Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Birkie Fever and the Snowstorm of the Year

This year Birkie festivities happened to coincide with the biggest snowfall of the year.  A blizzard like this would have driven most people indoors to wait it out with knitting and hot toddies.  But my group was determined to take on the Giant Ski.  After a grueling 6 hour drive, we all arrived safely and managed to represent as the "Reigning Cats and Dogs"  

 Birkie Hat 2014.  See a marginally better picture here.

Although the snow was indescribably beautiful it aided in a particularly stressful Birkie event and a challenging ski.  

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Sprouting Cloche

I rarely make a hat that I didn't micromanage the design of.  But sometimes I flip through a knitting book from the library and I see something and think "hey- I want that".  Yes.  Please. More stash busting yarn went into this  Sprouting Cloche by Norah Gaughan.  2 ends of a fingering weight wool with just a bit of shine and one end of a lace weight  mohair which gave the hat just the perfect amount of cozy fluffiness.  So now I confess, I did meddle just a teensy weeny bit.  I cast on less stitches for the rib and increased to the correct amount once the pattern began and I converted the pattern to be in the round instead of knit flat with a seam.  I knit it up in one day, which is a bit obsessive but then deemed it the perfect hat to wear over a bun.