Monday, December 6, 2010

Emerging from the stash...

One expects that the loyal followers will have fled to more productive areas over the last thirty days. I have been driven to sort the stash as it were. Sales, though not exactly brisk, have been satisfying. Feel free to dash over to My eBay and avail yourself of my offerings.
Up side to the destashing was the emergence of the "Aran Sweater." Totally deserving of the quotation marks.


The pattern was given to me in photo copied form back when I had the store. I have no idea what book it came from other than it was a Patons design. A friend of a customer came in one day wearing the original and I was overcome with admiration. She "gifted" me with a copy of the pattern which I have hoarded lo these 7-8 years.
Fast forward to 2007 when I purchased the wool to make same. I cast on for a size small and when the knitting "shrank" on the needles (or I got bigger) knitting came to a screaming halt.
Finally, reaching the bottom of the cedar chest, I unearthed a layer of heather beige wool and the knitting in progress. It is every bit as lovely as I remembered. Unfortunately, no pattern. Let me tell you I photo copy patterns like my mother clipped recipes.
Ever confident that I would locate it easily, I went through this lot ....

and then I went through these...

this is ridiculous saith I, as I went through this pile....

I spent and hour on Ravelry, searching, bobbles, honey comb, popcorn, trellis, aran etc... nada
Then I remembered!! In the last folder of the last file in the bottom of the drawer of the cedar chest. I found it.

One day I am going to regret killing of so many brain cells fussing about this. However demented I will be I will be cozy in my Aran jacket. I am already thinking of modifying the collar and I will have to make it shorter. A finished length of 36" aka 3 feet would only leave me 2 feet and a bit left over for the rest of me to function. 
Last night I completed one pattern repeat and as I am temporarily laid off from my employment I foresee a day of knitting and a "Lark Rise to Candleford"  marathon.
Finally completed the Linen Stitch scarf. Love it! All the texture of a woven piece but knitted. Wonderful.

San Marco Byzantine Scarf

Knit in three hand dyed colour ways from the Knitman's Kitchen.

3 comments:

VRLodge said...

Like I suggested before, get some cheapy shoeboxes with lids, and stash the pattern with the material, put a photo on the outside to remember at a glance what you have....
Me so organized!

Arlene

Susan said...

Besides the cedar chest I have about 24 plastic bins with yarn and beads, not counting the closet with the bins of needle work and fabric and roving.
Not all yarn etc has a pattern per se, these things are subject to the whims and mood of the designer and the phases of the moon.

Granny's Girls said...

Your aran sweater will be beautiful. I also love the scarf. Good job mum.

~Daugter #2