Still Light

This project started with the most thorough preparation ever: swatching with not just one but three different yarns. Besides checking for gauge, I wanted to make sure I chose a yarn that produced the right kind of fabric. Alpaca Silk by Hjertegarn created a surprisingly scratchy fabric. Drops Alpaca was softer, but I was afraid it would stretch out of shape too easily, both based on the blocked swatch and previous experience. So, I settled on Hjerte Cashmere by Hjertegarn, a merino/alpaca/cashmere blend that was both soft and sturdy. I figured that if I'm going to make this kind of a commitment to stockinette stitch, I'd better make sure it's not wasted on the wrong kind of yarn.

Three weeks of knitting and 1476 meters of yarn later, it's done. The pattern is the Still Light Tunic by Veera Välimäki. The color of the yarn was not the most exciting to knit, but it was a choice based on what I'd actually want to wear, and I still like it, after three weeks of knitting. And the fabric is exactly what I wanted, soft and slightly fuzzy, which is why I didn't use sock yarn unlike many other knitters. Less stitch definition and more fuzziness was what I was after and what I also got. After the success of this project and Cria, I'm a total swatching convert. It's so much more satisfying to end up with the kind of product you envisioned rather than something less so.

I'm extremely happy with the finished product!

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