Puget Sound LYS Tour 2021
The LYS Tour starts in just over a month… The dates to save are Aug 13th-22nd. The shops will be open 9 days (closed on the only Monday!) with a virtual option for shopping online. Watch this space for more information.
For now, explore the Puget Sound LYS Tour website. Make sure to check out the 2021 Shop Map found under the 2021 LYS Tour Tab. The map provides a link to all participating shops, directions to the shop, as well as a link for each of the shop websites. We think this will prove invaluable as you plan and execute your touring route.
We hope you’ve been following the Puget Sound LYS Tour Instagram account as they introduce all the shops and owners. Almost everyone says the thing they are looking forward to most this year is seeing all our 'tour'...ists. As a group, we are really looking forward to your friendly faces, your enthusiasm, your energy, and your fabulously styled knits! Just make sure you know the name of the pattern - we're likely to ask :)
Past LYS Tour Ruminations
As we gear up for the LYS Tour this year and pass on needed information, we have, of course, been talking about past tours. Quintessential Knits first joined the LYS Tour in 2014. This will be our 8th year as a participant. As you know, that also means that Judy has designed seven patterns for the tour - one each year (minus 2020 due to Covid cancellation). We chatted about her all-time favorite design and then ruminating eventually led to her least favorite as well. We thought for fun's sake, we'd share both here.
The Snoodie Capelet - Judy's All-Time Favorite
The Snoodie Capeleet was designed for the 2017 Tour. The pattern can be found on Ravelry for $4.00 and calls for one or two skeins of Dream in Color Classy (depending on size knit). The pattern is free in shop with a yarn purchase.
What did Judy love about this design? Her favorite elements were the yarn choice which gave the cowl neck such a beautiful drape and the knitted-on border which added a soft and elegant finish. This is a fun and quick project for a wearable cowl/capelet to keep neck and shoulders warm. All the elements came together perfectly in this well-received pattern.
Leaf Points Scarf - Judy's Least Favorite
Brioche has exploded on the knitting scene in the past couple of years with well-known designers like Andrea Mowry and Stephen West incorporating this technique into many of their knit designs. Our beginner brioche classes filled up time and time again, and this explosion of learning led Judy to design the 2018 tour pattern using brioche. The Leaf Points Scarf was also a well-received pattern, featuring two skeins of contrasting DK weight Intrepid Otter yarn, one of the indie-dyed yarns exclusive to our shop. This pattern is also available in shop free with yarn purchase.
As we ruminated on why it was her least favorite design, it all came down to color choice. The contrast between the two yarns was well-chosen, but in the end, Judy felt the combination was not as aesthetically pleasing as it could have been . This illustrates the power of color and why we might fall in love with or pass up a pattern. What can we do about that? While looking at patterns, try paying attention to the details, not the color, or better yet, try to imagine the same item in a color you love. Struggle imagining it in a different color? On the Ravelry project page, click on the Projects tab at the top to look at other people's color choices. Chances are you'll find a color you love and can then more accurately evaluate if the knitted item is worth the knitting.
We'll be back soon with more information about the LYS Tour as we get closer. We still have lots to share. Get excited with us!!
Judy & Megan
