Friday, August 31, 2007

Knitting in Wonderland

I've been doing the "Knitting Daily" thing. Every day you get an email from the folks at Interweave. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, it's about knitting. Tuesday and Thursday it's about marketing. There are free pattern downloads. Photo shoots that show what the Interweave Knits sweaters look like on real people. In between there's a lot of Interweave self-promotion, but that's okay.

Thing is, it turns out I may be a sucker for marketing. One of the things they tell you about on Tuesdays and Thursdays are the new books. There's a Best of Interweave Knits coming out in October. And Knitting Little Luxuries by Louisa Harding is coming in November. Knit Kimono by Vicki Square is out now. I fell.

Isn't it pretty?

The kimono through the ages and and across classes (nobility v. warrior v. peasant). 18 beautiful sweaters based on the 7 rectangles that go to form a classic kimono.

I want to make this one.

Sort of. For one thing, it's linen. I don't want a linen sweater. And I don't really like the two color neckband/border. A-a-a-nd, I want it in a different color.

Okay, so maybe what I really want is this one.

Almost. I like the broken rib border a lot, but not the color. We five older sibs had a very rude name for this color when I was 12 and the 6th was 1. And not as a sweater, as a vest. Except those shoulders really drop down too far.

Okay, okay. So what I really, really want is the first one, in this wool --

Cascade 220 The Heathers in 9489 Red Wine Heather -- with a garter or moss stitch or maybe a broken rib band.

This is the stitch pattern from the vest.

Maybe I want it in stockinette? Or in a looser gauge? Do you see where all this is leading? Swatches.

And down the rabbit hole I go.

6 comments:

Diane H said...

How do you make the yarn go like that? What do they call that stitch?

Oh boy, another journey through the process (did we decide you are a process knitter?)

I love it!

Anonymous said...

Love the stitch pattern! Have fun swatching!

Susan Luni said...

I'm so glad you pointed out the Tues-Thurs marketing thing. I missed that, but I'm not surprised. Now I know about it and I won't be 'surprised' on Tue & Thur.
It might have been good marketing, but I didn't fall victim. I don't like kimonos. Something about no shaping, drop shoulders, wide waists--ehh. And Cascade 220 is itchy.
I'm no help, huh? ;)

Shelly said...

I know, there are so many books coming out from Interweave that I am really excited about, now I will have to add the Kimono book to my list.

Megan said...

I looked at that book online when I got that knitting daily ad. I like the one on the front, but I think I would like to look through it in person before I bought it.

Shelly said...

p.s. That stitch pattern looks similar (but not identical) to the "my so called scarf" pattern, which I am working on now. I put a picture on my blog, it is a really neat stitch pattern.