As I’ve said, I’ve been busy – knitting, work, driving to Bristol and back.
Imagine my delight when I was welcomed home from a long drive by this…
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| From iPhone |
The lovely Ben had prepared a delicious meal of Fajitas, all the trimmings and a hand crafted Margarita 😀 😀 😀
You’ll remember that this lovely man had been put firmly in the dog house a couple of years ago (and has been there ever since in knitterly terms) after loosing a hat I had made him. Not just loosing it – but loosing it after only a couple of outings and before I’d properly photographed and blogged it!!
I had only managed this silly snap of the hat on Thug to use on the “APB for a Lost Hat” blog post...
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| From |
The Margaritas did it, I have finally forgiven him enough to make him another hat 🙂
(I also need a commuting project but don’t tell Ben I said that!)
Ben had said he liked the Jacques Cousteau hat by Lalla Pohjanpalo – It’s a free pattern I found on Ravelry
(You can CLICK HERE to find the pattern on Lalla’s blog if you’re not on Ravelry).
Ben loved this picture..
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| From Ben Hat |
And said it reminded him of the “Morph Ball” in Metroid Other M – a game he has just finished playing on the Wii…
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| From Ben Hat |
So at the Iknit Weekender, I was questing to find the perfect yarn to make him this hat.
I went a little crazy at the Blackerdesigns stand – their wool is to die for. Their yarns are not only beautiful but British made and pure fibres. I get the strong impression that if you really wanted to know, they could tell you the names of each of the sheep your yarn came from!
I decided Ben should have this wonderfully soft and squishy Jacob wool with 50% mohair. Anyone who bleats “Wool is itchy”, Wool is rough”, “I can only wear thing so over-processed and soft they may as well be synthetic” should have a good long fondle of this yarn – it is lovely. You might have gathered – I get a little frustrated with the precious, spoilt, trying to out do each other on how sensitive they are, “it’s scratchy” brigade! (*thinks* opps, that’s probably alienated half my readers – gulp!)
Enough ranting – here’s the yarn!
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| From Ben Hat |
I have got this far with the hat, after casting on 140 stitches with the Twisted German cast on I learnt in the Lopi course – just to make sure I remembered how!
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| From Ben Hat |
I also bought some light as a feather organic Corridale from Blackerdesigns for a scarflette for me
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| From Ben Hat |
And possibly the most Knit-nerdy book I have ever seen!
It was just too damned interesting to resist 😀
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| From Ben Hat |
The Jacques Cousteau hat reminds me of my favourite knitted hat, lost in the snow a couple of years back. I purchased it in a post office/cafe / petrol station near Dingle (deepest darkest Ireland) and it was brilliant. Real wool so warm and near on waterproof and sadly missed. Could I ask if you accept commission work? 😉
You have a wonderful man there. I believe he does deserve the new hat – mainly for the stunning alcohol colourwork.
I know a couple of men who would love a hat like that so I may just go and get that pattern . Christmas is a coming and hats would solve a problem or two.
X Tricia
A friend on rav has just knitted this hat in the same grey – isn’t it a great manly hat? Methinks Ben deserves it, and he’s lucky to have such a proficient provider of hats on hand. On Blacker Designs – recently I have to admit to splurging in a big way on their website – luckily on half price yarns, it is indeed gorgeous stuff and in those delicious natural colours – yum. They had some more yarns on offer recently…may just have to go and have another look….
I love the pattern, it’s quite different. Just make sure that this one doesn’t get lost, perhaps it should only be allowed out for special occasions.
Yes, you did irritate me a bit. Not as much as some pure wool does though! Sadly, some of us genuinely do have to be a bit careful about what wool we wear where. And some of us also have to be a bit careful about how much we spend on our hobby – if it’s a choice between not knitting, and knitting with acrylic, I know which way I’m going.
Still it’s your blog, and I don’t have to read it, do I now? :o)
Threaten him with some sort of child-proof fixings (like elastic on mittens) if he doesn’t take good care of this one!
Josiekitten – it has been “discussed”!
…that’s a great looking hat… bodes well for further Margaritas 🙂
Love this hat! And would so much appreciate having the pattern to make the hat for my son, grandson, and husband. Tried Ravelry which sent me to Word Press,
signed up for Word Press but am having no luck. Please tell me how I can get this
handsome pattern. Many thanks.