It’s a particularly cold and dark Monday morning. There is a light rain falling. I guess the rain is just enough to make roads slick. In the distance I hear the sirens of emergency vehicles racing to the scene of an accident.
No matter. There is coffee brewing and wool to keep me warm and occupied for the day. This yarn is a Berroco sock yarn called, appropriately, Berroco Sox, color number 14100. I am casting on this pair to gift to someone who loves me. The stitch pattern is the same 3 by 1 rib that I used for my husband’s cashmere socks. Which, by the way, he finally wore for the first time yesterday.
I hope your Monday sees you warm and content, making something you enjoy.
It’s the season for sock making, and here is my entry. Just your basic sock, nothing fancy.
The only thing worth commenting is this: I have been knitting for twelve years, and this pair is the first I have knit with a self-striping yarn. This particular yarn is KnitPicks Stroll. The colorway – Test Pattern – was on sale earlier in the year. I’m pleased that I was able to get the wide stripes to line up the same way on each sock.
While we were in Wisconsin last month, we visited the Northside Farmers Market in Madison. My daughter was eager for me to meet the local yarn vendor who had a stall there. Yorkshire Rose Farm offers lamb and chicken products, and at this market, wool products including yarn. The proprietors, as suggested by the name, came over from England and have been farming in Wisconsin since 2008.
To my chagrin, I failed to get any photos of the stall or the couple, due to my need to corral the toddler. But I discovered that the farm had a blog, so you can read about it here:
The yarn was displayed in groups by weight. I focused on the fingering weight. It was made from the wool of the Tunis breed. As expected in a natural yarn, it was a bit scratchy. I chose the colorway Peacock and Turquoise. It has short color repeats.
It seems to be a 2-ply yarn, in my mind very comparable to Knitpicks Palette. I found it combined beautifully with a grass-colored fingering twist yarn I had in my stash. Since the Tunis yarn has no nylon reinforcement, I decided not to use it to knit socks. Instead it will be made into a hat and/or gloves.
Here are the two yarns knitted in stripes.
And here they are in a stranded pattern called Rose Window.
Another option would be a mosaic stitch.
So, what do you think of the two yarns together? And should I work them in stripes or Fair Isle pattern?
The weather outside is cool today, so cool that I had to turn on the heater. Fortunately, the cardigan I started in September is finished! Here is a close-up, as it lies drying on the blocking mat.
The yarn is Plymouth Encore worsted weight in color 686.
As you see in the photo, I made the sleeves longer. They come to slightly above my wrists – long enough to keep my arms warm but short enough to stay out of the way when I am making objects or washing dishes. You also see the little lace motif added throughout the body and sleeves. I believe it’s called Snowflake, and can be found in 750 Stitches, The Ultimate Knit Stitch Bible. Other adjustments include picking up 2 extra stitches on either side of the armhole openings, so that there would not be holes in the fabric.
After it’s dry, I’ll sew on the buttons and ask hubby to photograph me in it, so you can see how it fits.
I’m really happy to finish before the week-end. Now I can cast on something new with the yarn I bought at the Farmer’s Market in Madison, WI. More about this on Monday.
Blogger friends, I was pleased to be selected by the folks at LYS Harps and Thistles to appear in their weekly newsletter. This yarn shop is in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, next store to where I grew up. If I only lived in Ohio, it would become my regular hang-out. (sigh)
Anywhoo, the newsletter is full of interesting articles and links to events. Here is the issue that features myself and my blog.
Their webmaster did a great job with the images and narrative. The only correction I would make concerns my mom. The newsletter says she was a quilter. She STILL IS a quilter at the ripe age of 90. She even has a high-end, computerized sewing machine with all the bells and whistles. Go, Mom!
Daily Fiber 