Seraphim Starts

Last night I swatched for Tilia. I’m so excited to start this sweater! As I worked on it I commented to DH that it was nice to be using the yarn specified in the pattern. He asked if that was unusual. Well, for me it’s very unusual.

When I first started knitting I knew nothing about the fibers and weights and how they behave. I was also very worried about spending a lot of money on my new endeavor since I wasn’t likely to stay with it long. (My basement has a series of shelves full of paints, fabrics, clay, glue, beads etc. In short, a quick survey of the materials found there would illustrate just how many crafts I have cast aside.) Due to this fiber ignorance and my recognition of my crafty ADD tended to substitute cheaper or more readily available yarns for the ones specified in the patterns.

These days, I know better and I can appreciate the finer yarns. (perhaps a little too well) I’m also convinced that I will be knitting for a long time. Still, I often find myself substituting yarns (with varying degrees of success) due to cost or my own pickiness. This pickiness is a problem.

One of the beautiful things about knitting is that you can create a wearable object that is exactly what you want it to be. You decide the fiber. You decide the fit. You decide the details. Most of all – you decide the color.

Here is the beginning of my Seraphim Shawl. I bought the pattern quite a while ago. A few months maybe. For a while it just sat because I couldn’t decide what yarn I wanted to use. Then inspiration hit and I knew just what color I was looking for but, predictably, it didn’t exist. Thankfully, Sundara was able to decipher my crazy description of what the yarn should look like and this is the result. I think it’s beautiful. It’s just really hard to photograph well. It’s a dark, midnight blue with bit of blue, purple, and green dancing across the surface like an oil slick. What do you think? Can you see it?

By the way - Stink is testing for another belt tonight. Wish her luck!