This sweater combined two loves of mine, Kim Hargreaves and Kidsilk Haze. Effie is great, with just a dash of cheeky chic with those little frills. I'm nuts about Kidsilk Haze, that glamorous silk and mohair confection from Rowan. Knitters either love it or hate it and I am one of the love-its. But I do try to knit responsibly by making sure I am sober and near excellent light, essentials if you don't want to frog the next day. (I started this on a vacation to Australia, sobriety was often an issue).
There are drawbacks to this beautiful yarn. Frogging KSH is hellish, and heaven help you if you drop a stitch. The little hairs of the mo somehow super glue themselves together with bionic strength and just don't like to be separated. It's like knitting with cobwebs and frogging a tangled string of Christmas lights, but it creates a glossy silky and romantic fabric that's worth the extra attention. Trust me. Witness Effie.
For more KSH love, read the comments on the KSH page in Ravelry, this yarn has numerous fans. The following comment from Genuine says it all!
Ah, the bliss that is mine, the happiness! The honor that belongs to me of sharing the first words on the hallowed subject of…Kidsilk!
I am not knitting a mere mortal scarf, which dost become wrinkled and torn and passeth away, but a cloud, a vertible cloud which floats at my fingertips. Angels wings cannot be softer or lighter than this……..this utter bliss that is Kidsilk. I knit mindlessly, oblivious to anything other than the thin strand of mohair and silk that flows through my fingers.
I am knitting with Kidsilk Night, in fact, which glitters with the soft light of the sun as it bestows its first delicate rays on the virgin leaves of a slowly opening white rose. Mine eyes bedazzle! I learned to knit young!
My former estate of a humble mortal, a knitter which knew not the bliss of the Haze, has passed away. All things have become new, ever since I swapped for that single skein of Moonlight 608, and I tore open the dirty, banged up Priority envelope it came in. I could not restrain my passion and promptly took it into my arms and…
began to knit.
Suffice to say, you have not knit, until you have knitted with Kidsilk Haze. Better to have knitted with Kidsilk Haze and suffered an allergic reaction to the mohair, than to have never knitted with Kidsilk at all. My only sorrow is this: that knitters who came before me never knew the gospel of Kidsilk.
I can only pray for their souls.
Now that we understand the KSH love, back to the sweater itself with just one mod: I changed the placket to a garter stitch to simplify, and if I were to knit it again, I might not bother with the fussy hem border. The little picot edge does not seem to show well and instead looks a little messy if you look too closely.
The particulars: Effie by Kim Hargreaves from Precious, 4.5 skeins Kidsilk Haze in Anthracite, color #639, size xs. Bamboo needles sizes 2, 2/3 and 3. I love using bamboo needles with KSH.
Raveled.
Lots of knitting in the wings here at Knitionary HQ: TWO Hanne Falkenberg kits that I might tackle in the near future: Plise in a limey green and Ballerina in black/tan. Also thinking about doing Baby Cables and Big Ones Too, I even have the yarn for it! Pickadilly is also on the needles now, and may even finish Salina, both in Felted Tweed. Plus an Easter sweater for my granddaughter. The list is endless!
- January 30, 2010
- 3 Comments