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January 05, 2006

Koigu Contest

Interesting comments to yesterday's post! Some of my favs:

  • Christy and Katy had similar points in suggesting if we go shopping and can't find anything else that we'll buy sock yarn so we don't come home empty handed. This one hit home. I am positive that I do this (although I never noticed it until she said something).
  • Johanna suggests I forget about knitting all the yarn and just roll in it. I like her style!
  • Kris made me laugh when she said she plans to catalog her sock yarn before her next order arrives

And this one is the one that made me really think...

  • Amy suggests I use the Koigu for something else.

I have considered that, but dismissed it because all the colors I listed are doubles. I bought 2 hanks just for socks. It doesn't mean I _have_ to make them into socks, but it seems like the best fit.

It got me thinking "What else could I do with all these double hanks of Koigu?". The 2 hanks total 350 yards, so I have 350 yards of each of the colors you see here.

SocKoigu

So -- the contest...

What is your best suggestion for how to use this yarn? Use one ball, or many. Mix and match as you like. I will say that my inclination is to not split up the 2 hanks of the same color, but I'm open. My favorite suggestion wins...what else? A couple hanks of Koigu -- maybe from the stash, maybe new. I haven't decided yet.

So give me your best idea. I'll leave the contest running until Saturday.

January 5, 2006 in Contests, socks! | Permalink

Comments

I think a simple larger scarf/small wrap could be made of two of the coordinating colors, the browny one on the left and the yellow in the middle seem like they'd go well together. I'd pick a simple lace pattern and work a few inches of color A, the same amount alternating A and B, the same amount of just B, alternate again, and repeat until I ran out of yarn.

Posted by: Jessica | Jan 5, 2006 8:08:00 PM

Sock yarns can be used for gloves, right? I just made a pair for my brother.
My LYS is having a store-wide sale ... I strolled around the store and didn't find any yarns I really needed to buy, but still I came out with 2 hanks of Koigu ... just too beautiful, couldn't resist! Thinking about it, maybe I should go back tomorrow and get 2 more ... hahaha ...

Posted by: Agnes | Jan 5, 2006 8:27:08 PM

for every two hanks of koigu, you could make shawls. Diamond Fantasy Shawl/Scarf uses about 350yds. And the flower basket shawl..or the herrinbone glove pattern. I've seen an FO for the herringbone glove that uses 2 hanks of koigu.

Posted by: winnie | Jan 5, 2006 8:30:18 PM

knit yourself some hand warmers like in one of sally melville's books

Posted by: Leslie | Jan 5, 2006 8:32:05 PM

Not one of the most original ideas, but Charlotte's Web "uses" 5 skeins. Since (so far) that seems mostly in order to use 5 *colors*, one might be able to make it with 4 -- maybe the two "brown-y" ones (1 & 3 from the left)?

Posted by: Cordelia | Jan 5, 2006 8:33:18 PM

Colorwork! You could knit a pair of colorwork mittens (or socks, if you preferred), using 2 hanks of Koigu, paired with a solid contrasting color yarn. Tipper (of the Daily Fiber Therapy blog) had the idea to do something like that for the Nordic Mittens from the Winter '04 IK. I think it would be a really neat effect, and an unusual way to use a couple of hanks of Koigu.

Posted by: Rebekkah | Jan 5, 2006 9:04:43 PM

You need four hanks, two of the same colorway for the chevron scarf in last minute knitted gifts. The two hanks (not the pull balls) on the ends would look fabulous together. That would take care of 4 hanks. Actually, the center hank and the pull ball on the left would look good together too. But then you'd be knitting two of those scarves.

Or you could knit this:

http://mohairdreams.typepad.com/mohair_dreams/2005/11/short_and_sweet.html

It takes two hanks of koigu. And I know that the yarn store that has it will fax or mail you the pattern.

Posted by: Purly Whites | Jan 5, 2006 9:20:10 PM

Cordelia already suggested it, but those 5 colors lined up reminded me of the Charlotte's Web colorways too. You haven't done a major lace project in awhile, maybe it's time?

Heck with 2 hanks of each color, you could do 2 shawls...one for yourself, and one for a friend?

Posted by: Natalie | Jan 5, 2006 9:22:07 PM

I say Charlotte's too!

Posted by: Scout | Jan 5, 2006 9:46:42 PM

I have to second the hand warmers idea. My fingerless mitts out of Koigu are favorites, for sure. Charlotte's Web, of course, comes to mind, as has already been noted, but you'd be splitting them and ending up with enough to make 2 of the same web, which probably gives you chills! Two skeins could be turned into Sivia Harding's Diamond Fantasy Shawl/Scarf. (Or make it bigger - use 4 skeins, intermingling the two chosen colors.) http://siviaharding.com/Diamonds2.html (It's on my list this year to make, actually - I have a huge stash of Koigu, but I've never made Koigu socks, oddly enough.)

Posted by: Amy | Jan 5, 2006 10:24:39 PM

I was going to say Charlotte's Web too, but I've been beaten to it!
There is a very pretty hat in last year's Knitting Pattern a Day calendar - the Bell Cloche - it calls for worsted, but I bet you could double it. It is very cute. I've been eyeing it all year myself! You could make one for each day of the week!

