Thursday, February 15

In Search Of...

Do you remember that show? I vaguely remember watching it along with the National Geographic specials brought to you by Mutual of Omaha.

So, no pictures of my fair isle progress, as I've been busy with other stuff... I've made it to the second "easter egg" set of rows. At least the changing-patterns-every-row pattern to this band keeps my attention, unlike the 2x2 checkerboard rows, where I want to tear my hair out.

I've been contemplating a top-down raglan lately, with 2 colors of palette held together, in browns. Ben called me this morning, and we met for lunch, with just enough time to be inconvenient to drive home and then back to the highway to get to work, so I searched the shelves of the nearby Barnes & Noble for anything on raglan sweaters, and found... nothing. 45 minutes of browsing through the "10 quick sweaters" or "This Magazine's Favorite Sweaters" or "Knit a Sweater in a Weekend" type books. I found 2 things: drop-shoulder sweaters or sleeveless numbers. I found one raglan, but it was knit from the bottom up. I have broad enough shoulders, people. I don't need to create the illusion of having MORE of them.

So, dejected, I drove to work. Well, I drove almost to work, and ended up at Knitty Cat, where I found "Knitting from the Top", within 10 minutes of beginning my search. While I may not use all of the un-patterns in this book -- no knitted skirts or pants for me, thanks! -- I really like her conversational style, and it will probably make more sense once I have yarn in my hands. Knitting generally does. Sometimes, the directions make no sense until I've actually started working through it, and then it becomes rather clear when I've finally got yarn and needles going.

I love the way Barbara Walker defines knitting fabric as something totally different from sewing fabric, not in the least part because I *hate* seaming with a passion. Asking me to seam is almost, but not quite, like asking me to knit 18 feet of k2p2 ribbing. She's right, of course. Knit fabric has different properties than woven fabric -- for a quick check, compare your jeans to your t-shirt. Which has more drape? Which stretches more with your movements?

So, I'm sitting here, thinking about the color transitions that I want to build into the sweater -- I'm thinking light to dark, from cream blended with tan at the neckline to a deep dark wood hem and cuffs. I'd like it to be as long as my store-bought grey sweater, which sits mid-pants-zipper or a little lower.