Return to Knitting

Off and on for a month or so, I've been looking for a black wool cardigan.  I have an off-white Aran cardigan I made for myself which gets a lot of wear, but a black sweater would be very welcome.  I was very disappointed to find a lot of  ready-made wool-plus-cotton-plus-nylon-plus-other-synthetics but very few pure wool sweaters in the basic black, long sleeves, cardigan style I was looking for.  I finally decided I'd just have to make myself one so I toddled off to my favorite knitting shop, Trumpet Hill, with pattern in hand.

Black yarn was found (I actually didn't allow myself to be seduced by violet or fuchsia or turquoise as I had the last time I thought I'd make myself a black sweater), but when the saleswoman went to get the additional skeins I would need from the back of the store, I did allow my eyes to wander.  Mistake?  Yes, but not dire, this time.  I picked up a skein of a black yarn with hints of gray in it - beautiful.  And the hand?  it was as silky soft and smooth as one could wish.  Nervously I turned to the helpful lady and said, "I suppose this won't do, will it?"  

"Why not?" she responded. "It's pure wool and the right weight."  My heart leaped - until she said, "I'm not sure we have more, though."  Off she went to the back to check and came back with her arms full of this lovely yarn!

I did wind up changing patterns and have now started my first top down sweater. In case that sounds strange, it means you start knitting at the neck and work down to the waist - no separate sleeves or sides - it's all one piece.

Here it is on the kitchen table.  In this picture the color is more accurate than the next one.  It is black and the gray seems almost blue; it reminds me of a crow's feathers. The pattern is a simple stockinette stitch; I didn't want to get into my beloved complicated stitches with black yarn.  It wouldn't show up well and therefore wouldn't be worth the extra work.

In this picture the yarn looks dark gray with lighter gray mixed in.  This one I'm including because while the color isn't correct, you can see the shading much better.  Fortunately, to my way of thinking, the shading doesn't pool (all the light gray clumping in specific areas which happens if the light color is added in regular intervals).  It remains random.

I had to stop knitting tonight because I want to take it in to the shop and possibly buy some more yarn.  I'm making the smallest size and I'm wondering if I should go up a size because I will be wearing winter clothing under the sweater.  If I do change sizes, I will need to increase some more and also purchase another skein of yarn.

There's always something, isn't there!