What I am taking this year should have been the least of my considerations. It's a sleeveless blazer from Knitter's Magazine that I have been admiring for nigh onto a decade. I've been waiting all this time for "just the right yarn". The design called for a handpaint in a shetland coupled with a baby loop in a deeply contrasting color. I wanted primary colors against navy. I did not want a boucle giving me added bulk. My years long quest had me often contemplating Koigu sock yarns, but I could never make a choice among all the colorways, and besides, it would have made the project a bit pricey, and what would that do to me if I hated it after knitting it up? A recent offering from Elann.com seemed to fit my need, and after consulting with their staff, I ordered it along with a solid blue that would blend. I changed my mind about the navy, and opted for a blending blue, a less stark contrast I hoped would be more subtle, ergo more flattering.
You can see in my swatches my plan didn't quite come together. The blue all but disappeared in the background panes. The multi colors are actually less than my crayon expectations. What appears as bright red here is actually hot pink. The green, though, is indeed the deep olive it looks -- not the bright verdance I'd anticipated. Dwell on the top swatch only long enough to realize I obviously garbled the directions. The stitch pattern (panes of multicolor alternated with those having a cross frame within) of the original design is not there, the color carry-overs on the right side don't belong there, but far worse, the stitch instruction required like 14 rows.
Agggghhhh. Not pretty. Not suitable for travel.
Just curiosity had me make another swatch with a simpler slip stitch. Hmm. Gauges the same.
Certainly looks tidier. Easy peasy knitting...
I already have about six inches done! It's knit in one piece to the armholes. This is a project I can work on and off and not lose my place. BTW, this garment is called a sleeveless blazer because it has a tailored, notched collar. I'm not so sure how I'll like border loops that go completely around. If it looks too fluffy, I'll do a simple crochet picot and/or eliminate some of the frous-frous.I'll be westbound tomorrow if I can get packed. It's insane, but I want to get one more blog off before I face a computerless summer. If I don't, I'll have plenty to write about when I get back this fall.
