Or, a case of sequential faux-pauxs:
Lisa (Knitware and Dyeworks), sent me two hanks of hand-dyed fingering wool. The colors
I chose are a gorgeous orange named Aqua Fresca, and a pale magenta called Foxglove.
These pictures were taken on the 18th of April and this blog post was started then. All but the swatches were saved in a draft in preparation for the week after my oral surgery on the 23rd of April.
And then the faux-pauxs began. I sent an email that went astray, followed by a flurry of apologies.
The details aren't important now, suffice to say that Murphy's Law applied to most things that happened pre-surgery.
I felt like this cat. Whoops! Nothing I did was right. I couldn't seem to get my head out of the glass, so to speak!
After a very tough week post surgery, I appear to be on the road to recovery! And as for the rest of my pratfalls, I am sitting down a lots and knitting a bit. I have sworn off emails until I am through taking pain pills.
Back to knitting. When I first looked at the yarn Lisa sent, I decided that it was too fine for Fair Isle work. I decided to use it for lace. After swatching a bit, I discovered I was wrong about that.
I have decided to go ahead with my original plan of using the yarn for garment. It will be a light weight stranded pullover. I have gotten more of a jacquard look using the 2 colors. I realized the fabric was just the right weight for a pullover I could wear in this temperate climate.
Pullovers are usually too warm and scratchy for me. This yarn is lighter and softer. As it turns out, this yarn is turning out to be a blessing in disguise.
This is a real artsy (sic) shot for me. I laid the swatch on the keyboard of the laptop, with the flower photo on the computer. There are several motifs on this piece of knitting. The colors seem to change with in the light. These pictures were taken last night both with a flash and without one.
The pattern I designed is simple modified T pullover. The motif is a 64 stitch repeat that I did several years ago.
I did use a 2 other colors in the ribbing. Some Devon 4 ply in a color called Rouge, and some fine old Rowan botany 4 ply in an aubergine color.
These photos were taken in natural light this morning and is closest to the actual colors and look of the fabric. I am trying to make the strands a bit tight to get more of a 'pop' in the design.
Hopefully, the faux-paux period is over and my mouth is slowly healing. I thought last night how boring a baby's diet really is. Mashed bananas, sweet potatos, smashed peas... ugh! I better get used to it because it is going to be a minimum of 20 -30 weeks before I will be able to chew anything of substance. Like steak! In the meantime, I will continue on with my knitting.
The colorwork is lovely, Junie. I would leave off the ribbing though and put a plain border on. Just my $.02 - not worth too much these days. ;)
Feel better soon!
Posted by: Romi | 04/30/2007 at 09:42 AM
I love the colorwork. Like Romi, I also don't love the ribbing. I think it looks too heavy for the delicate pattern.
The dental work sounds horrible. You have been and will continue to be in my prayers. Hope you continue to feel better. I miss you.
Posted by: Donna | 04/30/2007 at 09:55 AM
Glad to see you back on line. Switch to ice cream rather than baby food! I truly like the sweater fabric as laid over the keyborad but also think the dark color in the ribbing is too strong. Is this your first self designed sweater?
Posted by: AnneB | 04/30/2007 at 10:07 AM
I love those colors. And the pattern is great. I would go ahead with it. I am acutally a bit jealous about the project :)
Posted by: Morgan | 04/30/2007 at 10:39 AM
It looks wonderful.....it's a joy to see your work. Hope you will recover soon...!! At least you can get a lot of knitting done.....isn't it wonderful to have this hobby, when we are forced to take care and relax??:-)))
Posted by: Helle from Denmark | 04/30/2007 at 12:14 PM
Lovely! go for it!
Posted by: Laritza | 04/30/2007 at 01:02 PM
Wow, Junie, if this is what you're capable of on drugs just think what you can accomplish when clean and sober!! I think the design is lovely, the colors gorgeous and they'll be perfect for your coloring. I also love the ribbing, but after reading the other posts tend to agree that it might be a bit heavy for this design; however it would be striking on another project so don't completely discard that color combination. And welcome back ... I for one have missed you.
Posted by: Pru | 04/30/2007 at 01:40 PM
I like the colors in the ribbing--they SING together--but not with the lacy jacquard pattern you're doing IF those are the only two for the body. If that's your plan, I'd do plain rib in the orange OR the pink for the body. Or I might swatch orange and pink corrugated rib. But not orange, pink, yellow, and brown. It looks like the ribbing for one sweater migrated to another.
If you plan on doing some work with the darker colors as well, then yeah, the sweater will be marvelous.
Just my humble opinion, and you asked for it. (smile)
Spike
Posted by: Spike | 04/30/2007 at 04:40 PM
Junie- Wow- that's a long recovery period. Good thing ice cream comes in so many flavors.
I think what everyone is referring to about the ribbing is to use all the colors in the body of the sweater. Lovely pattern.
Posted by: Lorraine | 04/30/2007 at 06:04 PM
Junie, when I had oral surgery in December, I tried the Ensure supplements and the chocolate one is best in the high protein version. It doesn't seem to cause me to have a sugar crash as other supplements have previously, which means it has lots of complex carbs in it for slow absorption. I got about 3 hours of energy from one bottle. And I love the pattern you are knitting, can't wait to see how it turns out. But then you know I love two-colored knitting a lot anyway!
Get better soon!
Posted by: Helen | 04/30/2007 at 08:17 PM
Beautiful pattern, Junie! I'm so new to stranded knitting, I have to ask, why the fringe on the sides? Does one never purl?
I have a dentist appointment tomorrow, and I feel for you. Use your blender; make smoothies! Two bananas broken into pieces, a can of fruit cocktail or sliced peaches or something, a big glop of plain yoghurt, a heaping tablespoon of sugar, half a tray of ice cubes (and ice is good for the blender blades, I hear), and even my finicky meat-and-potatoes husband enjoys having one every single day. You can even add rum!
Posted by: Julie | 05/01/2007 at 08:05 PM
HELLO -missed your blog ,so glad to see you back - your new sweater looks like another amazing piece of work - don't worry about the email ,we all make BLOOPS
PATJ
Posted by: pat jarvis | 05/02/2007 at 04:15 AM
Thanks to everyone who made suggestions re: the swatch and ribbing. And you were right about the 2 styles not really working together. Thus, I am heeding your advice and trying some other things.
Also, thanks for the diet suggestions. They help. There are just so many mashed bananas one can eat. (g)
Posted by: junie | 05/03/2007 at 12:15 AM
My husband found me a cookbook at the library titled I Can't Chew by Mark A. Piper. It's real food, recipies that we still use. This too shall pass.
Posted by: Lynne Hamlin | 05/05/2007 at 08:46 AM