Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Crazy Colourful Fair Isle Hat and a Mystery Contest!


Today a very large pool of much cooler air from the North swirled into our valley. I know it is September, but it is September. Much to my dismay I had to put on a pair of long pants, shoes and socks. Fortunately my pants didn't magically shrink in my closet over the summer months. I would sure like to find the little gremlin that is responsible for that particular phenomena! I know most of us knitterly inclined folk rejoice when the weather gets cooler but it is a bit too early. I did cook a hot dinner in the kitchen for the first time since...May or June and the smoke detector went off- sheesh!!!

I thought today I would have a little chat about the hats I knit last winter. I have been yakking quite a bit lately about yarns with long colour changes. My hats are another idea you can do with these types of yarns if you are tempted to knit with them. But first.......

Mystery thing


I was going to do a little blurb about this and then I had the most brilliant idea. Let's make this a mystery contest! What is this particular item and what is it for? A prize will be awarded to the most correct answer and if lots of you guess correctly that then there will be a draw for the winner. Prizes will be awarded for the most creative or funny too.  I haven't quite worked out the details of the awards yet. I know some of you are knitters, some are crocheters, some of you are bicraftsual, some are gardeners...etc. so I thought I will award prize(s) according to the winner's interests. It will be fun!!! Oh, I am thinking the close of the contest should be in 10 days, September the 21st. You can enter more than once but each response has to be different. In the event nobody is close I will post clues in the comments section.


 Ok now for the more sedate knitting content. Last winter I wanted to knit something using colour colours to refresh my fair isle skills. I started to think about using two colours which is ok but then I had the brainwave to use some long striping yarns.



The first hat I knit I used two colours of Kauni yarn. I really like this yarn. It feels a bit scratchy in the skein but once it had a bath in some Eucalan it became very soft. Kauni has super long colour changes but there wasn't enough colour action going on in this hat to suit me.



With this in mind I grabbed two balls of Crazy Zauberball Starke. I wanted two yarns that would both contrast and complement each other. I had absolutely no idea how this would work.  I did go for a cool tone against a warm tone and it turned out ok.


I love the corrugated ribbing. It was fun to knit as I really didn't know how the colours were going to work next to each other. I weighed the wool afterward and you could knit a couple of hats from the remaining two balls or even a pair of mitts. I did knit a really nice scarf from the leftovers of one of the balls. I will do a post on that soon. I will also find the link to the pattern I adapted it from.



Have a great week and I am looking forward to reading all of your responses! Time to get those little grey cells working!!!

Keep Smiling

Chris

14 comments:

  1. Your work with hats is impressive !!! Very good job ! Take care and have a nice day !

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    1. Thank you so much! I have enjoyed looking at all your pretty knit shawls, many if them are on my to-do list!!

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  2. First of all your knitting is gorgeous. Next I am guessing that is a hanger for hanging plants.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  3. Your hats are gorgeous friend!!! My goodness the colors are outstanding! And I have no idea who shrinks my clothes in my closet!! And that thing oh that thing....hmmmm....when I saw it straight away I thought that it was a bent hanger but then I looked at it again and I thought that it was a pulley for something.....perhaps tying the hook on to a rope to lift or pull pots?? My beans would love it if mom used it to hoist them up onto a tree!!! I am stumped!!! Beautiful garden colors there pal! Happy weekend! Can't wait to hear what it is used for!!! Nicole xo

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  4. Ok here is a clue

    We have all read the story about the boy and his special skates

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  5. I love your hats! That object has me stumped. Is it a hanging boomerang?

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  6. Thanks for visiting my blog, Chris. Your projects are so colourful. I love brightness in all things. Stumped re your mystery object unless it is for hanging and drying skates. One skate on either end

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  7. My only guess is that it is a hand made tool by an anal retentive mobster who liked to keep things organized. I'm guessing it was used to convince you a pair of concrete shoes would be da perfect accessory to help you swim wit da fishes.

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  8. Ok I think I need to acknowledge this wasn't one of my most brilliant ideas, so let's close my mystery contest. The good news we have winners! Announcements forthcoming!!!

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  9. I'm too late to guess? Well....I had no idea so it was fun to read the comments of smarter bloggers! heehee! Love these colorful projects! Thanks for the fun! Hugs, Diane

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  10. Another who is too late to guess, but then I was also clueless. I really like the hats :)

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    1. Thanks Annie. I haven't knit hats for awhile so it was fun to try something a little different. Hopefully I won't have to wear one for awhile yet!

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  11. Thanks so much, it was fun to knit. Watching colours change while I knit keeps me endlessly amused ! Thanks for stopping by and I have your mitts on my to do list!!

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