Rainy day hats

There's nothing like a change in weather to make you want to cast on a hat. Or maybe that's just me?
I test-knit the latest design by the inimitable Mel of SingleHandedKnits fame, Drizzle the hat, and it came out great, if I do say so myself.
It's a simple, straight foward hat with a flattering rolled brim and just enough lace to keep you occupied but not frustrated.
I knitted mine out of my beloved Tails DK base in a new colourway, Looks Like Rain.
The colour is inspired by dark, rain-bearing clouds and grey skies. Have you ever really looked at thse clouds? They're not a flat grey, there are heaps of colours swirling in there!
Looks Like Rain appears just grey on first glance, but when you look closer, you'll see pops of yellows and reds and pinks and blues throughout. It's still a tonal yarn, so lace and patterning will stand out cleanly.
I think it would make a very flattering garment colour, personally.

And guess what? There will be pre-orders of this very colourway, together with a coupon code for Mel's awesome Drizzle hat, going up in the shop very soon!

Do you have a favourite hat type? Do you have a hat on the needles right now?

WIPs of the week

This week has been a week of slow progress.
I've been making rows and rows on the Geodesic cardigan over the weekend, and it's starting to look like, well, something.
I love the delicate fabric, and the colour is stunningly subtle.
I'm also making good progress on my swap partner's socks. I turned the heel!
While turning the heel may be my favourite part of the sock (Look! New direction!), the first few rounds of gusset are my least fave. I suck at picking up the stitches and always get unsightly holes, and the first two rounds are just awkward as the fabric pulls in funny ways and there isn't enough space on the needle.
Then it gets better and things are flying along.
I'm not there yet though.

I've also started a test knit for a friend. It's in my Tails DK base, so the pattern is positively flying off the needles! The gauge is a little denser than I prefer, but it makes for a warm, delightful fabric.
I came up with a new colourway especially for this project. In honour of the weather we currently have outside, I'm calling it Looks Like Rain. The colour reminds me of the bottoms of storm clouds rolling in.

And speaking of new colours, I've treated myself to a sweater's quantity of Tails in a new-to-me red, Poison Apple. It's going to be a pullover, possibly the Pelotonner. Something squishy to cosy up in when I need a woolly hug...

What's on your needles this week?

Bipartisan Socks

There are few things I enjoy knitting as much as socks. Especially bright, cheery socks. In fact, a very large part of my stash was bought with the thought of "Ooh, pretty. That'd be great for socks." The rest were bought after just the first sentence, but never mind.Sometimes, I buy yarn for other things, but overwhelmingly, it's socks.
I love socks so much, I jumped on the chance to show my political side at Sock The Vote, an event so incredibly full of win, it defies description.
And then along came Megan, incredibly fun co-host of the awesomely named podcast Stockinette Zombies. She's designing a sock. Not just any sock. A bipartisan sock that brings together the two parties. You know. Cuff-down or toe-up.Now, I've knit socks from the cuff. And from the toe. And I've loved them both ways. So when I had a chance to test-knit this awesome pattern, I just couldn't wait to get started!I'd been wanting a fun, slip-stitch pattern to show off this wildly variegated Woolen Mill St yarn, and finally, I had the perfect combination.Then our gas went out. A weekend of waiting for people to assess the problem, and then set about fixing it (which involved open flames, a half-dozen plumbers, a cement truck and enough pipes to fill a Mario level, from what I could tell) gave me a lot of knitting time.So these got done in record time, and they are fantabulous! Love them so very much.

So which one are you? Toe-up? Cuff-down? Or -gasp! - not a sock knitter at all?