Knitting Blogcast #11 | The Woolly Wordsmith
A finished hat, lots of socks, and summer knitting plans
Welcome back to the eleventh iteration of my knitting Blogcast. Here, I share my knitting makes. Today, I am going to share my finished Musselburgh Hat, my sock WIPs and my summer knitting plans. Thank you for being here with me.
Today’s quote comes from Calvino’s If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler, which is one of my favourite books.
“Reading is solitude. One reads alone, even in another's presence.” - Italo Calvino, If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler (1979)
Similar to reading, I find knitting to be a solitary pursuit. It calms my inner mind and the final project feels like it is entirely my own, created with my own hands.
Finished Objects (FOs)
Musselburgh by Ysolda Teague (Ravelry: My First Musselburgh)
I have finally finished my first Musselburgh Hat by Ysolda Teague. I used Blackwattle Yarn & Fibre Mallee, a 4ply sock yarn, in the colourways Terra Rosa and Ghost Gum.
The ribbing in the middle felt like it took a while, but it did allow me to practice ribbing in continental. Once the ribbing was over, I flew through the second half of the hat. This pattern is often praised for being the perfect mindless project, and I certainly agree with that.
I loved working with Blackwattle’s Mallee. It was a beautiful yarn with the perfect amount of softness and grip. While I loved the colours themselves, I’m not sure how they interact together and whether they look good with my skin tone.
Unfortunately, I think I am going to frog this hat and make socks from this yarn instead. This was an enjoyable project and I was really hoping it would work out, but I don’t think this hat suits me and I don’t think I would wear it very frequently. Please let me know if you have any recommendations for winter hat patterns! Next year I’m going to try some others.
Works in Progress (WIPs)
Jarvis by Kate Atherley (Ravelry: Jarvis Socks)
I am currently knitting my first pair of lace socks - Jarvis by Kate Atherley. I found this pattern in her book Custom Socks: Knit to Fit Your Feet and I fell in love with the design. I am using Passioned Flower’s Tendril in the colourway Olive, which is a blend of 60% alpaca, 20% Australian merino, and 20% nylon.
I am so close to finishing the second sock! I think these will be perfect Christmas socks with the green colour and the lace detailing. I also think that my proficiency with lace has significantly improved throughout this project. It has given me the confidence to try bigger lace projects in the future.
The yarn is gorgeous and, because it is hand dyed, it has a slightly marled effect. However, I am slightly worried about how it will hold up as a worn sock because of the alpaca. I suppose only time will tell. I can’t wait to finish the second sock and see how blocking makes the lace bloom!
Self-Drafted Socks (Ravelry: India Socks)
I recently took a trip to India and I decided to self-draft a pair of socks. I am using Art Viva’s 4 ply sock yarn in a gorgeous earthy colourway. I purchased this hand-dyed yarn on a trip to Hobart. I thought fun yarn was the perfect opportunity to experiment with creating my own sock pattern.
I decided to a ribbed sock recipe by Kate Atherley in her book Custom Socks: Knit to Fit Your Feet. I previously made another pair of socks with this recipe, so I feel confident being able to alter it to create my own design.
I have finished one sock, but I plan to change the design on the second sock, so look out for an entire article on the process and how I went about designing my first free-handed item.
Wearing my Knits
Speaking of travelling in India, I wore my Perth Socks for almost my entire trip. I certainly was not careful with them and they held up perfectly! I used Regia 4-play sock yarn and I would certainly use it again for the durability that I have experienced already.
Up Coming
Summer has hit in Australia, so it’s time for me to begin summer knits. I am planning to cast on the Sunshine Tee by Andrea Gaughan with Great Ocean Road Woollen Mills linen wool blend yarn. I am very excited for this project and to wear it during the summer months.
As always, thank you so much for joining me today.
Until next time,
Jane
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