New Favorites: Goose Eye

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New Favorites: Goose Eye

Holy moly. A new book arrived from Isager (of The Artisan fame, etc) for the shop yesterday and it is a stunner — packed full of gorgeous patterns I’d love to knit — but the one that immediately affected my heart rate and breathing is this big colorwork pullover called Goose Eye. The book is called ALJ: Ase Lund Jensen — a Danish knitwear desiger, and it’s a tribute to and history of the founder of the company we know as Isager. Goose Eye is one of the patterns that was adapted from an original ALJ design by Marianne Isager. It’s a drop-dead gorgeous motif, and I love the detail of what happens at the raglans and along the underarm (seen in that last image), and while I’d go not-so-oversize with it, I think this might really truly be the one that finally gets me to commit to an allover colorwork sweater. (I know I’ve said that before, but JUST LOOK AT IT.) I can’t cast on anytime soon, so I have time to mull: ivory and grey, grey and black, black and navy, ivory and black, ivory and camel …?

You can see more of the patterns and order a copy of ALJ at Fringe Supply Co. (Or if you’re quick and on Instagram, you can see a full flip-through in my Story this morning at @fringesupplyco.)

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27 thoughts on “New Favorites: Goose Eye”

    • like “EE-say-uh” (think of the final syllable as more of an “-er” in UK or AUS English)

    • As a Dane, I would say Jess’ version of the pronunciation of “Isager” is the more accurate one.

      The “g” in this particular context has no aspiration (“breathiness” like an “h”) or closure (of any parts of the mouth/throat, e.g. as in English “get” or “generous”) to it and is merely a narrowing in the back of the throat, represented by the “y” in [EE-say-uh].
      If I knew how, I would record a sound clip and post it for you.

      Anyway, don’t worry too much about it – Danish is such a weird language, pronunciation-wise, says everyone ;-)
      “Is” [EEs] in modern Danish means “ice”(and “icecream”) and “ager” [ay-uh] is an old word for “field”, so literally the name means “ice field”. Most likely there is someplace in Denmark bearing that name as well, like a village or parish.

      Wishing everyone a great weekend :-)
      I myself am trying out my Lykke fixed circulars that came in the mail from Fringe recently – I love the feel of them!
      (“Lykke” means “happiness” in both Norwegian and Danish – very fitting. Pronounced [löög-uh], with a vowel sound that I don’t think appears in English, but is frequent in German and the Scandinavian languages (and others) represented by the letters “ö”/”ø”/”y” in various settings…)

  2. Goose Eye is knit bottom up – having just tried bottom up again -Mistake!- and having gone back to top down, I’d have to flip it to try it. If I hadn’t learned to knit top down first, I’d have missed 57 + years of fun knitting. I am never happy with bottom up unless it is a bag or hat, etc. But I do love Isager (and Fringe Association/Supply too!), so I might try to get it to work.

  6. WOWWW!!! The details at the raglans and along the underarms are just something else!!!

  7. I have the Artisan book and absolutely love it, I want to make everything! However, I’m having major problems with the instructions. I’ve only tried the Lace sweater so far, but I had to frog it after three rows because despite careful counting I knew the lace pattern was off. The way it’s written doesn’t even note when you are supposed to hit markers! I’m going to figure it out and make a chart because I LOVE the design, but it’s a little disappointing. All that to ask, does this book happen to use charts? I don’t love this book the way I do Artisan, but I’d definitely make a few things…

    • I just looked — it’s odd that that one’s not charted when others in the same book are. I wonder why that is. But many of the ALJ patterns are also charted.

      • I have knit two Lace tops and found the lace pattern in itself easy, well after I had made sense of the pattern as it can be vague in places plus you really have to read ahead as At the same time can jump out of nowhere. I found the top V with the eyelets baffling and still don’t know the correct way to do this part despite copious notes hoping by the second one I would know what I was doing. I have emailed several times but help isn’t easy to find. I have both on my project page on Ravelry 0bev0 (0=zero) the first one has a lot of notes.

        I would knit another one but fear the top V of the front. I am knitting Ivory atm it looks simple but there are issues again with the confusing instructions. I love the designs and the tops are nicely tailored but they aren’t clearly written or possibly points I need to know are lost in translation.

        Make sure to read and note all the At the same times as this may be why your pattern isn’t working. I worked out the number of stitches in each shell and use markers until I learned the way the pattern works. There are increases in between too. I hope you can work it out as the top is lovely. I knit one in Spinni and my second one in Brooklyn Tweed Vale.

    • Ok, I just took a closer look at ALJ’s use of charts — the colorwork and cable/texture patterns are all charted, but the 3 lace ones are not. It must be a Danish thing?

      • I am guessing here, but the reason for the missing lace charts may be that those patterns are original ALJ patterns not including charts. Charted lace patterns are standard, even in Denmark, nowadays – except maybe with very small repeats or repeats that are very hard to chart due to e.g. varying stitch counts within repeats. But ALJ made her patterns in the 50’ies and 60’ies when charts using symbols were uncommon. Of course reissuing the patterns would make a nice opportunity for adding charts, one might argue – especially since charts are also provided for the color/structure/cable patterns…

    • In addition to my first reply, if it helps and you can contact me either via Ravelry on the contact page of my blog I have the stitch counts noted for the lace sections. I prefer written instructions but agree this pattern has vague bits as I tried to start on the sleeve until row 10 was in doubt. You will have the basic amount on row one of the lace bit (I placed markers) on subsequent rows the YOs increase the stitches within the markers but then decrease back again on the 9th. I would type them out here but would be worried about copyright.

      I am knitting Ivory at the moment, it looks simple but ‘At the same time’ jumps out making a somewhat simple bit read with complexity. It took me a while to work the slipped stitches and eyelets out at the shoulders due to this. I have the wool to knit Silver too so maybe I will have learned from this style of pattern which apparently is what to expect from Danish/Scandinavian designs. I still feel some parts have been lost in translation.

      HTH

      • Thanks so much, Beverley! Stitch counts would be so helpful, I’ll contact you on Ravelry :) I love your versions, they were part of my inspiration to give it a go!

  9. Goose Eye is gorgeous but don’t think I’d make it over-sized as a sweater.
    I also can see a coat in this by splitting it down the middle, in the center of the black diamond, and adding trim in the same color as collar, cuff & hem. Don’t know if the yarn is appropriate for a coat but I sure see the conversion possibility in the pattern.

  10. I’m in love with all things Isager, so I’d order this in a flash if I didn’t live here in Canada, where between exchange rates, taxes, and duties (not to mention shipping) the final cost might be three times your sales price.

  15. I love the oversized fit of this sweater. You could wear it over leggings without worrying about exposing all your business. I’m not sure about the rollneck, though.

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