Knititude

Onda Wrap photos

Although I picked up the wrap version of Onda from my test knitter a couple of weeks ago, it wasn't until last weekend that the weather was nice enough to get some decent modeled photos. The wrap version is worked in Madelinetosh Tosh DK in the Amber Trinket colorway.

(I've already added wrap photos to the Ravelry pattern page and to the pattern pdf, and if you purchased the Onda pattern before this week, you should already have received an email from me with the updated pattern pdf attached-- if you haven't, contact me!).

 

 

Rain, rain, go AWAY!

Pioggia, pioggia, VATTENE!

I picked up the sample of the Onda wrap from Jen, my wonderful test-knitter, last week, but the weather has been so awful that I haven't been able to get any good photos. Yesterday the sky brightened a bit in the morning, so I tried a few shots; not terrible, but the sun is supposed to reappear today, so I hope to have some modeled photos soon. The yarn is Madelinetish Tosh DK, colorway "Amber Trinket," a luscious mix of berry, plum and russet tones, none of which looks quite right in this photo! Oh well.

If you look closely, you can tell that the the colors changed slightly from skein to skein. I had decided to accept this rather than alternate skeins every few rows, since this wrap is reversible, and it would have been very hard to hide the yarn changes.

Ho preso il campione del scialle Onda la settimana scorsa, pero' il tempo e' stato cosi' terribile che non sono stato in grado di fare nessun buone foto. Ieri c'era piu luce nel mattino, e ho provato di scattare qualche foto; mica male, ma il sole oggi dovrebbe riapparire, quindi spero di avere foto migliore presto. Il filo e' Madelinetosh Tosh DK, colore "Amber Trinket," una mescolanza deliziosa di carminio, prugna, marrone rossiccio, nessuno dei quali sembra giusto nelle queste foto! Va beh'. 

Nella prima foto si puo' vedere che i colori cambiano tra i gomitoli. Avevo deciso di accettare questo invece di cambiare i gomitoli dopo ogni 2-3 file.

 

Onda Scarf or Wrap

Pattern now available! Inspired by the gorgeous stitch pattern Norah Gaughan used in her Open Rib/Cable Pullover*, I decided to create a REVERSIBLE lace cable stitch pattern, something that could be used to fashion a scarf with no wrong side. After some trial and error, I came up with the Onda stitch pattern (Onda is Italian for wave).

You may be thinking that the work of designing was done at this point; after all, both the scarf and wrap are just X number of reps of the stitch pattern, right? No shaping, no seams, no edgings...well, the finished scarf and wrap may not have edgings, but that is only because I swatched several possibilities (Feather and Fan ruffles, ribbed ruffles, side and end ruffles) before deciding that in this case, simpler was better.

I also tried a number of yarns before deciding that the subtle variegations of Misti Alpaca Tonos Pima Silk were a perfect fit. Another plus was the cotton/silk fiber blend: my neck does not put up with even cashmere at close quarters for very long. However, when I decided to choose a different yarn for the wrap version, I went with Madelinetosh Tosh DK (superwash merino wool); the colors are stunning, and I figured that there would be less neck contact. Really, many many yarns would work for this project (you don't even need to use DK weight yarn!-- although I would swatch first with any yarn, just to have an idea of the size of the finished product), especially for those who tolerate animal fibers better than I do.

Either one of these projects is excellent TV or movie knitting (that is, it gets repetitive). So if you are looking for a challenging project that calls for lots of stitch markers, complicated shaping, wrong-side p3togs, short rows, or what have you, this ain't it. But if you are looking for a project which requires only intermittent close attention (the cable crosses can be a bit tricky), and yields a versatile, wearable, multi-season accessory, give Onda a try! Right now the wrap version is being test-knit, and I hope to have photos of the finished sample posted within a few weeks.

*Pattern first published in the Spring/Summer 2005 Vogue Knitting and now available online.