I do so love it when the calendar flips from the old year to the new. I suppose it’s because I’m an incurable optimist, but I always think the new year will be better than ever. Preferably with no effort on my part.
So maybe that’s not really optimism, but magical thinking. Wishing and hoping rather than planning and working at it. Well, sometimes I get tired of being a responsible adult, don’t you? I just want the fun and toys to arrive – Santa Claus, where the heck are you? – and I’ll just play. Oh, that’s not how it works after the age of 5 or so? Well, pooh.
But this year is shaping up nicely already. Our Trailhead Knitalong is full and I’m excited to get started. There are some beautiful finished projects on Ravelry now. Strangely enough, many of them are from Russia (why?) so I can’t read the project notes, but most people look quite happy in their sweaters, as they should!
Our neat Top – down Sweater class ( on Ravelry: Tracks in a Field – here or here) is also filling, with a few spaces left. This sweater is full of options: man’s version, woman’s version, side shaping or straight, short or longer. It will teach you a lot in terms of fit, ease, raglan shaping, top-down construction, following a pattern, and why a man’s sweater is not just a larger woman’s sweater. It’s a really good first sweater, if you’re ready to try!
I got a little more knitting done over the holidays. This is a simple smallish slice of a shawl that shows off one skein of Done Roving’s Gradient DK which is adorably packed in a little plastic container that will neatly feed your yarn, so it’s perfect for portability. It’s fun for a shawl or scarf, and looks great in a tam. You can see projects on Ravelry here.
I love how the colors transition so subtly in the yarn. The two different eyelet patterns keep you awake and add interest to the finished piece.
The pattern is Dolce Speciale Natale from Emma Fassio. We have a terrific selection of colors in Gradient DK right now.
The other little project (so much fun to do little projects while you’re avoiding a big one, isn’t it? My fluffy pink jacket now has one sleeve. It has had just one sleeve for almost 2 weeks now…) As I was saying, the other little project that I finished was this Ocean Wave Loop in Lana Grossa’s Lace Lux. It is really just so darn pretty!
The pattern is cleverly written to make waves in two ways. There are little ripples due to the stitch pattern, and a long diagonal wave due to the spacing of the pattern rows. Very nice!
The yarn is lovely too, a soft and shiny blend of rayon (or viscose if you’re in Europe) and brushed merino. I can’t imagine anything that would show off the stitch pattern better and still feel cozy around your neck.
Mine took less than 1.5 balls of Lace Lux. If I had known, I would have added repeats to each section of the pattern to use it all and make it wider. If you want to do this, I’ll show you what to do so that the wave patterns don’t get messed up! We have loads of colors of this beautiful yarn in stock.
Come see us! Happy New Year!
