Bring on the Alps
In what may be a knitting speed record for me, I already have an FO from the new winter VK. I give you the Trapper Hat:
The new Vogue came to my mailbox on Thursday evening. I bought the yarn on Friday, popped in a couple of episodes of the Forsyte Saga, wound up a few center-pull balls, and I was off to the races. I took Jaywalker #2 out to Brooklyn for my day with Lisa on Saturday, so I didn’t work on the hat, but I finished it up Sunday morning, just in time for the perfect test-run weather. It was a chilly winter day, made violently cold by wind gusts up to 50 mph. So I bundled up and went to the park to try out both the hat and the spiffy new camera, an Olympus E500 SLR that’s our belated wedding and Christmas present to each other. It’s hardly at its best when you’re taking pictures of yourself wearing woolen mittens, but I’m still impressed with the improvement over our trusty little point-and-shoot.
The hat performed pretty well, too. For really arctic conditions, especially with high winds, you’d want a fine-gauge underlayer. The bulky Blue Sky Alpaca does leave holes for the wind to come through. But it’s very cozy inside this enormous hat. With the back flap down, it reminds me of some of the helmets in the Asian section of the Hall of Armor at the Met (Adam’s favorite wing). I think it will be just the thing for our big trip to Torino next month! Yes, we’re on our way to France and Italy to visit friends and relations and to catch the winter Olympics. Next up: a nice fluffy scarf. Oh, and some more socks:
I was no longer able to resist the siren song of Sweet Georgia’s beautiful hand dyes. Once I saw Steph’s pretty blue lace leaf socks and squeeeeeezed that luscious ball of sock yarn, I had to have some of my own. The colorways you see here are Firefly (Jaaaaaaaaaayne…the man they call Jaaaaaaaayne…) and Willow. Of course I intend to finish the Topless Jaywalkers first. There’s been another glitch, and half of sock #2 had to go to the frog pond. I could have sworn I decreased down to 64 stitches…but apparently not. It solves the mystery of the stripes not coming out the same, anyway.
Posted: January 16th, 2006 at 10:49 pm
The hat looks so warm…
Posted: January 17th, 2006 at 4:42 am
I LOVE that hat! I’m going to have to rush out and get the new VK!
Posted: January 17th, 2006 at 5:27 am
I’m still waiting for my VK. The hat looks great!
Posted: January 17th, 2006 at 6:49 am
oh sweet georgia!!! you lucky girl. i love that sock yarn so much that i want more.. and there’s even going to be some left over from my embossed leaves socks. plenty in a skein for a long pair.
Posted: January 17th, 2006 at 7:56 am
the hat looks great! and boy do we ever need it this week. it’s PAINFUL out. my wimpy cloches aren’t cutting it.
Posted: January 17th, 2006 at 8:15 am
Ooooo, I can’t wait to get my VK! I just wish we had weather to justify knitting something so toasty! (just fog today, but Mr. Weatherman says lots of snow on Saturday! Yippeee!)
Posted: January 17th, 2006 at 8:54 am
Ooo, I love that hat! I wish there was at least one day in a So Cal winter in which I could wear a hat like that. Unfortunately, I’d look like a nut walking around with a hat like that in 60 degree weather. It’s super cute on you though…
Can’t wait to see the topless Jaywalkers. I may revert to making mine topless once I get around to trying them again. I hate the ribbing part. Ick.
Posted: January 17th, 2006 at 10:28 am
great hat perfect for this crazy weather! Ohh the sock yarn looks lovely.
Posted: January 17th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
Those pictures are gorgeous! I can’t believe you took those yourself. It probably helps that you have long arms. The hat looks great – perfect for your trek through Europe!
Posted: January 18th, 2006 at 8:46 am
So cute, and so warm!
Posted: January 18th, 2006 at 1:11 pm
Adorable. I like the hat, too.
Posted: January 18th, 2006 at 1:29 pm
Yea! new camera! You are certainly ready for the Yarn Harlot’s Olympics with the time you’re making on the speed knitting of that hat. And yeah, caught the Firefly reference. LOL!
Posted: January 20th, 2006 at 7:44 am
Fabulous hat. Very handsome, and so very much my sort of style. Must knit one now, but first, buy that magazine. Thanks for the inspiration.
Posted: January 21st, 2006 at 2:08 pm
I hadn’t thought about that hat as a possibility….but it looks so good on you that I’m going to have a second look! Being purple doesn’t hurt either..