Dear everyone,
Today is the final day for the free download of Kay’s A Light in the Window pattern. See the previous entry for all the juicy details, and also take a moment to PayPal a few bucks to the education fund for the children of Kathreen Ricketson and Rob Shugg. As we all know, a few stitches every day adds up to a blanket, so thank you for anything you are able to contribute. At this point, more than 3,300 downloads have happened, which is wonderful to see. Stay tuned for a knitalong–I am ITCHING to make this blanket myself.
Also: it has been so fascinating to read all the tributes to Kathreen that have appeared since her passing May 16. Here they are if you want to see how one woman can affect so many people, all over the world.
Fiber Factor: Color Inside the Box Sweater Time
Meanwhile, the past two weeks have been what can only be described as hardcore, obsessed knitting for me. I mean: I am carrying this thing around like a newborn baby. I am ready at any instant to give it the loving care and attention it needs. I will happily wake up at four in the morning to work a few more rows.
For those just joining us, here is what I’m up to.
After wallowing around with piles of Shetland yarn for a good long while, I decided:
1. Fair Isle.
2. Size three needles.
3. Not doubling the yarn–it just don’t seem right to double a yarn that is born to be thin. I wish I could let you hold the other Fair Isle sweaters I’ve made–they are amazingly light, airy almost, yet warm as toast to wear. The fabric made by stranded Fair Isle is basically the same as a DK weight sweater. But there’s all this air caught in there by the stranded knitting. So kewl.
4. Boxy sweater. Oh wait: that’s a requirement of the Fiber Factor challenge.
5. Restraint is not the name of the game here. I pulled a tray full of yarns, and I have to use them all. This is in direct violation of the Fiber Factor rule of eight colors maximum but I cain’t help it!
Love,
Ann
Your lawlessness on the coloring sweater seems the only appropriate response. Design rules are only there to encourage the creativity of how to break them.
Plus, knitting with the size threes and focusing so much on the patterning… ya gotta reward yourself with a lotta color variation to enjoy while you’re at it.
I cannot wait to see how this comes out (or what the actual contestants do!)
Random clicking on a Ravelry ad brought me to this project which makes most excellent use of shetland fingering-weight in orange and other colors not typically associated with fair-isle:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/vivid-2
Can’t wait to see how your stranded pullover of many colors turns out.
i see those luscious colors on your needles and i ithink “oh boy, here it comes!”.
knit on!
lovediane
Love it already. And, rules? Phhht.
I luv your renegade spirit!
I luv your renegade spirit!
Wait a minute–aren’t you in Nashville? Don’t your fingers get hot knitting with wool in the warm months? Ugh, and having the growing sweater sitting in your lap? It’s like knitting a cat. I worry you might spontaneously combust. Just promise you’ll give up drumming until October.
Do you only hand knit or also machine knit?