Ah, Serendipity. You know how sometimes things just seem to fall right into place, even when they seem to be coming out all wrong? That's what has happened with my new project/pattern, which will be heretofore known as the "Serendipity Scarf".
About two weeks ago, while trying not to cough up a lung (respiratory infection as a little end-of-the school-year parting gift) and cruising my Etsy activity page, I noticed that someone else had "favorited" one of Bluedog Fibers' rovings--merino lambswool in the "Miranda" colorway. It was a little circus-y, and rather curious; so I clicked. And then I "favorited". And then, even though I dye my own fiber and who needs to pay someone else to do for you what you can do for yourself, I bought it.
And it arrived super-fast. Then I was sicker than sick, and then out of town, and then sick some more, and it took me until this past Tuesday to pull it out of the bag (but it had been calling my name for a week from the drawer in my new knitting studio). And then I couldn't stop spinning it. It was like I HAD to spin the whole thing, RIGHT NOW! At first, socks were on the brain--I could spin enough for socks. But then that fingering weight filled up one spindle, and I was on to spindle #2. When I had spun for about 4 hours and I was done--at about midnight--I had 450+ yards of fingering weight merino lambswool in, not circus-y colors as expected--a beautiful pastel pallet of watercolors.
Wednesday came and I wound it onto the niddy-noddy. It was just gorgeous. See?
Then I fulled it and dried it in the hot Southern sunshine (I know, there are better ways to care for your fiber when drying; but something kept saying, "Hurry up!" in my brain). Then, with the ball winder broken, I wound it into a soft and snuggly ball. I can't believe there was a moment of panic when I couldn't wind it into a center-pull ball because the handle had broken. (spoiled much?)
And then no stitch pattern, no cable pattern, no pattern from any of my millions of patterns seemed right. I couldn't make socks because I would end up with 100 yards left over and that would just be a waste. Not enough for a sweater; probably not enough for a shawl. So, then I thought, how about a scarf? Can't be too complicated, because I want to show off the colors; but can't be too simple because this isn't a heavy-weight wool and there would be drape to consider. I finally settled on a diagonal lace pattern (really, just YOs in a diagonal line with some stockinett). I cast on. I knit through the pattern twice. Then I looked at it and said, "what the frick?!" What was coming off the needles was so TOTALLY not the pattern in the picture that I was in a dilemma. How could I have this intricate little lace pattern instead of the simply diagonal YOs? There wasn't a stockinett panel to be found anywhere. What to do, what to do. Apparently, I had misread the directions in every line, compounded by my crazy Russo-German knitting style, and had totally screwed up the pattern!
Or had I? Serendipity anyone? That same "hurry up!" voice told me to knit a few more repeats and see what happens. And darn it if I didn't end up with the most gorgeous lace-pattern-without-a-name that you ever saw! So, the first thing that I have ever knit from my own singles handspun is, well, GORGEOUS!
I'm seriously considering sending photos to Spin Off and Knit & Spin, suggesting that they make this the cover of their next issues. Seriously. This could be big! And this is why you don't get a good look at the pattern. :)
Thanks, Serendipity!
About two weeks ago, while trying not to cough up a lung (respiratory infection as a little end-of-the school-year parting gift) and cruising my Etsy activity page, I noticed that someone else had "favorited" one of Bluedog Fibers' rovings--merino lambswool in the "Miranda" colorway. It was a little circus-y, and rather curious; so I clicked. And then I "favorited". And then, even though I dye my own fiber and who needs to pay someone else to do for you what you can do for yourself, I bought it.
And it arrived super-fast. Then I was sicker than sick, and then out of town, and then sick some more, and it took me until this past Tuesday to pull it out of the bag (but it had been calling my name for a week from the drawer in my new knitting studio). And then I couldn't stop spinning it. It was like I HAD to spin the whole thing, RIGHT NOW! At first, socks were on the brain--I could spin enough for socks. But then that fingering weight filled up one spindle, and I was on to spindle #2. When I had spun for about 4 hours and I was done--at about midnight--I had 450+ yards of fingering weight merino lambswool in, not circus-y colors as expected--a beautiful pastel pallet of watercolors.
Wednesday came and I wound it onto the niddy-noddy. It was just gorgeous. See?
Then I fulled it and dried it in the hot Southern sunshine (I know, there are better ways to care for your fiber when drying; but something kept saying, "Hurry up!" in my brain). Then, with the ball winder broken, I wound it into a soft and snuggly ball. I can't believe there was a moment of panic when I couldn't wind it into a center-pull ball because the handle had broken. (spoiled much?)
And then no stitch pattern, no cable pattern, no pattern from any of my millions of patterns seemed right. I couldn't make socks because I would end up with 100 yards left over and that would just be a waste. Not enough for a sweater; probably not enough for a shawl. So, then I thought, how about a scarf? Can't be too complicated, because I want to show off the colors; but can't be too simple because this isn't a heavy-weight wool and there would be drape to consider. I finally settled on a diagonal lace pattern (really, just YOs in a diagonal line with some stockinett). I cast on. I knit through the pattern twice. Then I looked at it and said, "what the frick?!" What was coming off the needles was so TOTALLY not the pattern in the picture that I was in a dilemma. How could I have this intricate little lace pattern instead of the simply diagonal YOs? There wasn't a stockinett panel to be found anywhere. What to do, what to do. Apparently, I had misread the directions in every line, compounded by my crazy Russo-German knitting style, and had totally screwed up the pattern!
Or had I? Serendipity anyone? That same "hurry up!" voice told me to knit a few more repeats and see what happens. And darn it if I didn't end up with the most gorgeous lace-pattern-without-a-name that you ever saw! So, the first thing that I have ever knit from my own singles handspun is, well, GORGEOUS!
I'm seriously considering sending photos to Spin Off and Knit & Spin, suggesting that they make this the cover of their next issues. Seriously. This could be big! And this is why you don't get a good look at the pattern. :)
Thanks, Serendipity!
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