When the weather turns (even the slightest bit) to hints of spring, I begin longing for cotton. At the end of February I discovered a pattern from a blog I follow and immediately knew I wanted to knit it. But wool, and the weather that accompanies it, was quickly fading from my yarn-loving visions and I knew I had to knit this in a cotton version.
Of course, this meant having to re-do all the maths and figure out inches and all that good stuff. But that’s actually what I enjoy doing, so it just made for a completely entrancing project from beginning to end.
I had purchased The Bella Wrap pattern but it didn’t give any schematics whatsoever. I think I got close to the original and I’m enjoying wearing it ever so much now that the days are a bit warmer.
I’ve worn it with long sleeves as well as short sleeves…very versatile for the roller coaster temps we have here in the South in Springtime.
I pulled out all my leftover cottons. Some are cotton-acrylic blends and others 100% cotton. I doubled the colors throughout to allow them to gradate as I went along…cream melting into yellow, yellow flowing into pink, pink morphing into green, etc.
It has a very cosy feel to it. And I love the three ways you can wear it:
Open in front.
Or pinned in the middle.
Or secured over to the side. The pattern showed a nifty round shawl pin, but I just used one of my decorative crochet hooks. It works great!
I seem to have issues with knitting things exactly by pattern. I owe this to my dear mother and to Elizabeth Zimmerman. Mom almost always does something different with a pattern in order to make the project fit correctly or to change something about the design. Elizabeth Zimmerman gave me the instruction for how to calculate making any pattern using a different gauge or weight yarn. When you have a little confidence and know-how, the knitting world is at your finger tips! Quite literally!! 🙂
I know I will make this again in a bulky wool on size 15 needles (as the pattern calls for) one day! But from now until August, cottons will be running through my hands.
It’s very pretty! I love the colorway and did you do it on purpose or is it serenipity that the mug in the first picture matches the vest? I am already wearing shorts and short sleeve tops!
My needlework right now is dishcloths still and I’ve started a crochet afghan which you can see here: https://www.ilikecrochet.com/crochet-afghan-patterns/rainbow-afghan/. I changed the iced aqua to a medium blue per my daughter’s request. It’s for my grandson and especially his brand new wife who is sad she won’t be able to “make the apartment their own” when they get it. This is due to her being in the hospital. They got married on March 20th up in Alaska and then got in a horrific traffic accident a few nights later. They were hit by a semi going about 50 miles an hour. Surprisingly three of the occupants were able to walk away although one had a bad concussion and short term memory loss for a couple of days and another a sore neck and back but nothing that showed up as damaged when checked out in the emergency room. Unfortunately my new granddaughter-in-law broke three ribs, had cuts on her head and got a bruised lung. Their truck was almost unrecognizable and also caught fire while she was still in it. An EMT happened to be passing when it happened and helped get her out. Really, according to him and the doctor who treated them, it was like a miracle they weren’t all killed so we feel very fortunate. I think I am still a little shocked and needing to tell someone about it. Anyhow, she won’t be doing any decorating or shopping or even finishing this semester at college (the dean froze her grades where they were thank goodness but next semester may be postponed) so I decided my daughter and I can do something to make the apartment “theirs” (right now all they have is a rented room in a house) when they get it. I’m going to knit a few dishcloths too. I’m not quite sure what my daughter is going to come up with but her girls like to make those old time woven potholders to use as coasters (the loops aren’t big enough to make potholders anymore).
Besides yard work, that’s what I am up to. It feels good to be crocheting an afghan. My knit one is larger and much slower going being in garter stitch so this feels like it’s moving along at a fast pace. It’s a rather small afghan by my standards so I’ll probably make two in the same colors but the next one will be like the one you recently made.
Oh my goodness Timaree! I am so sorry to hear about your new granddaughter-in-law!! I join you in being thankful it wasn’t any worse! I do hope she was not burned too badly in the car fire. I will pray for her healing and I’m so glad you and your daughter can help make a home for them. It is always wonderful when we can use our creative talents to help someone in a time of need. I’m glad you have an afghan going too! They really are quite comforting to make.
Shorts and tee shirts? Wow! We aren’t quite there yet…it will be here in a month or so. Thank you so much for filling me in on your life right now! And may God being healing and peace to your granddaughter-in-law and the whole family!