The Sewing Place

Nordic knitting

Mocarroll

Nordic knitting
« on: August 01, 2022, 10:59:00 AM »
I’ve strayed over here from the dressmaking threads as I would like some advice from you lovely people. I used to knit a lot, many moons ago, anything from lacy shawls to Fair Isle or Aran sweaters, even a Guernsey once.  My recent output was 500 hats for AgeUK’s Innocent Smoothie campaign.
I would love to make a Nordic sweater for my DIL for Christmas and have read a bit about top down knitting.  Are the patterns much different from conventional knitting patterns that I would be familiar with? Can I use my familiar technique? Any recommendations for a simple sweater pattern, maybe with just two colours?  Any advice would be gratefully received.

Ploshkin

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2022, 11:24:07 AM »
I presume you are looking to do a sweater with a circular, patterned yoke.. If so then top down is perfect and you end up with no sewing up just a few ends to sew in.  I'm a huge fan of seamless knitting.
Have a look at Drops Design.  All their patterns are free and whilst there is some rather weird stuff they do have a huge number of patterned yoke, top down patterns.  When you download choose the English (UK) version.
Life's too short for ironing.

LeilaMay

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2022, 11:26:02 AM »
Hi :)
No specific pattern advise I'm sorry, but I have done some top-down patterns.
Usually they are knitted on a long circular needle, no seams, arms picked up from open stitches and knitted downwards on short circulars.
The lack of sewn seams does seem to me to make the garment more stretchy all over, less structured and 'held' than by traditional seams. That might not matter to some folks. The plus side is obviously not sewing up :)

Hope other folks can help
Best wishes
Leila

Ploshkin

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2022, 11:39:02 AM »
I learnt a trick to conteract the stretchiness in certain places such as necklines and front bands.  That is to crochet a chain round the line, picking up one stitch of knitting with each crochet stitch.  I've used it on conventional knitting too to stabilise a band that wants to curl or go wavy or on shoulder seams that have a  lot of weight hanging from them.
Life's too short for ironing.

b15erk

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2022, 11:50:58 AM »
I love top down knitting, although I'm not proficient, I love to try different techniques.  I recently  (last four years) discoveered a new (to me) technique where you start off with half the amount of stitches knit a few rows, and then pick up from the cast off row.  It makes for a lovely stretchy, but not baggy neck, but I cannot for the life of me think what it's called.  I do it with a starter - to save stretching the knitting.

I do wish I could remember the techinical words for the things I'm describing.

If you look at Arne and Carlos (YouTube I think), they do lovely Nordic stuff.

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

HenriettaMaria

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2022, 12:18:03 PM »
When everybody was raving about The Killing ten years ago or so, Radio Times published a pattern for the Sarah Lund sweater, broadly this, although it's evidently been restyled since the noughties:

https://www.gudrungudrun.com/product/snowflake-skiing

I've tried to search for it on radiotimes.com but the page isn't there any more and I didn't save the hard copy.  However, I'm sure you could get a snowflake design chart and merge it into any crew-necked knitting pattern.  I bought a snowflake sweater from gudrungudrun as my Xmas jumper and it's an alpaca mix (I think) so fuzzy and warm, on fairly big needles (4 or 5mm or thereabouts) and is so Scandi it was knitted in Peru!!!

HenriettaMaria

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2022, 12:22:57 PM »
Aha!  I found it in another folder.  Looks like PDFs won't load as attachments so if you would like me to email you the pattern, please PM me.

b15erk

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2022, 12:27:41 PM »
This is a very naughty thread...  I hadn't visited Arne and Carlos for a long time, so I dropped in to see what patterns they had.  I do wish I hadn't, there are some lovely patterns there, and a special 'Knit for Ukraine' one which is lovely.

Knit for Ukraine

Unfortunately, I have difficulty knitting with just one colour, so I'll have to be content to look and admire...

