Jared Flood Gives Me a Get Well Present!

Jun 262012
 

It’s amazing how my Imaginary Knitting Boyfriend and I communicate in wool rather than words. Just this spring, he gave me a birthday present by releasing The Spring Thaw Look Book on my special day. So thoughtful! Since last week, I’ve been down with a summer flu, too sick to sit upright let alone knit. (I tried knitting laying down, but if you’re too weak to sit, holding the needles in the air doesn’t work either. I’ve got several Signature Stilletto pinpricks in my cheeks just to prove it). At any rate, Jared knew just what I needed to get a flush of color back in my cheeks and released Wool People Volume 3 today.

Jared Flood has shown his skill in choosing talented designers in the past for Look Books.  But culling through their bodies of work to curate a collection of designs that highlight each designer’s talents and come up with a common theme to link them together certainly shows through in this latest Look Book. In the intro, he writes “During the conceptual phase of development I had visions of effortless, lightweight layering garments in a beautiful array of neutral tones dancing in my head.”  Wool People 3 showcases just that. Let’s get on to the patterns, shall we?

First off – Reine Cardigan by Alexis Winslow. Alexis designed Vega from Wool People Volume 1. She’s clearly skilled in colorwork, but really seems to have blossomed with her latest design for this collection. The cardi has interesting detail on the hemlines and shoulders, as well as set in pockets with a cabled edge. Its structured without being fussy. It went right into my queue.

Bristol Ivy nails it again with two offerings – I immediately queued Bayard, a well constructed yet easy hat reminiscent of ticking, and grabbed me some Loft for it.  She also designed Auden, a textured dolman pullover. At first glance, Auden looks to be done in a simple wide rib, but zoom in and you will see the sweetly understated texture overlay worked into the pattern. Bristol’s ability to think outside the box and combine both rib and a second texture really work here.

And say hello to Yoko Hatta! One look at Ando makes you want to wrap up in it. It’s an unconstructed easy wearing cardi with subtle cable like stitchwork adding a finished look to it. Mari Tobita designed another favorite, Haru-Gasumi. I love the colorwork detail on the hem and sleeves and am considering making this as a cardi. And Rivage by Julie Hoover? Queued and Loft purchased for the wrap. A simple knit, but the muted tones combined with the wrapability really make it a must have.

Hannah Fettig, Veronik Avery, Amy Christoffers, and others also contributed to this collection with first class designs. Each Look Book has been different in it’s own way. This collection focuses less on lace and more on textures and soft hues. I enjoyed reading about the contributing designers at the end of the book as well, and it introduced me to those that I wasn’t familiar with and opened up a whole slew of possibilities when I combed through their other designs.

Knitters everywhere seem to be in a flutter about the collection as evidenced by getting “website busy” error messages a few times this morning while trying to order yarn. It’s always exciting on the Ravelry forums when a new Brooklyntweed collection is released. And just what I needed to garner up the blogging mojo and get knitting. Thanks, Jared!

Sometimes It Lasts In Love, But Sometimes It Hurts Instead

Mar 242012
 

I’m finally at the place where I can speak of The Thing That Happened This Week.

As you know, Winnowing and I were happily in the throws of the excited crazy love that happens in the sweet beginnings of a relationship. I wanted to be with her all the time, holding her, feeling her softness,  watching her grow, admiring how her lines danced gracefully off my needles. At night when I couldn’t be with her, I dreamed of her. I thought of her all day long while I was at work, wondering if she missed me as much as I did her. As soon as I left the office, I would forgo any errands that should have been done on my way home just so I could be with her. I actually went without my thyroid prescription for two days because I didn’t want to waste any time on the way home from work picking it up.

She was that good.

