What to Do With Wool?
My pastor, who is a spinner, has given me a bunch of lovely, hand-spun wool. It's a beautiful silvery color, worsted weight. She thinks I'm going to knit a sweater for myself, but I'd love to knit something for her. I was thinking of a felted cardigan or jacket. Have any of you done anything like that? Any recommendations for patterns?
Or should I not risk it and stick with an un-felted sweater?
I liked the recommendation of knitting a swatch and have done so -- it's in the washer now.
I welcome all suggestions.
posted by Cindi Myers at 10:30 AM
9 Comments:
If it wasn't handspun, I'd say, go for it. But ALL those hours of handspinning? I'd be a nervous wreck.
Looking at those silver balls of yarn, I see a Bavarian twisted stitch cardigan. Something subtle and elegant, yet visually interesting.
HTH!
I am a spinner and the thought of felting handspun makes me feel slightly ill :). Handspun makes lovely shawls - I did the flowerbasket by fiber trends out of some of my first and it turned out really beautifully. I could also see something with cables...
It does seem such a waste to hide the lovely subtle effects of handspun by felting it. A shawl would showcase that without all the angst of matching a handspun yarn to the right commercial garment pattern.
What gorgeous yarn! Definitely a shawl, Cindi, for aesthetic and emotional reasons. The openness of a shawl would let the silvery glow catch the light while the symbolism of a shawl (prayer shawl, comfort shawl, etc.) would play into your pastor's chosen profession.
OK, I'm leaning toward not felting it. But Kay is not a shawl kind of person. She's a rugged outdoors type. The perfect pastor for the Colorado mountains. So I'm leaning toward a sweater with cables.
Or -- anyone have a pattern for a liturgical stole?
Keep the suggestion coming!
Knit Picks has (had) a fabulous pattern that sounds like it might work, Cindi: it's a cabled wrap/shawl combo with pockets! It's not lacy, not lightweight. A practical garment. (And did I mention cables??)
(Clearly I can't shut up today.) Cindi, another idea: The Celtic Cardigan by (I think) Oat Couture. It's on my TBK list. I think it would be gorgeous done up in the handspun.
I'm shutting up. Really I am.
Don't shut up, Barbara. I'm loving all these suggestions.
I couldn't find the Knit Picks pattern, but I found the Celtic Cardigan -- that is gorgeous! I think that may be the one! Thank you.
I have absolutely nothing useful to say but had to comment about what a stunningly beautiful gift that is! Gorgeous handspun yarn! Wow! Won't your pastor be surprised and delighted to get an equally beautiful gift in return!
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