That site would be Yoga International online. You may recall it was a well-respected paper mag for a good couple of decades. In the death-throes of that industry, it modernized with an online articles-meets-workshops-meets-yoga classes platform. While I cannot speak of this as yet (I'm still in the early stages of discovery), I sense that this may be my fave version yet. There's much more emphasis on alignment-based yoga here - and much less of that facile fusion everyone seems to be doing. Also, the people look just like those you'd see in your yoga class (real, if excessively competent).
I do have an exciting adventure on the horizon, which I'll speak more about soon. But in the meanwhile, let's look at one of the most satisfying knits I've encountered in a very long time:
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| Color Block Bias Wrap by Suzanne Shaw. I won't lie, spelling "colour" without the "u" is disturbing to me! |
This is the yarn my parents bought for me in Charlotte this spring. I love it even more knitted than in the hank. These pictures really do not do it justice. The colours are delicious. The hand is awesome. The finished garment is the perfect size to keep you very warm all winter - even if your pre-renoed, century-home is a sieve. This is not skimpy, nor is it unweildy. When well-knit, it looks like an expensive thing you've bought in a fancy shop.
Who should make this? Everyone who likes shawls who's got at least 3 projects under his or her belt. You need to know how to cast on and bind off (but only in the most minimal way), knit, purl, increase stitches, decrease stitches, do clean colour-switch up (at the ends of each ball of yarn) and, natch, fix dropped stitches or other issues should they emerge. It also helps to block this with wires (found in any knitting store) because it will turn your finished project into a thing of professional standard.
What I Recommend:
- Knit it with the prescribed yarn - Classic Elite Chateau (or Chalet, if you like colours). There's a tonal beige colour-way and this grey one (and a few other neutrals to substitute if you prefer). This chainette, bulky-weight yarn knits up exceedingly fast. I knit at a fair clip and I got through this in 4 days without trying, particularly. Even a nervous newbie could do it in a month. Sure, other yarns will work - but this yarn has the PERFECT hand and drape for a shawl of these proportions. You will not regret it - and the yarn is easily found and well-priced.
- I won't lie, consistent tension is a must. That may become increasingly challenging for some as the needle size increases (and the project grows) because ergonomics erodes. When knitting in stockinette, consistent tension is always important but given the quality of this yarn, your project will not look optimal if the tension slips. That's why my point below is key.
- Swatch to ensure that your fabric isn't too open / loose. This yarn will grow with blocking and under its own weight - given its drapey fiber composition of bamboo and alpaca. Seriously consider going down a needle-size unless you are a super-tight knitter. I hate knitting with a needle of the recommended size, US13 (or anything above a US9, though I can force myself to use up to a US11 if the project entices me adequately). I swatched with a US11 to ensure that I would be happy with the fabric, and I knew how my decreased gauge would impact the finished size. I'm very happy with it but I wouldn't have been if I'd used the recommended needle size.
- Wet-block and use blocking-wires when drying.
- With appetite and budget, starting now you could easily pump out 5 of these as Xmas presents.
*In case you're curious, the books are My Age of Anxiety by Scott Stossel, Ending Back Pain by Jack Stern, MD, PhD and (my mother's fave) How Not to Die by Michael Greger, MD...
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