My knitting has been crawling along uneventfully. Not much
to write about (the thrilling stockinette trek? I don’t think so).  I was considering just doing a post about my
cats’ habits or the uncanny way bras have of twisting themselves together in
the washer (I could have called that post “Bra-ctopus”). 

But as luck would have it, Sarah and I had to dash out to
the yarn store for a size 6 circular needle (16”) so she can work up the hat we
are designing for a class.  Anyhow, on the
way to the store 3 design elements came together in my brain in sort of a “perfect
storm” and we walked away with the 16” circ and a new fall project!

The first element was a stitch.  In playing around with various ribbings for
Max’s gansey, I came across a seed stitch rib which is reversible and quite
handsome to boot.  Hmmm.  What could one use a handsome reversible
stitch for?  A roll-over collar like a
turtleneck or cowl-neck, perhaps?

The second element was a colorway.  On the way to the mall this morning, I passed
a brick bank building which had large planters of deep purple and hot pink
petunias in front of it.  Striking color
combination! Would make a gorgeous fall garment.

The third element was a shaping technique.  The cowl-neck grew (in my brain) to a
pull-over garment that would cover the shoulders and upper arms and I had a
shaping inspiration: changing needle size to decrease the gauge would eliminate
the need to work decrease stitches.  It
is a technique I have used before to avoid messing with a pattern stitch.  On top of that, Sarah suggested that I hold 2
yarns together at the beginning when I have large stitches and change to a
single yarn or 2 finer yarns as I decrease gauge.  Nice.

So, into the yarn store with a fully-formed concept.  We found Rowan’s Lima (alpaca/merino/nylon –
corded braid-like yarn) and Amy Blatt’s Fine Kid (wool/mohair) both in a ruddy brick
color for the body, Cotanani (cotton/wool) in hot pink to be held with Rowan’s mauve
Kidsilk Aura (mohair/silk) for the cowl, and two accent yarns: GGH’s Apart
(furry eyelash!) in eggplant and Louisa Harding’s Mariposa (eggplant cotton
yarn twined with shiny ballet pink viscose). 

Okay, it got a little more complex as we started pulling
yarns and holding them together – but it was kind of like mixing paints as we
worked to get the color and texture we wanted (and the feel, too – we are
careful to avoid irritating yarns close to the neck).  And I admit I did not wake up this morning
thinking I needed to design a new fall project – but, hey, sometimes that is
just how it happens!