Maybe I'm a Traitor

Ok so I went back to "made-in-pieces". I just can't give that up. I saw "Brocade" by Kaffe Fassett and I was just in love. It's a beautiful masterpiece of colorwork!!! I haven't done colorwork in years... wow not since the very first sweater I ever tried to make. I got frustrated with that one and didn't finish because I was still relatively new to more advanced knitting and couldn't get used to the complicated chartwork. I have never tried again with that sweater but maybe someday I will since I laugh its chartwork to scorn if I compare it to the one for "Brocade".

"Brocade" is gloriously beautiful and romantic. I also chose to do it in two colors that have very good contrast so the intricate pattern will be very apparent. It was kind of a pain on first beginning because I (most foolishly) tried to work the chart without enlarging and recoloring it so that my eyes were crossing trying to distinguish between green and blue boxes that were... probably a square millimeter!!! If that!!! Wow. When doing complex chartwork I have to actually scotchtape a piece of paper across the row I am doing just to be able to see what row I'm on without getting confused and knitting into another row.

I don't mean to be flaky with my projects but I was looking through pattern books and magazines and I saw "Brocade" again... I have flipped through Rowan Issue #28 many times but I had never really paid much attention to "Brocade" but when I saw it again and examined it and realized that it was stuck in my mind and not leaving I decided that had better go ahead and surrender. So I looked in my yarn stash in the closet to see what I had to work with and found black and cappucino Zara by Filatura di Crosa, one of my all-time favorite yarns. I had never meant to use those two color together and I was really surpised at just how well they go together! I guess this project was just meant to be... it was completely unplanned for!!!

Well other than the complicated chartwork the pattern is quite easy so far... and I am happy to say that it is coming out quite nicely... I have just finished the first 20 chart rows... the bottom-most scrolls... on the back so this sweater is at its very beginnings still. Anyway wish me luck...