Knititude

Getting better

Well, I have to admit that the Debbie Bliss Pure Silk is very pretty when knit up.  It's odd to work with because it's so slippery; I often felt as if the stitches I was working on were very loose, and yet the stockinette sections turned out to be very uniform--thanks to the slick yarn correcting its own tension, is my theory.

I think the bead stitch at the bottom flows nicely into the Four Sisters motif, and the little cicatrice near the left top is my idea for a shaping device; although I haven't decided exactly where the columns of Four Sisters should go on this pullover (arms yes, but sides too?  Or back?), I have decided that I want to accomplish most of the shaping with changes in stitch patterns, so I needed a dense stitch pattern that plays well with the others.  (Not shown:  the picot hem swatch I tried--didn't really like it with this yarn or the other stitch patterns).

Yet...the yarn seemed to fuzz quite a bit; could this be a good thing, a mohair-like halo?  Or will it progress to pills?  I also found the fabric to be light, perhaps too much so.  So I tried holding two strands together for the second swatch, and while I like the weight of this fabric, and the stitch pattern stands out nicely, just thinking about winding all the yarn that would be required to make a sweater with two strands...plus, I think this weight silk would be extremely warm, and since I don't really picture it as the kind of sweater you'd wear ice skating, or around a drafty house in the winter, or standing on the sidelines of the kid's soccer game in November....

Next:  Euroflax Sport Weight.  Machine washable AND dryable!

Disappointment

I haven't worked with many variegated or nubbly textured yarns before, so after knitting up a swatch in my Shire Silk, I was quite disappointed to see that the Bead Stitch pattern, from which the more complicated Four Sisters pattern is derived, was quite lost amidst the nubbles.  I suppose a larger needle might have helped, but the stockinette portion seemed about right; I didn't want it any looser--nor did I think it was worth swatching the Four Sisters, given what I had already seen.  The Bead Stitch is at the bottom of the swatch, while at the top  is a simple rib; I was wondering whether any stitch pattern would show up in this stuff.

Then I thought that perhaps a big cable would be nice, so I tried that, with so-so results.  This "Framed Cable" pattern is really great, too, pictured on the far left in the book; I'll have to use it for something else.  So what to do with this Shire Silk, in what is a nicer color than it appears in the picture (mainly a light silvery green which reminds me of the foliage of a Russian olive tree)??  If it is destined to be a slouchy pullover in mostly stockinette, then I will definitely have to get one of those knitting machines.

So I shelved the Shire Silk for now, and moved on to my second choice:  Debbie Bliss Pure Silk.  Wow, this is slippery; so slippery that when I pulled it off my ballwinder, it promptly collapsed.  I tried to rewind it, and here is the resulting mess.  Not only is it slippery, but it twists around itself if given the chance.  I finally had to cut it in a couple of places, which for someone like me, who abhors working in ends, is highly annoying.

Stay tuned:  will the Pure Silk redeem itself once knit?  I wonder....

Now what?

Although I did in fact get some knitting done yesterday, the day was mostly devoted to holiday-appropriate activities such as eating and drinking to excess, swimming, hanging out by the pool with the relatives, breaking up fights amongst the overtired children, and, oh yes, attending the world-famous Cotuit 4th of July Parade.  Above is one of the fine parade floats which demonstrates why we have indeed earned that world-famous status.

On the needles is my own Lutea, in the slightly too-pink yarn shown in the photo--Misti Cotton, a cotton-silk blend.  It's very soft and working up nicely, and what the heck, every girl needs at least one garment in a super-sweet cotton-candy pink, right?  (It's pinker than it appears in the photo.)  But hopefully that will be a quick knit, so the question is:  now what?  I'm dying to do something with all of these yarns:  from left to right, Debbie Bliss Pure Silk (finer than I expected, but I might try using it doubled); Rowan Cashsoft Baby DK, a merino/microfiber/cashmere blend; Plymouth Yarns Shire Silk; Louet Euroflax (100% linen, machine washable and dryable); and the Misti Cotton.  But right now that Shire Silk is calling me; I think it may be perfect for a long-sleeved pullover incorporating the Four Sisters stitch pattern--see it swatched here.

(Still writing up that Dayflower Lace pattern!)