If your success were guaranteed, what needlework project would you want to do?

A question like this came up in a book I was reading a month or so ago, (not necessarily about needlework), and I have found it popping into my mind occasionally ever since then.   If I were guaranteed to enjoy the process and the final product, what would I begin working on today?

For me, the answer is color.   I’ve always felt like I was venturing into a world that I don’t understand when I’ve tried to choose colors for my projects.   I can pick a color and pair it with a neutral, no problem, I can even pair a couple of neutrals, but when I try to combine more than two colors, or try to avoid neutrals, I feel like I am sure to choose something horrible.

One of my goals, beginning in the fall, is to put my home in order.   Over the last few years we’ve managed to collect a lot of stuff, but we haven’t really gone through and purged the things we no longer love.   The plan is a low budget one, meaning that I am going to sell some of the stuff, and use the money from that to re-decorate the room, making the space useful and beautiful at the same time.   This process is daunting, mostly because of choosing the colors for each room, and unifying that throughout the house.   I know that I want each room to have something that I’ve made in it, so I’ll have a lot of knitting, crocheting, maybe even needlepoint work to do.

Latvian Garden Blanket (picture links to FREE pattern)

In the planning stages of this project, I have been brushing up on color theory, and knitting techniques.   There are a couple of recently published books that I’ve found valuable, Color Knitting the Easy Way, and Mastering Color Knitting, both by Melissa Leapman.  (We currently have Color Knitting the Easy Way in stock, and we can special order Mastering Color Knitting.)   Both books include patterns, detailed technique instruction, as well as color theory discussion.

This time of year is a great time to think about beginning a color-work project, since we are starting to see fall yarns arrive.   We recently brought in over 20 colors of Cascade 220 Superwash, and starting in August, you’ll start to see new yarns in new colors.

With that, I’ll leave the question above to you. . . What project would you begin if your success were guaranteed?

Pattern of the Week: Accessory

I very rarely get transfixed by a pattern.   I see many, many that I like, some I want to knit, and a few that I actually do knit.   Once every couple of years, I find one that I just can’t get out of my head.   I work hard to complete other projects that are on the needles, but I keep checking out the projects on this much loved pattern.   I try to cast on for things that I actually need to make, but I find myself at The Studio, looking for yarn for this pattern that has me in its grasp.   Eventually, I find myself buying the pattern, but not the yarn.   I diligently knit on the projects on my needles, but soon I uncover the perfect yarn, and bring it home with me.   At this point, I may be able to talk myself out of casting on, if a project is nearing completion, or has a real deadline, but I will knit this pattern.

One pattern that had me in its grasp was the Bird in Hand Mittens by Kate Gilbert.   I originally queued this one back in 2008.   I didn’t have the skills to do stranded knitting then, so I waited, and gained skills.   I bought the pattern September of 2010, the yarn in March 2011, and cast on then.   I am going to finish these today, so that I can start the next pattern that has me besotted.

Stole

I saw this pattern a couple of months ago in an ad at the back of Interweave Knits.   I’m not sure if it was the hand painted yarn, the lace, or the entrelec that got me, but Birch became an obsession at that point.   Despite the number of beautiful examples we have around The Studio, I’ve never done a project with entrelec.   I’ve always thought the projects were gorgeous, but it seemed that they looked best in high contrast colors, and I tend to be more understated in my color choices.   I also love to work in lace, especially when I block it and the pattern becomes so beautiful.

The Birch pattern includes options for three sizes, so you can choose from a scarf, stole, or wrap.   The pattern takes 600, 800, or 1000 yards of fingering weight yarn, depending on the size you knit.   For an especially soft beautiful project, 4-6 skeins of KPPPM would be a great yarn choice.   We have a couple of colorways in stock that should work well for Birch.    Another great option would be Cascade Yarn’s Heritage Paints, which would require 2-3 skeins.

Do you get transfixed by patterns like this?   Which patterns are you aspiring to currently?