June 15, 2004

And Now For Something Completely Different

Dear Ann & Kay

I didn't forget about you fabulous ladies. I have been working on a couple of afghan squares, and I finished a really interesting one last night:

Afghans for Afghans 001 (2).jpg

I used that fun pastel variegated (cotton?) yarn that you gave me, Kay, and did a sort of log-cabin-y garter stitch square. I like how the color pattern of the yarn changes in each width, and I especially like the way it looks in the widest sections: it sort of makes these shadow-boxy-triangle shapes.

In the background there is the diagonal square with stripes which I think I've shown a progress photo of at some point.

And this is a square that's in need of some serious blocking and pressing:

Afghans for Afghans 002 (2).jpg

But it was fun to do a "I'm going to make up the intarsia pattern design as I go along" pattern.

I started working with some wonderful Alpaca from that little mailbag of fun yarn that Kay sent me a few months ago. I LOVE this yarn. I started off trying a square in a herringbone stitch from BGW's Stitch Treasury, but it was (a) too wide (12"!) and (b) the yarn was much too dark for the stitch to show up. So I ripped it all out and will start over. I will also tell you that this yarn's band says it's Reynolds' Andean Alpaca Regal. It is LOVELY. So soft and warm, and scrumptious to knit up. I want to make myself a simple stockinette roll collar and roll waist raglan sweater out of this yarn that will just be a warm warm cuddly sweater. I'm thinking charcoal heather with a broad purple stripe. Yummy Alpaca sweater... And it would be pretty darn nice for a super-warm hat and scarf, too.

Why is it, on a sort of related note, that I seem to always want to knit tons and tons more of whatever the current project style is (that is, if it's something that I like, not if it's PPD), forsaking so many other projects? I felt almost guilty last night not working on the Elephants, but there was some stuff I wanted to watch on my TiVo that I couldn't watch while picking up stitches for two-color garter stitch armbands, so I picked up the afghan square and finished it... then started playing with the Alpaca... and now all I want to do is play with this alpaca. It's such a sinfully decadent feeling yarn. And tons cheaper than cashmere!!!

Posted by Jon at June 15, 2004 12:16 PM
Comments

My only thought on the alpaca, which I had bought to swatch for Portly Dad's sweater, and the reason I rejected it for Portly Dad's sweater, is that it's too warm for people who don't do their errands on skis or dogsleds. It's certainly too warm for my Nebraska dad who wears a leather jacket even when it's way below zero. Mr. Marlboro Man, if Marlboro Man were a nonsmoker. I ended up with Rowanspun Chunky in a similar charcoal shade. Not nearly as soft and drapey as the Reynolds Regal, and perhaps just as hot to wear. But I'm sticking with it now that I have something like 10 huge hanks of it from Colourway. They don't call him Portly Dad for nothing.

I was amazed at the patterns that the variegated cotton made. I had only used a bit of that to trim a baby hat so never saw that it did that. Self-plaiding! xox Kay

Posted by: Kay at June 16, 2004 07:17 PM

Jon--Those shadowy triangle thingies are really cool.

Posted by: Ann at June 17, 2004 11:24 AM