Ase Lund Jensen.

Marianne Isager’s newest book is here, and it is a beauty! Let’s look inside ALJ: Ase Lund Jensen – a Danish knitwear designer.

As its title suggests, ALJ is a tribute to Danish knitwear designer Ase Lund Jensen, a pioneer in textile arts from the late 1950’s until her death in 1977. Jensen recognized a talent for design in young Marianne Isager, and it’s Jensen’s yarn company and workshop that Isager built into what we know today as Isager yarns.

Jensen designed impeccably tailored knits, studied traditional textiles of Greenland and Denmark, and had a fondness for muted shades that couldn’t be satisfied by the yarn manufacturers of the day. Working with a Danish mill, she developed a color palette informed and inspired by natural, plant-based dyes, a palette that Marianne Isager has grown but never strayed from.

The book also includes a great many patterns for sweaters, accessories, and a few home goods, designed by Jensen, Marianne and Helga Isager, and Annette Danielson, all knit with Isager yarns.

Along with a biography of Ase Lund Jensen, there are also articles on the history of knitting, and political knitting in particular.

A copy of ALJ came home with me as soon as it arrived at the shop, and I loved learning more about Danish textile history in general and Jensen and Isager in particular.

Look for ALJ on the teacart here at the shop, where the latest books and magazines mingle. We have more news from Isager coming in the next few blog posts, so keep an eye out, or come straight to the shop to see it all for yourself!

Comments

  1. Judie on said:

    Julia, you were right: this is a lovely book. The Texture sweater has my name all over it and I love the historical element of it being an original design, unaltered, by Jensen. It was also interesting to learn the genesis of Isager yarns and patterns. Thank you, Julia and Anne, for bringing us these quality items.

    • I’m so glad you’re enjoying the book, Judie! We are always happy to be able to get interesting books and yarns into the hands of eager knitters like you, and like ourselves – I loved paging through this book and look forward to knitting from it one day.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *