I’ve been playing around with a few hat ideas lately and created this pattern which I’ve named Vinea.  Follow the link for a free  download of the pattern.

Vinea is the Latin word for Vineyard in reference to the pattern which forms the band of the hat.

This version is a bit less slouchy and is knit with my handspun Merino yarn.

Handspun Vinea

This version is slouchier and knit with Quebecoise 100% wool.

Vinea Quebecoise wool

I’ve made every effort to write this pattern accurately.  If you find any errors please leave a comment on this blog and I’ll look into it. All comments are welcome.

Happy Knitting!

I’ve recently used Cascade 220 yarn in a number of my knitting projects.

Distributed by Cascade Yarns, it’s a soft, 100% Peruvian Highland Wool yarn, available in a dazzling array of colours.  Best of all, it’s affordable, selling for approx. $ 8.00/skein in most shops. The 220 in Cascade 220 refers to the yardage, it’s a generous skein.

This yarn is great for knitting sweaters, mitts, hats…and much more. It’s also known for its great felting ability. In fact, it prefers to be felted, even if ever so slightly.

After completing the Cloisters sweater (pictured above) I was a bit disappointed with the wools’ tendency to stretch out with wear, in just a day or two.  So I washed it, by hand in lukewarm water, then put it in a pillowcase and tossed it in the dryer on a low-medium setting for 10-15 minutes.

It was slightly damp when I took it out of the dryer so I laid it out to finish drying. The short time in the dryer felted the wool ever so slightly, giving it more shape and less of the stretch factor.  I’m much happier with the sweater now and can wear it repeatedly without any stretching occurring.

I now give all of my Cascade 220 projects this treatment.  The Claudia Hat (pictured) is much shaplier now that its been introduced to a tiny bit of tumbling and heat.

Word of Caution

All the colours, except for one, that I’ve used so far, have been quite dye fast; no bleeding of dye when washed.  I’ve used about 10 different shades.

The exception to this is the deep eggplant colour of my Cloisters sweater.  The dye ran out of it at an alarming rate when I first washed it.  Luckily, the sweater retained its vibrant colour despite the dye loss.

Darker colours of Cascade 220 should be washed seperately from other garments or your white trim may end up pink, as mine did in this Piper hat , knit in the same Cascade 220 yarn as my Cloisters sweater.

Happy Knitting!

Non smoking home

Gefjun Lodband Wool for sale. Check out my etsy store,  ewetwo for purchase information.  The yardage in these 100 gram skeins is incredible -  600 meters! It’s  laceweight  100% wool.  I have 8 skeins to sell; buy them all or buy a few.

11 balls of Patons Stretch Sock yarn for sale, all in the same dyelot, in shades of brown. 2-3 balls make a pair of adult socks. Check it out at ewetwo on etsy.

Here are my top 5, all time favourite, knitting books, in no particular order.

Mon Tricot Knitting Dictionary

My copy was published in France, in 1978, and purchased by me in 1979, while attending University.  With over 1100 stitches and patterns, including fair isle, aran, jaquard and crochet designs, it is an invaluable resource and my ‘ go to’ book whenever I’m creating a new pattern.  It’s  a fairly slim, paperback edition which I can throw into my knitting bag and take with me.  It’s now out of print but  a few copies are available on ebay and amazon.

Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Knitting Workshop and Knitting Without Tears

I purchased my 1971 edition of Knitting Without Tears in 1979 as well; with so much knitting I don’t know how I ever completed my degree. I just purchased Knitting Workshop a couple of years ago while travelling in New Brunswick. Elizabeth Zimmermann was a knitting genius who was well ahead of her time. In an age when most of us purchased a pattern and dutifully followed the directions, she was writing books that supplied basic techniques and inspiration, and encouraging knitters to ‘make it their own’  Her friendly, witty writing style is easy to read and her books belong on the shelf of every knitter whoever wanted to break free and create original garments. Go here for more information: schoolhouse press

Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch

This is truly the only sock book I will ever need to own. Schurch provides instructions for 4,5,6,8 and 12 stitch patterns, as well as cables, fair isle and chevrons, knit on 4 or 5 needles, or 2 circulars. The charts included with each pattern variation allow you to knit socks in any size imaginable with the yarn weight of your choice.  She even provides tips for making socks for hard to fit feet, such as extra wides.  A truly comprehensive book!  Sensational Knitted Socks

all new Homespun Handknit

And finally, my newest acquisition, a collection of “25 small projects to knit with handspun yarn” compiled by Amy Clarke Moore, who is the editor of Spin-Off magazine. Published in 2009, this is a wonderful collection of scarves, mitts, hats and gorgeous shawls, which can be made with smaller amounts of precious handspun yarns or alternate commercial yarns.  The designs are current and offer new ideas for traditionally knitted items.   I bought this book online from Knitpicks, for just over $20 Canadian; I’ve already knit 2 of the patterns and bookmarked 5 more. Check it out here: all new Homespun Handknit

It absolutely amazes me just how restorative a trip to my local yarn shop can be.  After a very trying day of substitute teaching (’read  teacher’s day in hell’ ) I found myself looking for a way to calm my nerves before returning home, lest I take out my frustrations on my innocent family.  Remembering that my local yarn store, River City Yarns, had just opened a new location on the side of town I was working on that day, I decided that stopping in there on my way home would be just what I needed.

And it was.  I spent a full hour fondling yarn, exploring patterns, planning projects and absorbing the array of gorgeous colours with all of my senses.  By the time I left the store, my difficult teaching day was a part of my history I shall soon forget, and I was looking forward to casting on for a new pair of Ysolda’s Garter Stitch Fingerless Mitts when I got home.  The supersoft, superfine ball of Zarina Print Merino, by Filatura Di Crosa, that I had just purchased, would be the perfect yarn choice. It’s impossible to feel discouraged when looking at this soft, pastel confection of green, lavender and rose.

My other purchase was a couple of balls of yarn for a Christmas present for my daughter, which I cannot elaborate on here as she reads my blog.  Suffice it to say that the colours are again gorgeous and the mere thought of beginning this new project lifted my spirits even more.

I only spent $30 in the yarn store that day.  Compared to $100 an hour for professional therapy, I consider that a real bargain.