Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Once upon a time there was a girl who loved to buy yarn on cones. She’d read online about someone who had a canvas tote, full of cone, who carried it hither and yon and knit right from the massive thing itself. She witnessed it one night and was amazed and envious.

This girl, being from the City where four-footed farm beasts are rare, equated that as exciting as knitting it right off the back of a sheep! (She’d never been to a fiber fest and witnessed a Sheep-to-Shawl, but could only imagine the thrill!)

Not to worry!

cone1Something called the Internet was full of cones and she scooped up plenty, even though in retrospect, she’d have to lengthen her lifespan by a couple of centuries to knit them all. Amongst the finest of scores was a huge cone full of robin egg’s blue cotton. It was something she’d never heard of, called Softball. And yet, it lingered, waiting for some siren’s call.

Last Spring, the moment seemed to arrive, when she started a Basic Chic Hoodie, then stalled 2″ into the yoke. The yarn had a reluctant quality; it was dry; it was stubborn. No needle type, bamboo, wood, nickel, or teflon seemed to eat it up the way she liked to dine. And so it sat. All Summer, Fall and Winter, in a basket hidden next to the sofa.

 
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While looking for another WIP, she pulled it out of its hiding place this weekend. Its color still made her so very happy, she decided to give it another go. It seems like she’s more relaxed knitting it this time around (yarn maturity?), because it’s going much faster (on nickel Turbos) and here you see it right after the Sleeves have been put on hold, and the Body just joined

The texture of the fabric is a little nubby and uneven, a walk in the park instead of a stroll at headquarters. She likes that :)

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11 Replies to “Tuesday, June 23, 2009”

  1. I look forward to hearing how you like this yarn as it “lives” as a sweater. Cotton that grows after knitting is a concern, of course.

    It is pretty, indeed.

  2. I love that color. It’s a wonderfully soft color with a matching texture (sometimes I get bothered when the color and texture don’t seem to match).

  3. I look at these photos and somehow, the humidity that’s been hanging around me like a heavy steel blue cloak dissipates and I can breathe deeply the cool, fresh, smooth softness of robin’s egg blue. The yarn and the design seem happy to be together. I sincerely hope you are getting as much enjoyment out of knitting this lovely design as I am getting from viewing the work in progress. Thank you!

  4. Gorgeous. The combination of the color and lace – yum. Wedgewood. American antiques (good ones).

  5. My first Sitcom Chic is made from this very same cotton in baby chick yellow. It’s lovely to wear and easy to care for. When I wore it the other day I was reminded of how nice it is. There are a few more cones in different colors marinating in my stash and they really should come out and get knit. :) Yours is a beautiful color!

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