The Red Phase
Shopping your own stash is a good thing. There are beautiful yarns that I bought and put in the stash for a reason… specific things I wanted to make but then forgot about. So picking through your stash, re-organizing, poking around… it gets you inspired to make those things again. Here’s what I picked up:
Plain and simple (if you pick up the errata on PURL’s site), I’m knitting the Hourglass Sweater from “Last Minute Knitted Gifts”. I bought the Cash Iroha in Japan for this very purpose. The time has come… for cashmere.
And for the Harlot’s Knitting Olympics, I’ve picked…
This beautiful skein of Zephyr was purchased at the Salt Spring Island Fibre Festival last summer. It’s about 1170 yards but the pattern specifies 1260 yards. I’m hoping I can knit this shawl without running out of yarn… because, well, that would suck.
I managed a Peacock Feathers in just a bit over 880 yards of KnitPicks laceweight, so unless you’re a very loose knitter, I’d bet you’d be fine.
what a pretty color! i’m currently working on the hourglass sweater as well (using knitpicks silk twist). that shawl pattern makes me drool. amazing!
I love both of those colors. You may have started me off on a new color kick.
Oooh, that red is pretty. I may have to go and look at my LYS’s stock of that.
jealous I WISH I had some Cash Iroha in my stash to shop for!!
I can’t even justify it to myself right now with the discount prices at woolneedlework.com. Of course, I just sold about $100 worth of yarn, so maybe… or maybe w/ my tax return. Hrm.. I’m supposed to be downgrading the stash though! lol
I love the Peacock Feather’s shawl. I haven’t knit it yet, though. I attempted it, but I had so many issues with it (my own, not the pattern’s) that I just had to stop. I intend to pick it up again though, as I want it to be a present for my mom. She looooves Peacocks.
Peacock in two weeks? I need more time….
Pretty. I have some red Cash Iroha to make the hourglass pullover too… I’ve been a little afraid to start it, though, because of all the stories I’ve read about it growing a lot after wearing a couple times. What pre-washed gauge are you using?
That’s such a gorgeous color for your Peacock, and I applaud you for attempting it in 16 days. (Mine took rather longer than that!) I put some tips for it on my “Finished!” blog entry last summer (http://chappysmom.typepad.com/bookworm/2005/06/so_very_peacock.html) I used just over 3 skeins of Shimmer, but I knit loosely AND the shawl is just enormous. (Really big. I so should have used smaller needles. I’d shrink the whole thing if I could.) Good luck, though–it’s going to look GORGEOUS!
That is some really beautiful yarn. I like shopping my own stash, but I also love to shop my mother’s stash! I picked up several pounds on my last visit in December.
I just read the comments, and yes, the cash iroha does grow a lot! Just make sure you don’t leave the neck too wide (it gets much bigger). Otherwise I LOVE my cash iroha Hourglass Sweater, it is so silky and smooth and beautiful–it’s one of my favorites, despite the fact that it is a lot bigger than it was when I made it.
Oooh! The colour is really beautiful! Can’t wait to see the finished Peacock Feather Shawl. That’s on my “eventually get to” list.
A good colour to knit for Team Canada. I’m knitting red and white myself.
The yarns are sooooo absolutely gorgeous! And that shawl look just so marvellous! I might do that one day…And you’re doing that for the Olympics? Wow! That’s challenging!
Lovely, lovely photos! I love the Hourglass Sweater and yours is going to ge great in that color.
And now I’m thinking about another Peacock Feathers . . .
Lovely, lovely photos! I love the Hourglass Sweater and yours is going to be great in that color.
And now I’m thinking about another Peacock Feathers . . .
I have a cone of cinnabar - if you get totally stuck let me know, although I’m dubious about dyelots with Zephyr. Good luck!
Peacock Feathers will be striking in that color. Can’t wait to see it.
Hum, I bought the exact same yarn for the hourglass sweater…can hardly wait to see it done!!
I like this sweater very very much!
wow, you have set yourself a fine challenge!
Lovely color choice! I also bought Cash Iroha in soft brown to make an Hourglass for me after finishing an Hourglass for my mother in Noro Silk Garden. After seeing Deena’s version in all it’s stripey goodness, I had to make one just like it! (http://hourglass-knit-a-long.blogspot.com/2005/04/i-love-it.html#comments)
However, since I’ve fallen under the Sweet Shop spell and have just purchased several skeins of luscious yarn from YOU, it looks like socks will be next in my list to knit. Your colors are so beautiful and your yarn is so soft, that I may never knit them at all.
! I just bought the book to make that same sweater last night! And since I was right there, I got some cheapy wool at the yarn store to make it in, but it’s the same color! It reminded me of a tomato.
But I have to ask– who is PURL and what’s the errata?? Now I’m worried!
Very beautiful reds, both the sweater yarn and the shawl yarn. Good luck to you in the Olympic adveture!
Excellent choices! Peacock is such an incredibly beautiful pattern. And you’re using an incredible yarn for it. Can’t wait, you can do it!
Hourglass will look great on you, I think you’ll get to wear it often just like your red Ribbi Cardi.
Love the red theme you’ve got going — just in time for Valentine’s day!
I do so adore red. And the 2 you have are gorgeous.
Beautiful colors - they make me want to go out and knit something red! Good choices!
I’m totally eager to see your progress on Peacock. I’m new to lacework, so this is expecially interesting to me. AND I so totally want to knit hourglass in that same color. Its lovely.
Mmmmm, deep red, you got me pining away now. Gorgeous stuff. Good luck on your shawl, keeping my fingers crossed that you don’t run out of yarn.
Hey Felicia,
We are on the same team (Team Lace USA) and running the same race (Peacock Feathers Shawl)!! I hope you don’t mind if I check in from time to time to chat as you never know when you will need moral support or a question answered. Good luck tomorrow.
Just curious? How much does Cash Iroha cost in Japan? Lovely color for your HGS. Im currently knitting that as well but in Cash Iroha 96. It’s always time for cashmire.