I posted this photo at the end of my ode to a beautiful autumn day on Tuesday and man, did I ever pique your curiosity! So, without further ado, here are the details.
Pattern: Glitz at the Ritz by Helen Stewart.
Yarn: TFA Cosmic Blue Label in Tartan.
Ravelry Project Page here.
I've been teasing you for a while now with images of sparkly yarns. I plan on having this yarn available for everyone soon, I promise! It won't be all teaser shots forever! I wanted to knit a sample with this sparkly new base (called Cosmic Blue Label since it's basically Blue Label but with shimmer!) before I made it available so I could A) give you all an example of what it looks like knitted up, B) make 100% certain that I loved it enough to add it to the collection, and C) show off my new favourite colourway all at the same time!
I chose the Glitz at the Ritz pattern because it's a beautiful free pattern and because I thought that it would highlight both the yarn and the colourway perfectly. I has a good mix of open lace and stockinette stitch, with just a touch of garter stitch thrown in. It's a very good sampling of how this yarn performs with different stitches. I also happen to love the shape. That rounded triangle is so lovely. The picot edging, fabulous. I love this one.
There were a few very exciting things about this sample knit for me. The most obvious good news is that I love the base! The sparkles add a hint of luxury without being overly glittery, which I was afraid of. It's just the right amount of shimmery glam. It's also very soft and wearable. I was worried that the sparkling threads would be scratchy, but they are not. So the base is a winner, yes! And then there is the colour! Conceptualizing these rich, multi-tonal, non-striping colourways are sometimes better in my head then they are in reality. There is always the risk that something that looks dynamite in the skein will knit up to look like messy pools of chaos. But Tartan, Tartan is beautiful. It would work for anything from socks to sweaters to gorgeous sparkly accessories like this.
Chris and I are working hard behind the scenes to try and get enough of this yarn and colourway died up, along with a few other treats, to put together an October Etsy update. I do intend to add both the yarn and the colourway to my permanent collection, but that will take a bit more time, so in order to make this available to you as soon as possible Etsy is the way to go this month. Be sure to sign up for the TFA Newsletter to stay in the loop about the updates!
