OK, I found my next exciting project. #29 from the recent VK Hol 2007. This sweater is so freakin’ sassy, I can’t believe it. Faux fur & satin pockets!
Actually, I like almost every sweater in this layout, which is a refreshing change – in the past couple of years I’ve spent more time going through my old back issues looking for exciting stuff to knit, than the current issues.
Kudos to VK for rediscovering their audience. I hope this continues!
On this little gem, I’m planning to substitute yarns – if I’m going to wear it over bare arms, it’s going to be in something a bit softer than Cascade 220. The main colors of off-white and light taupe will be in Rowan “kid classic” (lambswool and *MOHAIR*) – yummy!
Now I’m scouting out replacements for all the Fair Isle colors. I’d prefer to keep all the rest of the yarn the same brand/kind, but I’m having a hard time finding a line that has all the necessary colors. It calls for:
- dusty rose, raspberry (heather), salmon (heather);
- black, charcoal, light grey;
- something called “dark taupe” in the directions and “sage” in the chart – from the Cascade 220 color card, it looks like a pale greenish khaki color.
Nothing suitable in the stash – check. Time to go shopping!
I found e
xcellent matches for the black, charcoal & light grey in Berocco’s “Ultra Alpaca” – but from the color card at their website, it looks like there aren’t great matches for the other colors, especially the rose pinks. Possibly “Cyclamen” and “Beetroot”, which would both be darker, but that’s OK with me because redheads don’t do so well with dusty rose anyway. (At least, I don’t.)
I’m not married to the Ultra Alpaca yet, so I’m still on the lookout – I’d have to see the colors in person before I make that choice – we’ll see what happens.
But I’m pretty sure the salmon heather, which is used for just a few dots here and there in the charts, is going to be replaced by a salmon colored – *MOHAIR*!