1+1=100% friends

i got so excited as i started reading

about the new ‘encounters’ capsule collection

that i asked of marie of olive knits and

brittney-jean of b.woolens if i could review

this newly released collaboration of theirs.encounters collage

although so many good points pull me into these pieces,

it’s their chosen theme of friendship

that holds my attention.

the designs themselves are based on what each of these two talented designers

feels, or thinks, or remembers about their friendship and its beginnings.

like marie’s ‘eavesdrop

and the reasoning behind the stitch patterns of brittney’s

conversate‘ and ‘palaver‘…

but, they tell the stories best in their own words

on their respective blogs here and here.

besides the common threads of friendship, all four pieces are made

in shibui knits yarns.

the rich muted colors speak volumes.

linen, alpaca, merino, flax, and silk are all in the mix here.

what great transitional fibers for gliding into this fall, no?

i’ve saved the pattern i like the very best

for last here.

simpatico‘ is done by choosing a color and a friend to knit it with.

then, near the end, you use some of your friend’s color

and they use some of yours.

isn’t that clever?

the way good friends

become a part of who you are yourself.

ooh, the symbolism (which you know gets me every time)!

i do so like this little capsule collection.

off to find a friend who’ll swap

their leftover with me

for ‘simpatico‘…

‘speak’ taken from 13:3 of proverbs.

woodlands scarf

it is always so interesting to me

to see where an idea started and how it ends up.

today, swan’s island company released their fall 2016 collection.

my ‘woodlands scarf’ is one of the pieces.

if you like the ‘behind the scenes’

part of stories, here

it comes.

i thought that swan’s island was looking for patterns for their bulky weight yarn.

i was wrong, but that’s what i thought at the time.

i love chunky yarns and that attracted me.

so, i sussed out a new cable swatch and sent it along to be considered.IMG_2115sq

and they wanted it in the collection,

but in worsted weight yarn.IMG_1474sq

submitting designs is funny like that.

i once had a super bulky weight design accepted,

but was asked to rewrite the idea for a dk yarn

and you know what? i couldn’t picture it, but it looked great.

creative directors have visions for things that

i can mostly not even begin to imagine.

i just love the woodlands scarf stitches all done up in worsted.IMG_2116sq

in natural colors merino worsted,

both the yarn and the stitches shine, but

i never would have thought to try it without a little

push in that direction.

the photo above is the center back of the scarf.

you knit from both ends and wind up in the middle

where you graft the two end lengths together

so that the cool cable happening occurs right in the very center of it.IMG_2114 up2as a perk for designing it, i get enough yarn

in the yarn and colorway of my choice,

to knit one to keep.

i chose the same yarn the original is in, because it was so nice.

now, how well do you know me? can you guess which of these

gorgeous colorways i chose for my own?

and which one would you choose?

‘keep’ taken from 18:28 of the psalms.