Here’s to Lupin

June 19th, 2009 by Gwynn | Posted in On The Needles |

Last fall, we picked up the Harry Potter sock yarn from Opal (in case you didn’t already know this). The release of the yarn was supposed to coincide with the release of the movie “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”. Harry Potter Fans were already on the look-out and snapped up a bunch of the yarn. Opal creates sock yarn in colorway collections – limited editions. When they sell out, they don’t make anymore (again, in case you didn’t already know this). What we have left is all we will ever have. Anyway, the movie release was postponed and the rest of the yarn has been slowly trickling out the door. All of it that is except for the Lupin colorway. There are almost 2 dozen balls of this color still in the store. Granted, the bulk of the sock is going to be yellow and orange stripes. I know from Yarn Store Experience that yellow and orange are not big sellers. But in the case of Lupin, I think it is important to ask you to look past mere issues with color. As I knit through one entire repeat of the colorway, I found myself coming up with my own symbolism to help explain the yarn: (frankly, I had to just so I could make it through the 3.75″ of yellow and orange!!!) There is an almost two inch stretch of blue and gray which can easily be correlated to a wolf (with blue eyes?). Even I have a hard time explaining the pink bit, but as I am a pink lover, I didn’t mind it.

Now, harder to put into words is the “werewolfie” or “werewolfish” yellow and orange bits. I have taken a poll of my colleagues and walk-in customers and everyone describes this portion as very “werewolfish”. What comes to mind for me is the full moon, bright flashes of light, and the gnashing of teeth during the transformation. All in all, not a color I would normally gravitate toward. But in the interest of supporting the character of Lupin, I will knit slightly ghastly bits of yellow and orange. Let’s face it: On Lupin’s first Harry Potter appearance he saved Harry from the dementors; he was best mates with Harry’s Dad; he gave the Marauder’s Map back to Harry for future use; Lupin was so great that Tonks fell in love with him despite the full moon business; and last but certainly not least, Albus Dumbledore trusted Lupin enough to hire him as a teacher. Rise to the occasion Harry Potter fans – look past color and and get a ball of the Lupin colorway (if you haven’t already) before it is all gone (if only) and wear them proudly to the movie release next month. Or wear the Harry Potter socks you’ve already finished and take Lupin “On The Needles” to your local cinema for happy movie knitting. We also happen to have a dozen or so of the Ron color and the Draco color. At the risk of offending someone, I think the only balls of Draco we have sold are to people who have no knowledge of Harry Potter and simply liked the colorway – very denimy bluejeans. And in all conscience I cannot even ask anyone to buy Draco. (I didn’t.) Does the label EVIL VILLAIN come to mind?  Don’t know why we still have Ron left – maybe everyone thought the colorway that was a combination color for Ron and Harry sufficed. The Ron is a lovely fallish rust color so while you are ordering a ball of Lupin you may as well get Ron too!!

As for the other On the Needles projects: I do not have a progress update on the shrug or the Block Island Blend vest because there is no progress. Last weekend I was in my tiny laundry room looking for something (what was I looking for?) and I had a momentary stab of dismay at the quantity of UFO’s (unfinished objects)  in there. This brief feeling coupled with the fact that I am constantly teased at work for knitting so much with pink urged me to grab the closest bag of UFO’s and finish something. The bag I speak of contained three different projects – all blue, thank you very much. First I pulled out the babushka which I made out of Noro’s Chirimen and finished that up. Then I pulled out a sweater I had started for my daughter Meredith out of the Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran. I finished the back, the hood and the first sleeve. I only have one sleeve to go which will only take a minute. She absolutely loves the smooshiness of this yarn ( so do I, which is why I chose it; that and it is machine washable).

The babushka pattern is in a book called Knitting To Share. It is a lovely book with a “to die for” Aran sweater in it. The book and the Noro Chirimen came into the store around the same time and in my own need for immediate gratification, I decided they were a perfect couple. Also, I felt I might be in need of a cotton/silk head scarf this summer for help with bad humidity hair days. (Did I mention that I really just wanted a good excuse to knit with the new Noro?) What’s not to love about a lightweight cotton/silk self-striping yarn???? Meredith’s sweater is the Knitting Pure and Simple  Children’s Tunic. I started knitting it for her because she needed a new sweater and she wasn’t very thrilled with it back in March. She never is very thrilled with my knitting (she is at saturation point) and abhors trying things on and being measured. But now she happens to be in love with the silly thing and on Wednesday night when I finished the first sleeve, she sat on the floor watching TV with it on – Addi Turbos hanging from the unfinished sleeve. Go figure.

My goal over the weekend is to finish Meredith’s sweater (so she won’t have to wear it with needles in it) and the Misti Cotton shrug, with a little Lupin squeezed in. Then I will get back to the wrap vest.

Thanks again for tuning in. Don’t be shy to send me comments/suggestions/questions. I would love to hear from you. Happy Knitting!