New ideas are being hatched here at Ruthless Knitting. Maybe it’s because spring finally seems to have arrived, or maybe it’s just that my pesky Secret Design Project is nearly finished, but I have knitting excitement percolating in my brain for the first time in what seems like a long time!
To go with it, I present to you a new swatch:
I’m working on a design that will combine these two colors, with a patterned intarsia pattern inset between plain stockinette. The maize-colored part looks sort of interesting in the picture, as if I had come up with some sort of elaborate design featuring both lace and cables, but in fact I was just experimenting with different patterns. The bottom is a variation on feather and fan, but I didn’t think it was open enough to work for the project I have in mind. The top is supposed to be staghorn cables, but I messed up the pattern several times, producing both something that looks like a mean owl and one cable that sort of reboots partway through. No matter — I got the information I wanted from the exercise, which is that I like the cable and the needle size (US 5) and that the overall plan will probably work. Now I just need to figure out some measurements, and I can get moving on something new. Yay!
Tomorrow, I’m headed to Neenah for the Midwest Masters conference, where I will take an all-day socks class with Lucy Neatby. On Sunday, I’ll take an afternoon class on brioche stitches with Janet Szabo. While I’m looking forward more to the second class, I am definitely interested in finding out what Lucy’s class will be like. I’ve never actually taken a knitting class before, and I understand that she is an excellent teacher. I’m looking forward to learning new things and getting lots of great ideas.
I think the Maize side of the swatch looks like an angry tiki god! Neato! I’m really wanting to try that skinny cotton, it looks lovely!
Angry owl is exactly right!
Enjoy the class and report back – I too have never taken a class and am curious about them.
Hurray for swatching and new ideas! I love those two colors together, and the cabling – excellent choices. And I’m insanely jealous of your classes, please do give us a full report when you can.
Nice color combination. Can’t wait to see your idea develop. I’ve never taken any knitting classes, either, but I think my knitting my show it more than yours!