Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Saint Olav Reincarnated/ It is not complete until it is "Finished"!

I have spent the past few months re-knitting the Saint Olav Pullover
for my son Paul. Unfortunately it was lost or stolen last winter. As this is
his very favorite sweater for skiing, and he was totally devastated,
I was happy to do it again for him.
I got to thinking it is a good opportunity for those who knit my
patterns to see up close exactly how I knit and finish most of my sweaters.
Saint Olav Pullover

Back of Saint Olav Pullover
 I made the first version in 2012. This one I made some changes. I almost
always knit in the round with steeks for the plackett and neck openings.
The armholes do not have steeks but use the existing stitches which are
marked carefully before sewing and cutting.

Intarsia in the round

back of intarsia
 
Intarsia in the Round
As you can see the sleeve design dips way down, where the design
does not go all the way around. It is a little fiddly but easy to do this.
On the sts where the pattern starts attach the pattern color (white) and knit
across as usual with both colors. Catch the white and continue on with the
background. The next row if it is 5 or 7 sts the white can be brought loosely
across the back and knit the following row. When it is too far to bring
it across:  knit all the background sts as usual, slipping the stitches that will
be white/ following the chart. Catch the pattern color carefully a st or so out
side the last design st. Turn work over and purl the slipped sts with white
across the row. Slip the worked background stitches.  If you are good at
knitting backwards from the front you could do that for the pattern and
not turn it over.
Don't pull too tight!  Drop the white  yarn and turn work over to right side,
slide all sts worked back to right needle and continue on.
Every other row will be knit normally with both colors as the white will
end up on the right.  See in the pictures how the white is carefully twisted
around the red at the ends of rows so there is no hole.
The first sweater had his initials and date on one arm. (So if anyone ever
sees this sweater, being the only one in the world! Let me know and nab
it off the person wearing it please!!!!)  This time I got the bright idea to
do the second sleeve also in this manner and it says TAHOE... where he skiis.

Measuring depth of armhole to sleeve/ make the cutting 1/4" less than sleeve.


Marking and sewing side at armhole
I make the first stitching down both sides of the center stitch, then 2
more rows around the next two outer stitches. Use a small stitch with any
color thread as it is all covered. After cutting up the center I zig zag the edges.
It would not fall apart if you don't!

neck and steek for neckhole all ready to stitch

Inside of  front neck steek from wrong side



Cutting neck steek

Front placket ready to sew

sewing plackett

finishing edge of plackett

Knitting 3 needle bind off of shoulders
If you do the 3 needle bind off from the same side (back) it will make the
orange stitches pop on the front. If you don't want to have it show at all do
this from the inside. I used to do kitchener st as it looks great but the arm
will pull the shoulder seam down and not look so great. I do it more as a
decorative trim lately. It matches the garter stitch at the top of the sleeves too.
finished sleeve with 1 row garter stitch and facing

matress stitch to garter on sleeve


It pays to mark the exact row where you do the matress stitch side
on the body so you stay in the exact groove. I put about 4 safety pins to
match the sleeve to armhole. On the sleeve side I match the  purl bump
putting the needle up or to my left and then back down on the other side of
the st. It makes a double purl bump on the sleeve side. I think these pictures
say better than words, or I hope so.  It does not work out exactly st for st and
I usually have to ease in the body side a bit.
I used to always wash and block sweaters after the sewing/ cutting.
This time I did the pieces for better pictures and it was so much easier!
Now I will wash first, cut and sew secondly.
The pattern... Saint Olav Pullover... is available on Ravelry under Cynthia
Wasner designs to download the pdf immediately or on my website
http://norskneedlework.com. Here you pay through paypal and I either
mail the pdf  to your e-mail or snail mail the printed copy (Printed only to USA)
Also I do have the Finullgarn from Rauma available here to sell if you so desire.
It is in these colors too. Just e-mail me if interested.  cindy@norskneedlework.com
Please e-mail me to say if you need more explicit pictures or anything I can
do better here! I am alway available on Ravelry or e-mail for help!!!!

Saturday, February 4, 2017

What I have been doing for the whole year I did not post! Sorry for the lapse!




 I can't believe I haven't posted for a year. I think it is
because I use Facebook so much. I do realize I have
friends that are not posting there. I have also been
corresponding on Ravelry with knitters. Right now
there is a KAL (knitalong) under "Stranded" on my
pattern "Stars of the Rising Sun". Any readers are very
welcome to join in. It is very simple and free to join
Ravelry @ www.ravelry.com  This was a new construction
for a cardigan with a yoke for my patterns and under
Ravelry I can give you all the tutelage
you might want with pictures.





Completed pieces ready to join


 As you can see, you make the body and each arm separately to the bottom of
the yoke and then. holding a few stitches under the arms, join all the pieces
at once... lots of stitches! But the decreases come quickly and it is all
downhill from there!  Maybe the best part is there is very little stitching
to complete.
New Feb 2017  Thor's Star

Kauni EN in new swatch

4 day old Thor!
 This is my current adventure in knitting. I stole the idea from a blog on
Norwegian culture! From Thor himself with permission of course.
   https://thornews.com/     He has a fabulous wall paper! After some
research, I found one mitten pattern from Selbu with this same star
(more filled in in the center)  in my new glorious book on Selbu mittens
and gloves.  "Selbuvotter" by Anne Bårdsgård. It is on page 102 the
Sjennros variant.
You will not care at all the the book is i norsk, with nearly 300 pages
of charts!  I just weighed it... 3.03 lbs!!! No wonder it costs so much
to mail it from Norway! it is available in the US from
Schoolhouse Press.  In my pattern I tell how I get the
kauni to match the body. It is a very long color repeat yarn, from
Denmark and perfectly matches my Norwegian Rauma Finullgarn. I do not
sell the Kauni, but it can be purchased easily at Lucy Neatby
It takes 2 150gm balls for either of my sweaters. My patterns may be
purchased at  Norsk Needlework  or on Ravelry.
I started obtaining the Rauma yarns wholesale because I use it
pretty much exclusively. I have been having 2 shows a year locally.
For this and teaching I am obtaining a stock of Finull. If any of
you want to purchase this yarn directly from me send me an e-mail:
cindy@norskneedlework.com and I will let you know what is
in stock or what I can easily order.
Now I am immersed in learning some Estonian knitting techniques:

This is the "Pisqu" stocking pattern available for Free on Ravelry and shows
the KihnuTroi cast on and the Vikkle braid. Both are fully described in the
pattern. I have also ordered a huge new book on Estonian Knitting directly
from Estonia.  Estonian Knitting 1  http://saara.ee/category/uudised.
Here you will have to use Google translate unless you know Estonian,
but the big book is in English. I have not seen it yet but checking my
mailbox daily! They are planning more books too. I am an unqualified
book addict!!! Many of the techniques, patterns and pictures are from a
museum: The Estonian National museum.  Check the pattern, also free,
from Anu Pink: Old Runo Gloves. This is what got me started.

I have also been embroidering:
Jerusalem by Thea Gouverneur 

Close up of Mary Magdalene Church

complete picture in kit
 I have been working on this (132 colors!) for a long time
but it is progressing and I have even ordered the Amsterdam kit.
There is a great group on Facebook for Thea Gouverneur designs.
Yes... I am an addict! At least the results are really cool.