Now that spring has officially arrived, it’s time to dive into spring knitting! There were some amazing inspirations at Stitches West. My favorite was the Fatto a Mano 199 Collection by Lang yarns.
You can find the details on that knitting magazine here:
http://www.woll-bachmann.com/Lang-Yarns-Fatto-a-Mano-199.php
For anyone who is enamored of European knitwear designs, this magazine is a must buy. And for those of us who are obsessed with kidsilk haze yarn, there is an impressive array of lightweight silk/mohair designs. One of the most ingeniosu patterns is a color-blocked pullover ranging from raspberry to sherbet:
Design 2 from Fatto a Mano 199
This captivated my imagination immediately, and fits perfectly with some of the radiant new shades of kidsilk haze that Rowan has released for Spring/Summer 2014:
KSH 608, 614, 606
Kidsilk haze #606, Candygirl, is an old favorite, but the other two shades are new. The peach color is #608 Sweet and the red is #614, Strawberry. These colors scream summer, don't they? This sweater reminds me of the sorbets and ice creams I make annually with the blood oranges and raspberries that grow in my garden. Perhaps this year I’ll hold the ice cream and knit this fabulous sweater instead!
There is an array of flirty little dresses in Fatto a Mano’s #199 as well, which could be easily made with Rowan kidsilk haze, or the Lang Yarns Mohair Luxe the patterns are designed for.
Designs 3 & 4 from Fatto a Mano 199
Don’t you think these could make fun beach coverups? I have beach wear on my mind because in May, my husband and I will be sharing a beach house in South Carolina with friends. Beaching is a serious endeavor there—the tent goes up on the sand first thing in the morning. If I’m going to spend most of the day in a bathing suit, I’m definitely going to want the option of a light semi-sheer dress to wear over it. Here is one possibility for the yarn:
Miss Babs’ Alpacacita: Naughty Fairy
Don't you think the tropical look of this 2ply lace yarn is just right for a beach party? Then again, this yarn is so pretty that I have an endless variety of projects for it. The Miss Babs hand-dyed yarn stand was one of my favorites at Stitches West this year. She had some really gorgeous things, and I’m afraid I succumbed to temptation! For another as yet unknown project, I purchased a few skeins of “Yummy” Hand-Painted Fingering-2ply Superwash
Miss Babs’ Yummy: Funny Papers
Anyway, back to Fatto a Mano, there are a bunch more wonderful designs in that magazine, such as this intriguing mobius-style cape:
Design 13: Fatto a Mano #199
Not to mention this extremely intriguing braided cowl:
Design 54: Fatto a Mano #199
Stitches West certainly tempted us this year with some amazing yarns and patterns. The vast market creates a unique opportunity to see a huge variety of yarns in person, to touch the fibers and combine colors and textures together on the spot. I have some ideas for a Chanel-inspired cardigan as well, which I will start swatching for next week.
In the meantime, I am knitting a truly inspired Spring/Summer design from Rowan Magazine, authored by Kaffee Fassett:
Belarus by Kaffee Fassett
The man is a genius with color. Now this is a project that fits with my heirloom knitting philosophy. It has been very slow going, with the stripe colors changing almost every row, but it is worth it. This color combination is so unique and beautiful that it really is a one-of-a-kind piece. Knitting unique projects like this, which look expensive and chic, is the essence of heirloom knitting. This design is available free on the Rowan website here:
http://www.knitrowan.com/designs-and-patterns/patterns/belarus