Elsebeth Lavold is the only Swedish knitwear designer with her own yarn label. She personally decides which yarns to include, their properties, and colors. Spinning companies in Europe and South America take her visions from requirements to delightful yarns.

July 2009
posted September 24, 2009

Summer is always a strange time for me. It starts off with a spurt of activity to get the new fall books to the printer. Then (in most cases) a couple of weeks to recuperate before starting on the book for the following summer, and then the summer ends with a spurt of activity, shooting that summer book. In between I try to spend time with friends and family and do some gardening. 

This year was stranger than usual, because I didn't get time to recuperate. Right after sending off the books, I went on to the States to set up our travelling exhibition Knitting along the Viking Trail at the Vesterheim Museum in Iowa. 

On my return, I found the first advance copies of the new books waiting for me and I must say that I am very happy about them. 

Book 18 is The Third Viking Knits Collection (the Vikings continue to inspire me) and and features several garments that have been requested for a long time, such as Sigrun, Skade and Tyra. Most of the designs are new; Solveig a lovely A-line dress, Logi a dramatic sleeve grown into a shawl and, my personal favorite, Inggun a vest with an unusual construction.  

In Book 19, The Wellington Collection, I introduce two new yarns:

Twice Tweed, an Aran weight tweed yarn made from recycled fibers (basically the pieces that are left over when they cut garments) using a new process that saves water and doesn't discharge toxic dyes or other chemicals. In other words a step towards sustainable production. The yarn is soft, knits up easily and looks great.

Eucool, a cool yarn that is a blend of wool and eucalyptus (whoever heard of Eucalyptus yarn?). It feels like no other yarn I have ever seen, and although the wool stands for 75% of the contents, the yarns feels almost papery. It knits up at the same gauge as Silky Wool and is a boon for the uneven knitter, it truly helps make the knitting look more even.

The yarns decided the mood of the collection; rural, slightly nostalgic, with touches of the 1920's, 30's and 40's, but still very modern and wearable. 

So, as the cooler part of the year approaches, I hope you will find inspiration for the season's knitting, and garments for many seasons to come. 

Have to run, I have to get on with the next book, so we'll have time to photograph it before the end of summer. 

Happy Knitting!

Elsebeth 

Small Things Matter ...
posted June 23, 2009

The most intense part of my regular working year is May through August, when the weather allows for photography outdoors. During that time we have two books to photograph and finish for printing and, directly after, a new collection has to be designed, knitted and photographed.

This past summer I had planned to skip a book, to allow myself a summer vacation (I haven't had one in over 5 years). But I let myself be tempted, when KFI suggested I do a book of smaller projects, and here it is, The Small Things Matter Collection.

It features an eclectic gathering of projects – scarves, mittens and caps of course, but also a pillow, several bags, a pair of socks, a tea cozy and even a knitted container.

I have mixed elegant and rustic, rural and urban, items for everyday wear as well as a set suitable for bridal wear. And I have, for the first time, included some Viking Knits designs.

All the projects are in Silky Wool and many of them are trans-seasonal. Any of them could be that perfect gift for a loved one, a dear friend or the person who has everything.

I actually knitted several of the projects myself this time and I hope you will find something you'll enjoy knitting as much as I did.

Happy Knitting!
Elsebeth Lavold

Fall-Winter 2008
posted November 11, 2008

Fall is here and gone, we've entered the twilight time of no longer fall and not yet winter. The only good thing about it is that it is perfect for curling up in the couch with a cup of tea and a good knitting.  There are two new books out this fall.

 The Out of the Blue Collection features a number of favorite yarns from my yarn line: Silky Wool, Baby Llama, and Silky Flammé.  This collection consists of designs where the patterns behave in unexpected ways or with shapes or design features that are unusual.  Exactwith its egg carton pattern which is actually a simple lace pattern that hasn't been blocked, and using the purl side as the right side. Enigma, my own mosaic pattern, where the sections of slipped sts pull at sections of stockinette to create unexpected curves. Maze with its labyrinthine effect created by the push and pull of vertical and horizontal lines in stockinette and reverse stockinette. Wave with its unusual wavy front edge, the result of increases and decreases combined with short rows. Wave has the added advantage of button-on sleeves, giving you the choice of vest or jacket. These and many more designs make up a collection of timeless pieces with a twist.

