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Viking-Inspired Knits from Elsebeth Lavold

August 21, 2017 by Sarah White

viking knitting books

Heidi is the winner.

This week’s giveaway is two amazing pattern books from Elsebeth Lavold, both having to do with Viking-inspired knitting patterns.

Lavold spent years researching Viking knots and other ornamentation and translating those designs to knitting, the result of which became her book Viking Patterns for Knitting. It includes 60 charts for patterns inspired by Viking motifs, and shows the item that inspired the design, which is really cool.

There are also 14 full projects in the book (you can see them on Ravelry) including sweaters, coats and accessories for the body and the home.

Viking Knits and Ancient Ornaments is a continuation of that book, produced more than a decade later and incorporating more design charts and another couple dozen garment and accessory patterns.

I’ve read online that it’s helpful to have the first book to work out the techniques used in the second, and it’s clear that neither of these books are for beginners, or those without a great level of comfort with cables and traveling stitches.

That’s why I’m giving away the books together. The first is paperback and the second hardcover, so because of the weight they need to go to someone in the United States (sorry, international knitters, you know I love you!).

If you’d like a chance to win these books, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, August 27. Just for fun, because it’s eclipse day and this is a USA-only giveaway, I’d love to know what you are doing/did for the eclipse. Did you travel to see it or was it visible where you live? As I write this it hasn’t happened where I live yet. We’re supposed to have 91 percent coverage, and I’ll probably slip outside during it but also watch videos of the totality with my daughter when she gets home from school.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing, and good luck!

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Comments

  1. kbsalazar says

    August 21, 2017 at 4:01 pm

    Watched it at work, using a pinhole device improvised from shipping boxes, a presentation easel, and other bits. The whole company called a break for the 15 min before and after the height of the partial here in Massachusetts, and we all behaved like very curious kids at a Science Museum. Love working in a nerdy start-up!

  2. Linda Petras says

    August 22, 2017 at 9:05 am

    Love the patterns in these books. Just getting back into it after years of alzheimers caregiving.

  3. Cheryl says

    August 22, 2017 at 9:11 am

    I work in a call center and therefore did not get to go outside to see the eclipse, but wanted very badly to see it. I will have to settle for internet or TV news to watch it. We were supposed to have 90% coverage here in Oklahoma. I traveled to Iceland last year and am very interested in the Viking culture and would love these books. Thanks for the chance at a giveaway.

  4. Heidi Christine Kirsch says

    August 22, 2017 at 10:04 am

    Loads of us met in a downtown park. Rather festive environment. Had glasses from library this time, but can remember making some with my Dad for an eclipse when I was a kid.

  5. spierssusan says

    August 22, 2017 at 10:13 am

    I am a knitter-for many years now- great books! Since I had no glasses and saw the last eclipse, I sat on my porch and watched the darkness come and go! My son sent me some fab pics he took-amazing stuff! Thank you, Susan

  6. Lisa McClellan says

    August 22, 2017 at 10:34 am

    wasn’t able to see it — clouds in the way!

  7. Stacey says

    August 22, 2017 at 12:11 pm

    Didn’t go outside for it. Saw pictures other people took on Facebook.

  8. Kitten With A Whiplash says

    August 22, 2017 at 3:36 pm

    Here in SF we had a lot of cloud cover, which worked in the favor of those without glasses. We still didn’t look right at the sun, but aimed our cameras at the reflection in the nearly black uv windows on some of the bigger buildings. Not great for taking pictures tho.

  9. Martha Donley says

    August 22, 2017 at 5:14 pm

    Stayed home for the eclipse. watched it on the news and through my pinhole damera

  10. Linda says

    August 22, 2017 at 6:02 pm

    Watched from home. Only 70% and intermittent clouds.

  11. Lee says

    August 22, 2017 at 6:07 pm

    I was working and so busy i did not get time to go outside for the eclipse 🙁 viewed on social media though – nice pictures

  12. yarnaddicted says

    August 22, 2017 at 7:00 pm

    I didn’t go outside, just watched from a window inside and saw lots of photos on Facebook later.

  13. Deborah Hetrick says

    August 22, 2017 at 7:54 pm

    We had a nasty storm at the same time the eclipse would have been visible to us, so….I stayed inside and knitted! I always get excited about new books, better than Christmas!

  14. Jane Stephens says

    August 22, 2017 at 8:22 pm

    We had 100% coverage here, so we all sat in our lawn chairs in the driveway and watched through eclipse glasses. Very quiet with no bird or chipmunks calls, it got kind of cold out, and it looked like one of those night filters that film makers use! Really a fun experience!

