Winter Knitting

Good Afternoon!  I hope you are all having a lovely day!  Mine is going well so far.  :-)  I started the hat I mentioned yesterday.  It isn't going to be anything fancy, as I need it right away, since we've already gotten snow.  lol  The yarn I am using is a lovely lace weight Jaggerspun wool in a pearl gray.  Since it is lace weight, I decided to double up the strands, so it is more like working with a DK or a sport weight yarn now.  

 Then it was time to choose a needle size.  I decided on a size 6 (4mm) needle.  After going through my many many sets of circular needles, to my dismay, I realized that I didn't have a 16 inch circular needle, which is the perfect size to knit a hat in the round.  I have 9 inch (perfect for socks or gloves), a 24 inch, and a 32 inch.  At this point, I could either use the 32 inch, and work a magic loop, or use 2 sets of circular needles.  I decided to use 2 sets of circular needles.  I find it more comfortable than the magic loop method.  The one downside to this method, is if one isn't careful, you could end up with gaps, or "ladders".  I do have a couple of tricks to avoid this, and so far it is coming along nicely.  I just make certain that when switching needles, I pull the first 4 or 5 stitches as tightly as possible.  This always does the trick to avoiding those pesky gaps.

I cast on 100 stitches, divided them between my 2 needles, then proceeded to knit a 2 (knit) by 2(purl) ribbing for the band part of the hat, which will be approx. 6 inches, then I will switch to a simple stockinette stitch.  I will keep you posted on how it is coming along.

 

I am also completely finished with the Schwalm Sampler!  It is laundered, ironed and waiting to be framed which will be later today.  Here are some pictures of the finished piece:

 

 

I'll also snap a photo to share once it's framed.  It was easier and quicker making it the second time around, of course, and a big part of that is due to the book I have by Luzine Happel.  She explains every little detail about Schwalm, both the how and the why.  This is why I will ordering another book from her shortly.  It's called Fancy Hems, and it has all sorts of. . . you got it, Fancy Hems. lol  I imagine that the techniques and patterns she has in that book would just add infinite more beauty and intricacy to any type of embroidery, not just Schwalm.

 

I could probably write three more paragraphs about how fantastic Luzine Happel's books are, but my hands are itching to get back to my hat.  This week is Thanksgiving, and starting tomorrow afternoon, I will pretty much be glued to the kitchen.  lol  Tomorrow, I bake all the pies and deserts, and early. . . veeeeeerrrrry early Thursday morning, I start cooking the turkey and all the trimmings, so I have to use the time I have left to get as much of it done as I can.  I hope you all have a wonderful day and. . . 

'Til Tomorrow

Happy Stitches!