Kenai Caplet by Virginia Norman

Kenai Caplet

Knitting
November 2017
Bulky (7 wpi) ?
12 stitches and 14 rows = 4 inches
in crossed stocking stitch
US 11 - 8.0 mm
1 yards (1 m)
XS-S [M-L, 1X-2X]
English
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I bought this yarn several years ago on a trip to Alaska because it was the same color as the Kenai River. I love the subtle variation in this hand dyed colorway and the yarn is exceptionally soft. I knew I wanted to design with it, but I had a terrible time coming up with a design that I felt would do the yarn justice. And so it sat unknitted.
Then I had two thoughts nearly simultaneously. One, whatever I did with the yarn…I wanted it to touch my bare skin. Two, the color in this yarn is so beautiful it speaks for itself…therefore simple stitches would allow the yarn to be “heard”.
The tragedy is that I only bought two skeins, which meant this yarn was destined to be an accessory. The end result of all this musing is a caplet…which, if worn with a strapless dress or tank top, will lend its glorious softness to bare shoulders and neck. I chose a crossed stocking stitch for the bulk of this piece because this simple pattern shows off the lovely variations in color of the yarn, while adding just enough texture to be interesting. I think it mimics the gentle ripples in the river it’s named after. The simple pattern and chunky weight yarn allow this caplet to be worked up quickly for nearly instant joy.