Spring?

1 Posted by - January 16, 2017 - Classes, Knitting, New Yarns

It’s really difficult at this time of year to be thinking about spring yarn and sweaters.  Especially when I’m still vaguely searching for that really warm pair of mittens I had last year but simply can’t find now.  Heavy, cozy, cable-y sweaters are what I reach for day after day.  I put one on and feel warm and protected from the ravages of winter.  Our St. Brendan class on a chunky Lopapeysa-style sweater is just getting an enthusiastic start.

And yet, I’ve been looking at spring yarns for weeks now and have been knitting away on Churchmouse’s Simple Tee, making the model for the class we’re starting in March.  I’m making it in one of my favorite summer yarns, Elsebeth Lavold’s Hempathy.  It’s a mix of hemp, cotton, and Modal acrylic and I can’t say enough to recommend it for keeping you cool (brr, just typing those words make me shiver on this 19-degree morning) and draping nicely and making a fabric that stands up to a lot of wear – just perfect for a basic style like this.  I hope I’ll have the model to show you next week, although it will look a bit strange.  The tee can be cap-sleeved or long-sleeved, so I’m putting a sleeve (3/4) on one side and leaving the other cap-style, so that when people try on the model, they can decide which way to go.

While I wait for the summer-y yarns to arrive, though, I have a few lightweight yarns to show you that will take you well into spring.  First, our current shipment of Zen Yarn Garden’s Artwork series arrived, and it’s truly gorgeous.  This batch was dyed in colors based on Picasso’s Mediterranean Landscape:

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and here is her interpretation:

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I love the strong colors and think it would be great in (good old free) Reyna

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or Close to You, also free

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or this new design called Crosshatch Shawl (not free)

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possibly mixed with a semi-solid gold or green.

We also received a nice box of Madelinetosh Twist Light, a plied merino/nylon fingering that could be used for socks if you just had to, but would also make beautiful sweaters and shawls.  We played around with mixing it with Frabjous Fibers’ Cheshire Cat, another lovely fingering in semi-solids:

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Can’t you picture variations of these combos as Funky Grandpa, True Friend, or a striped version of Boxy, or maybe as Therapy, any of Ambah O’Brien’s or Melanie Berg’s color-happy shawls.  Our Red Rock Canyon shawl class coming up later on would be a perfect project to explore some different color choices – the rocks don’t have to be red, do they?

Check out 2017’s Color of the Year from Pantone. Click on the video and get a little taste of spring.

Know anyone who wants to learn to knit? We have a new beginner class scheduled for February 5 & 12th – let them know!

It’s winter.  Have fun planning and dreaming!!