The Pattern

I probably should have included my pattern in all the introductions of the first post. But I didn't, and having no particular reason for doing so, I'll go straight into introducing the pattern, as it's kind of vital to my project.

The pattern for the sweater/jacket that I'm making is from a small booklet issued by Berroco, titled Berroco #228: Blackstone Tweed and designed by the Berroco Design Team, Cirilia Rose, Norah Gaughan, and Donna Yacino. The pattern itself is called "nonpareil", which means "no equal", apparently in English (I thought it was French). The pattern is classified as intermediate; however that is a relative label, so we'll see how difficult it is.

I did quite a bit of research on different yarn possibilities other than the original recommendation of Berroco Blackstone Tweed. Wool of the Andes was a strong candidate, as was Cascade 220. Both yarns had similar gauges and felt similar to the Blackstone Tweed, and had colors that I liked. Silky Wool XL, Lamb's Pride, and Portland Tweed were also possibilities, but had smaller gauges. In the end, I chose to stick with the original. Factoring in shipping, yardage, the number of skeins, gauge and my comfort zone, I decided the Blackstone Tweed would be the best choice. So after making my decision, I now have the right amount of Berroco Blackstone Tweed in Bright Teal and am ready to start my swatches.

The Very Beginning

This is my first blog; and the first time my writing will be public. Except for that one newspaper article I wrote for my high school publication. But this is the first time all my triumphs, mistakes and ideas of the knitting world and the writing scene will be made available for all to see.

My only real writing experience has been elementary school book reports, literary analysis (way too many of these), standardized test essays and the newspaper article I mentioned before. So, writing a blog is completely new to me. Along with being a knitting blog, this could turn out to be an experimental writing development opportunity. But I hope not, and I'm getting ahead of myself. As in any good piece of writing, I should probably start with an introduction.

This blog is a knitting blog. With wit, I hope. My goal is to share my projects with the community while stretching my creative abilities. But I also want to have fun with this and turn it into something that I will want to continue after my first documented project. I would prefer that this is a light, casual and fun read about projects, an easy and fun way to follow a pattern. I think that patterns with commentary are more entertaining and motivating than just plain instructions.

Along with the patter of the sweater I'm planning to make and document, this project is a way for me to learn more about the creative elements of knitting and also about different techniques and fibers of various knitting cultures. In all, this is a total learning experience for me, but also a fun and worthwhile one, hoping that I end up with a finished product.

So, putting all my hesitations aside, and armed with a pair of knitting needles, all the other necessary supplies and a pattern, I'm off, ready to embark (with all clichés possible) on this exciting strand of adventure.