If you have followed my designs you might know that I originate from Norway. In my adult life I have moved around a bit, but looking back my first knitting memories are foundly connected to the Norwegian knitting traditions. I love the “Lusekofte” and the old and beautiful Selbu-patterns, and I constantly come back to them to find inspiration.

In my Frosted Flower pattern I play around with the old traditions, working the sweater bottom-up and in the round and with steeks for the armhole opening (allowing all the stranded pattern to be worked from RS). The stranded pattern itself is totally new; influenced by the traditions but worked “in my way”.

Construction
Bottom up and in the round. You start from the lower body which is worked in the round to underarms. Here you cast on new sts on the sides (between upper front/upper back). Steeks are worked from the cast-on sts each side of the sweater in the upper body. After completion of the patterned yoke work is divided for left and right front and back to be worked flat and in separate pieces. This is to allow for a rounded neck over the front. Steeks are reinforced and cut, and sleeves are worked top-down from picked-up sts. Neckline is worked in the round from spared and picked-up sts.

Sizes Finished bust circumference: 75/83/92/100/108/116/125cm = 30/33/36/39/42.5/45.5/49”. The sample is worked with approximately 12.5cm/5” of positive ease, as I wanted it a bit over-size. You might also work closer to your personal measurements.

Materials
Yarn:I used an ordinary merino yarn of DK weight. The reason for not mentioning the name of the yarn is that the black yarn was bleeding and I fear that it will not be washing well…. Luckily there are lots of beautiful yarns keeping a good quality! I’m sure that you will find a nice substitute.
You will need the following amounts:
Main color (MC) – black: 800/900/1000/1100/1200/1300/1400m =872/981/1090/1199/1308/1417/1526yards. Contrasting color (CC) – white: 225/250/275/300/325/350/400m = 245/272/300/327/354/381/436yards.
Needles: Circular needles 3.5mm/US4 for the ribbed hems, circular needles 4.5mm/US7 for the main body/main sleeves.
You might use one size up working the stranded sections (if you are working the stranded pattern tighter than using one strand only).

Gauge 24 sts = 10cm/4”

The pattern
The pattern guides you through from the cast-on to the finished results. The pattern is fully charted. All measurements are given in cm’s as well as in inches. All necessary stitch-counts are given. There is a schematic. There is a step-by-step guide on how to reinforce the steeks.
Knitting skills: intermediate.