A New Year Means Lots of New Projects!

First things first, Happy New Year! The end of last year roared right by me, and the beginning of 2011 has maintained the same crazy pace. I want to tell you all about the exciting Winter Project we have going on, but I have to introduce my new design first.

You can see the fabric detail well here, and appreciate the lovely glow of the silk.
This one premiered at TNNA with Jade Sapphire and is called Tea Leaves. I used two skeins of Jade Sapphire 2-ply silk/cashmere in the Tea Leaves colorway, along with some lovely Japanese jet lined amethyst ab seed beads. Check with shops that stock Jade Sapphire yarns for this pattern (or email Jade Sapphire to request a list of shops that stock the pattern.)
I also added Netsuke Wrap and Beaded Serpent Scarf to my Ravelry pattern store. I think I might have some other new designs ready for you very soon, but hold that thought!

The most exciting thing chez BadCat right now is Metamorphosis. You can see assorted swatches for this project above, thanks to my Thursday evening knitting friends. I suggest wine with your swatching. In case you missed the announcement for this great project, there is a special tab at the top of my blog with all the details. We will be casting on in a few days, but thus far we have measured ourselves for the sweater, discussed materials, fit and ease, and swatched a little.



Metamorphosis is a collaboration between Jeri Riggs and moi. Each knitter gets to choose a sweater size (and there are a wide array of size options (seven, to be exact) from a 34 inch chest on up.) Each knitter can choose between a cardigan or a pullover. Each knitter can choose the style of the raglan seam. Jeri is a remarkable engineer. There are bead options, stitch complexity options, peplum design options, different edging options, oodles of charts...and more. There are a total of three shawl/scarf designs also, which are really modular and can be made larger, smaller, thinner, wider, simpler or as ornate as you like! You can see the raglan seam options here.
This is an open version of the raglan seam with 8/0 beads...
And this is a closed version of the raglan seam with 6/0 beads!


This weekend we will be casting on for either a sweater or one (of the three) shawl designs. Yarn is actively being selected and you can see from my little pile of yarn that I plan on knitting a bunch! My sweater yarn is from Mocha's Fibers and is kettle dyed. I am really enjoying it. Below you can see the color I am using for my sweater, called London Fog. The tube of beads next to the skeins are Miyuki 8/0 lined ivory AB. You might also notice a cone of Colourmart 2/28 silk/merino and some Miyuki 10/0 triangles. This is for the second shawl design in the Metamorphosis series, details to come soon!
The first winter project shawl design, appropriately called The Metamorphosis shawl, uses the charts in the same order as our sweater. I knit my sample in 2-ply finger weight yarn that I spun from gorgeous fiber purchase at Rhinebeck this past fall. It is 80% Shetland and 20% silk and I used about 4.5 ounces of wonderfully prepared batts to get about 800 yards of yarn. The fiber came from Potosi Sheep Farm. Just a peak at how the shawl begins. Crystal ab 6/0 beads...
If you feel the temptation to join, this would be a great time to come over! See the details right here

I hope to find more blogging time in 2011, and especially to keep everyone up to date with progress on Metamorphosis. I will leave with you a little bit of heaven, represented by yarn to chase away your winter blues. It just doesn't get any better or brighter than this...