Trying new things

I've been trying some new things lately, in hopes of tickling my brain and expanding my skills. One BIG thing I've been doing is weaving on my new loom! I'm almost done with a project and that will be my next post.

But for now, my Bedraggoned Hat is finished:

I made a size too big, so that's a little disappointing. I didn't check gauge, so bad on me. The hat isn't unwearable, but the brim isn't tight. It slides right down over my ears. I prefer a slouch hat that doesn't actually touch my hair on top, and this one just lays on my head. Oh, well. maybe I will find someone with a slightly bigger head that can wear it.

I loved working with this yarn, though. I'd kind of moved away from handpainted skeins, but this one was a beauty and perfectly suited for this project. Here is a photo of the fiddly brim as it is being worked. I am picking up purl bumps on the wrong side of the fabric with a spare dpn, and then k2tog-ing those picked up stitches with the live ones on the circular needle. That's what creates the "tucks" on the brim. It worked best to pick up 10-20 stitches at a time with the dpn, work them off, and then pick up more. I also found that using a smaller dpn than the project needle helped.

I have another Woolly Wormhead hat project in my queue, but I haven't started it yet.

Instead, I decided to try a crochet project. I know! Surprising! But truthfully, I've been crochet-curious for a little while now. When I saw the Grassmarket Shawl pattern featured in the Edinburgh Yarn Festival program (free!), I was attracted - both by the look of the finished shawl, and by the simplicity of the project (skill level is beginner). When I realized that my friend who crochets was going to be laid up recovering from surgery this summer, we both knew it was time for me to visit her AND get a crochet tutorial at the same time. I had some questions about the pattern.

You can see here that I've started the project twice. I got the green yarn (Fibre Co. Road to China Lace) at EYF and intended to use it for this. But it was hard for me to control the yarn. I used the specified hook (4.0mm, US G) and perhaps I should have gone smaller. A few nights ago, I decided to try using some leftover gray yarn (Neighborhood Fiber Co. Capital Luxury Lace). It was SO much easier and the crocheting was pleasurable, so I'm going to continue with that.

I suspect that I might enjoy the green yarn more if I went down a hook size or two. Even though both yarns are classified as "laceweight," the gray yarn is clearly much thicker. At least a light fingering, in my opinion. Also, the shade of green isn't really a color I would wear. (If it is your dream color, you should let me know!)

I am not typically prone to startitis, but I find I have a case of it now. I have two knit sock projects on the needles, this crochet shawl, some handwoven towels, my green-to-blue spinning project, and I've begun swatching for a knitted sweater, too. Yikes! If only I didn't have to go to work...