Two balls of Jaeger Matchmaker, one in a bright tomatoey red and the other in a darker burgundy, both intended for making baby devil hats (should any more of my friends decide to have babies, which it seems like The Thing To Do these days). Behind that is Rowan's (sadly) discontinued Linen Drape in none other than KAREN RED! Upon finding this yarn (still in the bag!) at the shop I emitted a noise that one typically tries not to make in front of others. I usually don't buy yarn unless I have a specific project in mind for it, but this was an opportunity I could not pass up... eight balls of one of my favorite yarns, in my favorite color! I am thinking of a boatneck 3/4-sleeve pullover, probably a nice seed-stitch edging around some plain (boring) stockinette. The upside to a project like that is the simplicity: as soon as I want to add "interest" like cables or fancy decorative decreases, it all becomes too much to think about, and the yarn gathers dust in the corner.
The best part is all this shiny-label yarn cost me around $25. And along with the shipment of sale yarns came a bunch of new Jaeger stuff for me to ooh and ahh over. I am thinking of making the Clover Lace Wrap from Stitch n Bitch Nation, and could find the requisite eight balls of Rowan 4-ply Cotton, but not an extra ball "just in case." I wonder if that was Knitting Fate attempting to prevent me from making a project that I only feel so-so about. However, as I read more of Lolly's Lucky Clover Knitalong, the more I want to make a cute lacy sweater of my own. I wish the 4-ply cotton was available in colors that are more "me."
More red! This is the scarf I am sending in to the Red Scarf Project:
I made this from a kit that I won at Stitches East about a million years ago. The kit consisted of one ball of eyelash yarn and one skein of "wild stuff" yarn: short lengths of coordinating yarns tied together to make one long piece of ever-changing string. The kit that I actually won was some weird Florida-like pastel stuff, and I asked the donor of the kit (a shop whose name I do not recall) if I could trade it in for a color that I might actually wear. I made the scarf, but still haven't worn it... can you really see ME in an eyelashy scarf? Exactly. Its destiny is obviously the Red Scarf Project!
Here's what's on the needles for now:
I have adapted the pattern by adding shaping at the waist, but since I've never done this before I am a little afraid that it won't turn out well. I am not afraid, however, of ripping and reknitting. This top, if done right, will be so cute! It hasn't yet occurred to me to be afraid of the crocheted rings at the top. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I have googled this project and found only one other knitter who has made it so far... I would feel more confident working this pattern if I could see more examples of its splendid results.
In order to continue the Parade of Red, I will show you a pic of the purse I was toting around today:
If you get the feeling that this is a total plug for artist who made the bag, you are right! susanstars is capable of making the cutest, hippest accessories you'll ever see, and she's a total sweetheart to boot. I get compliments whenever I carry this bag, and I must say it's the best birthday present I've given myself thus far.
More? Okay!
Here is a close-up of the Shetland shawl I made last summer (okay, technically I made it spring, summer, and early fall) using Jaggerspun Zephyr yarn (half wool, half silk). I can pretty much only show you a close-up, because I have yet to be able to fit the whole thing in one shot: it's BIG! I measured it while blocking, and on the diagonal it is just shy of six feet. It is very warm and soft, and while I don't wear it "out" a lot, I do like to wear it while driving long distances in the cooler months because it keeps my shoulders warm without encumbering my arms with sleeves. I modified the Fir Cone Shawl pattern in Cheryl Oberle's Folk Shawls and was very pleased with the results. I am much less afraid of lace projects now.
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