Yarns to Love
Come on, Spring: Sylph Is Back!
The other night as I walked out around 5 p.m., I had a strange feeling. What was going on? I realized the strangeness was that it was not dark yet. It was not even full-on twilight. The light is returning. Spring really is on its way to us here, one pale crocus at a time.
Spring’s imminence turns my fancy toward the delicious idea of shedding the puffy coat of doom and wearing lighter, airier clothing.
It makes me want to cast on another Shakerag Top, Amy Christopher’s nearly-but-not-quite-transparent envelope of a top from Field Guide No. 6: Transparency, whose stripes are formed in a simple, ingenious way, by alternating 10-row sections of single and double strands of the same yarn.
And what a yarn: Sylph, Jade Sapphire’s strong, swingy, and soft blend of 52 percent cashmere and 48 percent linen.
I started my own Shakerag Top in the early spring of 2018 . . .
And I’ve worn the heck out it ever since.
The backlit photo of the Shakerag Top above shows the striping beautifully, but in reality the Shakerag is not so transparent. To get an idea of how it looks on humans, take a look at the many projects on Ravelry. (Cute—that’s how it looks, on so many different body types and with so many different outfits.)
Good News
Guess what, friends? In anticipation of spring, and Shakerag Top season, we’ve renewed and refreshed: Sylph is back in stock!
Our palette (see gallery up top) of hand-dyed shades skews toward colors that have sold best over the years since we first started carrying Sylph. We will vouch for the wearability of every one of these shades. Pure yummy lightness, whether in neutrals or tender pastels.
Which one should I choose? I’m thinking of going toward the deep blues of Extinction, since my Shakerag the First is in the more neutral Rustle. But the pale lemon of Maidenhair is so fresh and zippy. What to do?
I’ll think about it a little longer, while spring gets closer.
What a fun light hearted project this could be! I think my daughter might Ned this too! Time to pick colors and put away the heavy winter projects! The grandsons can’t wear those oily caps til the fall anyway!
Oh dear: do I feel a Sylph coming on?
That top looks great on you! Do the cap sleeves really drop to that perfect length? Love it.
It must be time for me to cast on. Is the gauge you list on Ravelry after washing?
Since you asked which color to choose, well, why choose just one? The stripes are made by sections knitted with one strand of yarn alternating with sections knitted with two strands of yarn. Idea No. 1: Use one shade of yarn throughout, but add another shade in the sections knitted with two strands. Idea No. 2: Use three shades of yarn — one for the one-strand sections, and the others in the two-strand sections. Idea No. 3: To hell with choosing colors. Fassettize it with coins, pinwheels, pitchers, chevrons, etc., in the two-strand sections.
Olive, you’ll have to take yourself for walks while Kay ponders the possibilities.
It looks like it could be fun and maybe light.
Lovely yarn, clever pattern. I blended several colors for stripes, which was fun as well. Looking forward to getting it out, but probably not soon enough@