I have a project in mind that with very specific yarn requirements. So, I finagled a few hours yesterday to dye some yarn, something that has been far too infrequent for me these last few years.
I have a lovely, old, worn to pieces linen sweater. It is a very simple pullover. It's at least 20 years old and needs to be retired, having been worn heavily for activities with kids.
The pattern for its replacement is still a work in progress. I've looked at a few basic pullovers but I'm also flirting with a pattern that has a cable down the front and another with gathering at the neckline. Although my original sweater is 100% linen, my yarn for the replacement is a blend of linen and silk, Elliebelly Chemise. I'm dyeing it into a silvery-gray. I don't anticipate starting this project until I finish up Glacier and a few other shawls I have in progress. But I wanted to have the yarn in hand so I could start to swatch and pick a suitable pattern. In the meantime, if you see any likely patterns, please let me know in the comments.
A note about this yarn: I sold it, for the most part, before Ravelry (it's so hard to remember that far back!) so there is none stashed other than my own. But it is a lovely blend and there are a few companies that offer a similar yarn spun of silk and linen. Although knitters are often nervous about knitting with linen because its properties are so different from wool, please don't be! Just remember that your finished object will soften and loosen with age, so don't expect it to sprong back into place like wool does. As long as you're prepared for the drapey effect, your projects will turn out just fine. One of my all time favorite knits is the Lida Shawl I did in Quince's Sparrow 100% linen.
