Tuesday, September 01, 2009

AUTUMN GRASSES SHAWLED CARDIGAN POSTED

Autumn Grasses Shawled Cardigan (short version)

One of my favorite designs, this breezy shawled cardigan best captures my love of color and texture evoking the natural world and yet it's taken me years to release it, mostly because I've had interest in 1) placing it in a magazine and 2) placing it in a book but, in the end, I couldn't commit to a single yarn manufacturer without ruining its spirit. You know I'm not yarnogamous. My projects are always begging for yarn exploratories including stash dives.

So, finally, it's here: the Autumn Grasses Cardigan, updated in two lengths. You'll be seeing me wearing mine a lot this autumn (along with the Berber jacket for cooler days) because I love the attitude, the feel and the spirit. If it captures you, too, go foraging, my friends. Seek textury yarns to mix with plainer fair, anything recommended for a size 5mm/US 8 needle. I've put together a sample foragers list that can be purchased through a single online shop to make things easier but I know there will always be a few who prefer the thrill of the hunt.

The stitches used are seed, garter, and yarnover-knit2-togethers with a sprinkling of seed-pod bobbles. The shorter version has a closer, near-bolero shape, though the stitch combination keeps the hand light and airy. For the longer version, I've designed the shape to fall straight for more hip-skimming elan so that there's a style here for any body.

Not into mustard? Imagine knitting one of these in wheaty-golds, straw or even all brown? Despite the airplay surrounding colors, there's a hue of every color to fit every complexion. Whereas these colors definately fall in the autumn spectrum, a blonde could go wheaty beige, a winter into pale winter-white stroked with shots of black. Imagine one of these knit all in grey, tone on tone.

Autumn Grasses Long

Tapes, ribbons, wool…anything goes

Pattern available for sale here: http://www.janethornley.com/patterns_coats.html#13