Classy and Zauberball

Promo for my upcoming film, "Go Ask Alex.

This weekend I wrapped on principle photography for my latest project, “Go Ask Alex”.” In fact, the whole product wrapped on principle photography this week! I had a lot of fun working on this project and even made a new friend with my costar, Emily O’Neill, whom I have so much in common with it verges on magnificent and eerie at the same time. The film is a modern adaptation on the Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland. Emily and I play versions of Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumb, respectively. However, the screenwriter was kind enough to name my character Dinah, and Emily’s Dee. I’m not going to ruin anything else about it with spoilers. Needless to say it’s a very funny script and I cannot wait drag everyone I know to the premiere. ^_~

Fxa's finished Koolhass hat

Let’s talk about variegated yarn! I never really thought I’d say that, mostly because I’m not a sock knitter. Perhaps I could be talking into doing something like Cookie A German Stocking, but only because you can wear a skirt and show off your knee-highs without looking crazy/absurd. I’m sorry, but open toed sandals and sock are just never acceptable, and I’m not even doing to address the see-through clog phenomenon. I digress.

Lately in the store we’ve received two variegated yarns that I have fallen in love with. The first is pictured above. It’s Classy from Dream in Colour. ( 100% Merino Wool; 4.5 sts/inch (US 7-8); 250 yards / 4 oz: “Machine Wash Delicate” ) I gave the project to Fxa at the store. We had both knit the pattern last Christmas out of some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in a discontinued colour, so I immediately thought of her when giving out the piece. In fact I gave it to her on a Saturday, and then that Monday she had the hat for me. I swear Fxa’s knitting speed rivals most and keeps me pushing to knit faster every day!  ^_^ The pattern is by Jared Flood and is available for purchase online from Knitting Daily, since the issue of Interweave Knits that it was originally published in is now out of print. Normally I wouldn’t assign a variegated yarn from a heavily cabled pattern, but the DiC Classy has such a subtle change in colour, resulting in small hints of different hues that it really takes well to a textured knit. Since it’s a nice worsted weight machine washable I’d love to see it used in place of Debbie Bliss’s Cashmerino Aran on a nice cabled sweater or children’s jumper.

CC (left) starts at mauve; MC (right) starts at eggplant

I don’t have a finished picture as of yet for the other yarn we just got in, but it should be all finished soon. I also apologize for how blurry this photo above is. It’s of Schoppel-Wolle Yarns’ Zauberball ( 75% virgin wool/ 25 % nylon; 7-8 sts/inch (US 2-3); 420m/100g : “Machine Washable” ). I just love saying the name of this yarn. As you can see below I seperated the yarn into two balls. I used a kitchen scale and stopped winding the first ball halfway through. I noticed at the halfway point the yarn was at the opposite point in the colour reptition it was at at the beginning of the ball. Which is to say that if you wanted to socks with the same colour transitions you would have to either pull from the outside of the second ball, or rewind it again to start both socks at the same point in the colourway. However, what I had in mind for this yarn works perfectly with this property of the yarn. I’m making the transition gloves from Shi Bui Patterns. Instead of using two completely different solid colours like they did in the original pattern I’m going to use a technique I’ve heard people in the shop refer to as “the Noro technique.” Basically it means using one colourway of a variegated yarn in a pattern that requires colour stranding. Where the pattern would normally call for a different colourway of the yarn you simply use the same colourway but at a different point in the colour transition. This way your work transitions in the colourwork pattern like a nice Kauni sweater. I’m really curious to see what will result with this technique and this pattern, since the pattern is designed to make solid coloured yarn look like transitioning yarn, what will happen with transitioning yarn in a transitioning pattern! Madness I say, madness. Perhaps oscillation? Only time will tell.