Hat Challenge WIP #3: Pashmina Sockhead Hat

I needed a new brainless project to knit while carpooling and in lecture class, so I cast on for my third Hat Challenge project.  Yay!  This is the Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure, and it's a super cute little slouchy hat that can be knit in a variety of different yarns.  Pashmina is just barely a sportweight, so it's a little heavy, but the fabric it's making is very squishy and nice.

It's funny, when I bought this yarn, I thought it was a silvery grey, but now that I'm knitting with it, it's abundantly clear that it's a very, very, very pale blue - especially when it's put up next to true greys. 

 I was actually bad with this hat, and didn't swatch.  Well, that's not strictly true: I did try to swatch.  I started with a US 2.5 (3.0 mm) and after about two inches of fabric, I was getting about 7 stitches per inch instead of the suggested 8.  So I ripped that out and switched to a US 2 (2.75 mm), thinking that should definitely fix it.  Nope.  I got 7.5 stitches per inch, and my hands hurt from knitting that teeny gauge with biggish yarn.

So I said screw it and cast on without getting gauge.  I'm using the smaller needles for the ribbing, since I  invariably wish the ribbing of all my hats were smaller.  I think I'm going to switch to the larger needles for the stockinette portion.  It's been a great project to throw in my purse - it's so much easier to finish in the middle of a round of 2x2 ribbed hat than in the middle of a lace row!

FO: Derek's Scarf

  

I don't even remember how long I've had this scarf in the works... I guess not too long, maybe a month, but scarves always feel like they take forever to knit.  I swear, even if I knit a scarf in two days I would emerge from the experience gasping and clenching my Addi Turbos, muttering about ten long years in the desert of Superwash Merino.  You'd think there would be some sort of ceremony or closure to the event, but usually I just cast off and think "hmph, that was boring and tedious, oh well, now I can block it, whee!"



I knit this one out of Cascade 220 superwash from Deep Stash for my friend Derek (the story is here) and used two full skeins.  I just kept on knitting it forever and ever, until I had about a yard of yarn left and figured I should bind off.  And man, this sucker is long.  Probably a good 7 feet long, which I can't measure because my measuring tape doesn't go that high.  Luckily, I seem to remember somewhere in my yarn-addled brain that Derek likes his scarves long.  Yeah - I planned that.



I also got lucky with the timing of this project (and/or have fabulous time management skills, depending on how self-impressed I'm being): the scarf dried with just enough time to photograph it before handing it off to Derek this weekend.

Pattern: Blake Scarf (my own)
Needles: Size 8 (5.0 mm) US Addi Turbos - the regular kind!
Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash in colorway 1950, 2 skeins
Yardage: all 440 yards, yeah!
Mods: I didn't knit the number of repeats I specified in the pattern, I just knit until my yarn was gone.  I also used a smaller needle, because no matter what the knitting powers that be tell me, Cascade 220 is DK-weight in a worsted-weight sheep's clothing.

Outfit Post: Mod Lace Dress

 

 

Sunday was an epic, epic day for laundry, and I finally got around to washing some thrifted stuff.  This dress was from the Magical Mystery Thrifting Trip from a few weeks ago.  I've been drooling over lacy little dresses on Modcloth since last summer, but since my budget has been a bit tight, I opted not to buy one for full price.  Which, in the end, was a pretty good idea, because this dress was about 20 bucks, in perfect condition, and exactly the sort of thing I was looking for.  There isn't really any shaping to the body save for a gentle A-line, so I used my little red bow belt to cinch it in.  It's been cold and rainy, but I wanted to add a little kick to my week so I wore some tights and knee-high boots for warmth.

It's not the best color on me, but I still love it.  It has just a touch of '60s sensibility without being too literal, and it's very comfortable despite looking pretty sharp.

Mod navy lace dress: Michael Stars, thrifted

Red patent leather bow belt: Nordstrom

Earrings: super old

Purple tights: Hue

Brown braid-detail boots: J Shoes

Madrona 2012

 

Saturday was a crazy day - first I went to work for a little bit for the new internship, then got home around 2 pm, and then my mom, my dad and I went to Madrona Fiber Arts out in Tacoma... then later, Lumberjack and I went out to dinner at a restaurant called Local 360 (delicious, locally sourced Americana and comfort food) and then to a Bombay Bicycle Club show at the Croc (a bar/venue in downtown Seattle), which was one of the best concerts I've ever attended.

  Back to the yarn, though!  I had heard about Madrona about a zillion times through reading blogs, but since I was always in Ohio this time of year, this was the first year I've ever gone.  I didn't take any classes, but my mom and I did go to the marketplace, where I was (mostly) good and got two patterns, a bunch of 16" Addi Turbo Lace needles so that I can make hats without wanting to tear my hair out, and these three skeins of yarn.  For a fiber festival, this is a pretty small amount of yarn for me, but I'm trying to remain at least a little committed to stash dieting.  Hahah.

This skein is Pashmara Lace by Fly Designs.  My mom bought two skeins of this same yarn in an electric violet colorway when we were at Sock Summit, and I just love how bright this blue is.  The colorway is Cobalt, and it really is a true cobalt blue.  I'm planning to make Romi Hill's Maia Shoulderette, from the 7 Small Shawls Collection, out of it.

Then there's this yarn, Tactile Fiber Arts Arcata Lace.  I'm working on a gift project out of this same colorway, Concord Grape, in a different yarn base, and I love the color.  I've been on a major Tactile kick lately - seems like I'm drawn to every base of her Pomegranate and Concord Grape colors.  It's like Madelinetosh and her colorway Tart, which I have or have used in four different bases.

Anyways, these two skeins are intended to make Hethe from the Scrumptious Collection.  I can't resist that lightweight, Victorian-inspired, nuppy goodness...

Overall, I was really impressed with Madrona.  It seemed like a more relaxed version of Sock Summit - 2 hours seemed like plenty of time to take a look at all the booths in the market, whereas I still could have seen more at Sock Summit after walking around for more than 5 hours over three days!  I'd also be interested to sign up for classes in the future, since they have some amazing teachers and designers who come in.  Plus, there is nothing quite like standing at the top of an atrium looking down on over thirty people knitting at the same time.  That alone was worth the trip.