For the last while, I have dubbed January "Knitting Month". With Knit Camp, a class on Continental Knitting at McArees, a beginners knitting class at The Stitchery in Glasgow and the shooting the 1st edition of The Knit Project, this month is most definitely all about the needles.
I do love to knit. It is much more my relaxation than crochet - with fewer deadlines and less of a feel that I always need to be making my own designs, I feel much more free to pick up someone else's pattern and knit. Finishing and submitting the book (yay!) combined nicely with Kevin's need for a new hat*.
Rummaging around in my stash, I happened to find about 360m of left over Superwash Merino Sport from Ripples Crafts in Assynt Lochs. To say I love this yarn, may not go far enough in expressing just how I feel about it. It is exactly like I like - tight twist, glorious sheen, washability (but doesn't block huge like some superwashes tend to do). The colours are divine and it wears like a dream. The yarn features in 2 projects in Book 2, and I would have used it for more if I thought I could get away with it.
Anyway, with 2 strands of Merino Sport held double, I knit Kevin up Brooklyn Tweed's Bray. I had seen the hat mentioned in a few places and thought it looked like an interesting knit. I wasn't let down. The combination of cables and lace (though horseshoe cables are my least favourite), is easily memorised but enough to keep one engaged. The only mistake I made is that I didn't check my tension (stupid, I know) and the hat is a bit too big. (I think, sometimes, I just may be too relaxed about knitting).
Kevin loves it, so that is the most important thing and soon it will stretch out too much and be an excellent slouchy hat for me...perfect for keeping me warm as I knit him another one.
Safely in the win-win knitting category, if I do say so myself.
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Just a quick reminder, Knit Camp starts on Monday. We still have kits in the shop (though v low on blue and green and turquoise). For those of you working from your own materials, you will need in total:
100g of Aran-weight wool in main colour for Mitts and Hat
25g Aran-weight wool in contrast colour for Mitts and Hat
50g of Aran-weight wool in Colour for Hottie
1l hot water bottle
5mm needles
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Also, just to note, that we still have places left on Collect the Moments and Manual Overdrive starting this month. We do not have any other live classes planned for this year (not that there won't be, but we will be gearing up for Blogtacular in May), so if you want to take a course with us, book now.