Kim really knows her yarns

Peter, my Rowan rep, was in Leonardtown the other day tempting me with the fall lovelies.  It’s very fun to see the yarns, but really, what I like to see are the books.  I want to know what Kim Hargreaves has planned for these fabulous fibers.  The yarns had to wait while I pored over her new designs. I ordered tons of new yarns and all of her books for them.

I love Kim Hargreaves.  Her designs speak to me in a powerful way.  I’ll admit it:  I’m obsessed.  When I was a beginning knitter more than 25 years ago, I found a few of her designs in a Rowan pamphlet and fell instantly in love with her sleek, flattering styles.  Her designs are feminine without being fussy or sweet.  They’re very wearable and very knittable. That's why we've selected Glimmer from Kim's Nectar book
for our next Fit and Finish project.   

It's worked in lovely Summer Tweed, and I chose this really great periwinkle color.  The gauge is 16 stitches to 4 inches, and I got that on an 8.

Ms. Hargreaves truly understands the fibers she uses in her designs, and it shows.  The Summer Tweed is not at all bouncy, so it's not great in ribbing, but it has a wonderful texture that shows up well in both stockinette, reverse stockinette, and garter stitch, which she's used to great advantage in her Summer Tweed designs.

Because of this lack of elasticity, when you swatch Summer Tweed,  you'll want to be sure that you either get gauge or err on the side of slightly too tight rather than slightly too loose. This yarn is really lovely to knit - smooth and soft, and very interesting - there are lots of little color bits in there that you don't notice in the skein, but really come subtly to life as you knit it.  Can't wait to cast on!