Anna’s Fana

This sweater was featured in the Nordic Knits Issue of Laine magazine in 2025. The traditional Fana sweater originated on the west coast of Norway and became especially popular in the borough of Fana in Bergen, Norway. The Fanatrøye or the Fana sweater is part of the Bunad or regional costume worn to represent the people from Fana (and Bergen). My great grandfather immigrated with his family to the United States from Norway. I often imagined him on the ship, crossing the Atlantic wearing his Fanatrøye. My Grandpa Olsen passed away four years before I visited Norway and started knitting. As a nod to my Norwegian heritage, Fanatrøyer became part of our family tradition. As my children were growing up, they each had a Fanatrøye. As they outgrew their Fana sweater, I would make them a new one. Sometimes they would wear Fana hand-me-downs, but they always had one that would fit. When each of our children were full grown, I made them a special Fanatrøye to have to wear for their whole life to remind them of our little family. This is our daughter Anna’s grown-up Fanatrøye. A modern take of a traditional Fana, Anna’s Fana is knit with sky blue and white, has a square neck, buttonholes that are made in the fabric of the cardigan, the cuffs and checkerboard bottom of the cardigan are embroidered with yellow and red flowers. I made this sweater for Anna the year she got married. Now our tradition continues to the next generation.

This whimsical Fana is worked bottom up in the round. There are 5 steeks in this sweater. First work the sleeves to help you establish your row gauge. Knowing your row gauge will help you calculate the placement of the buttonholes if your row gauge is different than the suggested row gauge or if you want to make a longer cardigan. After all the knitting is completed, the steeks are secured and cut, the sweater is assembly and lastly flowers are embroidered on the bottom of the cardigan and on the cuffs.

Sizes
Women’s 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8)
Recommended ease: 3–4” / 7.5–10 cm of positive ease.

Finished Measurements
Bust circumference (buttoned):33.25 (38, 42.5, 47, 51.5) (56.25, 60.75, 65.25)” / 83.25 (94.75, 106.25, 117.5, 129) (140.5, 152, 163.25) cm.
Bust circumference (unbuttoned): 34.75 (39.25, 43.75, 48.5.75, 53) (57.5, 62, 66.75)” / 86.5 (98, 109.5, 121, 132.5) (143.75, 155.25, 166.75) cm.
Full length: 21 (21, 21, 23.5, 23.5) (25.5, 25.5, 27.25)” / 52.5 (52.5, 52.5, 58.75, 58.75) (64, 64, 68) cm.
Length of body from cast-on edge to neck shaping: 18.75 (18.75, 18.75, 19.5, 19.5) (21, 21, 21.5)” / 47 (47, 47 ,48.75, 48.75) (52.75 52.75 ,54.75) cm. Or approx. 2.25 (2.25, 2.25, 4, 4) (4.5, 4.5, 5.25)” / 5.5 (5.5, 5.5, 10, 10) (11.25,
Armhole depth: 7.5 (7.75, 8, 8.5, 9.25) (9.5, 9.75, 10)” / 18.5 (19.5, 20, 21.5, 23.5) (24.25, 24.25, 25) cm.
Cuff circumference: 9.5 (9.5, 9.5, 9.5, 10) (10, 10, 10)” / 24 (24, 24, 24, 25) (25, 25, 25) cm.
Upper arm circumference: 15 (15.5, 16, 17, 18.5) (19, 19.5, 19.8)” / 37.25 (39, 40, 42.75, 46.5) (47.5, 48.5, 49.5) cm.
Sleeve length: 18 (18.75, 19, 19, 19.5) (19.5, 19.5, 20)” / 45 (47.75, 48.25, 48.5, 48.75) (48.75, 48.75, 50.5) cm.
Note! Sleeve length does not include the facing.

Materials
Yarn: Rauma 3-Tråds Strikkegarn l (100% Norwegian wool, 118 yds/ 108 m - 50g).

Colour A (CA): 4 (5, 5, 6, 7) (8, 9, 10) 50-gram skeins of colourway 151 Sky Blue. Or approx. 440 (503, 559, 698, 765), (898,980,1116) yards /402 (459, 511, 559) (700, 821, 896, 1020) m of sport-weight yarn.

Colour B (CB): 4 (5, 5, 7, 7) (8, 9, 10) skeins of colourway 101 Natural White or approx. 455 (521, 579, 724, 793) (930, 1015, 1158) yards / 416 (476, 529, 661, 725) (850 ,928, 1058) m of sport -weight yarn.

CC1: 1 50-gram skein of colourway 150 yellow or approx. 12 yds / 11 m of sport-weight yarn for embroidery

CC2: 1 50-gram skein of colourway 144 red or approx. 9 yds / 8.25 m of sport-weight yarn for embroidery

Needles: US 3 / 3.25 mm 32” or 40” (for Chart 2 on body, neckband, facing) and 16” /40 cm / 80 or 100 cm circular needles (Chart 2 on sleeves) and US 4 / 3.5
mm 32 or 40” /40 cm / 80 or 100 cm circular needles (for Chart 1 and Chart 3 on body) and DPNs/ Flexiflips (for Chart 4 and 3 on the cuffs). Or size needle needed to obtain gauge.

Skills Used to make Anna’s Fana
Knit
Purl
Longtail cast on
Buttonholes made in the fabric
two-colored longtail cast on
Steek set up, sewing or felting and cutting
embroidery
Ssk
K2tog
Colorwork in the round
Catching floats
Mattress Stitch
3 needle bind off

Hand sewing to assemble