Another delightful project, my New Year cast-on with yarn a lovely YouTube subscriber gifted me with. I wanted to start the year with a meaningful project.
The Borough Hood by Tori Yu was on my want list for quite some time now and the fabulous gift of Biches et Bûches Le Petit Lambswool paired with Le Petit Silk Mohair, both in dark blue turquoise, was the perfect present. I cannot thank you enough, you who so generously gifted me with this opportunity to knit with this combo for the first time.
The colour is right for me, I never dared using it before other than in little touches or in much darker tones, now I won’t stop ! I think cold blue-green hues suit me quite well (if I may say so..).
The pattern is fun to knit, the whole hood is shaped with short rows, then finished in the round to the desired length (I made it a bit longer). It does start and finish with i-cords. I do not mind binding off with an i-cord, but do I not like casting-on this way. I find it very cumbersome as a cast-on process. Next time I may add one afterwards !
This pattern I will knit again, a fun quick project.
I’m on a small objects stroll and was itching to cast on something with this bright pink mohair from Ferme d’Aulon en Pyrénées that I had in my stash since Summer 2020. I had made cowls for my coworkers as Christmas presents that year – do you remember Covid ? I had to have the cowls shipped to my friends even though they live quite close to me. If you want pictures of this wonderful village the mohair comes from, please check my post from Summer 2021.
I had 1.5 skein left sitting at the top of my mohair stash, right before my eyes, because I wanted to use them, but for what ? That was the question.
I really should listen to myself, and cast-on small sizes for hats. But no, I made the medium size. It ended up being too big, of course, and I was very frustrated. It is impossible to unravel this very hairy mohair.
I decided to gently felt it, on medium warm water with a regular laundry in my washing machine. It came out felted, not too much, and still a tinsy bit too big. So I placed two invisible elastic threads, one at the bottom of the hat and the other at the fold of the brim. Now it fits me perfectly and I wear it every day. The felted mohair offers a good protection against the cold wind fwiw.
I am so so happy ! Add a bright warm hat to your wardrobe and your day is different when you wear it 😺💜
I’m quite enjoying knitting smaller projects to be gifted. I decided I was going to take advantage of all this acrylic or mostly acrylic yarn my mother gave me last Spring. I can knit presents that are not going to be difficult to be taken care of. My experience from last year, when I saw the fear to destroy their gifts (the Silata Scarves and the Hiberknitting Hat) in my son’s eyes, drove me to choose a care-free fibre for this year’s presents knits.
For now, I have a few Trendy Little Scarves, and will make a few additional ones. I just finished a Musselburgh Hat by Ysolda Teague for my youngest son’s, and a Manhattan Hat by Tori Yu for my eldest son’s girlfriends. Both in mostly acrylic, care free yarns. I like the end results, both patterns are equally interesting and easy.
My next Musselburgh may be in size adult small, for the head circumference, but in the large size row count for length, or at least a bit longer than the one I just made. I like to have it either very slouchy or with a double brim. That requires a bit of length. The Manhattan hat has a triple brim, much cosy and warm.
I will knit some for myself once I have all the presents I need 🙂
I thought I would not buy much in September, thus making my average per month expenses a bit better and more in line with what I had anticipated. I did spend a log in July and August, mostly on beautiful yarn I am so happy to have with me.
Patterns
For a few days in September, Meret Buretzberger – butszeria about everywhere, had a 20% discount on all of her patterns because she needed new glasses ! I had two of her patterns in my favorites, two beautiful tee-shirts, that I bought :
The Verkehrt Pulli is a very interesting tee-shirt construction that you can wear right side up or upside down for a different effect. I anticipate it will be as fun to knit as it will be to wear. The Rheinfall Tee is a bit more classical with a waterfall type of collar, reminding Meret of one of her favorite places. The sample is in hemp, a fibre I am quite interested in trying. I may use some of the cotton I have in stash too 🙂
When Tori Yu released her Borough Hood, I immediately liked it, and recalled I already had the Manhattan Hat in my favourites. So I got both ! I’ve been wanting to knit a hood for about a year, when the ladies over at Cady Jax Knits made one. I do agree that every sweater should have their detachable hood. I still am planning for that project without having made any.. So yes, hoping a beautiful pattern will get live at some point. The Manhattan Hat is my next Christmas present cast on !
Yarn
Yes I am on a yarn no-buy project, no I have not paid for or planned to buy any. My second son was home a week ago, coming back from a conference in Glasgow. “Bring me yarn for my Bday” had I said to him as a joke, and he did ! He sent a picture from the shop and I sorta guided him by yarn composition (no acrylic if possible) and weight (DK) and he delivered ! He brought this Marriner 100% Superwash Merino in grey and white that caught my eye in the picture, and a couple additional colours of his choice, a true red, a bright gold and a cobalt blue.
Now to find a pattern to use all of them. They are not quite in my own colour realm.. What would you think of a Vertice Unite by Stephen West ? Too clingy ? I’m quite undecided, to be continued then !
So this September was quite quiet for spending, only €31,69, adding up to €1122,81 for this year, and €124,76 per month. Kinda making up for the summer frenzy 😺
Knit Now 