Back-Alley Intarsia

So, those of you who have followed this blog for a while may already be aware of how I feel about bobbles (sad, sad, nipply wastes of time); but I don't think I've ever let you in on my feelings about Intarsia. Um. Yeah. Not A Fan, Myself. That may very well be the reason you don't find photos of sweaters with pictures of sheep on them around these parts (the DH once pointed out some be-sheeped shop samples with an oh, so hopeful and impressed, "Look at that! Could you make me a sweater with a sheep on it?").

Not being a fan of the technique, I've never even attempted it (oddly enough, I've taught others how to do it). I swore to myself that I would never try it.

Enter the challenge.

A coworker of the DH, after learning I knit, mentioned the Christmas stockings his grandmother had knit for everyone when he was a child. Grandma had since passed, leaving nary a knitter in the family. Coworker's mother had of late started a desperate, yet fruitless search for someone, anyone, capable of recreating Grandma's handiwork.

"My wife could do it."

"I don't know, there's like, pictures and stuff on them. They're pretty complicated..."

"I'm telling you, my wife could totally do it."

The originals were sent home with the DH, and, armed with some holiday colored Super Saver (wow, it's been a while since I touched that stuff!) and my own mother's patience and beading talents, I am now 2/3rds of the way through my Intarsia Odyssey. Still not a fan of the technique, but I am now certain I could slap a sheep on the front of a sweater if the need arose.
























In Other Holiday Knitting News, I finished the Montreal Tuque (actually Wild Tuque) for the young BIL. That was a lot more pleasant to work on:

Montreal Tuque from Knitting Classic Style by Veronik Avery
Size L
US 4 Knitpicks Harmony 40" circular (Magic Loop)
Knitpicks Swish Superwash in Jade
Red Pepper
Natural, 1 skein each.
Lovely, soft, squishy and warm!












Happy Holidays!!!