Designer Spotlight - Anna-Sofia Vintersol
Anna-Sofia Vintersol of @loparefur
Anna-Sofia has a beautifully varied background in art and character design, gathered from Japan, Norway, and Germany. She finds creative inspiration in the art of storytelling, which then translates into her patterns.
She now makes her home in Alaska with her little boy, as a Maker of Wanderful Knitwear. Her goal is to craft knitwear that exudes both playfulness and authenticity, instilling a feeling of liberation amidst the wilderness in the wearer, but also transports them into a realm of the fantastical imagination.
The Bearheart Sweater
The Bearheart Sweater is a beautiful stranded colorwork sweater with a bear motif. This design is much loved by Anna-Sofia, and has seen several iterations. This one is a warm sweater that will keep you cozy all winter long.
The pattern is written for Plötulopi or Alafosslopi, which are bulky-weight yarns. You can also hold two strands of Léttlopi to get the same yarn weight. There are 45 gorgeous colors to choose from, too.
Surf Mittens
Surf Mittens are thick stranded colorwork mitten that will keep your fingers warm and cozy. The design is simple yet graphic, repeating all through the mitten.
This pattern is also written for Alafosslopi, which is a bulky-weight yarn. Hold two strands of Léttlopi gets you the same yarn weight.
Haida Sweater
Haida is a beautiful hooded stranded colorwork sweater featuring magnificent orcas. Anna-Sofia had dreamed of creating an orca design for a long time, and this is the culmination of that work.
A couple of the yarns suggested in the pattern are just slightly thicker than Léttlopi or Lysti. As long as you swatch, you should be able to use either of these yarns to make this beautiful sweater.
Sköll og Hati
Sköll og Hati is an allover stranded colorwork sweater inspired by wolves of Norse Mythology. Sköll and Hati are the sons of the wolf Fenrir, and an unnamed giantess. It is foretold the wolves will chase the Sun and Moon across the skies until Ragnarök, at which point the wolves catch up and devour the celestial beings.
Yarns for Sköll og Hati
There’s a bit more room for color personalization than you would think at first glance. A line across the top of the bust and at the shoulder seams can blend right into the colors, or be a pop of contrast. It’s also very easy to make each of the repeats of the pattern in different colors for a lot of variety.
The pattern is written for Léttlopi, which is 100% Icelandic wool. The sheep in Iceland have adapted to the gray and misty weather of their home, so their wool is warm and water resistant. There are 45 different colors to choose from, whether you want just two, or twenty.