But slowly, tiny little warning signs began to crop up. At first, I was able to talk myself out of them when I worked on her. I rationalized the twinge in the wrist, slight soreness in the crook of my thumb, the little voice in my head that told me it all might be too much for me. But I’ve always been a sucker for relationships that pushed my boundaries. I tried to compensate by spending time with other projects that were easy and comfortable…..but, I missed the edge that Winnowing provided and would soon go back to her.

I blame the twisted rib.

I should have known. I even pulled out my secret weapon for such issues that I alluded to in my last post – the Therabath. One night, after an evening filled with conflict, I heated it up, and in desperation, sunk my throbbing wrist into it, hoping for comfort, dipping my hand in and out 15 times, then applying a plastic bag and a towel. I waited for the pain to go away. It did fade some, and I was relieved. I looked at the shawl laying on the bed and put it away. “I think we need a break,” I told her.  “Just for a few days, then we can sort this all out with a clear head.” I gathered my resolve and put her back in her project bag. If I couldn’t actually see her, I might not be tempted.

But oh, how I missed her. The very next evening I returned to her, having the knitting version of crazy make up sex, working that twisted rib frantically, determined to make up the time I had lost with her. I turned my iPod up as loud as it would go, singing with Adele’s ‘Love Song’ “Whenever I’m alone with you…..you make me feel like I am young again…” Life was good, I was happy to be reunited, and I dreamed of being wrapped in Odara for the rest of my days.

Five minutes later, my wrist was throbbing. And I don’t mean in a good way.  I threw her down on the bed. “It’s over!” I muttered to myself. “No more pain!” Staring at the shawl who by this time was laying looking up at me bewildered and abandoned, I told her as gently as I could…”I just can’t do this anymore. It hurts too much.”

To make matters worse, Adele was still singing in the background. I took a deep breath, got up from the bed and looked down at her before saying our final goodbyes, singing along to ‘Someone Like You’.

“Never mind, I’ll find someone like you….I wish nothing but the best for you….
Don’t forget me, I begged, I remember you said
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead.
Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead.”

 

Shawl breakups are never easy.

Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes it hurts instead.

~Purled

Epic Shawls

Mar 182012
 

I’ve been working on my Wollmeise Vamp Katanya a bit, and am down to the lace section - two more charts to go. The nice thing about this shawl is that I love it as much as when I first cast on, which is rarely the case with me. Though I’ve been distracted by new and shiny things, I’ve been motivated to keep going with this not just because I’m enjoying the knit, but also to free my needles up to cast on Quill when my Loft arrives. I’m guessing I’ll want to go all out once I get the yarn in my hands, so the sooner I get Katanya done and blocking, the better. Along with that, it’s still cool enough to enjoy in this spring weather, and I’d love to get some wear out soon!

Speaking of off the blocking board, I finally did unpin my Hemlock Ring Blanket last weekend. It’s the perfect lap blanket, and the Cascade Eco was a breeze to knit with. Combine the bulky yarn with 6.5 mm needles and it works up quickly. Who doesn’t love a little feather and fan in their life? If you’ve been considering casting this on, do so. It’s a quick, satisfying knit.

Speaking of all things Brooklyntweed, I have started my Winnowing with Saffron Dyeworks Odara. I need to intersperse it in between projects since a  1×1 twisted rib is a challenge to the wrists. Remind me to tell you about my secret weapon to stave off carpal tunnel flare ups – perhaps in a future post.

So far, I like how Winnowing is looking, and you were right about the Odara. The stitch definition is amazing. The silk content in it gives it a lovely shimmer and keeps stitches laying the way they were meant to. It’s working up so soft, it’s nearly cashmere-like, but with a whisper of a backbone. This may turn out to be The Epic Shawl. I’ve been enjoying using my Adrienne Speer yarn bowl – nice find, by the way!

How are your wedding shawls coming along?

~Purled

My Birthday Present from Jared Flood

Mar 152012
 

My Imaginary Knitting Boyfriend comes through again. I had no idea he was dreaming up a Spring Thaw Collection just for my birthday! How sweet! Of course, I immediately poured over it, trying to decide which piece I liked best. As you said, I must be prepared when he calls me asking what I’d like him to knit for me! Where to start?

