Now, I've become enamored with cotton yarns. Once before, I tried to make a spring sweater with cotton. The yarn was a good 100% cotton and the colorway was Delft blue and white. I'd looked forward to the project, a classic crew neck pullover with short sleeves and I should have enjoyed making it but I didn't. I disliked how the fabric hung. It felt limp and lifeless, like a dishcloth. I realized that what I missed was everything I loved about wool--its bounce, its spring, it's memory. I abandoned the project and gave the yarn away. From that point on, I knitted only with wool. That is, until Sheldon came along.
The designer of the Sheldon pattern recommended Knitpicks Shine Sport, which is a blend of washable pima cotton and Modal. It wasn't as lively as wool, but the knitted fabric was soft and somewhat spongy, with a hint of shine and I was surprised at how nice it was to work with.
Now I'm working with Cascade Cotton Rich DK and giving it another shot. This yarn is 2/3 cotton and 1/3 nylon. It doesn't have as much memory as the Shine Sport but it's very soft and I love how bright the white is. I'm using the basic guidelines from 1000 Sweaters, by Amanda Griffiths. The book breaks down the basic sweater into components and you can choose which sleeve, collar, pocket and neckline finish you want. I'm making a short sleeved cardigan with a band of double eyelets up the front and back. I'll probably finish it off with a ribbed band up the front and around the neck, but I'd really like to do some kind of collar. The problem is that all the collars in the book are knit separately and sewn on--who wants one more seam to sew? I think I'll try to pick up the stitches around the neck and play around with a polo collar, or even a little hood. Who knows?
And, speaking of springtime flowers, here's a photo of our little Molly sitting among the forsythias.
3 comments:
This sweater had me recall my first foray with a crocheted mohair cardigan. First I had decided that my limbs and torso were so much longer than the pattern size and made unnecessary, yes unnecessary changes. Then I had the formidable task of ripping out mohair, not knowing about the freezer method way back when. This went on several times during the heat of summer, finally realizing that I had a loose tension that compensated for the extra length that I needed, not to mention the give of the crochet stitch pattern, and the weight of the yarn! Lessons learned in youth, but I still have the sweater and its a warm thing.
I prefer your solution all around!
Hi Trish, your Molly is a beautiful little girl. I just love to see pix of our pets within our blogs. As a spaniel mom myself, I have a special appreciation for cockers. What type of spaniel is she? My little guy is an American Spaniel. a buff. Molly's coloring is really spectacular.
jean in ohio
Jean--Thanks for the kind words about my little gal. She's an American Cocker--a tri-color. The picture was taken right after her spa-day, so she was having an especially good hair day.
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