Knitting

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My Newest Project – Ooooh I’m In Love!

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You know how some yarn is totally made for a particular set of needles and then a pattern jumps in the mix and you have Utopia? Well this is the story…

So I got some new yarn from Knit Picks, it’s the Wool of the Andes Tweed. Actually the color I got isn’t the blue that’s shown in my project, but more of a purple heather, (Indigo Heather below); not sure why my camera freaked out and changed it to blue. But, I’m totally in love with this newest yarn. It’s a worsted weight, so knits up nice and quick (as compared to the socks on 1’s and 2’s). It’s a cross between Peruvian sheep, Corriedale sheep and Merino. It also supposedly felts beautifully, this I don’t want to find out about just yet. The wool has a nice sturdy feel to it, meaning, it’s not flimsy, and it holds up really nicely to tinking (don’t ask… I’m not over it yet).

This is a lot closer to the actual color: Indigo Heather:

I’m knitting this vest pattern (more on the pattern later….):

Cool, eh? But what’s really neat is for the first real project, I’m using my new Harmony Interchangeable Needles, also from Knit Picks. I’ve used them for swatches before and to try them out, but didn’t have a “new” project to try them out on until now. (read between the lines: don’t switch needles in the middle of a project….).

I just love the Harmonys. Of course they’re pretty, but they just feel nice too. Don’t like to use steel or other metal needles, the Denise plastics are nice too but with a natural yarn, you need natural needles, no? The shafts seems to be a bit longer than other circs I’ve used (and yes, unless it’s dpn’s, I use circulars exclusively) and the tips are just pointy enough to capture the knits and purls, without being dangerous. And for some unknown reason, my hands don’t get tired quite so quick. I’ll be exploring this theory more in the future….. just sayin’……

My next project will be another pair of socks, this time on the Harmony DPNs rather than my bamboos. I’ll be excited to see if I love them as much as the interchangeables! Now, got to get back to my new love!

 

Comments

  2. The first knitting project I ever knitted was knit with Wool of the Andes, and I too am so in love with this tweed–must get some!!

  4. If I remember right, it was Knitting off the Axis, by Interweave. I totally love how it turned out, and I wear it all the time. Very pretty!

Have you read?

Knit a Classic Aran Cardigan with this Free Knitting Pattern

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time. 

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring. 

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn. 

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row. 

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves. 

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body. 

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy. 

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn. 

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]