Stine Hoelgaard is the talented designer behind the crochet and knitting patterns in this year’s advent calendar. Here you can get to know her better.
No December without an advent calendar! And this year it will be a very special one 🎄🎁
That’s because we have partnered with Stine Hoelgaard, who is a highly experienced and talented designer! And we can’t wait for you to open the advent calendar’s four presents and see the lovely projects, that we have prepared for you together with Stine 🙊
In this blog post you can get to know Stine better – read everything about her favorite techniques, get her tips, and hear about her Christmas traditions. Stine also reveals a thing or two about this year’s advent calendar!
1. What first drew you to crafting, back in the day?
“When I was little I saw my mom knitting and sewing, and at 6 years old I got my first skeins of yarn and knitted a scarf in garter stitch in just a short week. This was in the middle of the 70’ies, where ‘Hønsestrik’ (a Danish knitting style with bright colors and naive patterns) was the latest, and the colors brown and orange were a hit. My next project was a sweater, which consisted of a lot of squares in yellow, red, blue, orange, and brown that my mom sewed together for me.
I have been knitting ever since. Almost daily. I gladly knitted through recess at school, and in high school I started my own creations.
After high school I was admitted to a crafting seminar, where I tried different crafts like crochet, hand knitting, machine knitting, pattern construction, and sewing in fabric and leather. I developed a lot in the years after, where I began designing knitting and crochet patterns for magazines and yarn companies. I have written several books and taught at evening school, knitting festivals, in yarn stores, and lately also at the Textile Communication education."
Stine is the designer behind these nice, graphic pillows. They are named Lula - Pillow (on the right), Laki - Pillow (on the left) and Lulo - Pillow (in front).
2. How would you describe your designs, and do you have a favorite?
“I like to design things I would want to wear. I usually strive after making sure my designs contain some form of technique, but in combination with something simple, like stockinette stitch, so you can also relax while you knit.
My favorite creations are, at the moment, the sweater Vintertern and the kid sweater Minitern. Both are worked in a classic technique, two-color rib, that was used back in the day as rib edges on the Fair Isle sweaters’ colorful colorwork. The “old” rib is here broken up by rounds of stockinette stitch, so it looks like cubes instead. It is difficult and easy in a lovely combination.
The exciting thing about the two designs is that you can combine and play with the colors and create your very own and unique model. The design invites you to unfold creatively – and those are the designs I’m most proud of.”
Matchy matchy! Stine’s Vintertern - Sweater matches perfectly to her Minitern - Children's sweater.
3. What are your favorite techniques?
“My favorite crochet technique is granny squares, where I love using leftover yarn and seeing how different the squares become based on color choice and order.
My favorite knitting technique is at the moment two-color rib. I have designed several models with this technique – a sweater for adults, a sweater for kids, and five different pillows.
Overall I’m very fond of cubes at the moment, so my Tartan pillow, where you knit the pillow and afterwards crochet the vertical lines, is also a great technique to me! I am also crazy about weaving a piece of garter stitch in stripes, and creating cubes like that.”
Ready for a challenge? Try on the gorgeous Tartan - Pillow with Friends Wool.
Want to see more of Stine’s designs? Click here.
4. What are your 3 best tips for other yarn happy creatives?
“My first tip to everyone who loves working with yarn is to just take a leap and try! Mistakes happen, and then you unravel and try again.
My second tip is not to be too hard on yourself, if the result isn’t perfect. I actually think it’s wonderful when you can see something is homemade.
And my third tip is to always have your knitting or crochet in the bag – you never know when you might need it!”
5. What is there to look forward to in this year’s advent calendar?
“You can look forward to all designs from this year’s advent calendar also being used after Christmas. That was very important to me to design models and use colors that weren’t about Christmas, but can be used in the time after as well.”
6. How would you describe the level of this year’s advent calendar?
“The level is between beginner and intermediate. It’s best to have tried some different stitches and techniques before.”
Do you want to join, when we open the first present of this year’s advent calendar? Then hurry up and get you fingers on the advent calendar for crochet or the advent calendar for knitting – or both of them, if you can’t decide! 😉
An advent calendar makes December a biiiit more magical! ✨
7. What is your best Christmas tradition?
“That is to pop down to the basement and pull our fake Christmas tree out of the box! Putting it together, fairy lights and Christmas tree foot on, and then flipping the switch. Presto – in less than 20 minutes there’s Christmas spirit in the living room!
Then of course it takes a bit longer to decorate the tree. We decorate with all the lovely and colorful ornaments that my two children have made since kindergarten, and that I still keep and very much enjoy looking at in December.”
8. Why is an advent calendar a must in December?
“It is a must with an advent calendar containing crochet or knitting pattern, because it super cozy to have something to look forward to Sunday after Sunday. Opening it up, getting surprised, and looking forward to getting started on the project. And then you have something to knit or crochet, when watching Christmas shows on television!
Merry Christmas everyone!”
