The Trouble with Tweed
Poor Silkroad Aran Tweed. I’ve frogged this scarf so many times that the yarn is starting to look a little ragged. But I can’t help that I haven’t liked any of the scarf patterns that I’ve started with this yarn. I’ve tried the Here and There Cables (Scarf Style), Irish Hiking Scarf (Hello Yarn), the Lopi Lace Scarf (Weekend Knitting) and the Men’s Cashmere Scarf (Last Minute Knitted Gifts)… oh, and I discovered an error (which others have already noted) in the Men’s Cashmere Scarf pattern.
I think the difficulty may be that the yarn is a little “tough” and needs to be knit in such a way that it remains springy. The cable patterns made this yarn too thick and heavy. The Lopi Lace Scarf is a little too girly for my dad. I will probably go home and frog these two starts tonight and use the “correct” Men’s Cashmere Scarf pattern.
In better news, my friend, Michelle, and I had brunch yesterday, visited Urban Yarns where she picked up her first pair of knitting needles — Crystal Palace Bamboo 8mm — and came over for tea and knitting. She learned to cast on, knit, purl (both English and Continental!) and cast off in one afternoon and is on her way to being completely obsessed with yarn! In fact, one yarn selection we agree on is the Phildar Neige… it feels like perfect snow! It’s heaven.
On Friday, while shopping for props and food at Granville Island Market for my food photography class, I watched yarn being spun for the very first time! I know this is old hat for so many knitters, but I’d never seen spinning before and it looked like fun! This lady with her little yarn booth keeps sheep and llamas in her backyard! Fantastic!
I love that stuff but it does knit up a bit heavy. I knit one whole scarf from the stuff and had to rip it out. It was pretty but left me wonderinf what I would actually use it for?
That is such nice yarn…I hope you find a nice scarf pattern for it.
felicia, i love your photos on this blog. they are simply beautiful. and the amount of knitting you are working on at the moment is beyond me!
keep up the good work!
I have two skeins of Silkroad Aran Tweed, one in the Wintergrass colour, and one in potpourri (a purple), but I’m at a loss as to what to do with them. Maybe a pair of mitts of some variety, perhaps? I do have a question for you re: the backyard leaves scarf. How many skeins of cashmerino aran do you anticipate using for the scarf? It’s gorgeous, by the way.
Wow! Your friend is a fast learner! I couldn’t imagine learning how to knit and purl in both english AND continental in a day! Props to her! she’s going to be a turbo knitter!