Have you ever worked with a springy yarn? Not just a nice merino with a decent ply; I'm talking a tigger tail-trampoline bouncing-lamb on a pogo stick kind of yarn. The kind of yarn that creates texture as high and crisp as the Rocky Mountains and helps your cables be seen from space. No? I hadn't either, until I met Elemental Affects Cormo worsted, and let me tell you the love affair has only just begun.
The combination of longer fibers and extra twisty spin makes for a stretchy bouncy yarn that just pops your cables right off the knitting. I knew from the minute I touched my maybe-not-totally-worthy paws upon it that I was in for some excellent knitting and so sat down with my stitch dictionaries to find texture stitches.
I wanted to create a wrap that was fun to knit, maybe a little addictive, and had just enough going on that you wanted to keep knitting but not so much as to be intimidating. Cables were a must, an asymmetrical design with a little lace too, and then a wide section of texture to really let the yarn sing.
I am constantly inspired by the beauty found here in Spokane, I'm a transplant here and so it always seems new and fresh to me. The Grand Boulevard Wrap is named for a beautiful area here in Spokane that features some of the most statuesque houses from the turn of the century and the glorious Manito Park. Both are well tended and have been lovingly updated while still keeping with the history of the area. This was the kind of vibe that I wanted to give the Grand Boulevard Wrap, classic but modern, cabled but asymmetrical and with an unusual edging.
This wrap is worked flat all in one piece, it is infinity adjustable for size and gauge since you can easily add or remove stitch or row repeats. One of my testers even worked this pattern in a fingering weight and it turned out great! The pattern is also written and charted so it is enjoyable no matter your preference.