Posted by: Jenn | Jan 6, 2006 12:16:05 AM

I was fascinated with many of the charlottes I saw back when everyone was knitting one. The way the colors stripe and play with each other is lovely. Now, I've never seen the pattern, so I'm not sure how it's knitted, but I had the idea to knit it with two strands, changing the second strand every so often so that the big stripes consist of smaller stripes of the other yarns. It might be too busy, I have no idea if it would actually work, but it sure looks pretty in my minds eye :)

Posted by: enjay | Jan 6, 2006 1:31:12 AM

How about a Patch of Berries scarf from Patternworks (2 skeins), or even better - a Carousel Tunic in a smaller child's size. Or you could do a Keepsake Shawl and use all the colors together that way.

Posted by: Kathy | Jan 6, 2006 2:52:35 AM

Oh a contest... great :)
You could make some of those mitred squares and make a laprug out of it. Or a throw, pillows, maybe a bag. Hmm... guess you wanted one idea, didn't you? Well, the mitred squares are my idea :)

Cheers

Posted by: Eva (EvaLux) | Jan 6, 2006 5:05:32 AM

Back in December 04, I made a Kiri shawl using 5 hanks of Koigu originally destined for a Charlotte's Web. I love that shawl!

Posted by: Tracy | Jan 6, 2006 5:13:44 AM

I'm just finishing up a pair of gloves in Koigu - which have used about 1½ hanks. If you stranded it together with a plain yarn you could make matching hat and mittens from 2 hanks.

Posted by: Mary | Jan 6, 2006 6:13:02 AM

Can I give two? One is the Wavy Triangles Scarf from VK Fall 03 (which calls for two skeins).

The other is the Smoke Ring with Lace Edging, which I've made from Koigu and used two skeins. http://www.heartstringsfiberarts.com/a45.shtm

Posted by: Cassie | Jan 6, 2006 7:42:44 AM

I have no suggestion other than to say that I'm anti-Charlotte.

This is not a contest entry. :-)

Posted by: Christy | Jan 6, 2006 7:45:12 AM

feather and fan lace scarf, a quick hat given that cold weather will be coming your way.

Patty

Posted by: patty bolgiano | Jan 6, 2006 8:01:27 AM

Did you see Annie's Koigu Turtleneck?

http://www.knittygritty.net/gallery2005.html

She used 3 skeins of four colors. I have seen it in person, and it is so gorgeous! It's a "Charlotte" idea, where you stripe and then work solid bands. (You can vary the striping sequence to suit what you have, and you may have to get more - oh well.)

Kind of like the Noro scarf in last minute gifts - striping two variegated yarns from different color families - so much fun to do!

Posted by: Mary Beth | Jan 6, 2006 8:23:16 AM

Wristwarmers or mittens. (I've got some koigu for the Natalyas that I'm going to make eventually...) A small lace shawl, either with the two matching skeins or maybe two matching skeins and a coordinating skein. Something like the Charlotte's Web shawls. Depending on the color range you've got, something like the koigu skirt from Vogue could be nice (Cosmicpluto's is very pretty). If the skirt isn't appropriate, maybe something like a pillow with the same construction idea. You could probably also get a nice bag out of 2-4 skeins of koigu.

And, for one more suggestion of the probably-useless variety: koigu would probably be great for small toys or sculptural knitting.

Posted by: naomi | Jan 6, 2006 9:11:40 AM

I'm with the Charlotte'e Web group, too - sounds like you have the perfect amount of Koigu for it.

Posted by: Chris | Jan 6, 2006 9:31:35 AM

A Modified 'Koigu Wrap': It's garter lace knit on the long edge. It's huge in the pattern, and takes 10 skeins, but I've seen it done casting on about half the stitches and using 5 skeins (or as many as you like). It makes a terribly luxurious scarf! Don't judge it by the picture on the pattern :) I've seen it done with five different skeins, alternating skeins, all the same colourway, etc. The world is your hand-painted-merino oyster!

Posted by: Heather | Jan 6, 2006 9:35:37 AM

Hi Jody, When I was in Toronto, I purchased 4 skeins of Koigu in 2 different but similar colorways, and the owner of Lettuce Knit suggested that I make a multidirectional scarf with them (since I'm not a sock knitter--yet). Alternate colors every 4 rows so that they blend better.

Posted by: Ericka | Jan 6, 2006 9:37:57 AM

2 thoughts:
1 is to make mittens. There are 2 patterns on this page: http://www.needletrax.com/knittingzone/mittens.htm for mittens using Koigu, and each pair uses 2 skeins. They're gorgeous. (There's also a pair of gloves for Koigu if you're feeling really ambitious.)
2. Double the Koigu and make a scarf. The pattern doesn't have to be fancy - even a simple ribbed or seed stitch would really highlight the colors of the yarn. And how nice would Koigu feel against your face in the winter??

(btw. This is a great dilemma to have!)

Posted by: Ann | Jan 6, 2006 9:44:41 AM

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