Dorte Karstensen Wacher, who is a great, great artist and my friend invited me to participate in her window decoration art pieces at Øjesten, an optical shop in Kolding.
Dorte is a painter, an illustrator, a decorator, a stylist, a designer and so much more all wrapped into one creative person. Be sure to check out her works on her website.
She decorated 2 of the shop’s windows.
This window is all Dorte.
In this window you can see my contributions. I knitted the mannequin’s top. And yes, that’s a satellite on her head. And yes, those are tiny versions of Koldinghus, the old castle of Kolding.
Here’s a close-up of the mannequin from inside the store.

I am so happy to have contributed to Dorte’s pieces, and am looking very much forward to many more Wacher & Villumsen projects.

This week, I’m the featured artist over on Spin Artiste.

I am very happy about this!
Thanks for having me, Arlene!
As a celebration of this I’ve created this new free pattern; wristcables.
Have fun knitting, and feel free to share and comment on Ravelry, Pinterest and Facebook.


At Another Space in Copenhagen there is a small, but amazing textile exhibition until May 25. It’s on textile in art and architecture.
I swooned at the Japanese/Swedish textile artist Akane Moriyama‘s piece. It consists of dyed boxes of tuille sewn together. It’s aerial, beautiful and awesome – Akane, I’m a fan!

I bet you have had that knitting project sitting in the corner that you just didn’t want to talk to. That just wouldn’t work in any possible way.
I have.
And now I will help you confront that project in your corner.
From now on I am offering couple’s therapy for you and your knitting via Skype. I have created a new section of my webpage where you can read more about how to book a session, and quotes from some of my former clients. Just look under Therapy.
The therapy session can be about that annoying project, a new technique, a difficult stitch pattern or whatever’s bugging you with your knitting. No problem is too big or too small!
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or if you want to book a session.
I’m looking forward to helping you!

was held just outside Copenhagen a couple of weekends ago. A lot of crafters came and it was a great event!
I did a small lecture on how to understand and work with English patterns, when you’re a Danish knitter. vithard knittingThe theme of the lecture is also the theme of one of my classes at this years Strikkefestival at Fanø in September. Sign up starts in a few weeks!!!!
I also did ‘couple’s therapy for you and your knitting’.
vithard knitting
People came by bringing the knitting they didn’t talk to anymore. We talked about where their problems were and I helped them along. People went home talking to their knitting again, I have seen some finished projects posted on Ravelry afterwards.
More will come about this in a couple of weeks!
Thanks to all the people who came to aohmessen! Thanks to everyone who listened to my lecture and to all the therapy clients!
Also a very big thank you to the amazing crew behind aohmessen, thanks for having me! It was a lot of fun!

As much as I like the process of designing and making new patterns, I sometimes just want to turn of that design part of my brain and knit something that someone else has written the pattern for. The other day I casted on for Thorn, by Bristol Ivy, from Wool People 4. The pattern has been on my want-to-knit list, since it came out. As I’ve said before, I have a thing for lines, and I really like the way they describe the shape of the shawl in this pattern. I’m knitting it holding 2 strands of Einband together in 2 different shades of grey.
thorn vithard knittingI am a fan of Brooklyn Tweed‘s style. The almost Nordic minimalistic look of his photos, website and patterns. Then he has a thing for tweedy yarns, which I do as well. Unfortunately I haven’t tried any of his yarns yet, but all things come to those wait, right?
I am not knitting Thorn only for the relaxation of it, I must admit. For the Friends & Fiberworks Fantasy Fiber / Knitting Cruise, I am working on a pattern. I haven’t decided on shapes and textures yet. The shape that Bristol Ivy uses in this shawl I find quite intriguing, so I wanted to try it out – see how she made the shape, how I like the shape, if it can inspire in any way…

