I hate intarsia. Actually I don't think that quite covers how I feel about this particular technique. I loath it. It drives me nuts faffing about with twisting the yarns on the back, it totally messes with me getting into any kind of a rhythm knitting, and trying to do it on a train....!
So quite why it is I've set myself a near as damn it impossible deadline for an intarsia shawl is slightly beyond me. You really would think that I would learn wouldn't you? Not a bit of it :) A works dinner with my DH needed me to get a new cocktail length dress, and of course having found said dress my next insane thought was "ooh I know what would look good with that in terms of a wrap". For some reason, I forget what, I'd had the idea to use Habu's stainless silk for something knocking about in my head for a good month or so. You can see where this is going can't you? So a quick lunchtime trip to Loop later and I had two cones of the stainless silk, one of BC Garn's Jaipur Silk in black and another in red. Now you would think that the better end of 600m of each type would be enough really... yeah next time I design from scratch I really need to think that yardage thing through better. Been back already to get another black silk and another two of the Habu! Oh and all of this needs to be knitted by 21st so I can block it an pray it dries in time for the 22nd... that last bit might not be happening! Delights of using the Habu seems to be that blocking isn't really that needed, the steel bits rumple anyway and the silk sections have a really interesting drape all of their own. Its stiffer than normal silk, but still very drapy... almost like a very fine leather oddly!
So what is this nuts project like? Well so far it looks like this:
I've started with a single strand of the Habu, then moved to holding two strands of it together, before moving to the most solid area which is a strand of Habu with a strand of silk. The plan was to create a graded effect which actually shows up slightly less in real life. The dress itself is black with a lot of red patterning so I wanted something that wouldn't be too dark on my arms, but would have the wow factor of red on black across the back. That photo shows me just over a quarter of the way through the patterned area, with another graded section at the opposite end still to go as well! Some how I don't think I'll be getting much sleep next week!
So quite why it is I've set myself a near as damn it impossible deadline for an intarsia shawl is slightly beyond me. You really would think that I would learn wouldn't you? Not a bit of it :) A works dinner with my DH needed me to get a new cocktail length dress, and of course having found said dress my next insane thought was "ooh I know what would look good with that in terms of a wrap". For some reason, I forget what, I'd had the idea to use Habu's stainless silk for something knocking about in my head for a good month or so. You can see where this is going can't you? So a quick lunchtime trip to Loop later and I had two cones of the stainless silk, one of BC Garn's Jaipur Silk in black and another in red. Now you would think that the better end of 600m of each type would be enough really... yeah next time I design from scratch I really need to think that yardage thing through better. Been back already to get another black silk and another two of the Habu! Oh and all of this needs to be knitted by 21st so I can block it an pray it dries in time for the 22nd... that last bit might not be happening! Delights of using the Habu seems to be that blocking isn't really that needed, the steel bits rumple anyway and the silk sections have a really interesting drape all of their own. Its stiffer than normal silk, but still very drapy... almost like a very fine leather oddly!
So what is this nuts project like? Well so far it looks like this:
I've started with a single strand of the Habu, then moved to holding two strands of it together, before moving to the most solid area which is a strand of Habu with a strand of silk. The plan was to create a graded effect which actually shows up slightly less in real life. The dress itself is black with a lot of red patterning so I wanted something that wouldn't be too dark on my arms, but would have the wow factor of red on black across the back. That photo shows me just over a quarter of the way through the patterned area, with another graded section at the opposite end still to go as well! Some how I don't think I'll be getting much sleep next week!
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