These next three projects are my initial entries into #stashdash2013. First up is the yarn that I finished, using the BFL/Silk fibre from Picperfic. I adore this yarn and I'm really quite proud of it. It's much more even than my previous skein.
The colours are amazing. The green and purple together has an oil on water effect to it. I wouldn't hesitate to buy this colourway again.
I have 399 yards/365 metres of this yarn, which is more than enough for a decent shawlette. I really want to find a good pattern to show this yarn off properly. I'm thinking possibly of doing Ginko Crescent, which is a free pattern by Jade Keaney.
Next on my list is the Drizzle Hat. I'm really pleased with how this turned out. The yarn is perfect for this sort of pattern, it has lots of spring in it and is nice and plump. This was my first project knit with sport weight yarn and I really enjoyed it. The thickness of the yarn as it runs over your fingers is really pleasing, for some reason, or maybe it's just because the yarn was a merino/cashmere/nylon blend!
I chose to do the small size and use a medium amount of slouch. When I first finished the hat, before blocking, I was wondering if I should have done a larger amount of slounch. Here is a quick snap I took before blocking.
As you can see from the first picture of the hat, it blocked out to be much more slouchy. I'm not used to wearing hats with slouch. I generally go for head hugging styles, but this one was so appealing I knew I wanted to knit it. The pattern gave good guidelines about how to to block the hat, which ended up being done twice, the first one to even up the stocking stitch part of the hat, and the second to stretch out the lace, without stretching the brim. I think this might have been where I have gone wrong, blocking hats with slouch or berets, in the past. I always stretched out the brim too much. This hat has tonnes of slouch in the back and a nice snug brim.
The lace section on the crown, was my least favourite part of the knit, even though it only lasted a few rounds. I didn't really enjoy doing K4tog and slip 3, k1 and psso whilst moving small amounts of stitches around the needles. It was tricky, but I understand why the lace panel was included. It breaks up the stocking stitch crown and adds interest. It also give more shape to the slouch part at the back of the head, to make it less pointy.
So whilst I didn't enjoy it, I know why it is there and I would do it again, especially as it only lasts a few rounds.
I'm so pleased I won this pattern, thank you Mel Ski and Faith for giving it to me. I have a lovely hat and I will be happy to try this new type of style more often now.
In accordance with Stash Dash, I decided to use up the rest of my yarn from this skein, so I knit some very simple garter stitch mitts and used up every last scrap of the yarn.
I nearly lost these, after several people at knit night threatened theft after trying them on. They are lovely and snug as well as being soft and light.
In total I used up another 285 yards/260 metres with these two projects. This means I have a start to my Stash Dash total of 684 yards, only another 3316 yards to go! I wonder how close I'll get to the target?
