Project Spotlight: Vanek's Laneway

When I'm looking for projects to feature on the blog, I surf around Ravelry looking for really stunning or impressive pieces. And I always get excited about a well-executed knit dress. (Great photos don't hurt, either!) This piece from Vanek is a wonderful example of a stylish, modern, gorgeous dress! I am thrilled that she shared more about the creation of the dress and allowed us to feature it on the blog. 

© Vanek

When I purchased my first Anzula Haiku at LYS, I fell for the color, it was Black Cherry and I couldn’t resist it. I made a summer cardigan with this yarn and during the process I kept admiring the quality of the yarn and a pleasure to knit with it. When I finished the cardigan, I started looking for more Haiku. I have to say, there is not much around, or maybe I am looking in the wrong places. Anyway, I found some selection on the web site (don’t remember which one) and ordered a couple of colors. (She later let me know that she ordered it from Knit Culture Studio!) 

© Vanek

When I saw Laneway, I liked the pattern right away. After going through my stash and trying a few yarns that would fit yarn requirements for the pattern, I did not find anything that I liked. Finally, I tried Anzula Haiku in (Sexy), and it was it. I had some difficulties finding the right color for the stripes though. It had to be fingering yarn in a solid color that will show off on the brown.... I was excited to find 1 hank of (Au Natural) on some web site and ordered it. I was very happy when it arrived, it was a great companion for my brown Haiku.

© Vanek

I really like Anzula Haiku, and I wish this yarn was easier to find. The garments made of this yarn have a luxurious silky look and it’s a real pleasure to work with.

Thank you so much to Vanek for allowing me to share her dress on the blog today! If you find yourself unable to find the yarn you are looking for, don't forget that your LYS (or favorite online shop) can place a special order for whatever Anzula yarns or fibers you need, at any time - they are happy to make your knitting dreams come true!

Project Spotlight: Elena's Asunder in Haiku

Stitches West is this weekend! I thought this would be a good time to spotlight a gorgeous shawl that was born last year at Stitches. I asked Elena if she would allow us to share her project, and let us know more about it, and she graciously agreed.

I met Haiku at Stitches West last year. I usually buy yarn with a project in mind. When I go to Stitches I take with me a list of projects I would like to knit with notes about yarn weight and yardage required for each project. Asunder shawl was on my list.

I seem to have a soft spot for large shawls with clean simple lines. What I like about Asunder is that it’s elegant and modern at the same time. In particular I was attracted by its dropped stitch sections, those made the shawl look different from others I knit before.

When I saw Haiku as I was walking into the Anzula booth, I fell in love with the yarn. I was definitely taken by the amazing colors. I mostly like solid or subtle variegated colors and Haiku was just perfect. It had the right amount of light and darkness, enough to give the yarn a beautiful depth.

I knew I wanted a darker color for the main body and a lighter one for the dropped stitches stripes. I chose the colors Bark and Lenore and I must say the choice was surprisingly easy. Those colors looked so good together!

Only afterward I realized my color choice was probably unconsciously influenced by other people’s Asunder. I was quite surprised to notice that, because I had no specific color plan when I chose and bought the yarn. Some people before me used a golden color combined with a cooler shade though, so I guess that stuck in my head.

I really enjoyed knitting Asunder with Haiku. I think the shawl turned out great, it has soft sheen and a lovely drape thanks to the bamboo content of the yarn. I find it extremely gratifying when I am able to spot a good yarn-pattern match.

I can't wait to see what beautiful projects originate at this year's Stitches West, this weekend in Santa Clara, CA. This is our one retail event each year, and we offer our most comprehensive selection of yarns during this event. 

Week Two: Jasper Diamond Hoodie

Like the sleeves of the Jasper Diamond Hoodie, the hood is worked flat. Kristen Rengren, the designer, recommends moving up a needle size to knit the hood. However, I am a very tight knitter and prefer my projects to look as though they were knit by a machine rather than a human being. Therefore, I stuck with the pair of U.S. Size 4 needles, and combined a third strand of yarn -- Anzula Breeze -- to ensure the hood would be the correct size and shape.

One skein of Breeze in the colorway Hyacinth wound into one center-pull ball. 

I am really pleased with the texture and subtle color changes of Breeze and Haiku knit together. 

Breeze is a blend of 65 percent silk and 35 percent linen, it will, more often than not, appear more muted in color after being dyed. Whereas, Haiku -- 70 percent Superwash Merino, 20 percent Bamboo, 10 percent Nylon -- will appear much more vivid in color.

Progress: Hood knit and grafted. 

The hood is shaped using short rows and grafted together using the Kitchener Stitch. If you are new to the Kitchener Stitch, as I was, you may want to check out the WEBS YouTube video tutorial 'How to Kitchener Stitch.'

Thanks for reading.

Sincerely,

The Girl Who Labels