Waves of color and a curl of an unfinished knitted border simply glow in afternoon sunlight. This work in progress is part of the ongoing color-changing yarn work-up featuring Poems Wisdom Yarn by Universal Yarn seen here in colorway 587, “Peacock.” Pointing to the cable is the tip of a cherry wood size 8 knitting needle created by Indian Lake Artisans of Michigan. Look closely to see the unique hexagonal shape detail.
When a carefully-packaged tube mailer from Indian Lake Artisans (ILA) with an assortment of needles and shawl pins arrived, a selection of “Poems” Wisdom by Universal Yarn was on the table. The copper needle toppers and pins are miniature works of art – an owl, fish, lanterns, a rowboat (with two perfect diminutive oars) – all made in the United States with locally sourced materials. As each was unwrapped and placed against the soft wool (almost a roving), a proposed project was discussed. The centered bold single cable offset with three purl stitches, then an alternating knit two, purl two on the right side; a knit four on the reverse – on either side of the cable – would call for a yarn that could give excellent stitch definition. Meanwhile, knitters kept picking up the wood needles to glide their fingers along the smooth satin surfaces. There was a look in their eyes, no words were needed, I know the feeling. So the newly-arrived needles, soft-hued yarns, and cable pattern sketches all went together into the hands of test knitters.
How they ended up photographed against turbulent sky over the Connecticut River – named for the corrupted Algonquian term “quinetucket” – which means long tidal river – and how quickly the intricate cable knit up is another story.
Instead of traditional swatch squares, yarns here at Moo Dog Knits are knit up into “wearable swatches” – sweaters that fit Boston terriers, which love to model the warm, sturdy and beautiful fibers to field test the results. The back is the test portion, an expandable belly section with two leg openings easily transforms this into a garment. Picked up stitches around the neck create a knitting in the round opportunity. More details about the ILA needles and Poems yarn as the project unfolds in a three-part series.
