Bonnie Isle Hat | PDXKnitterati

Ohhhh, pretty!

Bonnie Isle Hat stranded colorwork knitting

Isn’t it lovely? It’s the Bonnie Isle Hat by Linda Shearer for Shetland Wool Week. The pattern is free for a limited time.

See how smooth and even my stitches are? They weren’t when they came off the needles! Stranded colorwork isn’t finished until it’s been blocked. This hat is currently drying after a soak. You may also wonder why there’s a string hanging off the bottom. The designer suggests putting a strand of “a strong yarn” through the ribbing and pulling it in a bit while it dries. This helps make the brim lie flat and a bit more snug.

I usually block my keps over this bowl, so the top lays out flat.

Like this. But this time I just laid the folded hat on top of the bowl (top picture), because I didn’t want it to stretch lengthwise, and I didn’t want to leave a ridge where it hits the edge of the bowl. I kept rearranging it as it dried, so it didn’t get any creases in it.

I bought the yarn pack for this from For Yarn’s Sake; I’m not the best color combiner on my own! I love this particular combination. There are five different colorways, in case you’d like a little help with your colors, too.

I’m teaching a stranded colorwork class for For Yarn’s Sake via Zoom on Sunday, November 6. We’ll talk about stranded colorwork knitting, managing multiple yarns, yarn color dominance, and blocking. We’ll use this pattern as a jumping off point, but the techniques are applicable to all stranded colorwork. I’ll also talk about how I adjusted the size of my hat via stitch count (because I don’t like tiny needles, and I like the fabric I get using a US3). Register here if you’re interested!

Most horrifying moment? After I had sewn in the ends, wondering why there was one really loose purple strand inside the hat, and then discovering that I had dropped a stitch and it the whole column was running. It was one of those dark purple lines going in to the center. I fixed it (hooray for sticky yarn that doesn’t slip-slide away too quickly!). I can tell which line it is, but I don’t think it’s too obvious.

Now…does this hat need a pompom? I’m probably too lazy to ever get around to making one!

*Finally* knitting again!

I finished knitting this project while in Maine. Some of you may have seen it at Knit Maine (couldn’t not try it out!). I mostly love it, but there are some tweaks I want to do as I write the pattern. I don’t want to frog this, so I’ve ordered more yarn for the reknit.

It took a week to catch up enough that I could cast on a new project. This is Bonnie Isle, this year’s free pattern from Shetland Wool Week. It’s fun to knit. I wasn’t sure about the colors when I pulled them out of the kit bag from For Yarn’s Sake (it was the Lipstick that made me say hmmmm), but with the white background it all tones down into a harmonious symphony of color. (The kits come in several colorways, in case this pink is not your style.)

My gauge is way off; I knew it would be because I’ve knit with the same yarn for the past two Shetland Wool Week keps. Which means my previous hats are perfect gauge swatches! I don’t want to use smaller needles (these are US 3/3.25 mm) because I like the fabric. So I’ve done some math, and I’m knitting happily and getting the size I want.

I’m teaching a stranded colorwork class via Zoom for For Yarn’s Sake on November 6, using this hat as a jumping off point. I’ll give you all my best pointers on stranded colorwork knitting, and also resizing if you’re interested in that, too. Register here.

My Bonnie Isle project is in a new bag from Madder Root; I bought this bag at Knit Maine.

When I saw the lining I had to have it as my Maine souvenir. (Shown here with my class materials from my Thrumbelina slippers class.)

Rising full Harvest Moon, Deer Isle, Maine

Because the moon made a big Maine impression on me over the weekend! So orange, so full, so gorgeous.

I’m going to be posting bits and bobs from my travels as I catch up. It’s too much for a giant post; you wouldn’t hear from me until next month if I waited to put it all together! More soon.