Recently I introduced you to the first wonderful new addition to the Maschenfein store and all qualities of it are already on the needles in the Maschenfein community, or even already jumped off the needles again (like here, here and also here). This week it's the turn of the second great new addition to Maschenfein: The Sandnes yarns, which you have already plundered so enthusiastically in the last few days that I had to reorder very quickly.

Sandnes is a familiar name to anyone who likes to spend their vacations in Scandinavia, because Sandnes is not only a town south of Stavanger in Norway, but also a traditional company that has been around since the late 19th century and one of Norway's best-known yarn brands. Sandnes yarns appear in pretty much all Scandinavian Instagram feeds and if you're a frequent Instagram follower like me, you're bound to follow one or two Norwegian knitwear designers like this, this or this.

Norway is the country where you can find the highest quality knitting yarns in the shoe store. Where, if you're a little lucky, you can even get knitting needle substitutes at the supermarket. Or in the little kiosk on the corner. The country where knitting doesn't have a dusty image, but is trendy because just about everyone knits. Where knitwear designers are celebrated like superstars and their self-published books become bestsellers in no time. And Norway is the land of long evenings, mystical nature, narrow fjords, loneliness and rainproof clothing.

I got to know the country through my husband, who as a child has spent many, many summer vacations fishing in Norway, usually in a large crowd of children. 17 years ago we spent our first Norwegian vacation together at the Fjaerlandfjord and I just realized that yes at that time you have not yet taken digital photos (God, I'm old), so here is an impressive picture of the Lofoten, where we spent the summer nine years ago.

In the meantime we have been to Norway five times and damn often we had really bad luck with the weather. Which is a matter of definition there, though, because who can complain much about the weather with this view?

And after all, the weather change can also happen quickly, then it also likes to look like this. That was last year near Stavanger. Since I also visited on the way back home the warehouse sale of Sandnes yarn and stocked up properly with yarns, but also with the beautiful booklets, which were then (as now) all Norwegian, but the stitches are then but everywhere the same and deciphering the pattern was then also not too difficult.

On a Norway vacation you should be supplied with wool, because the evenings are long and cozy, the weather sometimes just to snuggle in and a lot of knitting time included. Or stop! You don't need to bring yarns, because you can get them even in the smallest village in the most beautiful qualities and colors. Namely Sandnes yarn. And if you want to have a little Norwegian feeling here with us, you can find the yarns now also with me!

But now I'm especially happy that in addition to the yarns you can already find the first translations for the most beautiful designs from the Norwegian Sandnes booklets. The matching knitting kits I pack as usual in store and there are already some more in the works. The translations are included in the booklets for free and more and more of them will follow little by little. By the way, I am not allowed to sell these booklets separately, but only in combination with Sandnes yarns. This is a requirement of the manufacturer itself, and of course I adhere to it.

I'll start with three qualities that suit me and Maschenfein and the designs and pattern you like to knit:

Alpaca Silke is a superfine blend of alpaca and mulberry silk. The silk content gives the yarn a very light, fine sheen and makes it great for spring or late summer garments. With a yardage of 200 meters per 50g, you'll knit it (if you work it single-threaded) on about 3mm needles and it will fit pattern with a gauge of around 27 stitches per 10cm.

Matching to Alpakka Silke there is the yarn Silk Mohairbecause what could be more beautiful than matching colors? And Alpakka Silke together with Silke Mohair, you really have to try it. Silk Mohair has a yardage of 280 meters per 50g and consists of Kid Mohair, silk and wool. You knit it on 5,5mm needles or of course bigger needles. It fits perfectly to Alpakka Silke, but also to Mini Alpakka.

Mini Alpakka, the thinnest of the alpaca yarns from Sandnes. This 3-thread yarn that consists of 100% pure alpaca, is on the one hand quite suitable for knitting color patterns and on the other hand, of course, simply for clothing in general. It has a yardage of 150 meters per 50g and you knit it (single yarn) to about 3mm to the 27 stitches on 10cm. There are also some colors of Mini Alpakka in my store, especially because I want to knit this ballerina skirt in autumn at the latest, for which I need Mini Alpakka and Silk Mohair. So pure self-interest!

At the beginning of next week we start our Sandnes Knit Along. Knitted will be any pattern with the qualities from my store or but one of the first beautiful Sandnes knitting kits, which you can now also find with me.

Have fun browsing!