Cozy knits to live in

After showing you the fall collection from Lamana last week, this week - at least at the beginning - it's back to the Norwegians. The pattern for Norske Ikoner are something completely different. While the designs from Bielefeld were more reserved to elegant and therefore perfect for the office, for example, the new designs from Sandnes are more robust, cozy and - well - also bigger.

When we discovered the collection, which is entirely dedicated to Norwegian knitting patterns, we were particularly undecided about the Fun Chunky Marius model. Is it still oversized or already a small tent?

Sandra has now received the pattern. Her conclusion: "Very cool!" And I agree with her! The tent model in particular, as I affectionately call it now, is a real eye-catcher. Yes, it's really generously cut and no, it certainly won't fit under a jacket. But it doesn't need one. You're knitting it with double ballerina chunky mohair on 8 mm needles, so it will be nice and cozy.

The quality is a classic brushed yarn with a blend of mohair fibers, virgin wool and a small amount of polyamide for stability and durability. It is heavier than the classic mohair-silk yarns and also has no silk content. The color palette is not as extensive as that of the other Sandnes yarns, but in terms of color, there should be something for everyone.

I was also pleased with the men's designs. Because even though my husband got the obligatory, far too long scarf in garter stitch ages ago - at some point it will be his turn for a sweater too. And since we both like to vacation in Scandinavia, a sweater in a Norwegian pattern would fit perfectly, wouldn't it?

Marius Herregenser would be my first choice here. It is knitted with Peer Gynt by Sandnes, another yarn whose raw wool comes from the aforementioned cozy Norwegian sheep. As with Fun Chunky Marius, the pattern of the same name, which has become Norway's national sweater over the years, is also used here. The pattern includes both the top-down knitting method and the pattern for knitting from the bottom up (which would be typically Norwegian - just a note for those looking for the full experience ). You have this option for several styles in the collection - if the option is available, you will always find a note in the description text.

For those who have been itching all along: don't worry! The world of knitwear is so diverse, I've got even more in store. The #CCSWEATER from Sinchens Knitwear and Pascuali would be something for everyone who likes it classy and delicate.

The design owes its name to the Cashmere Charis yarn from Pascuali, which is made from 70% virgin wool and 30% cashmere. The merino wool comes from Australian sheep from mulesing-free farms, while the cashmere fibers come from Mongolia. The yarn is produced by experienced craftsmen in a mill in Italy.

Also a nice alternative

You knit the sweater with saddle shoulders from the top down in one piece. First, the collar is worked in the round and shaped with short rows. The yoke is a classic round yoke. The neckline, hem and cuffs, which are crocheted and require a ball of yarn in a contrasting color, are definitely eye-catchers.

Due to its composition, Cashmere Charis is a price-intensive yarn (although it works and wears wonderfully). Nevertheless, you may be interested in a possible alternative: Alex, who is behind Sinchen's Knitwear, suggests Alpaca Fino with Mohair Bliss, for example - both also from Pascuali.

The Dover Sweater by Cheryl Mokhtari, who you also know (or love - like me. She's just such an incredibly likeable person!) as Coco Amour, is in a similar vein to the #CCSWEATER. Here too - as an alternative to the original yarn - a Pascuali quality is used: Sayama consists of 50% virgin wool and 50% llama wool. Due to its composition, it is again somewhat more robust, but still nice and light.

You knit the simple sweater from the top down. Here too, the neckline is shaped with short rows so that it is higher at the back than at the front. The shoulders are created using raglan increases, the sleeves and body are worked separately in the round. The neckband is worked at the very end.

While browsing through our virtual wool shelf this week, I noticed that we still have a few skeins of Cashmere Lace from Gepard, which is currently on sale. In view of the cooler temperatures, how about a little shawl?

You will need two skeins for the hyo bandana from aegyoknit. The designer points out that the quantity given is not enough for a swatch. (I can probably hear some people rejoicing here!) But I also think that this is bearable in this case or you can simply knit as far as your yarn will go.

You can now also get pattern and/or a knitting kit for a new shawl design from us: the Liv shawl is a simple triangular shawl that you can snuggle up in on cold fall and winter days. It is our contribution to the german book Knit is for Power, which I told you about last week.

You can put your name on the waiting list for the book - you will then receive an email as soon as it arrives in the warehouse. The release date of Frechverlag is September 19th. However, the knitting set or the individual pattern are already available in our store!

But I would also like to present Knit is for Power to you as a whole, as it is a really beautiful project. In it, 14 women from the knitting world talk about their very personal challenges and crises and how knitting has helped them in difficult times. Marisa is also included and talks about her heavenly daughter and her youngest's diagnosis of trisomy 21. The stories are complemented by various knitting patterns and scientific findings relating to our favorite hobby.

We were happy to comply with the request to also provide a pattern for the book. The Liv shawl is knitted in two strands of Pinta and Mohair Bliss from a point to the top edge and edged with a crocheted border.

You use three different colors for the design - Marisa has chosen coral, lemon and natural for her sampler. But you can also combine shades of pink and gray or dip into green and blue. There are so many wonderful possibilities! And then, stitch by stitch, you can knit your thoughts and perhaps your worries or whatever is on your mind. One thing is clear: You're doing something good for yourself - and that's how knitting should be.

And then this week, while cycling, I thought that a pair of cuffs or gloves would be nice - the wind was quite fresh. And when rain comes on top of that ...

The book Knitting Swedish Gloves by Maja Karlsson could be a great way to prevent cold hands. You can see all the patterns here on Ravelry. The book is in German.