Fargyle Earflaps

I've always wanted an earflap hat, but could never find a pattern that was exactly what I was looking for. I looked through some patterns--took an idea here, an idea there, and this is what I came up with.




It's a rather simple design. It's just a standard beanie with earflaps knitted into the brim. My stranding isn't so great, so I opted to use double knitting for the earflaps (makes them double sided as well as giving them much-desired weight) and the band of fargyle on the hat itself.


I'm not sure what possesed me to do argyle, I've always been fond of it, but on a hat? Whatever. I'm thinking of doing another hat completely in double knit so it will be reversible. Instead of brown and yellow fargyle, it would be black and white skulls. It looks cool in my head... let's see if that translates to real life.

Pattern: Fargyle Earflaps
Source: Bits and pieces of patterns
Materials: O-Wool Balance in Agate (8014) and Amber (6122)
Needles: US 7/4.5mm 16 in circ and set of DPNs
Finished Measurements: Big enough to fit round my head (23 in)
Start Date: 3 August 2008
Finish Date: 9 August 2008

Hemlock Ring Blanket

Summers in Arizona can be brutal. 115 degree days, and 105 degree nights. By the time August rolls around, I'm ready for autumn. Unfortunately, autumn doesn't bring it's relief until the end of October which dramatically reduces the effect.

For me, autumn is a crisp cool day; crunching through the leaves; smelling that crisp smell--a mixture of the air and dying leaves--that permeats everything; an amazing array of burgundys, golds, oranges, and browns. I haven't been able to experience that for the past two years (three this year) and it's starting to get to me. In Arizona, autumn doesn't feel like autumn and winter definitely doesn't feel like winter.

My only reprieve on these harsh summer days is to sit inside my air-conditioned house and knit and allow my senses to drift to a more appropriate climate.

Now that I've finished the Hemlock Ring Blanket, I get to imagine my grandmother sitting out on her porch one crisp autumn afternoon and covering up with this lap blanket.

Pattern: Hemlock Ring Blanket

Source: Brooklyntweed

Materials: Cascade Ecological Wool in "Latte" (8063)

Needles: US 10/6.0mm 40" Circulars

Finished Measurements: 4 feet in diameter

Start Date: 8 July 2008

Finish Date: 12 August 2008

Ravelympics

So posting update pictures was obviously a no-go, but it will happen in the very near future, I promise!

Nothing like waiting for the the last minute, eh? I decided both last night and today that I would take part in the Ravelympics. If you're still new to Ravelry or don't yet have a Ravelry account, this is what is happening:

Ravelry's powers that be have put together Olympic-style games for Ravelry members (not to be confused with the Knitting Olympics). Basically what happens is if one were to decide to enter, one would add a project to their project list and add special tags that signify it will be entered into the Ravelympics. There is a group (Ravelympics 2008) that one would have to join to actually take part. It is really just a little goal you set for yourself to see if you can finish however many projects you enter by the ending date and time (it directly corresponds to the Summer Olympics: It begins with the opening ceremony and ends with the closing ceremony). For all those who complete their project, Ravelry sends you a button telling the world you competed and completed your project. It's pretty cool. There are also teams that you can join and support (but it isn't mandatory). I chose to join Team Hogwarts, but could have chosen from hundreds of other teams or chosen to join several.

The projects I've chosen are:

• Druid Mittens, which I have entered into the Mitten Medley category
• POA Gryffindor Scarf, which I have entered into the WIP Wrestling category

The categories work like this: each project you enter has to be started on August 8 with the rest of the Ravthletes (unless you enter the WIPs Wrestling event, which I shall describe later). There are categories like:

• Afghan Marathon - blankets and afghans
• Hat Dash - hats
• Mitten Medley - mitts or fingerless gloves
• Glove Decathalon - gloves with fingers included (use mitten for no fingers)
• Sock Put - socks and things that go on the feet.
• Shawl Relay - anything bigger than a scarf: stoles, wraps, etc.
• and so on

Then there is the WIPs Wrestling. WIPs Wrestling is the only event where one can enter a WIP. It is described as:

"Anything you’re not currently working on, but want to finish, that’s begging to
become a FO and relinquished from the dark depths of the knitting basket. This
item shouldn’t be entered in any of the other events. This is the only event
that focuses upon old projects (vs. newly cast on just for the Ravelympics). To
count as a true wip, set it aside from now until Aug 8."

I'm thinking this is going to be pretty fun. I'll get to see a bunch of new projects from start to finish all within a 17-day span. I'm going to try to take and post pics on here every night (all in the same post) so you can see my daily progress. And some day within the 17, I'm going to photograph the rest of my WIPs so you can finally see those.
Oh yeah! Before I forget, I just started the edging on my Hemlock Ring Blanket and I'm really excited to finish it off and post about it! I'm trying for tonight so I can focus on the Ravelympics.
Knit on!

Back

The family has left. They haven't actually been here the whole time, they've been travelling back and forth for the past couple of weeks. But they have just left after their final trip of the summer.

I now feel like I owe you some updates and some photos. Despite the "knitting hiatus," I have actually done a little bit of knitting. Enough to blog about at least--unfortunately, this isn't the post in which it will happen. Perhaps tomorrow.

See you then!