Thursday, December 12, 2013

A lotta Great White Bale (Lots 2 & 4)

cowl c My Hawthorne cowl made from Great White Bale Lot 2 has been done for a couple of weeks, but we just snapped some pictures today. We are closing in on the shortest day of the year, and it is very dark by the time I get home from work. If it is sunny in the morning, it is light enough to photograph after Boy 2 gets on the bus… but not before! The snow helps it seem lighter, too.

This pattern is a bit of a two-in-one. The solid part is knit with a reversible variation on rib, and the stripes are garter. This means they are not the same width, however. I evened them out in blocking. This wouldn’t have worked with a superwash yarn, but it worked here.cowl bI liked the width of the scarf very much on the solid half… but it got much wider on the garter half (a little too wide, in my opinion). I don’t think I would pair these two stitches again. At the very least, I would make it narrower.cowl aI do rather like how it seems like I’m wearing two coordinating scarves at once, though. My biggest issue with this cowl is that it’s not really a color I wear! I’m not sure if I love love love it. What do you guys think? P1020394 The final shipment of the Great White Bale arrived recently, too – this is Lot 4. It is a 3-ply yarn (the first 3-ply of the whole bale!) and is woolen-spun (as was Lot 1). The spinning happened at S&D Spinning Mill in Millbury, Massachusetts. The fuchsia skeins were dyed at Saco River Dyehouse in Biddeford, Maine. Apparently this fuchsia color is very much like the 2014 Pantone Color of the Year, Radiant Orchid. Did Clara know in advance?P1020397 With this final shipment came a Goodwool Ambassador pin, which I shall display proudly on knitting bags and such. It has been such a thrill – and an honor – to be a small part of Clara’s Great White Bale project. What a fun year! My membership in the Bale was a Christmas gift last year, and this Christmas I will be sure to knit these final skeins to close the beautiful circle.

Thank you, Clara, for taking us on this journey of learning and history and comradery.

2 comments:

  1. I also like how it looks like you are wearing two coordinating scarves - very fashionable! I know for myself, if I don't love love love it, I don't wear the item and usually end up gifting it to someone who does love it. That fuchsia is gorgeous & I can't wait to see how you use it!

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  2. Ditto on the double-scarf look. I think these colors actually look really good on you, but if you don't like them -- well, there's that. What a fun year-long project!

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