Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Can't Stop. Must. Make. More.

Sandrine in Turn-A-Square
The Turn-A-Square continues to occupy my thoughts as it's allowing me to both delve into the recesses of the stash for perennial workhorses like Noro while at the same time exploring new colors like my current obsession, Lamb's Pride Worsted 'Silver Streaks at Nite'. (I'm a sucker for stoopid spelling like 'nite'--guess that 'ght' is not long for this world).
Sandrine in Turn-A-Square
Way back in the early days of being an lys accolyte at the table--you know, the table where you sit and knit and knitters that know better than you tell you everything you (never) wanted to know about their medical history and dysfunctional marriages, occasionally knitting would come up and people would make solemn pronouncements like "...never knit with black. Black is impossible to knit with". Somehow I accepted statements such as this one as axiomatic truth, because the more experienced knew so much more than me. It is for this reason that when I saw 'Silver Streaks' I initially internally scoffed at the notion, because, you know, black is forbidden and all, but upon further inspection I knew that it was destined to work. And now I want nothing less than an entire sweater out of this color. In your face, knitting trolls...
Lamb's Pride 'Silver Streaks at Nite'
Sandrine in Turn-A-Square
The Specs
Pattern:Turn a Square by Jared Flood
Yarn: Noro Yuzen (#1), almost a full skein and Lamb's Pride Worsted 'Silver Streaks at Nite', a half a skein. The Yuzen is a new one for me, and it's a winner. Although the gauge isn't a perfect match with the Lamb's Pride, the two together worked out fine . Babs has declared Lamb's Pride to be the most undervalued yarn around, and I must say that I agree.
Needles: Size 7
Mods: None
Sandrine in Turn-A-Square
This photo shoot is brought to you courtesy of the campus Botany Greenhouse, which was a welcome sight during today's sinister wintry mix. Its lush green foliage and thick, humid air were just what my model and I were needing to brighten our slog across campus. As you can see, I'm back to my trick of enlisting beautiful Frenchies to spice it up around here...


28 comments:

sophanne said...

Now I know to ignore the "black is too hard" knitting trolls myself. Thanks! That hat is great

Janet said...

If I ever manage to finish a Noro stripe scarf, this might have to be next on the list. Gorgeous.

Rose said...

Gorgeous! Maybe my eyes are bad but when I knit a cabled black hat I had trouble knitting at night; but I must say it was pretty. I may try the Jared hat myself since I just bought a ton of yarn!

YawnOver said...

I have to give the TAS hat a try - yours is lovely. Black does suck for knitting in low light. Yet, considering what a staple color it is in the wardrobe of us femmes d'une certaine age, I'm sure it will be worth the extra effort ;)

Anonymous said...

Trés jolie!

Jessica said...

Oh my god, this is the perfect entry to read right now-- I just got home from a knit night and I really got a laugh out of your description of the knitting trolls and their weirdly indiscriminate disclosures of their lives' horrors.

Too true, too true.

James said...

I concur with the lamb's pride sentiment. It feels way fancier than it should for under $10 a ball.

Pikku- Kettu said...

Get those knitting trolls!

Also, an incredibly cute hat. :)

Anonymous said...

That is so cool! Stomp those trolls!

Sarah said...

Did that "you can't knit with black" comment come from a let us say mature woman? Because it sounds to me like a case of "I can't see it well enough, so I don't knit with it, and if I can't knit with it, no one should!"

Love the hat. What's the fiber content of this Noro? I can't do Lamb's Pride because of the mohair, but I like how this Noro looks.

Amy said...

I knew that was Lamb's Pride when I saw this in my reader-that yarn gives the most glorious, beautiful stitch definition there is for under $10. LOVE it.

Great hat, and great model!

The WoodLand School said...

Love the hat ... and *love* the Lamb's Pride!

KeanaLee said...

I must give the campus greenhouse a try next time I am home....

Anonymous said...

What a great 'lite'-hearted post. A great antidote for the mid-winter blahs. Thanks.

Lola and Ava said...

I'm not a huge Lamb's Pride fan. The mohair drives me insane! However I love love LOVE Brown Sheep's Lanaloft! Same yarn, but without the mohair. Great stitch definition. Same beautiful colors. Just love.

L

Holli said...

Okay - this post had me laughing from the very start. I love the title and I know EXACTLY what you mean about the dysfunctional-marriage and medical-history conversations at the yarn shop!

Interestingly, I heard the same thing about knitting with black way back when I learned to knit at my LYS. Leaving class that night, I stopped and picked up two skeins of black yarn and promptly began knitting with it. I figured if I could knit with black when learning, I could knit with anything.

LOVE your hat!

gale (she shoots sheep shots) said...

So with you on the Brown Sheep. Must look for Silver Streaks- I think that's a greyish black I could love.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you on the Lamb's Pride. Such nice stuff.

And now I know what to do my with Noro Silk Garden leftovers!

Martha said...

I just made (kind of) the same hat. Black Turn A Square. I love it, and it's for my FIL so the black is a good fit. Yours is gorgeous.

a friend to knit with said...

phew! i just ordered some black yarn!!!

i LOVE your hat. it is gorgeous and so is your model!

nicole said...

Black is such a great classic colour, and it makes the Noro really pop. Though I will say in defense of the S&B biddies that I knit a shawl in black cobweb laceweight and that experience was definitely a non-refundable one-way ticket to macular degenerative disease.

Kim said...

Totally agree that Lamb's Pride is underrated. That Silver Streak at Nite is kick ass! I love black and black yarn and knit a black sweater last year. Love how you keep on cranking out those Turn a Square hats.

liset said...

I didn't know black had such a 'name'. I don't know why it should have a bad name.. The hat is beautiful! The coloured striping is great.

Anonymous said...

What do people have against black? I know it wouldn't show cables as well as a lighter color would, but it's a fundamental wardrobe staple. And it would be stellar for lace.

Anonymous said...

Yet another fab hat! I love the color, and the model is really working it. I, too, believe that Lamb's Pride is highly underrated.

Unknown said...

Love it! I have been wanting to knit one for myself for a long time. I'll keep lambs pride in mind next time!

Sourire11 said...

I totally agree with lambs pride being undervalued - it's a great workhorse yarn! Love how you used it here.

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