This text is translated by our friendly computer based aid. We are working on getting a real human to work through this page. Please do not hesitate to contact our support if you have any questions!

See the nice recipes from Dale yarn here

It started in 1956 with Dale CORTINA which was the first official sweater for the Norwegian ski race during the Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy. The designer behind the CORTINA sweater is Birgit «Bitten» Eriksen, the mother of Marius and the mountaineer Stein Eriksen. Since then, Dale's designers have been inspired by the great classic.

Bitten Eriksen (1900–1996) started his career as a knitting designer already in the late 1920s. In the time she was employed at Dale Garn and Knitwear, she designed a wide range of bestsellers. CORTINA is perhaps the best known, but in Dale's GOLD archive we find both Espen, Istapp and CORTINA II. Nine of Dales ten bestsellers in the period 1955–1970 were designed by Bitten Eriksen.

Bitten Eriksen was early inspired by the Setesdals patterns in Annichen Sibbern Bøhn's book "Norwegian Knitting Patterns". The Eriksen family has pictures of several different variations, and pictures of one she knitted to her husband, Marius sr. - already in three colors and without lice, is from the early 1930s. * 1)

During the war she knitted another variant to her son Marius jr. The sweater was a return gift when he came home from German captivity in 1945. The sweater was in the red, white and blue flag colors, and its image dates from 1948. * 2)

The bit has omitted the traditional lice you find on the Setesdals sweaters, and she knitted her with "cross and rounds" and other borders from the Setesdals tradition with single-colored bow and sleeves.

The CORTINA design is just as relevant now as it was over 60 years ago. That's why you now get Cortina as a new and redesigned sweater and jacket with rounded hem. You can also choose a new, round neck solution in addition to the classic in primary cut with boat neck. ANNE-KIRSTI ESPENES has redesigned the classic and also made new and delicious accessories - and a super sweet doggirl. You can now knit CORTINA in several yarn types. Choose from Alpaca, Alpakka Forte, Pure ECO Baby Wool and Natural Lanolin Wool. Maybe you are starting a new CORTINA favorite?

The story of CORTINA is a stately part of Dale's proud history, and a piece of Norwegian design history. Maybe it will be a CORTINA or two on the knitting list this fall - we wonder. Maybe you share photos?

It ♥ we! #DaleCortina

Margaretha Finseth

Design & Brand Manager

HOUSE OF YARN

* 1) See picture on page 57 | * 2) See picture on page 57.