Capturing the Autumn :: Knitting ::

Happy Thursday everyone! Thank you so much for the support and messages you have sent me since Tuesday morning. I read every single one of them, and they all touched me. We are all trying to cope in different ways. We are very lucky that Baby MiH has carried on with nursery and has great friends there, so he is happy to go without too many questions. I scheduled my blog posts, so actually October is sorted, so I have some sort of focus. It is all trivial, and at the same time it has become of the utmost importance to find a new routine. I always believed in the healing powers of crafting - I need them to operate just a tiny bit of magic, like now. 

Mindless knitting is great - especially in the round. This hat is exactly that, and I don't often make 3 hats off the same (free) pattern (blogged here and here), so I highly recommend that you have it in our Ravelry library (have you added it yet?). 

I do not often knit with variegated yarn. When I was looking for a project for this skein of Silk Blend Manos del Uruguay, I always went back to stockinette, because it shows off the colours best - and equally I found myself really boring for not trying to knit fancy patterns. I am glad I went for stockinette, because this truly shows the depth of the colours of the yarn - it is like having Autumn in a skein. 

As you can see, comparing my first version and this version, I seemed to have modified the pattern, but this was not done on purpose. I probably mixed the inches and centimetres. I prefer the first version that stuck to the instructions. But this last version let me knit more of this skein. 

Pattern: Mock Rib Watch Cap (free pattern on Ravelry)

Yarn: Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend in Gracia (I reviewed the ethics of the yarn here)

Modification: Added a pompom. using a pompom maker (reviewed here)

And now for the giveaway winner - it number 31, a new blog follower - Lindsey! Lindsey I tried to contact you, just email me your address! 

Pompom Beanie no 2 {Knitting}

I had a plan, a good plan. I would use one of my favourite beanie hat patterns and make it for one of my friends. I got a yarn that seemed like the Cascade Eco-Cloud in a burgundy colour and I was off. Except that what seemed to be, was not. And the colour was lovely, the yarn was in fact like 'a thick or thin', and I thought it was going to snap throughout the whole knit - not the best knitting experience. 

Pattern: Mock Rib Watch Cap (free pattern on Ravelry).

I made this version in Cascade Eco-Cloud

Yarn: Schachenmayr Aventica Supreme in colour 00035

Needles: Circular and DPNs 5.5mm

Modification: Added a pompom as the first time (tutorial here), and made it bigger as my friend as frizzy hair.

Result: It is amazing how much the yarn changes the look of a beanie. It is not making the most of the wide brim pattern but it does add interest to the body, 

so not as bad as I thought, just different.

 

I made a fancy pompom using some nearly-neon yarn I have in my stash. I was clearly bold - as it was not for me...

In the end I think it works, but I really did not like knitting this yarn. I do love the colour though, and this is still my favourite pattern. So easy to knit, and such a great fit!

A hat in July {Knitting} + Le Challenge GIVEAWAY

The 12 hats in a year challenge is proving every month more and more challenging. A knitted hat is the last thing I actually need in my wardrobe right now, but I know that not long from now it is all I will want to wear. So I decided to go for simple design - for a minimum time spent on knitting. 

Pattern: Mock Rib Watch Cap (free pattern on Ravelry)

Yarn: Cascade Eco-Cloud in Bunny (#1804) bought here

Needles: Circular and DPNs 5.5mm

I did not even change the yarn - or the colour! I am glad. I had never knitted with Cascade Eco Cloud, and the yarn is actually really different from any other yarn I had knitted with. I tried to capture it on the pictures, it is not twisted, it is sort of braided - and so stretchy! It is a merino and alcapa blend - and I don't seem to be allergic to it, result! It would be great for sweaters in the winter, and probably very forgiving for sizing. 

I have bought about a girl (Lindsey Kelk) on Ibooks recently - after seeing a lot of recommendations on twitter. I have yet failed to make it to Chapter 1, so cannot tell you a lot about it - but it seems to be the perfect chilling out book! 

Linking to Tamis and Ginny's today. 

So here is for the giveaway. As you may know the next le challenge theme is HEROES (entries due on September 15), and Kirsty at Quiet Play has shared her inspiration and given you a chance to win 3 of a paper pieced patterns!! To enter, go here.