I’ve got another swatch for y’all. This time, for something that is not striped:
What you see there is Schoeller Stahl Morea, a sport-weight yarn, on size 3 needles, which gives me a gauge of 7 sts./inch. This is the yarn I’m planning to use to knit my modernized version of a gansey, with waist-shaping and set-in short sleeves, during this year’s Tour de France. Because what says “French cycling race” better than a traditional British fisherman’s garment? Nothing, that’s what I say! You can see the beginnings of my (not very good) sketching underneath the swatch. I’m still thinking through exactly which designs I want in my gansey, but I’m quite eager to get started. I’ll do my best to hold off until July 4th to actually cast on, but I’m not sure I can manage the wait. I’m looking forward to le Tour de Gansey, part trois!
Speaking of ganseys, thanks to a tip from Sarah, I now have a beautiful colorcard to play with:
It’s from here. They are revitalizing gansey yarns with a whole bunch of gorgeous colors, and I am now seriously tempted to order a cone or two, now that I’ve gotten to see it first-hand. I’m envisioning not just ganseys, but also colorwork yokes (of course!). We’ll just see.
June 23, 2009 at 6:50 pm
The yarn has such wonderful twist and color selection. I agree that it would make a lovely colorwork yoke. I’m looking forward to watching the gansey progress, too!
June 27, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Thanks! I’m still charting out possibilities for the short-sleeved gansey, but it’s almost ready to go!
-whitney
June 23, 2009 at 6:55 pm
Yay, can’t wait to see your gansey. Also colorwork yokes in those yarns? YES.
I am doing Tour de Fleece this year during Tour de France.
June 27, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Tour de Fleece looks like fun…too bad I am not more of a spinner! The gansey is almost all charted out and ready to go.
-whitney
June 23, 2009 at 7:38 pm
ooh i love that purple color you chose!! i can’t wait to see more.
June 27, 2009 at 2:20 pm
I love the purple, too! It’s yarn that has been in my stash for YEARS, so it’s good to find such a nice use for it.
-whitney
June 23, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Beautiful yarn, I can’t wait to see your modernized gansey. Are you going with a mountain theme up the front?
June 27, 2009 at 2:21 pm
I am indeed! It’s actually the same mountain theme as I used in my gansey last year, but it will have very different patterns surrounding it.
-whitney
June 23, 2009 at 10:31 pm
Nice plans! Following on Yarndude, a mountain theme on the front would mean you could say British Gansey during the French Tour, right?
June 27, 2009 at 2:22 pm
Thanks! Yep, the mountain theme is totally inspired by the mountains in the Tour. The mountain stages are my favorite part.
-whitney
June 23, 2009 at 10:35 pm
Can’t wait to see what you come up with. I have a Danish Nattrojer on the needles in the Frangipani – the Claret colorway. Great yarn, and Jan is wonderful too!
June 27, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Thanks! The gansey is almost all charted out now. I am really looking forward to getting a cone of the Frangipani one of these days.
-whitney
June 24, 2009 at 12:46 am
Ooh, gorgeous yarns! I can’t wait to see the gansey as you knit it :)
June 27, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I know, I can’t stop playing with the colorcard! The gansey is almost all charted out now, so it won’t be long.
-whitney
June 25, 2009 at 2:48 am
Ive always loved the look and the stories behind the traditional ganseys. It will be very interesting to see how your modern gansey goes- really looking forward to seeing pics:)
June 27, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Thanks! I’m hoping that the combination of a more modern, fitted shape with traditional gansey techniques and motifs will be a good one.
-whitney
June 25, 2009 at 4:56 pm
Fun! I would LOVE to knit a more modern gansey. And C’s sweater looks wonderful.
June 27, 2009 at 2:25 pm
Thanks! I’m hoping the modernized gansey turns out well.
-whitney