Handspun Hats

I love wearing and making hats.  I made this too big first so I had to rip it out.  I made it to fit a 20 inch head.  The thing is that my head is really 21 inches.  Hats are often too big or too small.  I really like the fit of this hat. I followed the same instructions/notes that I made to make another hat and I am unsure of it.  I think it might even be the colours.  I don't mind a slightly snug hat because when it is windy, your hat then doesn't act as a parachute.

The brim and the very top is handspun Shetland, that I spun myself.  It is naturally coloured.  I also purchased these Hedgehogfibres batts in 2012 and spun it.  I wasn't too happy with my spinning job.  I spun the batts quite bulky, which I don't always do but I am happy with this hat.  This hat goes well enough with my new garter stitch shawl.  Funny enough, my new shawl is also spun Hedgehogfibres merino and silk handspun with a tan sock yarn.

Both are keeping me warm as it seems to be getting cooler here in Ireland.

I am now on Instagram as Ellie and Ada.  

Day 6 Tour De Fleece

I spun up these batts that I made with hand dyed superwash merino and some silver angelina fibre.  I think it will make a nice hat.

Will wash and set this yarn tomorrow.

I dug this yarn out of my handspun stash and decided to attempt knitting one of these hats.  I have a small head and knit with a big gauge so I am knitting with 5mm needles and cast on only 72.  I will see how I get on.

Happy Spinning!

Donegal Black Hat

This was knitted a couple of years back but it is one of my favourite hats with one of my most favourite yarns.  It is knitted with Kilcarra Donegal Yarn/Studio Donegal yarn.  It is a yarn that gets softer as you wear and wash it.  It doesn't pill as much as other yarns and it wears well.  I like my sock yarn to be superwash but not much else.

I would like to make a few more of these hats.  I like a smurfy slouchy hat from time to time.

You can buy Studio Donegal yarns in most good Irish yarn shops, especially This is Knit.

Warm Spices Falkland Handspun Sweater

This is a top down seamless raglan sweater.  I dyed and spun the yarn then knitted it.  I 

love knitting handspun yarn.  The wool is Falkland and the colourway I named Warm Spices.  I have it finished a while now and was happy to get it photographed.  Been knitting the sleeves bigger at the cuff lately.  I don't know if I will continue doing so but it is a result of me decreasing at the 8th row instead of at the 6th row.

I spun some yarn last week that I would like to use as part of a cardigan but I am aiming to finish a few projects before I cast on/start any more projects.  This is a lot harder than it sounds.  It's always exciting to start a project, finishing one sometimes demands great discipline.  The infamous and irksome question "Are we there yet?" is often asked.  Also the thought of using many of the the new stitch markers that I made, makes starting new sweaters very tempting.

The hat, I knitted as well.  I used some scraps from a This is Knit Yarn Tasting event and also some leftovers of projects that I had.  I dyed the purple-y blue yarn which is a Merino, Cashmere and Nylon yarn (MCN).  I like putting colours together.  It's probably my favourite thing to do especially in my print work that you can see here and here.

And as mentioned before, wooly hats are essential here.  I've never been a big fan of umbrellas.  May hasn't been warm.  It's been chilly and raining.  It's not as cold as winter but it's the furthest cry from bikini weather.  Grateful for my wooly jumpers and hats to keep me cozy. Wool is an indispensable ally against an Irish Summer.

Beads and Brownies

I've been making stitch markers.  So far, I haven't outgrown my love for beads, wool, dogs and cake.  As you can see it's been a day of all the loves.  The knitting is a hat that I am working on.  I made all the stitch markers pictured.  Lexi is patiently modelling my cowl that I dyed, spun and knitted.  I made the brownies today because my brother is coming over to watch a movie and for dinner.  My mother and I tucked into the brownies and drank a load of tea.  Really full now.

Hats

I made a couple of hats during winter.  They are fun to make and it was a great way to use up some of my stash and mini skeins.  I love hats as I am sure I have said before.  They are perfect for Ireland's climate and rain.  I grab one from my basket of hats, scarves, cowls and mittens, go for a walk, get soaked, let it dry and then grab another one for the next walk.  I don't really like umbrellas.

Isadora

Looks like Isadora is dancing on a scanned page of a very old college notebook. 

Looks like there is a very strong colour theme going through my knitting at the moment.  I dyed all the yarn photographed.  One pair of socks, that I am knitting, is a pattern by Hedgehogfibres.  It is called Vestigial.  Got into the sock buzz again.  And as soon as I get this sweater done, I want to finish one of the 4 ply cardigans that I have on the go.  Might alternate Aran and 4 ply jumpers because knitting 4 ply cardigans can get a little bit boring or 'Are we there yet?'  I was very grateful for the one 4 ply cardigan and sweater that I did make for myself this summer.

I got chips last night and the man in the chipper was laughing that I was already back into the winter gear.  I was wearing a lightweight cowl and hat.  

Was walking by the donkeys in our town (few can say that I am sure) and this little toddler cut loose and just walked out in the middle of the road.  Maybe he was from Dublin and was heading back.  I was walking Lexi and saw this.  I started running towards them shouting and pointing.  "The toddler is in the road.  Baby in the middle of the road.  The baby!"  Cars were beeping.  The little fella kept on trucking.  His family realised and all is well.  The little guy must prefer Shetland ponies to donkeys. 

Barley And Madeline

 The hat pattern is Barley by Tin Can Knits.  It is a great free pattern.  It is a bit slouchy and fits my head nicely which is what I love in a hat right now.  I highly recommend the pattern and I see myself knitting a few more of these.

The yarn I purchased a couple of years back!  2011!  haha!  A yarn has a time and a pattern, some take longer to figure out.  The yarn is Madeline Tosh 80/10/10 MCN Worsted, colourway Toulouse- Lautrec.  It is a stunning yarn and I completely understand, Madeline Tosh's popularity.

Actually, after I made this hat, I stuck it in my bag and it fell out.  I couldn't find it anywhere.  I went out for a walk with Lexi (the regal part beagle above) and she stopped and I couldn't budge her.  I noticed what she was sniffing, it was my hat!  I dropped it on my road on the way to the supermarket.  It must of smelt like me.  I was delighted.  Even the story of its recovery makes the hat more adored.

I made another hat, Cocoon, I had a look for it today.  Hopefully, I will find it.  I guess due to Ireland's changeable weather has me in a habit of taking hats off and tossing it wherever.  It's another free pattern that I love.  I didn't even get a photo of the Cocoon hat.  I knitted the Cocoon hat with leftovers of my grey and yellow Drops Nepal sweater.
I have another one casted on in blue.  I like to order slightly too much yarn then use the leftovers to make hats and mittens.  I like having a good collection because in Ireland, you can get rained on each time and nothing is nicer than a warm, dry hat!