The second book for this season, The Touch of Romance Collection, introduces two new yarns for this season:

Calm Wool, an aran weight blend of Wool, Camel and Alpaca. A warm and soft yarn with character, and wonderful knitting properties—and it shows off cables wonderfully. I've selected 12 colors ranging from naturals to patinated classics.

Bambool, a bamboo viscose yarn with a touch of wool to keep it from being too ingratiating (I find that generally, when a yarn becomes too soft, it loses character). The yarn is shiny and soft with a nice heavy drape. Bamboo has a natural antibacterial effect even after washing. Here, the 12 colors are mostly strong and intense.

In my world, romance is not about helpless swooning creatures, leaning on a strong man, but rather a woman walking side by side with her man, knowing her strengths and weaknesses. This is reflected in designs with a certain softness but also with an edginess, but always designed for freedom of movement.  The Calm Wool designs are classical, like Cameron, a man's sweater with an unusual cable, Phoebe, a wearable jacket with an unusual twist—the right front edge dips slightly, giving it a modern twist (it comes with a matching sweater for your pooch), and Imogen, a perfect little garter stitch vest with cable edged collar and armholes. The Bambool designs are feminine and figure flattering like Deirdre and Marion, and Caitlin is a perfect confection for that special little girl in your life.

Whether you're after a challenge or a relaxing meditative knitting, I hope you will find something to start your needles clicking.

Happy Knitting!

Elsebeth

Summer :)
posted September 19, 2008

This year I am allowing myself a summer vacation, the first in five years. This is a boon for my garden, our table (I grow lettuce, tomatoes and lots and lots of herbs) and my spirit.

And when I'm tired of gardening, I knit. In the beginning of summer, I've knitted simple things. I did knit Malina from the Dreamweaver Collection. I knitted it in Wine-colored Bambouclé. I've also knitted a top in Hempathy, some small gift items and other stuff where my hands can do the work without too much interference from my mind. Now, I am beginning to get rested and I feel like knitting more challenging things. I've started on another Fibonacci-type garment (same principle as Dilga in The Dreamweaver Collection) , a top in Bambool, one of my new yarns for fall. Maybe you'll be seeing that in a future collection. Later this summer, I may try some color work. Not my usual kind of thing, but you've got to try to expand your limits once in a while.

It is a strange kind of work. When summer is at its hottest, I have to start thinking about winter, not this winter but the next. I have to select new yarns and colors. Luckily, the world is full of inspiration. This summer our garden has been full of butterflies in all different colors, sizes and patterns. Some I have never seen before; some have returned after being scarce for at least a decade. They are lovely, though I doubt that you will ever see The Butterfly Collection.

Have a lovely knitting summer!
Elsebeth

A wintry hello
posted January 22, 2008

Here in Sweden, it is still winter. The snow is grey and so is the sky. Luckily, there's always knitting to keep my spirits up.

The stuff I knit for work is always full of challenges, many swatches are the size of half a front or so. And I often have to rip large sections out and re-do them. And still, what do I do for recreation? I knit!

When I'm not working, I love to curl up in the couch with a cup of tea within reach. And then I'll knit and read or maybe dream. And this time of year I dream of summer...(sigh).

My dream is for pared down, perfectly wearable pieces that are fun to knit, and my collection for the coming spring, The Dreamweaver Collection, is full of such pieces.

My personal favorite is Dilga, just because it is so much fun seeing how the pattern will come out following the Fibonacci sequence (read more about it in the book), but also because the sweater is classical and feminine, just in line with my personal style of dressing. The design is for Hempathy, one of my favorite yarns. It is a joy to knit with and to wear.

And I just might pick Malina as a project for social knitting (I have to be able to talk and knit at the same time). The yarn is my newcomer, Bambouclé, which contains bamboo and linen so it's cool, rustic and elegant at the same time. The yarn is for US 8 needles, and the sweater is mostly stockinette, so if I can just choose a color (there are fifteen, and I love them all) I can have the sweater done before summer.

Go for your dream, and Happy Knitting!