Three Sweaters

 

I am dreaming of sweaters.  I am dreaming of sweaters whose yarns are not represented in the pile of yarn-to-be-knit.  I am dreaming of sweaters for which the raw materials are most likely not anywhere in my stash. I am dreaming of three sweaters.  There appear to be some similarities between the sweaters, but appearances can be deceiving. 

These sweaters invaded my brain in the order shown above.  In terms of discussion however the last shall be first.

 

 

 

I first fell in love with this sweater when I saw an advertisement for it in one of the spring knitting magazines.  The pattern book was not yet available.  Eventually I ordered it and it arrived yesterday.  The bodice and peplum are knitted separately in Stacy Charles' Muse which is a 65% viscose, 25% cotton, 10% polyamide (nylon) blend. I find that I still love this sweater, I could easily order the yarn, and I might have something appropriate in my stash but there is still that pile of yarn in the corner.

Now this sweater is somewhat problematic.  I like the sweater, but I think it looks dumpy in the photograph.  It is swirling around in my head at the moment because of its similarity to the Anny Blatt sweater (first picture above).  But wait, you might say, those sweaters are only marginally alike.  Well, actually.....

The shape of this sweater is very much like the first sweater, both are fitted classic shapes.  I have checked the schematics and both are remarkably alike when knitted to the same size.  Of course the yarns are quite different and the drapes of the sweaters will be quite different. The Rowan Sweater is knit in Cotton Glace which will not hang with nearly the body skimming drape of the Anny Blatt Sweater.  But there are many color choices available and I think this sweater has great potential. And although I normally would wear the colors shown for this sweater, I think the muted color adds to the dumpy image of the sweater.  I would knit this in something much more vibrant.

But obviously the Rowan sweater is an "also ran".  I am thinking about it due to indecision about the sweater I really covet which is the Anny Blatt sweater, named Padies:

So why didn't I order the yarn for this sweater when I placed my Anny Blatt order?  Indecision. Simple indecision. This sweater is knit in alternating stripes of 5 yarns, all in the same color, except for the Victoria ribbon which is used in two colors in the bottom eyelet section.  This sweater is shown in a color called Tango, which is  a light orange (yellow red) with contrasting stripes in Crepuscule, which is deep prune (or a deep red-purple)

So what alternatives are there?  I found two. 
    FAIENCE which is, as you might have guessed, shades of blue.
    GERANIUM which comes in shades of red, perhaps pink-blue red

I like Geranium, but the new yarn used for the bodice, Selene, does not come in Geranium, although every other yarn used in this sweater does come in that shade.  Selene comes in two shades of red and it is possible that one of them would work.  As for the contrast, if Geranium is a medium-to-light red-purple, the contrast, in keeping with the design above, should be a deep Yellow-Red which would make it something that reads as a dark brown.  I would think that I would try for the colors Ecorce or Moon. Of course if geranium is orange-red or true-red, the contrast option would have to be different.

Now, every yarn comes in color Faience.  So that problem is solved.  But I already ordered yarn Selene de Bouton D'or for this sweater (click to enlarge):

There is also a fair amount of blue yarn in that pile of yarn sitting in the corner of my studio, waiting to be knitted.  I seem to be running a blue streak right now, which is fine, I can wear certain shades of blue quite well, but generally I am more of a green and plum kind of person.  So I wonder if I want more blue.

Faience also looks, and it is difficult to tell this on web samples, like it might be a little darker than the other two yarns, although it is possible that other yarns could be blended in to give the sweater a more light-toned look.  Also the yarn appears to me to read as more true-blue, which makes the contrast a little more difficult.  In the model sweater the sweater is all made in shades of one primary color -- in this case red.  A light yellow-red sweater with dark purple-red accents.  In the case of a Faience sweater I would need to use accents in another color, I suppose running to one of the secondary colors on either side -- green or purple, but the contrast is not as appealing to me.

As I write this it sounds more and more like I am leaning toward geraniums doesn't it? Originally I leaned toward blue, but that was before I started considering the contrast.

But I am not supposed to be ordering yarn.  And I do, in truth, feel a little overwhelmed in the yarn department right now.  Cotton Glace will be available, no problem, but the other yarns might not be.......

And this is how I talk myself into accumulating a yarn collection.

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[Gina]

Look to the stash. Look to the stash...