Swatching… And SAFF!
October 25th, 2007 by 
mel
I’ve been swatching this week:
Splotchy:
My first swatch for the Cinderella socks (Pssst! Come join us at the KAL, over here!) - I want to knit these in tweed. I don’t have a good explanation for this want, I just do. I have no suitable tweed in my stash. I tried to “make” tweed. It sucks. I contemplated plying the two yarns, but after reading Jo’s hysterical post, decided that they would be better un-married. Rrrrrip!
Safer:
Non-tweed swatch for Cinderella socks. I cast on - I love this chocolate brown and I think these will be so comfy, but I can’t say that I won’t be keeping half an eye out for a potential alternate this weekend though, at SAFF (yarn buying restricted. very specific purposes and local/sustainable wherever possible. do not be distracted.)
Hrmph:
Brooks Farm Riata purchased at MDSW last spring for a Lady Eleanor (I’ve been in love with this pattern for a very long time). But this, sadly, just isn’t it - the color repeats are too short and the stripes detract from the entrelac. I contemplated offloading the yarn. Lady E. is obviously tabled, she’s worth waiting for the right yarn, and I’m not ready to purchase it. I had a little bit of hrmph time. And then:
Hurray!!:
Teva Durham’s Slip Stitch Jacket. I’m thinking about working the drop stitches in a single color yarn, like cream, but I love the tweedy look of the yarn in this texture (Ahh, a little bit of tweedy-ness after all. Perhaps this will settle the urge).
I have a couple other swatches in progress to share with you, but they will have to wait until next week. The doggie digestive health is relatively stable for the moment, so Tad and I made last minute plans to rent a small cabin in Black Mountain, NC for a long weekend, do some hiking, have some down time, and get to SAFF on Saturday (Woo-hoooo on all counts!) I hope to see some of you there!
Posted in Knit-a-Longs, fiber excursions, knitting | 
October 26th, 2007 at 8:31 pm
Great swatches! That’s a very restful brown, and the last swatch looks like a keeper. David and I got married in Black Mountain. Have fun this weekend! Say hi to Gryphon!
October 27th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
the Riata yarn looks perfect in the slip stitch swatch!
striping with the entrelac and Lady E is tricky. i’ve seen some people do okay with the Noro yarns. i priced the yarn the pattern called for and it came to something like $360. too much for me. instead i used 2 strands of lace weight cream alpaca and am happy with it.
October 27th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
All those lovely coffee warm colors have got me craving a hot cuppa Joe!
October 28th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Hope you’re havin’ a big time at that fiber thingy in WNC! (pout)
The swatches look good to me. Guess I could knit better if I swatched more…ya think?;->
Stroke some yarn for me:)
Ang
October 29th, 2007 at 12:09 pm
Isn’t it funny how yarn can just tell you what it wants to be? I’ve had that happen to me before too. You think you know what you’re going to do with it, and then it proves you wrong. The last swatch is perfect!
October 29th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
You have beautiful photographs! I love the entrelac swatch, actually - too bad you aren’t going to Eleanorify that yarn!
October 30th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
swatches are loads of fun. Thanks for sharing yours! I actually really really like the first tweedy swatch. Maybe not for a sock, but for a sweater with a classic shape? It would be lovely!
November 1st, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Hey! It was SO good to meet you! I want to hear all about your fabulous hiking on Sunday; the weather was so great, it about killed me not to be out in the woods!
December 31st, 2007 at 2:54 am
i love your slip stitch in the different yarn. any helpful suggestions? i just have one front panel left, and i am already two and a half skeins over what the pattern calls for (and my gauge is on!) i’ve heard of this problem from other knitters, too. also, the directions to “reverse shaping” for the whole other front panel frustrate me, with all the short rows. i started writing it all out, and i got a headache and couldn’t finish.