Bailey’s most recent shop sample is a showstopper – a PetiteKnit “Cumulus Blouse” knit with Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Isager Silk Mohair held together.
This mix of hand dyed and solid lace weight yarn creates a painterly fabric, lightweight and ideal for cool spring days.
Before casting on for her “Cumulus Blouse,” Bailey swatched Superkid Silk in Swan Lake with six different shades of Silk Mohair, each one striking a different tone. It was hard to choose, but she went with Silk Mohair in 62, a blush pink that let the blue streaks in Swan Lake stand out.
Hand dyed yarn is some of the hardest to picture in a finished project. In the skein, we see big swaths of color, but in the knitted fabric, these vibrant colorways transform depending on the stitch pattern and the number of stitches cast on.
To balance the color pooling, Bailey carefully alternated skeins of Superkid Silk, working two row stripes with two or three different balls of yarn, all while carrying along a strand of solid Silk Mohair. It involved some ripping out and re-knitting, but was worth it for this harmonious fabric that lets each color shine.
Look for Bailey’s “Cumulus Blouse” on display here at the shop – it’s here to admire, inspire, and try on! We have all of her swatches on display, too, to give you a sense of how solid and variegated mohair colorways can come together.
If you’re inspired to make a “Cumulus Blouse” of your own, we’re here to help you find the perfect yarn blend, with more mohair and brushed alpaca to choose from than ever before. Hand Maiden Superkid Silk and Isager Silk Mohair, yes, but also Malabrigo Mohair, Kelbourne Woolens Harmony, Isager Soft Fine, Fyberspates Cumulus, and Sandnes Garn Tynn Silk Mohair… look for them all in our lace weight section!
