I guess I was jonesin for some instant gratification. I went and started a second project, a Gaia Shrug.
Confession: I did this pattern a couple of weeks ago in Misti Alpaca Handpaint Worsted with mixed results. (Too lazy to post at the moment.) The pattern was written for Noro with Rowan Kidsilk Haze and I thought to myself, "Alpaca worsted will have the same effect as worsted weight Noro with a strand of Kidsilk Haze which is no thicker than a cobweb."
WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG
So, so WRONG.
The Alpaca shrug is nice, don't get me wrong. I altered a few things: I used 8mm needles instead of 9, I cast on for a size Large instead of a Small and probably should have made it longer. But it's overall much more open, despite the smaller gauge... I can only explain this as being due to not having the Rowan.
So now I'm doing the pattern more as written with 9mm needles and casting on for a Small. I'm using Noro Retro in Steel Blue (did someone say Magnum?) and Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Ghost. I'm nothing short of amazed at how much bulkier this knits up. It's already a bigger piece despite fewer actual stitches. The Rowan, as I said, is very fine and threadlike with little wispy bits but does not look like it would have much impact. No, the whole thing is very fuzzy now and reminds me of an angora sweater I used to have. The two yarns have an unexpected bit of contrast going between them too with the Noro being very gray and the Rowan more white. I think I'm going to really like this second shrug. Who knew???
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