Pages

Tuesday 13 December 2011

FO: Snowbaby

Just a quickie post today, to show you my lovely new hat. I have decided that waiting for decent light will mean waiting forever, so apologies about the photo quality.


Pattern: Snowbaby Hat by Eskimmimi (rav link)
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran in Purple (#13) and Off-White (#16). It should be knit in DK but I fell for that purple.
Bought at: Create Cafe, Ilkley, still probably my favourite yarn shop of all time.
Needles: 3.75mm 60cm KnitPro Interchangeables. Needed to go down to this size from the recommended 4mm to get guage.

After a false start where I measured my gauge but decided it would do [massive error => massive hat], this second attempt went much better. I heartily recommend it as a first project in Fair Isle, as there are no long strands on the back so no need to figure out the complexities of weaving vs. twisting, and of course only two colours - though I did manage to get myself in a twist! A clear and well-written pattern meant I could use my brainpower to learn the stranding, not deciphering.

I am mightily happy with the result: lovely and cosy, butt he fabric is still sufficiently flexible despite my mucking about with the yarn size. I am so happy with it that when OH asked if he might have one knitted for him, I didn't fret about how much knitting should get done before Christmas or get too cross about the lovely scarf I knitted him last year that he has LOST, and just said, 'as long as you take me to the yarn shop'. More on that story later...

Sunday 11 December 2011

Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Fair 2011

I was glad to go to Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Fair 2011, though now I have been three years on the bounce I think it may be time to have a year off. Don't get me wrong, it's still incredibly inspiring and full of as much craft stuff as I might ever need; it's just that I totally forgot to take photos while I was actually in the place, felt a bit ill and a bit claustrophobic. So yes, sorry, not one photo of an awesomely artistic quilt or crazy knitted fashion project, just photos of my haul.


First a parade of sock yarn. We have some Daffodil by Bar T'at yarns (available from Create Cafe, Ilkley) which will probably become some sort of spring shawl / scarf, possible for Mother's Day. The ZigZag ball is destined to become socks, hopefully skew socks [knitty, ravelry] for myself, but we shall see who else asks for socks before the year is out! The last ball of dark blues is what my mum asked for some legwarmers in. God only knows why I didn't point her in the direction of chunky yarn, but I have made my bed and must now lie in it.




And then the parade of cross stitch kits. The bookmarks are definitely for me, the other flowers may become Mother's Day presents and the little ones are probably going to be framed or something as part of Mum's birthday. It does seem like my mum is destined to do rather well out of my crafting in the coming months, but I guess that's her reward for taking me!