Thursday, January 07, 2016

First FO of the Year

I seem to be off to a good start with this year's projects. After spending way more time than I should on it I present the Red Lace Beret:


Sorry for the silly selfie but at least you can see how it fits. Even though I knit the larger size (with 9 repeats) it's still awfully teensie! Happily this is the size I prefer anyway. The pattern is the brilliantly named #13 Lace Beret by Kate Gagnon Osborn from the Fall 2009 issue of Vogue Knitting. There were issues with this pattern including quite a number of errors in the chart. If you'll remember I started to knit it originally while we were away on holiday and didn't have access to the Internet to look up the errata. Also the yarn (Raventwist Torc, 100% wool, colourway "Fire Dream") was, as its name might suggest, very highly twisted. It made the stitches wonky and the hat even smaller than it already was. After we got home I ended up frogging the first attempt and running the yarn through my spinning wheel to take out some of the excess twist and then reskeining it and washing to set the relaxed twist. Much better!

For the pattern I re-charted the thing completely - and of course introduced a few new mistakes which I luckily caught as I was knitting. This is a lace with no resting rows designed on a k1/p1 ribbed ground. Not exactly easy but worth the fuss. I see it as alternating butterflies decreasing to a 9-point star on the crown. I've already worn it out for a walk and it stays on and behaves nicely. Finally after more than two months on the needles, success.

Now I only have one knitting project left to work on, the Stripey Sweater, knitted in the yarns that I dyed most recently. I'm only part way down the yoke so more about this when there's something to show. I may have to start something else too because this one is not portable what with 8 different balls juggling about and all. A simple alternative knit would be nice to have as well.

So. Tomorrow it's back up to the studio to warm up the sewing machine. I can hardly wait! So many potential new garments waiting for me to make them a reality. 
 

4 comments:

Sharon in Surrey said...

I love it. It was well worth your time!!! I'm not sure if I'd have made all the effort you went to but that little injection of color is so perfectly wonderful in a wardrobe of grey & brown. Hahahaha Truly, I really DO look forward to your little gems of color. Go Granny Go!!!

Louisa said...

Hah! I knew you'd like this one, Sharon! Now I'm hoping to make a shawlette to match from the rest of the skein.

Anonymous said...

love the dash of colour but aren't your ears going to get cold?

Louisa said...

My ears do show rather prominently, don't they? They don't usually get cold though unless it's really freezing. In which case I have a toque that does cover down low. I have lots of hats!