Jessie
Jessie, who is very happy to be here!!  :),  but who has far too many sewing machines to be healthy, and a fabric stash which is becoming embarrassing.

HenriettaMaria

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2022, 12:33:13 PM »
@b15erk I do like the floral throw - it's a very pretty reimagining of the the traditional 'granny square' blanket

https://shop.arnecarlos.com/product/astrid-floral-crochet-throw/

I can imagine doing one in red and black for poppy day or yellow and blue for Alzheimer's awareness, or yellow and green for Marie Curie.

sewminds

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #9 on: August 02, 2022, 12:41:17 PM »
I'm doing a Rachel Illsley top at the moment, Arte Nuova. No, not a Nordic but I feel her designs are lovely and feminine..what I'd call a more modern take on the Nordic.
I made a rather large stranded item for another lady(different designer) so wanted a bit of a break and chose one with the colourwork just down near the bottom for myself to wear over Christmas. She has some gorgeous designs.
I also have her Shapeshift (8ply) and Nightbook to do later when I'm in the mood. this last one I will change the central pattern to just use the back ground chart,,saw someone else do this and I love this particular mod.

I'm very keen to get to the colourwork because apparently, she uses a really good method of changing colours when doing the rounds. This is praise coming from ladies that were already proficient in the stranded work and they're raving about the technique.

Can I just suggest, if you go with one of the Drops patterns, have a look on ravelry and see how many folk have made that particular design and do read their project notes. Quite often they will mention if they've had issues, found errors etc. I don't know that they have folk test their patterns but I do know Rachel does.

Oh and don't freak at the allover designs by any designer. You can opt just to do a small amount of the colourwork.
Just remember, there's no have to's in knitting, change things up to suit your own taste.

Oh and with top down, you can try it on to make sure things are sitting well. You know, checking the neckline sits well and doesn't hang off the shoulders etc. you haven't knit much and can make early changes.
Sew it needs juice!

Mocarroll

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #10 on: August 03, 2022, 18:08:17 PM »
  [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]  Thank you for all your replies.  I had no idea there were so many free resources out there….another rabbit hole for me to explore! Perused some of the instructions from the DROP patterns and I don’t think there is anything scary there so I’m going to have a go at This
Will keep you posted.  :grouphug: :grouphug:

sewminds

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #11 on: August 04, 2022, 06:59:24 AM »
@Mocarroll Lovely design!

Just had a quick look at some finished project notes. no one is mentioning any errors so that's a positive.  :thumb:

A couple of ladies mentioned 'a lot of ease'. One lass was thinking of starting over a size or two smaller(she has since finished), the other lass decreased more through the sleeves because they were rather generous for her.
Sew it needs juice!

Mocarroll

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #12 on: August 04, 2022, 11:56:53 AM »
@sewminds thank you for that info, very useful. My DIL is very petite, probably uk size 10. I was going to make a size L as I have no idea how much ease should be in knitted garments. From what you have told me I’ll probably go for a size M which gives a finished measurement of just under 34inches.

sewminds

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #13 on: August 04, 2022, 12:06:21 PM »
@Mocarroll If this is a surprise, see if you can sneak a jumper of hers that you think fits her well and use that as a guide..even make a quick paper outline so you can lay what you're making on top of it to check you're on track..

If she'll know about it, bonus, you can try it on her as you go.
Sew it needs juice!

Ouryve

Re: Nordic knitting
« Reply #14 on: August 05, 2022, 23:46:30 PM »
Drops design are tvery forthcoming with their intended sizing but, after looking at the schematics for half a dozen of their yoke design sweaters, with varying amounts of ease, I would be inclined to choose L for myself, as a, 12-14.
Janome M50QDC - "Jane" - Small, cute and hard working. Pfaff Quilt Ambition 630 - "Pfanny" - Pfickle. Bernina L450 - "Bernie" - Very hungry. Bernina 830 Record - "Becky"