The Classic Elite Web-Letter • Issue 2 Greetings! Welcome to Classic Elite's second web letter. I’ve recently become creative director at Classic Elite and I’m learning a lot about yarns—what they’re made of, why they behave the way they do, how to match yarn and project, etc. In this weekly letter, I’ll be writing about my discoveries. Let me know if you have any fiber or yarn questions and I’ll see what I can do to find the answer. Meanwhile, read on for another great free pattern…
The Story: Knitting Interlude This week in Portland, Maine, has been hot and muggy. Plants droop in their pots moments after they’re watered, keys, mouse, and doorknobs stick to the fingers, and fans are sluggish as they shove air across the room. I arrive at work armed with refreshment--an extra large iced latte and three bottles of water dripping with condensation—a survival kit for a hot and hazy afternoon in a quaint, but un-air-conditioned, office.   What to knit under these lurid mid-season conditions? An open, lacey shawl, of course. This week, gossamer yarn and 000 needles are out of the question. What’s needed is a cool, linen-y mid-weight yarn that cruises through the fingers and a stitch pattern that practically knits itself. Sharon Brown, former head of Classic Elite’s luxury division, has designed the perfect project for summer knitting. She says her shawl, lightweight and unwrinkable, is the perfect travel accessory. It’s elegant worn over bare shoulders in sultry weather. And when things cool off, try it wrapped around the neck with a jean jacket. The Yarn: Interlude—70% linen, 30% silk Interlude is a beautiful yarn spun from an unusual combination of fibers—linen and silk. As you would expect, the linen component in Interlude adds heft and structure to the yarn for lovely stitch definition. As you can see in the photo of Sharon’s shawl, the yarn supports the open stitches in the lace pattern and highlights its structure. A bit of silk adds softness, drape, and sheen—the perfect antidote to linen’s sober, no frills characteristics. Learn more about linen?	The Pattern: Here's the free downloadable Lace Wrap pattern. The Stitches: Sharon swatched several patterns before settling on Checkerboard Mesh from Barbara Walker’s A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, the middle volume in Walker’s invaluable trio of stitch libraries. In this lace pattern, mesh diamonds are framed by a trellis of stockinette stitch. The pattern has a 20-row repeat, but don’t be put off. Several of the rows repeat themselves and every wrong-side row is purled. Once you get going, it’s straightforward knitting all the way. Here is more information on how to work decrease stitches.
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