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.
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