Launch

Taa-dahh!

Welcome to the launch of Kneedle's Edge.

It all started on a cold Saturday morning, the Goat and I walked up to our LYS.
Well, you can imagine...basically lots of ''oohs" and "aahs" and much fondling of yarn later we emerged with modest grammage of beautiful yarn and cheapo beginners plastic pointy sticks in jumbo size.
I should say at this point that though the Goat had learned to knit at mother's knee, I was a knitting virgin. I had no idea that these pointy sticks were called needles for instance. So between my patient tutor aka the Goat and the magic that is the internet tutorial I can now say I can knit... just.

So the journey so far...

My first project (pictured on right) started with a beautiful skein of JJ's Montage Collection handpainted mohair in Canterbury.

What I didn't know in my blissful ignorance was that I had fallen in love with the beautiful colourway. Somehow I thought those beautiful colours that bled into each other so pleasingly would magically translate themselves into a knitted garment... did someone say "naive"?

I resolved to make a 'beginners' scarf- how hard could it be?

Attempt 1: Good old garter stitch. Get 50% through. Boring! Rip.

Attempt 2: Drop stitch. With no contrast. Get 50% through. Crazy, undefined loopiness. Yuck! Rip.

Attempt 3: Drop stitch with garter stitch contrasting bands. Get 75% through. It's here that I discover the phenomena unique to variegated yarn known as 'colour pooling'. Argh! Rip.

Attempt 4: Buy new needles 4 sizes smaller ( learn valuable lesson of actually following yarn manufacturer's recommended needle size). Knit lenghth-wise in stockinette. Cast off. Curls like crazy! Have knitted a 1.5m long tube. Argh! Rip.

Attempt 5: Knit lengthwise with garter stitch (aha!...tricky...) border then diagonal eyelets pattern. Get 30% through. Decide that the interesting stitch is lost in the fluffy variegated mohair. Rip.

It's at this point that I realise the handspun yarn cannot physically take being ripped for the 7th time and that my next attempt has to be my last..poor yarn, starting to feel quite sorry for it.

Attempt 6: Approach this one much more scientifically. Google variegated yarn. Find Fig and Plum's Simple Ribbed Colinette Scarf.

Get about 20cms done and realise that the colours are magically resolving themselves into an

argyle-ey sort of pattern.

Quite pleased with this. Enjoy the unfolding of this pattern as I knit along. Also enjoy the fact that it looks intentional and makes me seem cleverer than I am. Cast off. Wrap round neck. Hurrah!


What I like about the top photo (apart from the fact that it's quite flattering) is it makes me look like one of those chicks from the Jo Sharp books... sorta fey and smug in that "All I've got to worry about today is exactly what shade of crushed aubergine am I going to get in my $300 worth of cashmere" kinda way. If only.....