K's Norwegian Kofte, the Gammel Sandvik

I'm really happy with how the Norwegian sweater turned out for K.  She looks so pretty!  She chose the colors, and they look beautiful on her.  I love the flower design.  It will keep her warm this winter!  It was very fun to knit for her!

 

This pattern was quite a challenge since I had never knit a Norwegian sweater before.  I learned a lot of new techniques.  The pattern is over 100 years old.  Norwegian patterns were an oral tradition, taught from mother to daughter, so much of it wasn't written down.

This was an online class from Patricia of Knitography Farm in Norway.  She is an excellent instructor, and she provides videos, handouts, pattern translations, and zoom meetings.   It's wonderful to be able to learn the traditional Norwegian knitting techniques.  The pattern was in Norwegian, and she translated it for us and gave us much more information that isn't included in the pattern.

I'm so glad the sweater fits K.  Since the pattern was given to us in stages, I didn't know the finished number of stitches for the circumference until we got to that point in the pattern, so I didn't know it would be so close to the finished chest measurement.  So, I added 2 inches of ease to the body of the Kofte when I split the arms from the yoke.  So, I added 2 stitches into each flower motif to increase the chest measurement a total of 2 inches (12 stitches), which was just enough.  

I learned so many new techniques.  We raised the back of the neck of the Kofte with Norwegian short rows, which works wonderfully.  It makes a sweater much more comfortable to wear.

Patricia taught me to take my time and make my work as neat as possible.  There is a lot of finishing work by hand in this traditional Kofte pattern.  She recommends handsewing the steek (the stitches where you cut the sweater open) to stabilize it with wool thread, as the knitters did long ago.  She prefers handsewing because a sewing machine can distort the stitches, and also with handsewing you can use wool thread, which matches the sweater.

The vertical buttonbands are knitted with a knitted on facing, and then sewn down by hand.  Then the facing is sewn by hand over the cut steek.  You can add a woven ribbon over the facing, too, if you choose.  

I really enjoyed knitting this sweater for K and learned so much about Norwegian traditional sweater knitting. 

My notes:  Cascade Sport, 2.5 and 3.5 mm needles.  24 stitches/inch.  Size XS/S, increased 2 inches at chest.  

Buttonhole:  I cast off 2 stitches in ribbing pattern.  Next row, I turned to the other side and cast on stitches using cable cast on a little loose.  Before placing the last cast on stitch onto the left needle, take the yarn to the front.  I took the left needle under the stitch to put it on the left needle.

Norwegian short rows:  2 per side of neckline:  at 28 stitches left, 24 stitches left, and 20 stitches left.  Before shaping with short rows, purl one row so short rows start with a knit row.

Cast on 4 stitches for steek (plus the 2 edge stitches which no longer count as stitches for the pattern)  Beginning of round will start after steek stitches.  Increase to 164 stitches (162 plus 2 edge stitches).

Cast on steek stitches with back loop.  Next round, knit them through the back loop.  So, 6 stitches will be the steek (4 plus 2 edge stitches)  I ended up adding 2 extra stitches (6 plus 2 edge), but next time I wouldn't do that--too bulky.

Cut the contrast yarn at the steek for the plain background rows between motifs.  You can catch them in the sewing.  Machine sewing seems more durable.  Or weave them in.  I machine sewed one line of stitching and handsewed another line on each side of the steek.

Before splitting for the arms, I finished Chart B except for the 4 plain rows.  First row after dividing is first plain row.  The yoke is almost 9.5" long, not counting the ribbing.

K's arm is 11".  I added 2 inches to the sweater body width.

Before dividing, there were 288 stitches, 8 repeats.  After splitting the sleeves, there would be 204 stitches, which would be 34 inches plus one buttonband width, not enough ease.

So, I added 12 stitches when I divided the sleeves for 2 more inches=216 stitches.  Continue with Chart B, so 36 stitch motif, 6 times around.

Front 45,  Cast on 20, 86 for back, cast on 20, 45 front.  Take off 56 stitches for sleeves.  216 for body = 36 inches plus buttonband.  So, sleeves will end up a little wider, too.

Body of Kofte: 4 complete flowers for the body length.  From the beginning of the steek to the end of the last flower is 20" before the ribbing.

I used 2.5 mm for ribbing of k1,p1 for 2" wrist cuff and bottom ribbing.  Cast off in pattern using 2.75 mm needle so it's not too tight.

