Letters
Diversion: Into the Woods
I was wandering around World Headquarters the other day looking for a sticky note. I ended up in the Land of Lichen and Lace, aka the cranny where we keep Megan Ingman’s hand-dyed yarns.
Before I regained my senses, I’d grabbed a batch of skeins of Lichen and Lace Worsted in the color known as Woods. By the end of the weekend, I was done with the back side of a new Easel Sweater, one of my favorite patterns from Field Guide No. 3: Wild Yarns.
I mean: I’ve already knitted three Easels—two using Lichen and Lace Worsted in the colors Pressed Flowers and Marsh Lily, all bright and springy.
But this time it’s all different. It’s Woods. Woods is a completely and totally different color situation. Woods captures exactly what I crave right now: the woods. I’ve spent every day since March walking the neighborhood and parks outside Nashville, admiring the trees, thinking about nature, absorbing as much of a forest’s deep, 3-D geometry as I can.
I just watch the colors land, row by row, and it’s so soothing.
The game with a supervariegated yarn like this is that you have to let go of any concern about what the colors are going to do. You have to simply knit, and watch, and marvel at Megan Ingman’s ability to make yarn that captures the beauty of a deep forest.
She puts greens, yellows, purply browns, and darkest umber in there.
I am not typically a knitter of sweaters using wildly variegated yarns. But there’s just something about this yarn that makes me lose all perspective.
It’s big news when a pooling effect starts, or when dark/light stripes kick in. I’m telling you, it’s the small things that are going to get us through the coming weeks and months.
The back side of the stockinette looks cool. Maybe this will end up a reverse Easel?
A First Sweater
Happily, our events coordinator Janet Berka has caught Lichen and Lace fever, too. She scooped up some Lichen and Lace Worsted in Shroom to make her very first sweater. It’s going to be an Easel.
I can’t wait to see how hers turns out. If she’d go ahead and livestream her progress, I’d tune in.
Love,
Ann
I love your free spirit approach, and I know you can be like this because of sound design sense and real skill. Very refreshing!
I’m thinking of this sweater as basically a giant sock. You know, that thing when you’re knitting with a wacky sock yarn and you just kind of go for it?
So . . . I’m curious as to whether you have alternated skeins of Woods or really just let the color happen?
It’s a regular Disney movie—I just let it go, let it go. My only planning was this: the front and back each require two skeins, so I opened up all the skeins before I started, so I could find pairs of skeins that have similar color proportions.
I’m not a fan of alternating rows with 2 skeins, too fiddly for me!
well that’s interesting because I thought that alternating skeins was a mandate rather than an option. Your sweater looks fabulous so now I’m inspired to try using just one skein and keep my fingers crossed.
I did alternate skeins of woods in the poncho I just knitted because two skeins were a bit more vibrantly colored and two skeins were a bit more muted. They blended beautifully! I alternated every two rows. It was the first time I’d done it, and it really wasn’t that fiddly. 🙂
OK now that makes all the sense in the world. Well done! I can imagine this giving a very cool effect. What pattern did you use?
I knit two Weekender Sweaters, you knit them inside out. The final sweater is worn pearl side out. It really is an enhancer to many yarn colors! Beautiful sweater and I have loved Lichen and Lace yarn for many years! Have you ever tried Machete Shop or House Of LA Mode yarn? Both favorites of mine!
Thanks for the heads up on new yarns to investigate! And yes, I am definitely intrigued by the reverse stockinette idea. It makes all the little blurbles of color do interesting things. Maybe it’s time to switch up this Easel.
Streaming Janet’s first sweater is a great idea and the Easel is a great first sweater. I can’t wait to see it.
Is the Easel sweater a beginner/ intermediate knitting project? If so, I’m interested!
Hi Oboygirl1! I think it’s a great project as a first sweater. Janet is motoring away on hers–maybe I can get her to share her experience with everybody.
Ann, I love what you call “the pooling and the stripes”, and the Woods colorway. Can’t waIt to see it finished!
Janet!!! Welcome to the world of sweaters that now lies ahead of you.
I love your devotion to the Easel sweater Ann! I can’t wait to see the sleeves…
Beautiful, beautiful yarn!
It’s looking good so far, but will it be a sweater, or will Kermit claim it as his 4,782 blanket? (Note to MDK staff: Order more sticky notes — and more yarn.)
YES! To Kermit, everything is a potential place to konk out for five or six hours.
Very, very inspired by the Woods too and YAY Janet! Can’t wait to see all of this come together!
Oh no! I just went to order 2 skeins of Woods, and your out. Will you be getting it back in soon?
You’re, of course. Need. More. Coffee.
