Well, what do you know. I really am capable of sticking to a plan. Next on the list was "Thicket" by Alana Dakos from her new book, Botanical Knits 2. This is my second pattern from Alana and, just as I hoped, it was a great pattern! So well-written and easy to follow and the finished product is so pretty! Still not quite a newbie pattern but, I'm relatively inexperienced and was able to follow it without any issues. The only two things I changed were shortening the ribbing to conserve yarn and using the Magic Loop method when it came time to decrease. I have such a hard time using double-pointed needles - they always fall out - so, I thought continuing on a cord would be better. I still struggled a little bit, shown in some slight laddering in the last few rows but, overall, I do prefer the Loop method.
You know what I really love about Alana's hat patterns? Rather than abandoning the design when it's time to decrease, she goes the extra mile to actually decrease the design, giving, in my opinion, a nicer and more professional finish.
This time, I used a yarn much closer in content to the suggested yarn than last time. For one, I bought it as a souvenir last year in Savannah with no project in mind so, it was just sitting in my stash, pre-wound. I love practical souvenirs. For another, I wanted the soft, pretty halo that the sample hat had. The yarn is Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk sport weight. Having just used a dk Egyptian Cotton, the Alpaca Silk felt like knitting air! It was an easy yarn to work with and gave me precisely the result I was hoping for. And, it blocked so nicely, making my knitting look much more consistent than it is :)
Now, can you guess what's next on my queue? I joked on my recovery plan that I'd start on my Ginny Sweater and I'm actually doing it! With a new hat or two along the way ;) (Can you say addicted?) Also, my machine just came home from the shop so, I've got a few new sewing projects planned.
Any other Northern Hemisphere knitters still making winter accessories? (Head start on next year, right?) Have those of you in the Southern Hemisphere started yours yet?
By the way, I find I have less to say about knitting projects - what would you like to see included?
Happy stitching! x
I'm so sick of cold weather that I've given up on my knitting (including on a sweater that I'm about 1/3 of the way through)! I should probably force myself to finish it so it doesn't become a UFO, but I'm just not very inspired! C'mon, spring, let's go!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean - I did that last year. I'm hoping to fight it this year but, we'll see how long it lasts. I've had enough of winter to last a few years and I know yours was worse! Maybe you can pick the sweater back up in the summer when you're sick of the heat, with the ac turned way up.
ReplyDeleteOooooh this is so pretty! I'm knitting my very first project right now, I'm slow and clueless but so enjoying myself! One day I'll be brave enough to try a beret, this winter I think it'll be scarves!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Juliet! Hooray for your first project! :) I'm still slow too - many people said they make this beret in a day but, it took me over a week! It's fun anyway though! You should definitely try a beret too. They're often smaller/faster than scarves (save for bulky) and gauge doesn't matter too much. They're a good way to dip your toes into gauge and learning new stitches.
ReplyDeleteGosh, I'm so new to knitting I don't even know what gauge means! lol!
ReplyDeleteWow, you knit this so fast!! :) It's so lovely - I really like the colour and the silk sounds heavenly to work with! ^__^
ReplyDeleteThank you!! I coincidentally had more free time than normal because I'm still recovering and Brandon was away on business. If you actually watched me knit, you'd be baffled by how slow I am lol. The yarn was lovely - I definitely recommend it :-)
ReplyDeleteThe hat looks great, and I am so jealous of the beautiful flowers in the background! We finally saw all the snow melt hear in MN, but still haven't seen the last of freezing temps. I usually have less to say about knitting projects too - with sweaters there's a little more to say since it always takes longer to knit (haha), It's always nice to hear about the yarn, which you already do. No need to add more words, just let the pictures speak for themselves :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yes, we're so lucky to officially be in spring here now. The azaleas are loving the warmer weather. I hope MN warms up for you soon! Remind Mother Nature it's nearly May! Thanks for the blog tips too - I'm glad I'm not leaving anything out.
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