Viva la World Cup!!!
Planet Nice really enjoys the month of World Cup as it
provides the best background to the crafting activities. Duration is long so
you have a full day, this year from 7 AM to about 3:30 pm, to give the
environment a little extra energy. This post is a couple days later than I
wanted; this semester, school is a full-time venture and I am attempting to keep
disciplined, putting homework before Planet Nice.
As for project updates, a reverse in orbit has occurred
since I last posted. Here is a picture of the headband:
No, you are not seeing things. It IS the yarn back in a ball. The
previous headband was going very well and there was yarn left so it did grow to
a cap. A problem arose when I washed the cap, it stretched and grew to a very
large size! I was hoping for a bit of shrinkage but I received quite the
opposite. After trying three attempts to shrink it, one even involving the use of a
microwave and reading that this was not uncommon for superwash wool – I decided
that my brain was not settled on this final product. So, I tore it out. The
good thing is that I have a plan. I looked at the previous post, and this will
be the 4th attempt but I think it is worth it. This is a relatively
fast project (unlike the quilt, for instance) so time tinkering is not wasted
and I learn something every time. This upcoming attempt 😊
and hopefully the last, I am confident that there is plenty of yarn for a cap.
Knowing I will have enough yarn, I am also planning to follow the original
pattern closely except for using a stitch count in the middle of previous
attempts, a smaller needle for the ribbing at the beginning so it is tighter,
and when decreasing stitches to end, I want to use a finer method so it is not
rough looking. I think with these modifications, this will be a hat worthy for
display!
Because I thought I was finished, I started planning the
next knitting project which is another hat but I will be returning to the 100%
cashmere from Johnstons of Elgin, Scotland, UK. This is a 5-ply yarn which
though it doesn’t look it, is much chunkier than the rainbow variegated. I was
thinking of using the pattern from the Craftsy class I have been viewing (on
the left):
But when I practiced, there was not a nice definition of the
zigzag, which is created with the cable stitches, it literally appeared as a
big knot. So, I decided to try a free pattern for a Milanese Lace Topper by
Tante Ehm:
I like this pattern because I think it will look good with
this solid color yarn which is as dull as the previous yarn is bright. I was
good and did a gauge swatch (another adventure with gauge written about in the April 30 post
here).
The result will be finer than in the photo with the finished
pieces and to compensate I have to add some stitches to the pattern. I am
reasonably confident there will be enough yarn - we shall see.
Other notes…
Civilizations returned to PBS on June 12 with an episode on
landscape, it was enjoyable and I think it will be to those who have an
interest in photography. I am really enjoying the show just based on the
visuals. Planet Nice Crafts continues on Instagram with more photos of nature
than crafts, but unlike this yarn trial and error – Instagram provides a
lightning quick creative fix as you try to make the photos hold their own on
that social media platform.
Until next time when hopefully one of these balls of yarn unravels permanently this time…
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