Blueberry Mousse

After all the good stuff from my weekend, posting about an actual knitting project almost seems anti-climactic. But I do have my last summery top on the needles now, which I am calling "Blueberry Mousse".

The Back of Blueberry Mousse

This is my third project from the yarn I bought at ArtFibers in June. Mousse is a Linen/Cotton/Nylon blend ribbon yarn that appears to be a much daintier cousin to Rowan's Cotton Braid. This particular colorway is just perfect for me: faded denimy blue with a touch of green.

A Few Strands of Mousse

But what makes Mousse really special is it's knitted texture. It's boucle qualities mean that it is very hard to see individual stitch definition. As a result, the fabric almost appears not to be a knitted fabric. I think the texture is very classy and sophisticated. I thought the recommended gauge was a little loose when I knitted it in the store, so I dropped down two needle sizes. My gauge is almost exactly the same as it was on the US 8's, but when I switched to the US 6's, the fabric became denser. Denser, but still light and drapey. So it will be work appropriate as well as play-appropriate.

Mousse Up Close: Stockinette and Some Lace for Good Measure

I hope this gives a better impression of the fabric and the colors than the top shot does. I started the base of the top with 4 rows of garter stitch followed by 8 rows of the basic faggoting stitch as described by Barbara Walker. I'm hoping that a little blocking will help to open up the lace at the bottom a bit. The rest of the top will just be stockinette, unless I get motivated to add more lace somewhere else. But I think it will be more striking if I don't over do it.

P.S. To Anyone Interested in my Koigu from Yesterday... I've added the color numbers beneath the closeup shots...