pattern: hypoteneuse stole, knitspot
yarn: farmhouse yarns, summer spun (aka silk blend) in charcoal
needles: 5mm addi circs
date started: 4.20.08
date finished: 4.26.08

I find it hard to write about a project months after the fact. there's newness and excitement following that last stitch off the needles. the journey from cast on to bind off, how ever short or long, is fresh on your mind. you can share tidbits on the pattern or yarn in a post and then go on living with your new creation. sometimes people come back, months or years later, and share how the project is holding up or how it integrated into their wardrobe, or not.

I find myself in this weird project/blog post limbo- I didn't get a chance to blog about my stole when I finished it in april, but I can't really say how it's aged because of the season. I will say this though, I started wearing it regularly after I washed it. I even took it down to miami with me. it was still in the 30's or 40's on the morning I drove to the airport, but it was a balmy 100 by the time we landed. it's been away since then.

actually, I took it out of my drawer hoping for a tactile memory to emerge. the best way to describe this yarn is 'real', which was a welcomed change from the more commercials yarns I'm used to (and that eventually start to look the same with just a different label stuck on). it isn't the softest nor the roughest; but don't worry, it softens up in the wash. expect some grass and whatnot , after all, it comes from a farm. I think my favorite part of the yarn is the plying. I really enjoy how the white ply transitions from thick to thin, while the grey becomes the backbone with its consistency.

the yarn's home spun look and feel combine perfectly with the Anne's non-fussy lace pattern to create a rustic, and one of a kind, stole. the pattern was soothing and intuitive- no need to carry around a chart with you. I know I'll be wearing it all the time come fall and winter. I just hope the change in seasons isn't delayed yet again.

I've probably gone on for too long now, but I wanted to say thank you to Anne for the beautiful pattern and to Alli for suggesting it in the first place.

Posted by bitter purl at 04:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

I finally had a chance to cast on for the hypoteneuse stole on sunday afternoon after the in-laws went home. I did a quick swatch and decided to go with 5mm needles like the pattern calls for. the fabric is light and airy and at first I thought it almost felt like paper. my fingers weren't ready for the fiber change I guess after all the sweaters I've been knitting. the summer spun* is definitely a "farm yarn" which is one of the reasons I didn't go with a vest like some people suggested. those patterns almost required a smooth, classic yarn while the summer spun is rustic. I didn't have enough yarn to knit those patterns at their smaller gauge, but I probably could've eeked out a cardigan knitting at a loose gauge as I am now. I think that I fell in love with the simplicity of this stole and knew that it would bring out the beauty of this yarn.

while this yarn is soft, I've found that it's handspun look not only creates an interesting fabric but it also creates a different texture. the light-colored ply, which I think is the cotton and silk, is spun in a thick and thin fashion; when this is plied with the wool it creates loose and tight spots in the yarn, translating to soft and, let's say, less soft spots. my fingers have gotten used to it, but I can't help stopping to check out what the fabric looks like every few rows. so far I'm done with the first hank and have six repeats done.

* I'm not sure why, but this yarn has three different names. on the yarn label it's called 'summer spun', but on the farmhouse yarn site the mention 'silk blend' and 'silk spun cotton', both leading to the same page.

for those of you more interested in the shoes from the last post (you know who you are!), they're made by cydwoq out in cali. I love their shoes and I can't recommend them enough! after a few wears they mold to your feet.

Posted by bitter purl at 05:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (15)

I just wanted to jump in and say a quick hi. I've been enjoying the spring weather, which has distracted me from my knitting, and also cleaning up like crazy yesterday and today since the in-laws are apparently coming for the weekend. fun. at least I was able to hang out with tom the first half of the day today, which is a rare treat. it was so nice to be able to sit out and have lunch under the sun. you know it's spring when all the restaurants have outside sitting all of sudden.

I hope I can sneak some knitting in, but if not at least I know what I'll be casting on for next. I'm taking alli's suggestion and knitting the hypoteneuse stole using the summer spun yarn. (alli, I already emailed you but just in case, email me your address so I can send you the bamboo!)

for the rest of you, thanks for your pattern suggestions! some of you must think I'm smaller than I really am though. as great as some of the other patterns were, 700 yards would definitely not be enough for my size.

Posted by bitter purl at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (19)