…and prepare to do some celebratory dancing! I’ve actually finished something!
I cast off my red silk and alpaca Grace Lace Beret last night, after months of banging on about it. I’d originally planned to knit the hat when on holiday in Scotland back in September, but the yarn didn’t materialise in time. Instead I started my Keppoch Socks there, and finished the hat last night while watching Local Hero: a great little film set in Scotland and featuring the gorgeous Camusdarach beach, which was a stone’s throw from our holiday house near Arisaig.
I blocked the hat last night, using a big plastic picnic plate (our dinner plates are square: not great for blocking a beret). It’s looking snazzy but the k1, p1 has stretched slightly during blocking. I half expected this, as the yarn I used was Blue Sky Alpacas Silk and Alpaca (the recommended yarn is a blend of wool and silk). It doesn’t seem too bad at the moment - I might need to hairgrip it to my head if the wind gets up! - but I hope it doesn’t give out any more.
This project has also helped me earn my first Knitting Scouts badge (hah!). Reading through the list of badges, I think I’ve earned a few. However, when I was working on my beret on the train last week and realised I’d forgotten to bring a stitch marker, I rummaged in my handbag for a suitable something. And lo! A giant paperclip! It was a bit cumbersome and tugged at my stitches, but it did the job! I wonder what clever tricks other knitters have come up with when faced with such a conundrum..?
Mightily impressive, from a non-knitters standpoint. Can just about do a row, possibly, with help! Sarah’s started knitting! I am expecting a scalf for christmas
Lovely looking beret!
Ho ho ho ho, lovely beret there. That would keep me warm on Christmas eve. ho ho ho!
Alpaca?! Fancy! Go you!
[...] about procrastinating. I think I’m going to go and steam block Mr Hat. I wet-blocked my red one over a plastic picnic plate, but my brim stretched out pretty badly. Without blocking, however, the [...]