Happy new year! I finally took the Christmas tree down today, but as usual, I’ve left most of the fairy lights up around the house to cheer me up through the depths of winter. Now, I’m not a big one for resolutions (although I do wonder if I need to give myself a bit of a kick up the bum this year, so I have a few things I’m mulling over), but if there’s one thing to get me feeling positive about a new year, it’s the start of a new project.
Since I re-learned to knit, I’ve been knitting the same pattern repeatedly (lots of family members now sport the same scarf). Remarkably I haven’t got bored, but I do think it’s time to challenge myself, which is where The Fibre Co. have stepped in. They reckon their Cable & Rib hat is the perfect project to move me on and give me something realistic (and not too terrifying) to get my teeth into, and I’ve got some of their super-soft Road to China Light yarn to do it with.
This pattern includes a lot of firsts for me: working in the round (using circular needles), and rib and cable stitches. Plus, because it’s a garment that actually needs to fit (unlike a straightforward scarf), I’ve also had to knit a swatch to check my tension. Then they are a million other little things, like learning a new way to cast on (I needed a quicker technique when casting on 160 stitches), working out how to use a stitch marker (yes, my skills really are that basic), and trying to put a lifeline in as a back up in case I mess up. YouTube is my new best friend (as well as my lovely and very patient friend Emily, who endlessly replies to my inane queries via text).
Having a new project on the go is exciting, especially as it feels like something I’ll be able to finish in a reasonable amount of time. After all, I’d like to be able to enjoy wearing my new hat before the winter has disappeared!
As for resolutions, I’ll be able to give these some thought while I’m knitting on the sofa, so I’ll come back to you on that front….
Disclosure: The Fibre Co. have gifted me the yarn for this project,
but all content and views are entirely honest and my own.
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