Naturally, Quill popped right off the page. I’m a sucker for lace shawls, and thankfully, your MIT brain reminded me that a 50 by 50 inch shawl would be 70 inches diagonally. I decided this one was too good to miss knitting myself, so I ordered enough Loft to make the larger colorwork version. I am haunted, however, by my other BrooklynTweed shawls languishing in the UFO pile. Leaves of Grass is coming along slowly, and please, let us not speak of Rock Island. It’s still in this stage…

But let’s get back to the new shiny stuff. I can’t wait to see your Barrington. I love the colors you chose, and am looking forward to seeing what mods you might do. I also love Oslo. Interesting colorwork and buttons add a polished touch. And I’m sure I’ll be knitting up Polar for at least one of my nieces or nephews. From the earflaps to the pompom on top, it’s a great look, and fun. The Hege Mitts are a must for those cool spring morning dogwalks, and I love the colors chosen in the sample.

What I love most about this collection is there is something for everyone. Cables? Check. Colorwork? Check. Lace? You betcha. And the skill needed ranges from the easy mitts to the more complicated lacework.

And let’s discuss the Odara that arrived on my birthday. Your first taste of this dreamy stuff arrived on your birthday too – how weird is that? I so love what DeAnna is doing in making her sumptuous Saffron Dyeworks yarn available to all. No more crazy updates with your heart pounding and the mouse clicking frantically only to get cartjacked. You simply order what you want and she dyes it up and sends it to you. It’s so….civilized. Though there can be a two or three week wait, most of us have bins and bins of yarn we ordered years ago in a ‘must have now’ update flurry.

And Odara is SO worth the wait. The shine is sublime, the hand soft as …silk. The base is 50/50 merino silk, and I’m thinking the merino must be extra fine. I have never felt anything quite like it.

The synchronicity of new yarn and the new Look Book release brought to mind my desire to knit Winnowing from the Wool People Volume 2 Look Book. The designer, Bristol Ivy, gave me instructions on how to make this larger, and after hearing from you about how great it would be in Odara, (I think the words you used were ‘It will be EPIC’), I’ve decided to once again, trust your judgment, cast on and knit it up.

After all, no birthday is complete without cake.

~Purled

 

Wool People Volume 2

Jan 042012
 

Gypsy and I were wallowing in post holiday ennui this morning, lazily browsing the interwebs until an email hit my inbox notifiying me that the new Brooklyntweed Lookbook was out!

Wool People Volume 2 arrived and initially I could not get onto the site. I kept getting error messages saying the site was either down or filled to capacity. Though I’ve seen this in yarn updates, it’s the first time I’ve run into it when new designs are released.

My Imaginary Knitting Boyfriend did not disappoint. Fuse and Winnowing immediately popped to the top of my must knit list. Though none of the patterns are his, he did a great job in assembling a group of top notch designers to create patterns that would compliment Loft and Shelter well. Even better, several of the designs spotlight an unconventional twist, yet hold true to the traditional look and feel of his yarns.

Take Fuse, for example, which is already #2 on the “Hot Right Now” pattern list on Ravelry. Veronik Avery chose an very intriguing construction for her drape front cardigan. And take a look at Bristol Ivy’s Winnowing. I just love the lines of it! It’s a nice departure from the typical Faroese crescent shawls. The symmetry of the lines that ebb and flow throughout practically make the shawl dance. In addition, other designers such as Spilly Jane, Nancy Bush, Gudrun Johnston and more, combine into a collection that is polished and enticing. Had I not just laid down some cash for my new Sidekick, I’d have been all over the Loft color cards, picking and choosing.

Speaking of my trusty new Sidekick, I am thrilled with her. Though lately, I have been involved in getting going on your swap project!

What do you think about the new LookBook?

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