Tuesday 5 June 2007

Stealth Knitting 2007

I've fallen off the stashalong, or I could treat it as my one day off per month. Friday was a warning - the yarn buying impulse was getting trigger happy.

A few weeks ago the BF casually asked: "So, will you be doing any stealth knitting this year?"

I laughed and said I doubted it.

A few days later, as I was knitting the "Opal- Neons" for his sister he hinted that he wouldn't mind some socks - green ones.

This made me think. There's every likelihood, he will get some socks, probably for Christmas, and I think I'll make him some "Opal -Caterpillars". However, he really seemed to be hinting for another jumper, and asking me now gives me plenty of time to knit it in secret. (The BF has a very good idea of how much stealth knitting went into "Leo").

So, for the last few weeks I've been looking at jumper patterns that aren't too patterned - not too many colours, not too much texture so no cables, though ribbing is fine. Once again, "Knitty" has come to my rescue. This is "Saranac" which has a zippy neck and is very much to the BF's taste.



The remaining problem was to find the yarn. The pattern for "Saranac" recommended "Cascade Sierra" which is an aran weight blend of wool (80%) and cotton (20%) or is that the other way around? So, I've been hunting around the usual suspects that provide a). nice yarns, b). of a similar blend and c). at a nice price. I didn't want to faff about with ordering from the US.

So, I've settled on "Rowan - All Seasons Cotton" because it's aran weight and while it doesn't contain any wool, I've used it before and like the way it holds a pattern. The supplier was Cucumberpatch because they were having a sale when I stumbled across them last night...



Voila! "Mocha-choc" at £1.95 a ball - wasn't that worth falling off the stashalong wagon? :-)

6 comments:

Kai said...

well worth falling off the wagon!
i have some rowan all seasons cotton in my stash.. and i like that jumper.. i wonder if Ollie will like it.. *wanders off to plot*

Hellbelle said...

Absolutely too good to miss!

Fiona Reynolds said...

:-) Isn't plotting brilliant?

gilraen said...

Georgeous!! You will win serious Brownie points there! ;) :D

Lindsey said...

Since you already know what you're using it for, it barely counts as stash. :-) Add that to the fact that it's for a present, and you got it on sale....it would almost have been criminal NOT to buy it!

Linda said...

That sweater looks great. I am not allowed to knit anything for my husband. :( !!