the adventures continue

 The first sweater I'm making for the awesome folks over at  Yarn Mountain in Harrisburg, VA is the Fern sweater by

Using Addi Click US 6's as per pattern and alternating knit1, purl1 long-tail cast-on.  Found this video on youtube by ThePassionateMind that made it so simple to follow and to do.  I've seen other videos for this technique where they grab the yarn differently but the end result is the same, but I like ThePassionateMind's way much better than the rest.  Thanks to her for a great-looking edge!

I love working with this yarn.  It's hearty and slightly thick&thin, giving the knitted fabric a bit of a rustic look and feel, while it's also fine and soft and has a satin-y sheen to it, giving it a luxurious look and feel.  Plus the colors are incredibly interesting and blended so beautifully into a soft yet rich hue.

**12.18.11** 7.75" in 1x1 ribbing done! 

Again I have to mention how much I love working with this yarn.  It knits up into the most beautiful fabric.  It feels lightweight, yet thick and warm and squishy at the same time.  It's luxurious and special enough for that "spoil yourself" project, yet rustic and durable enough to make it into an everyday sweater.  This yarn is full of wonderful contradictions!  I think I even read somewhere that the Possum content prevents the yarn from pilling.  I've been using spit splicing to join new balls and the join is totally undetectable.  And I finally figured out what the Possum hair reminds me of - Angora.  It's like the rustic version of angora!  You can see the halo really well in one of the photos.  I just can't say enough about this yarn! 

There is, however, one tiny little thing that I *don't* like about this yarn: the fact that they call it "Possum Hair".  I know the yarn is named Heron, but I wish there was another word to describe *possum* hair, like how we don't call wool "sheep's fleece", we call it "wool".  We don't call Angora "Bunny Fur", we call it Angora.  I just think that a lot of people would be put off by this yarn

I can just imagine how sublime this sweater would feel worn against the skin.  But, alas, I won't get to experience it cuz it's going straight back to Yarn Mountain when it's done....

"Adventurous Zealana" (AKA Adventures with Zealana)

Decided to start up the blog again.  I mean, anyone who does anything in the modern knitting industry has a blog, right?  It'll be fun this time cuz I now have something great to talk about regarding yarn and knitting.  I've been hired to do some sample knitting for a few different shops and designers!  I'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of the first package of yarn from a sweet little shop, Yarn Mountain, located in Virginia ....it'll be around 34 balls of Zealana's Aspire Heron in about 7 different colorways!  I literally can't wait!  I've been tracking the package online multiple times daily just to watch my precious yarn make it's trek across 4 states, 663 miles to be exact.  Which is nothing when you consider that this yarn originally hails from New Zealand.

I love to picture my yarn making it's little journey to me.  I map out the distance between the Yarn Mountain shop and my little town online, and imagine a tiny little truck carrying my special little balls of fluffy, decadent string along the map's crimson path.  I imagine the moment when it finally arrives:  I'll hear the faint rumbling of a delivery truck in the distance and my heart will flutter.  I'll casually glance from my computer screen towards the window, as we've certainly been here before.  Not wanting to show how anxious I really am (and at the same time wondering if it is completely crazy to be this anxious for yarn to arrive) I wait with bated breath, lest I miss the sound of squealing breaks as the truck pulls up to....my driveway!

The delivery man practically hops out of the open door, a small brown box already nestled in the crook of his arm.  But how could he be driving like that?  He jogs up to my silvered picket gate, and with one fluid movement, flips up the latch and sends the gate swinging open.  He seems to be almost skipping as he heads up the walk.

I'm on my feet.  My body lunges uncontrollably toward the door.  I'm suddenly in full-blown frenzy mode!  I can't contain my excitement any longer as one thing becomes abundantly clear to me....that package is for me, and that package contains YARN!

More to come once yarn actually arrives.......