Dead as a Door Nail

At 11.05 am GMT on Tuesday 19th February 2008, I was killed by a beautiful blue hat, seen her modelled by Ann-at-work.

Back view:



Side view:



I gave it to Ann-at-work because I am really not a blue person. It's a lovely hat. Beautifully knitted. The yarn is some sort of Lopi-type, by the name of "Emmebi Diamond", though I haven't been able to find out much about it. It was made for me by my assassin, sadly blogless, but Savitaks on Ravelry. The colour is more true in the first image above. For any geeks out there the cables on the hat indicate the numbers 0 to 15 in binary code. I never understood binary - you'd think it would be easier, since it only requires counting to two, but I have never found it so.

I really enjoyed the Hat Attack and hope to join in the next one, later in the year. I also want to persuade Ann-at-work to enter. She is, of course, a neo-knitter. She is also my star pupil, having knitted two hats (one of her own devising), a scarf and a pair of socks. Technically, she's only knitted a quarter of a pair of socks, but considering she has mastered the short row toe and is about to meet the short row heel (which is exactly the same), I don't think she is doing too badly. Of course, she had a very good teacher...

Since I finished the Travelling Vine socks I thought I'd better buy more sock yarn. One swift trip to Crafty Cottage in Warwick later and this is what had happened:



Opal sock yarn, called Hummel.



Opal sock yarn, called Picture.

More Tofutsies, which has already been cast on:



This is Kaibashira, from MagKnits. As you may know, I hate knitting plain socks because I just get so bored. This sock satisfies my desire for a bit of pattern with my desire to use fancy (tt) yarn.

There is a lovely ruffled picot edge. Here's a close up:



Cast on 187 stitches? I thought I was making a sock for an elephant. I just wish I'd read the pattern a little more closely. Had I done so, I probably wouldn't have used the fancy, double needle, very stretchy cast on, which has become my cast on of choice for cuff down socks. It's not really a problem but neither is it really necessary.

Even though feather and fan, of which this is a variation, is not my favourite lace pattern, I'm really liking the way these are looking.

Incidentally, Jo at Crafty Cottage is having a Ravelry Day on Saturday 1st March. It sounds like it's going to be great fun, so if you are anywhere near why don't you come on over and say hello. I'll be the one in the hat, the shawl and the fancy socks.