How About Some Golden Silk?

No need to point out that this is a knitting post. And I know. It's yellow, not gold. But in the morning sunshine it had that look of gold. And no. I have not finished any of the beautiful garments hanging on needles and scattered about the house. I will get to them one day. Not today. And besides - this is not a knitting project - this is research. I am getting to know a yarn and seeing if it will do what I want it to do. What size needle it likes - what sort of fabric it creates.

So far - no surprises. Silk always knits up more easily than cotton in spite of it's surface drag and lack of elasticity. I think it's because the long fibers of silk don't need to be twisted as tightly as the short inch log bits of cotton so the yarn has much more flexibility. This makes for gentler knitting but also for droopier fabric. Thus - silk makes beautiful lace and dreadful ribbing. The surface texture will make cables and ribbed stitches pop out until you wash them - when they flatten out into mere shadows of their original crisp definition.

You already know all this? Yes. I thought so. I'm just typing this into my blog in a classic ENFP solve-your-problems-in-public behavior to remind me what this yarn will do and what it won't I don't design a garment that disappoints me later.

I intend to make a dress out of this yarn. I have about 1200 yards of it and it looks to knit up at about 5 stitches to the inch. I'm willing to make a lace skirted dress - lace makes lots of fabric out of not that much yarn. Also, I've discovered some very lovely silk fabrics that would make a gorgeous under-dress or lining. I think I'd like some fluttery cap sleeves - maybe even lace fluttery cap sleeves. The bodice will be plain, though I may try to do something that allows it to narrow in a bit towards the waist. Cables? Elastic thread knit along with it? We shall see. I can always shape it with decreases.

The lace skirt could be something really easy like feather'n'fan stitch or Old Shale or it might be only a lacy flounce at the bottom. That will depend on how much yarn there is when I get to the skirt.

Apologies for this enormous photo - I didn't realize I had the camera set so badly - I promise - next time I'll check.

And next time there will be progress shots of the pretty cotton lacy tank top. Just....not today. Today it's all about the golden yellow silk dream. Knitting projects are never so perfect as when they are in the imaginary planning stages.

Happy Friday!