“help me, i think i’m fallin’ . . .”

Posted on Posted in designing, lace/shawls, projects, yarn and dyeing

in love again . . . when i get that crazy feelin’, i know i’m in trouble again”
— joni mitchell

ok, i’ve held out as long as i can on this one, but dude—can you blame me??

it’s been in the house since the end of may—chris handed it off to me at wooster to use for the new sprössing sibling i’m planning to design this summer. i put it away immediately and have been studiously avoiding its presence in the stash (i didn’t even show it to you).

but you know how there is a moment in every project when you give yourself permission to start thinking about the next one?? well truthfully, i hadn’t reached that point yet with my rene cardigan, but at the end of last week, i thought i could use a a little incentive, you know?

i swear, i just took it out to look at it.

you seriously expected me to say i resisted?
i was actually a little ashamed i couldn’t, so i didn’t tell you til today.

i was just going to wind it up and leave it at that.
(i know. that’s like saying “i’m just gonna take a little hit and that’s it“)

(oh, and by the way?? just for the record, the incentive thing DID work—i’ve been knitting a little every day on that cardigan and i am well past the point now where i usually let myself begin dreaming on the next new project.)

so, uh, er, . . . i sorta let myself do a couple swatches.

i KNOW—slippery slope—i know.

but i did stop.
i’m only doing those when i absolutely can’t stand not to. and i’m taking my time, trying all the angles—several stitch patterns i think i might like, various needle sizes, etc, etc.

but i’ll be honest, mainly i just wanted to get my hands on that color—sea pearl in a most sophisticated lavender gray, dyed especially for me by my dear friend chris at briar rose fibers. she knows me very, very well, haha.

to be a fresh take on sprössling—same great body shaping and easy construction, with a change-up in the styling of details and fabric (a variation on a theme, so to speak).

i know i like this sweater (it’s truly my go-to cardigan) and i’d love one or two more in a different fabric with a different neck. and maybe add a short sleeve to the pattern as well. anyway, that’s the plan.

for now, it’s my carrot. here and there over the next couple weeks, i’ll be swatching, browsing my stitch dictionaries, and thinking on it. my goal is to cast on and tote it along to knit on all over the UK. mmmm

36 thoughts on ““help me, i think i’m fallin’ . . .”

  1. Can’t wait to see the finished sweater. I “think i’m fallin” every time I get near briar rose’s booth.

  2. I love the plan! Can’t wait, I love Sea Pearl and that colorway is gorgeous, and your sweaters are just wonderful. You can work on this as much as you like 🙂

  3. So beautiful… The color & the patterns you’ve swatched so far work really well together. I can’t wait to see what you cook up.

  4. That’s exciting news! I love my sprossling and would love to have more sweaters of that style but different pattern/fabric!

  5. Yeah. . . .what could you do except succumb. Really Anne; you had no choice. I love my sprossling with Chris’s Sea Pearl. It’s just so lightweight and airy, and I love it. Can’t wait to see your new sweater!

  6. Definitely drool-worthy yarn in a fabulous color! I haven’t given myself permission to cast on Sprossling yet, until I finish a couple other things on the needles, but it’s definitely next.

  7. I totally understand the call of yarn. I don’t think I would have been able to resist this color either. It will make a gorgeous sweater.

  8. Mmmm nice! I just received some Sea Pearl and I just love the way it looks. I eagerly await Sprossling’s little sister. I wouldn’t have been able to resist either. I think that if a yarn is calling out to you, you need to go with the flow!

  9. oh my, that’s gorgeous! i’ve been meaning to check sea pearl out for awhile now… and sprössling is on my short list for my next cardigan project…

    i’m actually done with all the pieces of my leaving cardigan, but i’m not letting myself take the time to block them until i finish the dissertation chapter i’m working on. so that, combined with my resolution to knit only with stash yarn this summer, means that by the time i’m ready for sprössling you’ll probably have the new version out. yay!

  10. Oh, Anne (and Chris), what a beautiful colorway. These are soooo my colours…ditto Ilana! I am really looking forward to the birth of Sprossling’s sibling. Wishing you a good labour!

  11. I love that Sea Pearl color! And I think there’s definitely going to be a Sprossling in my future. It looks so good on everyone else, I have to jump on the bandwagon. 🙂

  12. Sprossling’s sibling promises to be another great sweater. I love seeing the swatches. I may have to break my no pullover/hot flashes rule for this one, Anne. Just beautiful yarn. It’s going to be perfection.

  13. Noooooo! Don’t be good! I love my sprossling to bits and pieces. I have been looking long and hard for something similar to knit so I don’t wear the same sweater everyday. How much longer do I have to wait for a pattern? 😉

  14. Anne–I totally crack up over your accounts of your relationships with the yarns:)

    I really got to get myself in gear for sweaters:)

    Kathleen

  15. A great post all the way around–playful, fun, and, oh yeah, some nice yarn and knittin’.

  16. Sprossling Sibling? Sea Pearl? Those colors! I’m dying!

    You have an iron will if you could resist that long.

  17. oh, i don’t need you to tempt me to pull out my sea pearl like this! i’ve only just decided to allow myself to start a new project, and now you tempt me to another…but it really is a lovely yarn!

  18. So, this must have been inspired by the British trip last summer and your walks by the sea, I can just taste the salt.

    What is the fibre? I don’t believe you mentioned that.

    Now this could just tip me over the edge to join the Club – is it exclusive to club members?

  19. LOL it’s too fun to see you pondering a Sprossling variation in Sea Pearl. I finished MY Sprossling var a few weeks ago. Saw the original when you were in New Hamburg at Shall We Knit. I love the shaping.

    Mine has 3/4 sleeves and a v-neck. The Sea Pearl has wonderful drape and knits up so quickly. It’s inspired at least 2 others at the new Shall We Knit.

    I look forward to your new version!

  20. And now I feel compelled to play that Joni Mitchell album (I still have the vinyl!); I haven’t listened to it in ages.

  21. oh my goodness. I love my Sprossling! Sign me up for the next version and please ask Chris to dye up lots of that gorgeous colour for it!

  22. Uh-oh. I know that feeling myself. At least you are disciplined enough to go back to the first project. Sometimes I slip all the way into the new project and the first one gets put by the wayside for quite a while…..

  23. Oh, wow. It’s been a while since I’ve looked at a yarn and just felt LONGING. I…I may have to go and treat myself.

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