Underarm:  Picked up 20 stitches at underarm, 3 stitches at corners and decrease to 78 stitches.  Knit using Chart C.  Decreases down sleeve: k1 (or p1) k2tog....ssk.

You can do an underarm seam starting about 1/2" from beginning.  Either purl underarm stitch each round, or k underarm stitch one round, p underarm stitch next round.  Repeat.  

Right buttonband is buttonhole side.  Left is button side.  7 buttons, 5/8".

Buttonholes: First is 3/8 inch from top.  Each buttonhole is about 3.5" apart. About 30 rows between buttonholes.  Last buttonhole about 1-1 1/4 inches into ribbing.

 

K's Norwegian Kofte Sweater

Patricia of Knitography Farm has wonderful online classes for traditional Norwegian knitting of socks, mittens, and sweaters.  I've been taking her class on Norwegian Kofte sweaters, and I'm knitting the Gammel Sandvik sweater for K.

The Gammel Sandvik pattern is over 100 years old and is a traditional Norwegian sweater.

I've been learning so much about Norwegian knitting techniques.  We've learned to knit Norwegian short rows to add length to the back neck of the sweater.  This improves the fit of the sweater.  We started with the neck ribbing and then added in stitches for the steek.  The steek is made up of stitches that will be cut open later to turn the sweater into a cardigan.

 I knit the XS/S, but I didn't realize the measurements were the finished sweater measurements, so I added in 2 inches to the body of the sweater when I split off the sleeves.  This pattern is difficult to add width because the motif is so large, so I added 2 stitches into each motif, which added 12 stitches, or 2".

This sweater gives lots of practice in stranded knitting.  The sweater motif has long stretches of one color, so I trapped the other color now and then.  This always takes me longer to knit than motifs without long stretches of color. 

I knit the sleeves using double pointed needles.  Patricia said we could knit a "sleeve seam" under the sleeve by knitting the underarm stitch on one round, and then purling the underarm stitch on the next round, and repeating this pattern.  I didn't do the underarm seam on this sweater.   She said to start the sleeve seam about a 1/2" or inch after beginning the sleeve.

I really like the length of the sleeve and will add a 2" cuff.  I added another motif of the pattern for length on the body after this picture.  The body will also have a 2" cuff.
 

I'm really enjoying knitting this traditional Norwegian sweater.  The buttonband will have a knitting on facing, which will hide the cut stitches.  This will be an interesting technique.  I love learning new historical techniques in knitting.  

Bible Bookmark Cross

 I am enjoying crocheting these Bible Bookmark Crosses.  I am making them for my granddaughters and for two girls my daughter and I are sponsoring in Uganda.

The pattern is an old one, and it looks like it is a copy of perhaps a Leisure Arts pattern.  I like it because the crochet is continuous, so there is no stopping and starting like the patterns I've seen today.  The border moves from one arm to the next which connects it.  The pattern was from Etsy:  BCFunkFactory.

I used a size 6 thread Clover crochet hook and size 10 DMC cotton thread.   

I attached one tassel with a larkshead knot, and the other tassel with a crochet chain.

Tassel with Crochet Chain:

Attach the thread to the top or bottom of the bookmark with a slipstitch.  Chain about 20 or however long you would like your chain.

Tassel:  Wrap crochet thread around a card 25 times or so until the tassel will be as thick as you'd like it.  Cut one end of the threads.  Place the bundle onto the end of the chains and with the end of the thread, wrap it tightly around the center of the bundle and tie it well and tightly next to the last chain.

Fold all the threads down into the tassel shape, and wrap another thread about 3/8" from the fold of the tassel.  Tie it tightly, wrap around the tassel several times and tie it well.  Take the ends into the tassel with a needle.  Trim the tassel.

Larkshead Knot Tassel:

Make the tassel bundle as above.  Tie a long thread around the center of the bundle well.  Then take the long ends of the threads and tie them together with an overhead knot or two about 1/4" from the ends.  Make the ends as long as you'd like them for attaching to the cross.

Place that knot into the middle of the tassle and fold the tassel ends over it.

With another thread, tie and wrap several times around the tassel about 3/8" from the folded end to complete the tassel.  Take the ends into the tassel and trim the ends.

Take the long thread loop through the center of the cross at the top or bottom with a yarn needle.  Then take the tassel through its loop to connect it to the cross.
 

K's St. Patrick's Day Bracelet

 I love how this bracelet turned out, but it was challenging.  The pattern is called Swirls Chainmaille Bracelet by Tanya Hlabse, and it is available as a kit from Weave Got Maille.

