I have one more post to share on Reykjavik, but before I do, I wanted to get going on something I’ve been planning for this spring. As the weather’s started to turn warmer (or not, depending on where you live), it’s clear knitter’s minds are turning to spring and summer! The biggest indication of this is that in the past month or two, my little striped Vasa tee has crept back up to being one of my top sellers! So, what does this mean?

It’s time for a Vasa knit-along! Or, as I’ve dubbed it (with Cirilia’s help), a Vasalong!

Whether you’ve never knit a garment or you have a closet full of handknit sweaters, this is a great time of year to embark on a tee like this. Depending on your fiber and color choice, this is an incredibly versatile little knit with lots of room for modifications. I’ll be showcasing some of the existing modifications that knitters have made to their Vasa tees in the next Vasalong post, but for now, a little bit more about how the Vasalong will work:

I like a KAL that’s pretty open and fluid, without too many restrictive rules, but I know that it can be helpful for folks to have some guidelines. So, here’s what I’ve got, with some follow-up questions below.

GUIDELINES

1. The official start date will be April 6th (today) and the official end date will be June 6th. To be eligible for prizes (yes, there will be prizes!), you’ll need to complete your Vasa and tag it or share it (see below) by the end of the day on June 6th in your own time zone.

2. To participate in the Vasalong, be sure to tag projects and posts with the tag #vasalong. I’ll be checking this tag on Ravelry, Twitter, and Instagram. You can also post about your progress in the comments on this blog, or on the Paper Tiger Facebook page. There are plenty of ways to participate!

3. If you complete your Vasa on or before June 6th, be sure to share it with the appropriate tags in one of the ways mentioned above so I’ll see it! (If you share it here on the blog or on the Facebook page, there’s not need to worry about tags.) This will enter you for the prize drawing.

4. In honor of the vasalong, Vasa will be $1 off on Ravelry for the duration of the KAL. Get it while it’s hot! The $1 discount is automatically applied at checkout.

FOLLOW-UP QUESTIONS

1. I want to participate in the vasalong but I’ve already started a Vasa tee! Will I still be eligible for prizes? Yes! The start date is just a formality, so if you already have a Vasa on the needles you can still enter it as long as you finish by June 6th.

2. I’d love to join in the vasalong but I’m not sure I can finish by June 6th. Can I still join the KAL? Yes! You may not be eligible for prizes, but it’s totally okay to keep knitting past the end date. The more the merrier, we’d love to have everyone join in!

3. What is this I hear about prizes? These aren’t locked down yet, but there WILL be prizes! More on that in a future post. UPDATE: You can read about the prizes here!

4. Do I have to knit the pattern to the letter, or can I make modifications? Please, make modifications! I love to see the creativity of knitters. Want to work it in the round instead of flat? Go for it! Want to change the stripe sequence? Awesome! Want to omit the stripes altogether and chart your own intarsia? Still counts! Adding sleeves? Totally! Just as long as you’re using Vasa for the base, you’re good to go.

If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comments!

Some of my fellow Nordic nerds may have already picked up on this, but Vasa’s name comes from a famous Swedish warship. It’s for this reason that I picked our end date, June 6th, as that’s the National Day of Sweden! I’ll be joining in and knitting my own Vasa tee for the vasalong, but I haven’t picked out my yarn yet. My original uses Tosh Merino Light, but I think I’d love to try a lighter cotton or linen version this time. What yarn will you be using?