how do you pronounce Elsebeth Lavold's surname. Does the stress fall on the first or last syllable?
Thank you! Inge

Anonymous said...

I imagine you are a great teacher - your enthusiasm will be infectious, I'm sure. And many congratuations on your pattern appearing in the book! Very pleased for you.