    Also fun would be working all those knots and twists in the two books — thanks so much for the nice giveaway. 🙂

  15. Ruth says

    August 22, 2017 at 10:07 pm

    I stayed home and watched it through glasses and on TV. We had 90% coverage, but heavy cloud cover. I lived it through my daughter who traveled to Southern Illinois to see the totality. It sounded amazing!

  16. Sheila says

    August 23, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    I live in the path of totality in Corvallis Oregon. The media was predicting grid-locked traffic (which largely didn’t materialize), so I watched the eclipse from the comfort of my front yard. We had ideal conditions with perfectly clear skies. It was really cool watching the moon slowly eat the sun, then seeing the bright circle around the dark moon, and even a few stars.

  17. Sally H. says

    August 24, 2017 at 11:22 am

    Wow! Can this week get any better? Two exciting happenings – the eclipse and your giveaway. I am always so inspired by Elsebeth Lavold! She is my most favorite designer and I love the way she so aesthetically puts together her books. Inspiration on so many levels. As for the eclipse, I was working and went outside during the peak to take a peek. Even where I was the partial darkness was an amazing experience and can only imagine what it was like experiencing the total eclipse of the sun.

  18. Jeanne says

    August 24, 2017 at 7:40 pm

    Hubbo & I both had glasses and popped outaide to watch. We had about 85% totality. My drove to Oregon and my daughter is in Kentucky… they both had the full experience.
    BTW, I’m intrigued by these books.

  19. Joy Jannotti says

    August 25, 2017 at 9:45 am

    I went to visit my cousin in Maryland and we watched the eclipse on the beach. We had fun. I love Elsebeth Lavold!

  20. sherrytx says

    August 26, 2017 at 2:41 pm

    We had about 75% coverage in North Texas, so I watched the eclipse on TV. I did go outside at the peak of the eclipse here. I failed to get the proper eye wear in time, so I took pics of the crescent-shaped sun spots coming through the tree leaves. We do get to experience a full eclipse in 2024, and I will be fully prepared!

    The books look fascinating.

  21. Betty Clay says

    August 27, 2017 at 5:20 pm

    Thanks for the giveaway. We were planning to view an 87% eclipse here in South Dakota, but it was a cloudy, rainy day. We watched the eclipse on the NASA broadcast.

Have you read?

Totoro Knitting Patterns

We’re a big Studio Ghibli household, and while they are sometimes very protective of their copyrights (as evidenced by the number of patterns on Ravelry that were removed from the service when it received a takedown notice back in 2021), there are still a fair number of Totoro knitting patterns (as well as other designs I’m sure we’ll get to someday). Let’s check them out!

Yaya Labs has a cute plush Totoro that looks like it might stand up on its own. The pattern is available on LoveCrafts, and it calls for DK or light worsted weight yarn in four colors. The pattern is considered advanced but it does include a photo tutorial. It stands 10.6 inches or 27 cm tall.

A similar pattern can be found a Shino Craft, which doesn’t have the leaf hat but does include little hands, and the legs aren’t as separate from the body. This one calls for sport weight yarn and is knit flat on two needles. 

All Made Here has a Totoro pouch that is super cute and looks pretty easy to knit. It measures 14 by 18 cm and is rated for advanced beginners. You can get the pattern when you subscribe to updates or follow the designer on Instagram. 

Stitch Totoro on a sweater with the Totorogenseren sweater from Anna-Sofia Vintersol. This free download on Ravelry uses worsted/aran weight yarn in two or three colors. The pattern comes in nine sizes, with a chest measurement ranging from 77 to 149 cm. 

The Forest Spirit Fair Isle Jumper from Kraft with Kindrex features a row of Totoros on the circular yoke, along with other little colorwork designs. The design includes three sizes, with chest measurements ranging from 91 to 101 cm. It calls for 4 ply (that’s fingering/sock weight in other parts of the world). 

Or you can stitch Totoro as part of a project with more Ghibli characters, as on the Magical Anime Knit Sweater (a longtime bucket list item for me) from The Bearded Sewist. This on has a circular yoke and rows of different characters including Totoro, Ponyo, soot sprites, Calcifer and more. The pattern comes in four sizes and is rated intermediate/advanced. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can grab a copy on Ravelry. 

Or try Katharina Kuntz’s Anime Scarf, also on Ravelry. This one is a double knit scarf worked in fingering weight yarn in two colors, with allover designs from Studio Ghibli movies. She started by knitting the movies in chronological order but gave that up after she realized all her favorites would be in the middle and therefore not visible when worn. You can probably rearrange the motifs further somewhat if you want to showcase your favorites. 

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