Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Ccatta hat and Brioche stitch - the video

Today - a quick update on the Ccatta hat which is needed finished by Saturday, my brioche stitch in the round video, and I really should be back to knitting Bear's garter rib cardigan. Thanks again for the comments, yes we are moving into summer, but it is still early spring, so cold days mixed with warm days. The days are longer, its light at 6:30 am when the alarm goes off (small children, long hot showers, lunches to make, coffee to drink...), and yet it is still light outside at 9pm. Being so far south, well the days only get longer, mid summer it is light until at least 10 pm or even later.

It has been a month since I started the Andean Ccatta hat in the knitters study group workshop, and I have not kept up with my home work. The last two nights, spurred on by the looming second session of the workshop, and the foreseen embarrassment of not having being ready for the next stage (adding the ear flaps) I have knit exclusively on my hat. I've just started the decreases, so think I must be over half way. I still have no idea who will wear this hat, but the colours are fantastic, and I get such a buzz out of seeing yarn I dyed myself.


Brioche video. There are other sources on line, a pretty good video here by a fellow kiwi,and a good set of clear photos here. I really think that 2008 might be the year of a new video camera, this one has difficulty focusing close up, so apologies for that - its my camera not your eyes. I attempted to knit brioche in the round using yarn overs and slipped stitches, but could not, just could not, I got so confused by which loops and stitches to knit together with what when, I gave up and went for the variation where you knit into the stitch below - much easier. EZ said it could not be done in the round and the Brioche hat was the one of the few garments made to be worn round that she knit flat. EZ called it the Prime Rib Hat. There are suggestions online to knit it in the round, but many for two colours, resulting in vertical stripes.

So tonight I knit again on the Ccatta hat, and tomorrow at knit night, I will knit some more (assuming I don't get distracted like many other times and knit it all wrong - its happened - don't laugh), and friday night I will again sit and knit - perhaps with that plan I might just be ready to work some ear flaps by class start at 11am this Saturday. The last knitting study group for the year, and as such we are doing a shared lunch.

Now I am also taking Kelly, an import from the US, who discovered early on in her immigrant life here one of our cute yet annoying New Zealand traditions. "Bring a plate", a simple little phrase that we NZ'ders write on invites or say to indicate invited guests should bring along a plate of finger food to share. I've lost count of the numbers of non natives who I've spoken to to have turned up with a plate, or two, and some times even cutlery and glass-wear all empty, and being caught out. What will I bring? Well I was thinking cherry tomatoes speared with a little feta and a basil leaf on a wooden pick sitting in a puddle of good olive oil, or asparagus with aoli on bruschetta and Parmesan curls. I did wonder about Christmas cake, the British heavy rich fruit kind, with thick white icing, but I didn't bake one months ago and commercial ones are usually not as good as home made, beside I am sure some one will bring cake.

And Bears Garter rib cardigan, well once the hat is finished I will knit exclusively on that, he deserves it, and I want it gone, out of my WIP knit basket, I want to knit with some of the yummy yarn in my stash. Still I am only 4 cm from the armhole divide, and then just the sleeves and the yoke which should be quick, and I'll have my spinning to distract me occasionally, oh - and the ear flaps.

Take care,

3 comments:

Shirley Goodwin said...

Gosh, that looks really complicated! PS it's light before 6.30am!

Knitting Linguist said...

Wow! You've got tons of knitting on the needles right now, no? That hat is looking amazing -- the colors are, indeed, yummy :) I wish we were getting some of your light. It's dark by 5:30 now, and we're not quite at midwinter. Ah, well -- just makes me appreciate summer more when it comes!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for producing the video.
I'd seen another youtube video (which shall remain nameless) on the brioche stitch that nearly made my head explode. In contrast, you video has great pacing.

Now I feel that I can attempt the stitch with confidence.