Oh gosh I might have to do this now too because I LOVE Lichen and Lace……you guys are just temptation all over the place! 🙂
I really love the purl side in that colorway!
Me too! All those purly bumps break up the color in a neat way.
The first time I saw woods in a Facebook post I *had* to have it, so I quickly found a poncho pattern and bought the yarn from MDK! It took me all of 9 days to knit the poncho, and I am happily wearing it in this cooler weather. It is lovely to knit with, and the colors are very me. I did alternate skeins because my skeins were different enough in the vibrancy of the colors that I wanted to blend them, and it turned out great.
Funny when I look at it I see mickey mouse in the second picture. Nice colors
It’s totally a Rorschach test! I see somebody staring at me. Good thing this is the back side . . . Not sure I’d want to have my sweater staring at me every time I look in the mirror.
Now I can’t NOT see Mickey Mouse!
It’s there just follow the purplish and yellow pooling that’s the ears and see if you can see it.
Did you need to readjust for sport weight vs worsted.
Hi Uleedog! I got gauge on a size 7 US (4.5mm) needle, so I’m following the pattern as written. The original yarn for this pattern, Jill Draper’s Mohonk, is a gauge shifter and works well at a number of gauges. So it’s listed as sport weight but in the case of the Easel Sweater, it’s worked at a gauge of 18 sts = 4″ (10 cm). Which is what I am getting using Lichen and Lace Worsted.
Thank you!
Ann, how many skeins of the worsted do you need for the sweater? The original sportweight called for 5 and 2 – I assume fewer for worsted, but how many fewer? Thanks.
I grabbed six skeins of Lichen and Lace Worsted, (200 yd/182m each), based on my previous Easels using this yarn. I think I can get by with 5 skeins but have a sixth in case. I’m making the third size (40″ finished bust), and I haven’t picked the color for the contrasting sleeves, and am thinking no more than 2 skeins of worsted will be needed.
I really want to make this sweater and have two colours already picked out. But the thought of spending approx $176 for 8 skeins (which I guesstimated) has put a hold on this. But you are saying 5 or 6 skeins…. I’m a 41 bust and would want it a bit roomy but maybe I don’t need as many as I thought! It looks like so much fun!
I don’t know your financial situation, but if you can afford it without giving up something essential, you should do it. Joy and wonder are in short supply and we’re headed into all kinds of uncertain territory this winter. Give yourself this gift of comfort and joy. I don’t work for MDK, this is my personal yarn philosophy. ❤️
Oh wait, 5 skeins plus 2 more for the sleeves?
Thanks, Ann. That’s exactly what I needed to know. ;o)
I love how the pooling actually creates an image of a hazy woodland view <3
Woods is GORGEOUS!!! I think Daisy, Lola and I all need matching sweaters in this color. And I like the way it would look as a reverse Easel. (And I can’t wait until it’s cool enough in Nashville to break out my lovely gifted Easel in the Marsh Lily! =] )
And Janet – from knitting little phot swatches to a full sweater is amazing dedication that I wish I had! (My Breton Cowl is still waiting idly by on having gotten to the first welt….)
Woods is GORGEOUS!!! I think Daisy, Lola and I all need matching sweaters in this color. And I like the way it would look as a reverse Easel. (And I can’t wait until it’s cool enough in Nashville to break out my lovely gifted Easel in the Marsh Lily! =] )
And Janet – from knitting little photo swatches to a full sweater is amazing dedication that I wish I had! (My Breton Cowl is still waiting idly by only having gotten to the first welt….longest WIP ever)
The backside is very cool! I am on team Reverse Easel!!!
OMG you bit me seriously with this sweater. How many skeins of the Lichen and Lace Worsted will it take to do one in the woods to make a size38-40?
Before I even open a Snippets I remind myself weekly that I already have enough yarn to keep me knitting for at least 2 years. But “you had me at” I wandered the stacks of the MDK World headquarters…. That sent me into my favorite fantasy of living in a yarn store (a GIANT yarn store/warehouse).
How lucky are we to have access to so many exquisite yarns (not just the sheep in the back 40) and so many techniques to prepare the wool and combine with other fibers and dye and then play with (aka KNIT).
Best of all an inclusive knitting community!
Thank you one and all❤️
Ok ladies, you’ve got this beginner knitter intrigued to the point of her considering Her first sweater endeavor! Please add me to the peanut gallery who’d like Janet to post videos!
Having just purchased 9 skeins of NORO Garden Light Solo in three different color ways in the same family going from dark to lighter to light, I have been wondering how to make use of the colors ! Knitters are such creative people when they break the rules