Wednesday, November 28, 2012

December's Coming Up

     And so is the neckline of my Hurry-up Last Minute Sweater.  Time to pick the yarn for the hems.  I want a contrasting color, of course and, as Elizabeth Z suggests, I'll use a lighter weight yarn to make the hem.  A light worsted is most suitable for keeping the hem nice and trim.  Now to choose the color. 
       
     Here are the three candidates.  Looking at this photo I can already tell that the plain red is out;  it is just too predictable.   The other two are a toss up.  The top ball is Amber in Dancing Colors, and the ball at the bottom is OM organic merino (I know!  I really do need to find a way to get OM up on the website....well that story is another post).  I love rust and grey together, but then the softness of Om at my wrists and neck is most appealing.  Hmmmm.  What do you think?
     The shaping on this sweater is brilliant and most satisfying.  Watching the sleeve decreases converge toward the front neck is exciting and I can barely put the knitting down, racing toward the finish(ing) line.

 
       Notice the difference in the look of the decrease lines?  That's the effect called "tracking" and is caused by the yarn being a single, not plyed, strand.  You can see it also in the stockinette stitch, one side of the stitch standing out more than the other.  Some of that will block out along the decrease line, but most of it will remain in the body of the sweater.  That is just fine.  I was expecting it.  It's like an automatic texture stitch, and charmingly rustic looking, simply perfect for a sweater that is slated to become my go to for winter walks and picnics.
    At this point this is one hefty piece of knitting.  Not a project for the weak-wristed, I can tell you.  With it's neckline still wide open, it has a definite 80's retro kind of Flashdance thing going on.   But wait!  Add leggings and a belt?  C'est au courant!

      I definitely want to try to figure out this shaping in a lighter gauge.  What is the solution to this stitch/row gauge puzzle?  Elizabeth mentions in the Knitter's Almanac that in her own endeavors at such figuring, she ended up with a rather complicated version of this sweater.  I wonder if she wrote that down anywhere?  I dream that there are loads of pages of things that Elizabeth wrote that we'll see, if we're lucky, sometime in the future.  Now wouldn't that be grand?
     

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Wild Turkey Feathers

      Last week while visiting in the heart of Kansas, we saw flocks of wild turkeys roaming the fields, skirting the shelter belts.  They leave lovely feathers scattered in the woods and I consider it one of my favorite treasure hunts to look for them.  I have gathered a bouquet of them over the years and keep it in my design Studio.  The colors are so rich and the pattern of stripes intriguing.


      Being as I live in the U.S., wouldn't you know that turkey is on my mind this week?  Along with knitting, as always.  So today I trotted (yes, I said trotted) into the Studio and found Just Beautiful alpaca  in what I think are the perfect colors.  Hmmm....  I feel some swatching coming on.
      
       While we're here together, let me wish a Happy Thanksgiving to those of you who celebrate the holiday and to each of you wherever you are in the world,  best wishes for all the blessings of an abundant and beautiful autumn.      
       Now then, where are my needles?

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Fall Workshops at Wild Yarns

     It's that gorgeous time of year when the knitting just flows from your needles.  Come spend some time in the charming space at Wild Yarns and join me for a couple of classes/workshops. 

Long Loop Scarf with reversible lace technique
     We've got two Thursday evening mini workshops lined up, Smooth Starts on November 8th and Fabulous Finishes on December 6th, to get your knitting toolbox primed with cast on and bind off techniques.  Then there are one-day Saturday workshops, one to end the year and one to start the new.  The Long Loop Scarf, December 8th, could be the perfect last minute gift and the Faroette Shawl, January 12th, will start your year off right.   See Wild Yarns' blog for even more class details.

     Hope you'll join us for a mini or a day.   It's Knitting Season.... Huzzah!