History

You can read more about her pioner work for Norwegian handknit in:

“The official Norwegian Encyclopedia” (SNL):

"Unn Søiland Dale - Store Norske Leksikon"

“The official Norwegian Biography Encyclopedia” (NBL):

“Unn Søiland Dale - Norsk biografisk leksikon”

Unn Søiland Dale received in 2002 the King's Medal of Merit, in gold, - for her lifelong pioneering work to develop the Norwegian hand-knit traditions, - and other wool-designs, to make Norwegian wool fabrics popular internationally, through her company Lillunn Sport AS ( Later Lillunn AS.) Her name was Unn Søiland, but her married name became Unn Søiland Dale from 1962.

She was the first woman to be member of the Norwegian Industry Association. Her company Lillunn Sport AS organized women throughout Norway, who handknitted in their homes in colaboration with her, regarded as "home industry". Over the years she organized more than 1,000 Norwegian handknitters throug her production.

She developed a special Manual for her hand-knitters, where she systematized and introduced techniques for measures and equipment for hand-knitting. These manuals have ever since been copied and used by all yarn facturers and are today the basic instructions for all hand-knit patterns.

In the 50’s, she designed knit-designs, for the English yarnfactory Beheeve, and the American McGregor, and for Norwegian SandnesGarn.  She prodused Norwegian ready Handknit for the german Uli Richter and her own Lillunn Sport AS for exporting to European to fashionable skiing resorts in the Alpes. The quality of the handicraft in Unn Søiland's organized hand-knitting production, combined with her elegant designs and unique colors, was one of the reasons that this became a big fashion, and «Norwegian Sweaters» got a high standing.

Later in the 70-80’s she developed the most exclusive hand-knits like dresses and coats for French fashions great names as Christian Dior, Hubert de Givenchy and Castelbajac, who presened her designs under their names. She is the only Norwegian designer that has had hand-knit presented on French catwalks in Paris.

One of her best known designs, the Marius-sweater, was designed in 1953 and sold to Sandnes Wool factory in 1953, as a handknit-recipe, amongst many others of her designs that has become norwegian classics. Today the Marius-sweater is known as the most handknitted sweater in Norway. It is considered as a Norwegian icon, that says something about Norwegians' love for the outdoors in the free open Norwegian nature. Through www.Marius.no you can see all the different products that today are licensed by © Marius of Norway AS.

The book "To rette og en vrang” about Unn Søiland Dales's life as a designer, with many more of her designs and handknit-recepes presented, was released in 1994. Many of her patterns are today considered as Norwegian classics. The book is made available here by courtesy of the author, Nanna Segelcke. You can read it here: «To rette og en vrang». You can use the patterns for your private handknitting, but you can not commerialize your products with these patterns without permission from Unn from Norway AS

In 2012 “Marius strikkebok” (Marius knitting book) was releazed, specialized in the history of the Marius pattern, published by Juritzen Forlag, which sold nearly 115,000 copies. 

In 2014 the book "Marius Inspirasjon" (Marius Inspiration) was published by Tigerforlaget/ Ascehoug, with the largest and most detailed story of the Marius pattern. 

You can use the MARIUS-pattern for your private hand-knitting, but you can not commercialize without permission from Marius of Norway AS: LICENSING

You can use all the other patterns from Unn from Norway, for your private handknitting, but you can not commercialize these patterns without permission from Unn from Norway AS: LICENSING