It's that time of the year when Nascar, PA. holds its annual Farm Show. Most of you weren't around for last year's jollies, but yours truly proudly took home a blue ribbon. Never mind that no one else entered my category. This was no doubt because they were all entering the crocheted toilet paper holder category (ok, slap me, sometimes the snark just needs to happen), but still, I won dammit. This year I am not so sure...there is some mega competition out there. I don't know, should I be concerned that the most talented knitter I have ever met, you know, the one who knits the Alice Starmoresque samples for our LYS, has entered all my categories? She is a doll and I love her to pieces, which is a good thing because if it were anyone else, I'd have to be breaking our my Moroccan evil eye routine. We'll find out on Thursday if my little Shedir and February Baby Sweater can bring home some Farm Show bacon. Fingers crossed!
Now, your input. I generally seem to know when something is or isn't working, but I feel that in this case, my desire for the project to work is severely hindering my ability to see if it is in fact working. Remember that I try to abide by the 'fancy pattern + plain sock yarn / plain pattern + fancy sock yarn' formula (hence my dislike for every Rockin' Sock Club pattern this year). Pictured above you see the beginnings of some Twisted Flower socks that I am doing in a swap. The swap part is key because a. I have terribly low standards for myself and b. I don't want my partner to curse me for getting stuck with a shitty sock. Is this Fleece Artist Sea Wool in Tangerine too busy for the pattern? Do I need to tone it down to some solid yarn in order to showcase the pattern? Please tell me what you think. It's still early enough that if I have to rip it (or start it in another yarn) I will...
35 comments:
I think the yarn might be a teeny bit too busy for the Twisted Flower - only because I know how intricate the amazing pattern is, and you would hate to lose any of it:) Maybe this sock is for me??:) Wishful thinking!
I also try to follow that sock formula, and I do think this violates it a little. Gorgeous yarn though! I hope you kick butt at the farm show. You gonna get to eat those cupcakes?
I am also a follower of the plain/fancy rule but I'm not seeing a problem here. Maybe it's just my computer but I'm not seeing enough variation in the color to detract from the pattern. Good luck bringing home the farm show bacon - I missed the local deadline this year but hope to go for the glory next year!
Here's my vote- I really like the way the colors are knitting, I say keep going. I do agree that the yarn is 'overpowering' the pattern but it works.
Also Shedir totally deserves a blue ribbon.
Honest? Because I wouldn't want the snark to be turned on me... But I think this pattern calls for a solid. I love that yarn, but I'd save it for another project.
As for the Farm Show, I'm sure you'll clean up with the Shedir. And who can resist the Zimmermann pattern. Good luck!
Those cupcakes look sooo yummy. :)
On the sock, it's hard to tell when it isn't on a foot to see what stretching will do to the pattern. It is lovely yarn.
Ah, the farm show scene. I went to many a farm/tractor/fair/Grange thingy growing up in eastern PA. Makes me nostalgic...
I'm with you on the STR club patterns. I can't decide whether I am going to sign up for next year or not. I just got my first shipment of Woolgirl's club and I am much happier with that one right off the bat.
Hope you kick butt at the farm show!! As for the sock, that doesn't seem like an overly varigated yarn. It's more of an atonal/analogous looking colour. In that sense I think it's working. Unless you go for a total solid, what else would you use? I would probably keep going with it... but that's me.
Good luck with the farm show!
As for the sock, I think you need to feel comfortable with it. If you're not sure about it, you'll never feel comfortable passing it on.
In general, I'm of the semisolids-are-good-for-everything camp, but I was just thinking yesterday that Twisted Flower might be the one exception I've seen so far. (That and pam's crazy Herbstlied sock.) I think it might need a straight-up solid.
Good luck at the farm show!
Good luck with the show. I am sure that you will kick bottom. WRT the sock, I like the way that it is knitting up. The colour is great. But then I like stong patterns with strong colours. Whether you should rip it depends on whether you want the pattern to share honours with the yarn, or whether you want the pattern to sing alone with the yarn doing the harmony.
i'm looking at that tangerine and trying to picture it in a stockinette sock and I think that would be not so exciting as it is right now.
I'm with you on the rule and all but every now and then I think there's some yarn that in spite of it's busy-ness, likes a good pattern.
I had some Regia Bamboo that definitely loved the effects of a pattern in spite of it's busy-ness.
I'm thinking every rule is made to be broken every now and then.
Hi - your pal here, looking for some advice before I cast on for your socks.
Good to know what you're doing (I *nearly* did twisted flower too, so a close shave!) there will be cabling though.