My trip to NC ended in bad weather and we sadly had to cancel the event at DownTown Knits in Apex. Therefore the great revealing of the shawl that I have designed for Michele’s handdyed yarn had to be postponed. Michele revealed it a week later at knit night.
Instead of driving from the Jazzturtle Creations‘ studio to Apex we went across the street to a small creek where we took some photos of the shawl, coílis.
vithard knitting coílis
vithard knitting coìlis
It was a lot of fun. We laughed a lot and Esther is a great model. You can read more about the pattern on Ravelry. You can get your hands on Michele’s amazing yarn and the shawl pattern at DownTown Knits, Apex. She also has a cute display of some of my samples.
dtk vithard knitting
Instead of the trunk show I saw the rest of Season 1 of LOST, had lobster and Prosecco. It wasn’t a bad friday after all. I missed meeting the folks at DownTown Knits, but I will see them this summer when I am back for my next teaching trip.
I will be sure we reschedule our fun for then!
Along with the coílis pattern I have uploaded 2 more patterns to Ravelry, since I posted here the last time:
rachel, a super soft and deluxe cowl using some wonderful Jazzturtle nakedspun cria alpaca tailspun
rachel vithard knitting
and skirt, which has an all-over cabled lace pattern, it’s knit top-down, so it is easily adjustable to your size
skirt vithard knitting

These patterns are at the moment only available in English – but within the next weeks I will be uploading Danish version as well of the patterns. And throughout spring I will be uploading more patterns in English and in Danish.

oh…btw…I got my Navajo plying lesson. I got to card a batt in Esther’s studio and spin it into my first Navajo Ply! Here is what I made:vithard knitting spinning

I have found my new goal in life: I want to teach knitting! It is SO amazing.
At the Friends & Fiberworks Winter Retreat in Asheville I taught 5 classes. I enjoyed having intimate classes, the people were really really nice, and it was a pleasure teaching them.
I was teaching next to my friend Esther‘s booth, where we had a rack with all my samples on it.
All of these patterns will be coming up on Ravelry during the spring.

I am looking so much forward to teaching on the Fiber Cruise that Friends & Fiberworks has arranged in July, and then I will get more time to hang out with the amazing Lisa Mackey of Friends and Fiberworks.

On Monday night I taught my triangle shawl class at The Twisted Knitter in Mebane. It was a lovely evening of knitting, chatting and sharing tips and experiences.
On Friday night I’ll be at DownTown Knits in Apex giving my lecture and a trunk show, from 6.30 to 9.00PM. It’s going to be a lot of fun!!!
In between all the work I’ve been knitting and relaxing, enjoying good food and American culture. Drinking local beer, Dr.Pepper, eating grits and watching LOST.
Tomorrow I’ll be having my Navajo plying lesson.

Happy New Year everyone!
2012 was a great year! I am so happy to have had so many fantastic experiences and to have met a lot of amazing people.
The highlights of 2012 include

the incredible trip to Japan, the Sheep Palette festival, seeing the fascinating culture and meeting a lot of nice people
Yarnival, at Pluckyfluff Studio, learning to spin and hanging out with more great people

the Spikelet KAL, all the participants and all their feed back.

So 2013, which highlights will you bring me?
Already there are some candidates for the position:
The January USA trip, including the Friends and Fiberworks Winter Retreat and visits to The Twisted Knitter and DownTown Knits.
The Fantasy Fiber Art/Knitting Cruise, which will be followed by a trip to Canada for the Twist Fibre Festival.
Strikkefestivalen, at Fanø, the biggest Danish knitting festival.
and hopefully more will come.

A couple of weeks ago I received 2 skeins of yarn to write a pattern. I got two colours 100% organic merino yarn in DK weight, that Michele from DownTown Knits in Apex, NC, dyes herself. It’s the exclusive shop yarn called gather.
Last week I lay in bed with the flu, and I spent my time knitting a shawl with the yarn. It was amazing to work with! It is soft, squishy and beautiful. I really like the handpainted look of it.
The shawl and it’s pattern will be unveiled on January 25th,  when I’ll be doing my lecture on Scandinavian knitting and a trunk show with patterns and samples between 6.30 and 9PM at the store. Come by and see it. Jazzturtle will be there with yarn and fibre, as well.
If you can’t make it to the event you will be able to see the sample at the store or on Ravelry. The pattern will be available exclusively through DownTown Knits.