Every spring there is in Malmö a “Symässan” ( a kind of crafts expo) and some years I go and in some I don’t. It is basically focused on sewing and quilting and while I do sew and have made quilts, it is not like knitting for me. But the last years, knitting has become more and more popular, the local yarnshops do carry more yarns, there are Swedish knitting magazines (I do not like them very much, but they are there at least) so there have been more yarn people at the mässan as well. This year I didn’t really want to go, busy at work, and then a weekend just pottering around the house can be quite OK. But S, who is sewing more and more to make costumes for cos-play, asked if we could go, so in that case….. So I went with S and M and this year, there was so much more yarn….. Lovely really!
I came home with too much, Kalinka linen and a linen/wool blend and then a cotton yarn which I just could not not buy. It was Isager Strik Japansk Bomuld , a cotton tape yarn that really feels papery. It is made in Japan and probably quite like some Habu yarns. It is a fine fingering cotton and it just looked to be tested (the price is nice as well). S choose the colour, an apricot-pink to match with a skirt bought in Japan. I wasn’t completely sure what to knit with it, but for sure a summer top, so after a good browse at Revelry, we decided that Jan might fit the bill. This is a kind of experiment, as Jan is knitted with a fine wool and a cotton is of course drastically different. The yarn knits up more like linen than cotton, it gives a bit uneven effect but very pleasing nevertheless. And it is featherlight. So far I do like this one, with the back (or front as they are the same) finished. It is a pretty easy pattern, hardly any shaping (except for the set-in sleeves) and a very easy lace.
I do think this will be an experiment that works, a blousy small pullover for summer days….