I think it looks ok, but it's hard to tell with reds on cameras - maybe show it to us slightly pulled out, so we can get an idea of the stitch definition (I think the definition looks goo tho)
I was wondering if you could give me some slightly more specific notes on your foot size - length and circumference!
(post it through one of the 'hostesses' if you don't want to do it publicly on your blog!)
Hmmm...Hand knit + variegated + bright colours + intricate pattern... doesn't that make quite 'beaucoup de monde dans une chaussette' ??
Curse me... sometimes I feel our love for yarns and patterns makes us forget that a garment should never boast more features than its owner.
Good luck with the competition !
;-)
Um, well, to be perfectly honest, I can't really see the pattern. But then again, all the examples of Twisted Flower I've seen have been modeled on feet or sock blockers, so it could be the case that it's just one of those patterns that looks like (for lack of a better word) crap when it's all scrunched up. Offhand I wouldn't say the yarn is too busy for the pattern, but I'd have to really *see* the patterning in this sock to know for sure.
I always try to follow that rule too! However I can't see much variation in the colours of that yarn - maybe it's my monitor...
Yah, I hate to say it, but I think it might be time to take the sock to the frog pond. I too am usually not very happy when I try to mix variegation with pattern, though there are exceptions to the rule (like your pretty February sweater) but I don't know if this sock is one of them. Twisted flowers is such a complicated pattern... The yarn is super-nice, and you should be able to enjoy it fully. So if it bugs you, I say frog!
Don't count your farm show knits out, they are seriously lovely contenders my friend. Good luck!
It's tough to tell from the photo,but I think you'll be okay. Right now it is looking a little jumbled. However, I think that may just be beacause it isn't stretched on a foot.
That is a gorgeous color! Your sock pal is quite lucky!
Good luck with the Farm Show.
Hmmmm, it's looking a bit busy-ish to me, but it could be the photo. Can't tell for sure.
My money's on the Baby Sweater for the blue. The Shedir is lovely, but I think the sweater shows off mad skills.
Sending blue ribbon vibes your way! I don't think the yarn is too busy for that pattern. It's just really loud yarn, which I think is awesome.
Maybe too busy. Great yarn tho!
Good luck in the farm show!!! I'm sure you'll do well. And if not, cupcakes for all. :)
It's really tough to say, I think, from the picture. I think the flash is washing out the pattern a bit and it's not stretched out. The colors look close enough to one another that you might be okay?
(Great pattern! Every time I see someone else's project, I want to change my mind about my own! :)
I think you need a different yarn for that pattern. I love the yarn, but it's hiding the stitch pattern, and if you're going to the trouble of doing a fancy pattern, well...you know. Sorry. You're not too far along, though, so I don't feel awful about telling you the truth!
Good luck!
Hmm...I don't know - I'm so bad about giving advice so I'll just go with whatever everyone else says.
The yarn and pattern combo look great to me. I think it will turn out just swell. Wow! I wish Brooklyn had some kind of fair like the one you're having. It looks like a lot of fun. I know I'll see a ribbon or two on your blog soon!
I think the pattern would show better with a matte finish yarn. But that's just my opinion, lol. That tangerine yarn is fabulous! You should use that for some basic ribbed socks and enjoy the fabulousness of it.
I don't find a problem with it. I like the colour—orangey-pink?. And I would definitely pick Shedir out in a heartbeat!
still feel the same about the yarn/pattern combo. nix it and go for solid-er yarn. and keep that pretty shiny tangerine goodness for yerself.
I think if you're knitting such a complex pattern, then you need to do justice to your work with a matt, solid yarn... sorry. :)
Good luck with the show!
As for the sock, it's kind of hard to tell from the pic, but it doesn't look that bad to me.
Jessica
Weeeel, honestly? I can't see the pattern on my computer which doesn't mean a whole lot...but I'm thinking that this yarn doesn't need a pattern to shine and that pattern needs a plainer yarn to shine...this opinion and a $1.50 will get you a cup of coffee.~&:O)
sorry to say, The color doesn't complement the pattern. Its hard to see. Shedir is sure to win a blue ribbon!
Great picture of all of the jars! And Shedir is going to be hard to beat..
Yeah I'm not feelin' the yarn/pattern combo... The yarn is fab, and the pattern is insane (and fab) but together maybe not so much...
Ummmm, YUM on the cupcakes and heck, even the canned goods look pretty darn good.
I would go for a solid sock yarn.
Here's to crossing my fingers for you to bring home another blue ribbon!!
I LOVE FA Sea Wool, but my vote, if it still matters, is to switch to another yarn. I will tell you what that sea wool looks good as though, Snickets. Seriously.
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