Wheeeeee!

It came! It came! My Colette has arrived! This is what my gorgeous custom dyed yarn looks like:


The row of skeins in back looks slightly more blue than the row in front, because they are. The blues in the far group are more in the range of ocean, while the front row of skeins has more green. The apple green in the front skeins really pops (which I can't seem to get the darned camera to see!) and looks just delicious against the deep blues and mauves. I will probably use these hot green skeins for the quarter panels of the bias knit bodice.

The subtle differences in the colors of each skein illustrate exactly why I love hand-painted fiber so much. I love the process of figuring out how to use each skein to best advantage, and each project is unique. No one else on earth will have a Tilt Jacket exactly like mine. Can't wait to get started!

Of course, I must make myself finish the socks in Legend before I get to swatching the new swag. I decided that size 2.25 mm needles were really too small for this yarn, and that the sock pattern 80 sts around was really too big. This is the second pattern I've attempted with these socks, and then abandoned. Fortunately I didn't get too far into the second stitch pattern before realizing I didn't like it.

The third pattern is working just fine. I found the stitch pattern in the Interweave Sock book I raved about last week, but decided not to use Ann Budd's actual pattern. After three attempts I knew what this yarn would do, and how many stitches to cast on, and didn't feel I needed a pattern.

Here's a close up of the stitch pattern, slightly stretched, the way it will look while the sock is being worn. And a shot of sock number one, nearly finished. I cast on 66 sts onto size 3.25 mm needles, and dropped down to 2.75 mm after about four inches.

The socks are knitting up nice and thick, just the way I wanted then to, and will I'm sure be very warm.

Love, love loving the colors! There is no pooling at all.