Cabled Beanies

 When, in the middle of my push to finish the healing blanket, I came across a free Cleckheaton pattern for a cabled beanie in a 10 ply yarn, I quickly downloaded the pattern, promising myself the treat of a quick and easy knit when the blanket was finished. The recommended yarn, Cleckheaton Verve, is not easy to find in Adelaide,  but I found a supplier, and chose the required 2 balls in a blue/green colourway.

I liked the orange very much, but they only had one ball. Of course, I bought that as well.

Cleckheaton is a very old and revered Australian company, now part of the Australian Yarn Company stable. They were big n the 1950s, even entering in national Dress of the Year Awards. Just over 10 years ago, a friend, now deceased, donated to the National Museum of Victoria, a dress that his mother had designed and made for Cleckheaton as their entry into the competition. 

It took about 7 hours of knitting to complete the blue beanie. After recent longer and more complex projects this gave me an instant lift. After one round of 4 rows the pattern was easy to remember, the yarn is pleasant to hold and its fun to see the colours emerge. 

The first ball of yarn ran out with 6 rows to go.  That left a lot of yarn. Even with a large and generous pompom I have about half a ball left. The hat is also a generous size.

In the light of this, I decided (of course) to have a go at also knitting the orange ball in the pattern.

I reduced the band by one row and calculated if I reduced the body by one cable (four rows) I should have enough (assuming the length of yarn on the ball was standard). 

This worked a treat. The resulting size fits me comfortably, so will fit others.

There was, however, very little yarn left (about 50cm) for a bobble. I found some oddments of wool in similar colours, but rejected the bobble that resulted, settling, in the end, to a tiny pompom from the left over length. 

I find it a joy to look at. 

This, and the last two major projects, have been knitted on the Lantern Moon ebony needles I bought following my birthday purchase from The Crafty Frog. I am now addicted to them and don't want to use anything but. 

When I got down to the last rounds of the crown I used a Chiaogoo Mini, awkward to hold, but no more so than any other method.  

It's been fun working on 

these in a quick burst. I have no recipient in mind, but what's not to like?

Healing Blanket

I bought Martin Storey's Midwinter Kit in the Festive Colourway last December. I loved it, but had no idea how I would use it, or gift it. When a good friend who feels the cold was recently diagnosed with cancer, underwent a major operation to be followed by chemo, I knew what to do. Over the last 4 weeks blanket knitting has moved to the top of my priority list.

I finished it last Wednesday, delivering it on Thursday.

The design consists of six basic motifs, each knitted as a Fair Isle square. Each motif has its own colour and the blanket is constructed in 7 rows and 5 columns. There are only 2 motifs (and 2 colours) per column and 3 motifs (and 3 colours) per row. 

I began by knitting one of each motif, in the colours specified in the pattern. I then blocked them before stitching them together as specified, and completing the columns, again, as specified. 

At this point I decided I would vary the arrangement to create a greater mix per row. I began shuffling the squares as I went, spreading them on my sofa and trying various combinations. I could produce a square each day, block it overnight and by the next afternoon, play with positioning.

Before long, I experimented further, and began changing the colour of the motifs as well as the positioning. I left the two original columns stitched together and varied the rest.

This process was helped by a week without visitors - so half my lounge became a design board and the other half my knitting station!

The design symmetry made knitting easier. Both knit and purl rows could be read right to left to get the required result - except for the deer, which, being the odd one out, required a great deal of attention ( and some undoing!).

I also varied the final shape and number of squares, settling for 5x6 rather than 5x7. It wasn't time pressure that dictated the change (although the time saving came in handy). I wanted a squarer result. Each "square" is slightly longer than it is wide, so 5 rows and 6 columns came fairly close to a square blanket - what I was aiming for.

This is the result before pressing.

I added the border in the colour specified, but added a couple of extra rows, and a black edge.

The extra width was partly to accommodate text along one edge - initials and date. I have obscured some of this in the photo for privacy reasons.

Because this is a healing blanket, as far as I could, I thought about the recipient, our friendships, his healing and well-being as I stitched. I have knitted a number of shawls in this mode for specific friends. This one was more complex than most, demanding more concentration on the knitting. As I thought about this, I realised it fitted. Some illnesses reshuffle our lives, take us out of neat, repeated patterns, demand adaptation and adjustment.  

I hope the blanket provides warmth, cheer, care and a reminder that something new can emerge from disruption.