Monthly Archives: October 2016

Got a buildup of hats again, Barbara

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I have been for a couple of 8 km walks in the last couple of days. I have discovered I actually like walking alone as much as with someone else, and I don’t have to coordinate the timing so …bonus points. I have been enjoying the extended fall. We have finally had a hard frost so the leaves will probably tumble down in earnest now. As I was walking yesterday I was musing about my two very distinct existences…summertime when I don’t hardly have an unsocial second at work and the winter where I can go for days without seeing anyone but Alan, and then only in the evening.

dotted diamond
Diagonal Stripe, pg 86 and Quilted Lattice, pg 102
Diagonal Weave, pg 99 and Butterfly Stitch, pg 101
Mock Honeycomb, pg 100 and Little Butterfly or Bowknot Stitch, pg 101
diagonal weave/butterfly stitch
Yarn over Cable, pg 154 and Openwork Hourglass, pg 162
Yarn-over Cable, pg 154, top view.
diagonal weave/butterfly stitch top view
Yarn-over cable/openwork hourglass
four points of decrase using sl 1 k2tog, psso
5 points of decrease using s1, k2tog, psso
Dotted Diamond Pattern, pg 86

I was getting quite a buildup of hats and I only have so many heads to put them on. I usually keep them around on heads until I photograph and freeze them. I usually keep ones I am happy with around for a while to look at.

…from the back
frilly bottom

I had actually used two of these stitches before…the quilted lattice on the red lady hat and the dotted diamond on the gray and black hat. I had made these a long time before I started the Barbara Walker project, so I decided it was cheating to just use them again. I wish I could bend my own rules sometimes.

Ok, let’s fire this puppy back up, Barbara

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As usual, work put a stop to all other aspects of my life. I have been off for a couple of weeks now and have rebooted my social life. Thank goodness none of my friends seem to care that I drop off the face of the earth for 5 months a year. The social reboot included a trip to Toronto for a volunteer appreciation lunch. I think it is funny that I am considered a good volunteer for a city 450km from my house, but I am, after all, a Canadian so distance means nothing.

I never did post the hats that I made on my trip to eastern Europe in the spring. I couldn’t photograph them there, so I didn’t bother posting them. I started back to work 12 hours after arriving home and …you know the rest (summer time warp).

Welted Leaf pg 36 and Nordic Stripe pg 83
Broad Spiral Rib and Knotted Rib, pg 48 and Moss Bordered Diamonds, pg 37
Embroidery Check, pg 84
Sanquar Check, pg 89
Sanquar Check top
Welted leaf top
Embroidery Check Top
Windows, pg 88
Dotted Block, pg.B5 and Twisted Slip Stitch, pg 98
Twisted Slip Stitch top
Windows Top
Cross-Color Stripe, pg 87
Cross-Color Stripe Top
Brioche Stitch, pg 45 and Pinnacle Chevron, pg 26
Pinnacle Chevron top

I actually quit knitting for about 4 months and didn’t know if I was going to ever start again, but my friend Lynda decided to retire (yikes), and so I had to knit her a shawl. I had given shawls to other friends on their retirement, so I couldn’t leave her hanging. It took 2 weeks to knit this shawl and it only used 2 stitches Minature Leaf Pattern, pg 215 and Arches and Columns, pg 196 …hats are a lot more work-efficient.

Lyndas shawl

Lynda’s shawl

Actually 19 front line staff retired altogether. The provincial government changed the retirement rules and we had a mass exodus. It will be interesting to see what comes about next year. It is a bucketload of expertise going out the door. Some are planning on returning part time, but it is a huge shakeup.