The green four-ring mobius is made first, and then attached to the large wider ring with tiny silver rings.  It's difficult to hold the mobius since the rings want to flip around as you are trying to attach it.

So, I decided to join two green rings together, and then attach each of those to the larger ring.  Then add a 3rd ring to the first two and attach it to the larger ring.  And finally, weave a 4th green ring into the center of the 3 green rings and attach this ring to the outside ring.  This made it so much easier.  You have to make sure the rings lie in the correct direction, with each ring on top of the previous rings.  

It's difficult to weave the tiny silver rings between the green rings and the wide outer ring.  They have to be opened quite a bit to go over the wide ring, and there isn't a lot of room for the pliers. So, it takes some time to make this piece, and I used my thinnest pliers.

I made her bracelet adjustable by adding a few rings.  It was a fun and challenging piece.

My notes:  K's wrist about 6 1/4".  Bracelet almost 7" plus 3 or 4 rings to make it adjustable.  7 Swirls, then each side: 3 green, 3 silver small swirl, 3 greens.  Then one silver ring and clasp for one side; 4 silver rings for the other side.  I may take off a ring or two if she doesn't need the extra  length.
 

J's Sterling Silver Byzantine Rose Bracelet

 I love making chain maille bracelets, especially Byzantine bracelets and variations of Byzantine.  The design is so beautiful and fun to make.

This bracelet is called Byzantine Rose, and it is made out of sterling silver rings.  I used a sterling lobster clasp with an adjustable chain.

The sterling rings are 16 gauge, 4.5 mm and 7 mm.  I really love how it turned out.

My notes:  1 oz. 4.5 mm 16 g.  1/2 oz. 7 mm, 16 g rings.  One whole segment Byzantine separated by a rose.  6 roses, 7 byzantine segments. Oval Lobster SS 16.8.  5 rings, adjustable.  About 7 5/8" - 8 1/2" finished.  

Silver 4.5 mm 16 g. 22 per inch in Byzantine.  Byzantine rose:  14 rings byzantine per inch  Flower, 3 rings per flower.  Smaller byzantine 18 g. 3.5 mm= 28 rings per inch.   2, 2, 2 rings, then flip.  Flower, then 2,2,2, flip. 

K's Harry Potter Mittens

 K loves her Harry Potter Mittens!  The pattern is Expecto Patronum!  Mittens by Dianna Walla.  She loves the Harry Potter books and movies.

There are many very long floats in the stranded knitting, so I made a few changes. In addition, her hands weren't as long, so I had to take 3 rounds off the top of the mittens and 4 rows off the bottom of the thumb.  Some mitten patterns are easier to adjust, based on the design since you don't want to cut off too much of the picture.

I used Knit Picks Palette wool yarn and size 2.25 mm (US 1) needles.  Instead of the colorwork cuff, I knit a rib cuff of k2, p2 to help keep out the cold weather.

This is a fun pattern to knit!  

My notes:

Palette yarn in red and black.  Needles 2.25 (US1).  Cast on 60 stitches with Norwegian cast on.  Cuff k2, p2 ribbing for 2 1/4" then knit one row and increase 2 stitches.

Thumb, row 25, 13 stitches to scrap yarn.  Cast on in pattern with backward loop, 13 stitches.  Thumb gusset 2 5/8" - 2 3/4" long, ok.  Pick up one stitch in each corner in black--framing stitches.  K's thumb, 2 1/2" long, so about 22-23 rows.  So start on row 5.  Make sure pattern matches to thumb.

Gauge per pattern:  9 stitches/inch, 10 r/inch.  Mine:  8.75-8.9 stitches per inch.  About 8.9 rows per inch.  I added some contrast stitches to reduce some of the long floats. 

2.75" = 24 rows then thumb.  Gusset length is fine.

K's hand is 7 1/2" long, 2 1/4" long thumb.  Take out 3 rows at the top of mitten, so had to lose a bit of the trees at the top.  Last decrease at top:  sl1, K2tog, psso.

 K's Guitar Strap Finished Pics

I realized I never put my finished pictures of K's Guitar Strap here.  I made it in her school colors of red, black, and white.  It was a very fun project.  Baltic pick-up weaving is easy, and the results are beautiful.  

I used size 3 Crochet Cotton.  The leather ends are from A Spinner Weaver.

I really enjoyed making this for K!