Sublime summer knitting

The Crusade to Reduce Stash has been eating up the yarn in my cupboards and baskets, and it sure is a good feeling. While there is wool and warm acrylic yarn all over the house, its those unique cotton balls which give me the shivers! So much is written about the lifeless feel of cotton yarn, its inability to hold shape, the faded look, and so on. I had ordered some Nako cotton yarn many seasons ago, and it had been moving towards “forgotten corners”, when the thought of summer wear crept into my mind.

As part of Slow Fashion, hand made clothes are high on my list. Not much of a sewing expert, its knitting and crocheting which have to come to my rescue.

After searching and thinking and asking friends, I started this lovely pattern from Amy Herzog’s book, “You Can Knit That”. The latest addition to my knitting library, full of neat tips and instructions, this book had floored me, and I was determined to knit something from it at the earliest.

Of course, while knitting and thinking about yardage, the spectre of “Not-Enough-Yarn” rose like a shimmering mist and clamoured for attention. The yellow yarn had been discontinued now, so I got a few balls of a thinner cotton blend, in a different shade of green.

The initial plan was to knit the yoke cables in thin stripes of yellow and green…Total disaster..The cables and the colours looked like the diaper of a baby with indigestion. I could not wear that around my neck!Some mandatory ripping, some ingenuity in knitting, some modifications, and I have a lovely cotton sweater for the summer in the hills.

I had to thank the Net and all the knitting blogs and podcasts which powered me  to cast on the entire yoke without knitting the sleeves, reduce the yoke pattern by 8 rows, knit the sleeves downwards and add a few stripes of green to make it unique!

Its been one of the first sweaters which has been a success, the very first time. My sad saga of ripping and re-knitting is taking a break!

Its time to welcome the summer months….its time to knit some more cotton clothes….its time to celebrate! 🙂