…is nowhere to be found in Minnesota!
We got quite a bit of snow yesterday (during evening rush hour, thank you) and the wind chill today is -14 degrees. Spring may be coming up on the calendar but it sure looks a long way off from my window!
To seek spring, I’ve turned to my knitting. Sally’s Ode to Joy is so joyful and bursting with beautiful spring-like colors, that somewhere along the line I decided to exchange my autumnal colorway to Sally’s Cape Cod. Candace was very accommodating. I started this a couple of weeks ago.
It is a slow knit. Sally described this in detail, but to recap — you are always knitting with three tiny strands of yarn. The color change is created by changing out one strand at a time to the next color in sequence: 1-1-1 changes to 1-1-2, then 1-2-2, and so on. It is difficult to knit without looking because you must be certain that you don’t miss any strands as you are knitting. It is knit on 3.25 mm needles. The novelty of changing the colors wears off quickly, long before you are done. BUT, after seeing Sally’s lovely sweater and the desire to wear it this spring, I will plod on.
Heaven save me from Ravelry! Again, I have been sucked in, but gladly. I just received a package from Needle Arts Book Store. If you order the Peacock Feathers Stole pattern (the triangular shawl converted to a rectangular stole) and two balls of Exquisite, you receive an additional ball of yarn. I wanted four balls, so by buying the pattern, I actually saved money, kind of (shopping logic is great I tell you!).
Exquisite completely lives up to its name. It is gorgeous: 50% mulberry silk and 50% merino wool, laceweight, 500 m to 50 gms ($8.50/skein).
Exquisite Yarn in Slate Blue
It has the luster of silk and is incredibly soft. The color is amazing. I think it is much higher quality than Zephyr Merino and Silk, which I have used and loved for lace shawls. This is nicer.
I’m off today and no one is home — yay! 
— but I am doing laundry and cleaning bathrooms — boo! 
Off I go to the salt mines, but may get a little fun stuff done, too!
AND, go read Yarn Harlot! Been there, done that…over and over again!
Check this out from Moosie:
Exquisite is 50/50 merino wool/mulberry silk. Zephyr is 50/50 merino wool/tussah silk. Two different types of silk with different characteristics. Tussah is from the Antheraea pernyi moth’s cocoon while mulberry is from the bombyx mori moth’s cocoon. Tussah worms feed on oak leaves while bombyx worms dine on mulberry tree, wormspit.com gives a lot more info about silk in all it’s different forms.
In response to Wendy who asked, “As always, you gals are an inspiration! I’ll be interested to hear if there was much yarn left over. Dare I ask what size you’re knitting?”
The Ode to Joy Kit comes in 2 sizes: small and medium/large. Sally made the small size and had some yarn left over. I am making the medium and will need to lengthen the sleeves. Usually I make the jumbo size in everything. In this case, however, I decided to make it to fit a bit smaller and cropped like it was designed — it would have taken way more yarn and a lot of refiguring of the pattern to remake it into a larger sweater. I will make a dress or two to go with it and wear it to work. When I make a sweater to wear with pants, I make it huge to get to where it needs to go…but this will be a very short jacket on me.
Darn you and that link! I just had to order that pattern (Peacock Shawl has been on my queue forever but being short the size of it scares me) and that gorgeous looking yarn.
Comment by Risa — February 27, 2009 @ 2:29 pm
What color is your new yarn? It is lovely (exquisite, even)!
Comment by Linda M — February 27, 2009 @ 3:06 pm
So that’s how it works. I wondered about the amazing color changes. It’s a truly beautiful sweater.
Comment by Joanna Ryn — February 27, 2009 @ 3:10 pm
Exquisite is 50/50 merino wool/mulberry silk. Zephyr is 50/50 merino wool/tussah silk. Two different types of silk with different characteristics. Tussah is from the Antheraea pernyi moth’s cocoon while mulberry is from the bombyx mori moth’s cocoon. Tussah worms feed on oak leaves while bombyx worms dine on mulberry tree, wormspit.com gives a lot more info about silk in all it’s different forms.
Comment by annonemoose — February 27, 2009 @ 5:47 pm
It was quite the snow, wasn’t it? My DH even gave in and used the snow blower this morning (I did last night, for sure!).
The yarn is pretty tempting…
Comment by twinsetellen — February 27, 2009 @ 7:13 pm
Sigh – I had to order the shawl kit too. And a second kit besides. It’s SO gorgeous.
You are bad for my budget.
Comment by Maura Anderson — February 27, 2009 @ 10:12 pm
love that sweater is beautiful! And now I have to go get some exquisite yarn!
Comment by Eryka Jackson — February 28, 2009 @ 1:45 am
Coming out of lurkdom to comment on the sweater AND the lace yarn. The jacket is lovely and reminds me of Hanne Falkenberg. I concur with the color change. As for the lace yarn, your review was so tempting that I just might take advantage of a free skein. Who wouldn’t want a free ball of yarn?
Comment by Patricia — February 28, 2009 @ 8:32 am
As always, you gals are an inspiration! I’ll be interested to hear if there was much yarn left over. Dare I ask what size you’re knitting?
Comment by Wendy O'C — February 28, 2009 @ 8:39 am
You call that yarn Slate Blue, but on my monitor it looks almost the color of eggplant.
Comment by surly — February 28, 2009 @ 12:28 pm
I can’t wait untill YarnOver to buy one of those kits. I have been looking at them for a couple of years and I think this is the year to buy one. I hope she is there this year. Who is it anyway? I can’t remember.
Comment by Michele with one L — February 28, 2009 @ 12:29 pm
From Susan to Surly — Eggplant? No, it is a deep slate blue.
From Susan to Michele with One L — The kit is from Candace Eisner Strick (Strickwear.com for wholesale inquiries). She won’t be there this year, but there are many places that sell her kits, usually as a pre-order.
Comment by lv2knit — February 28, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
Ladies- Marsha White of NABS is the very best source for books and will go the extra mile to get you what you want.
..and no, she didn’t pay me to say that.
Love the colors- very Spring-ish.
Comment by Lorraine — March 1, 2009 @ 8:03 am
Hi,
The last time I looked at your website (a few days ago) you had a Lily Chin sweater pattern that you were making. I cannot find the pattern and I assume that it is old enough to be out of print. Is there any way you could send it to me? I would pay you. I MUST have it! Thanks so much.
Comment by Joan Sanning — March 25, 2009 @ 9:51 am