Enchanted Forest

Finished and blocked piece measures 183CM / 72 inches (6 foot) across the top and 76CM / 30 inches (2 ½ foot) from top to bottom center tip. with a general gauge of 23 sts and 32 rows equaling 4” x 4” on a US 4 needle.
You will need a set of circular needles no shorter than 32 inches in a US size 4 and 1 stitch marker.

 Story

This design was inspired by the amazing browns and yellows of the winter fields in Kansas during hunting season combines with the many different colors of cedar trees scattered amongst the hedge and locust trees. The diagonals replicate the grass blowing in the wind. I called it Enchanted because you can be sitting and watching, listening to the birds and out of nowhere a deer will wonder into view, or a turkey, or pheasant.

During my time home, the winter of 2018 I discovered a new knit shop in Hutchinson Kansas on Main St. The Wool Market had only been open a few months but what a fantastic place! The business savvy and experience in this wonderful industry was shining bright with this husband and wife team. I wondered upon a full section of yarns hand dyed by local designers. There it was! The perfect colors to represent my enchanted forest! A designer out of Wichita Kansas named Daisy Hill Yarns had a full selection of fibers from Sock and fingering to Mohair and Brushed Alpaca, all dyed in coordinating colorways. I chose Matfield Green in two fibers. One was a 72% Kid Mohair / 28% Silk Blend That she named Haz Days. The other was a 75% Superwash Merino and 25% Nylon she named Daisy SSS. I also pulled one out of my stash from a dyer located in Lenexa Kansas. The brown shades are called Mini Boomer and is made of 65% superwash Merino and 35% Rayon from Bamboo. It has a wonderful loft and luster for a small gauge yarn.

Here’s the enchanting part! While I was In Pennsylvania, I had the pleasure of stopping by the warehouse for The Alpaca Company. She led me to York PA where I met the most wonderful people at Ewe and Me. There I found this trio of fibers with color and texture and had been saving it for just the right design, and this is it! The mixture of Mariquita (50 baby alpaca / 50 Tencel) and Brushed surri Alpaca both dyed in the color Nebula made for an enchanting mixture of lilacs and hibiscus colors. Then to add the Pure Mulberry Silk from Juniper Moon for the third. Honestly, I could not knit these fast enough. The first one was 75% complete in the first three days! This one is still in the process of being finished but I promise you it will be worth the wait!