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.

Dead Man Walking

I've been a bit quiet lately because I've been away for a day or so (only to Bedford for a party, nothing earth shattering); I've been knitting like fury and I'm almost dead.

Did you hear about the Sock Wars? Well, I've just done the same with Hat Attack.

The pattern came out at about 1.45pm my time on Saturday afternoon. I had to hold back 'im indoors from leaving for Bedford until the pattern was safely printed off. We'd had some information about gauge/ suitable yarn and so on in the run-up to the start. I had the hat cast on before we left the rural backwater and continued to knit in the car until it was too dark to see. No chance of sending the thing off before Monday, so I was very leisurely about it - though I must say I pulled out the knitting as the party wore on - no-one batted an eyelid. I got the hat done late on Saturday evening.

Some competitors seem to be taking the thing very seriously but then, I even swatched, which goes to show how serious about the whole thing I am being. (For those unfamiliar with my usual attitude to swatching - I never swatch, ever.)

My assassin (blogless) is in Estonia and has already sent my hat, though I have not received it (hence the title of this post).

I have sent my hat:



to my victim, who is in Belgium. It appears that she is still alive, as I had a message on Ravelry from her today but her days are numbered.

We're doomed.

My brother-in-law arrived from Italy yesterday.

"Any news?" he asked.

"Well, I could tell you the Horse Story."

"Oh, I know all about that - I read it on your blog."

Harrumph.