The Rose Window Hat

This hat I set myself as another challenge. I really want to try a colour work jumper, but I decided to let myself into it a little bit at a time. So I took to Ravelry, and made use of their search function, which has loads of different filters, including one for patterns with colour work, and even how many colours are used. I managed to find this lovely pattern for the Rose Window Hat.

I used 4-ply shetland wool, in three different colours. The pattern itself calls for two colours, black and a variegated for the colour. I used a purple for the edge and the black part of the pattern, and I alternated dark blue and light blue each row for the variegated bits.

It is knitted on 3.25mm and 3.5mm circular needle. The smaller needle is used for the ribbing, and then you switch to the larger needle for the rest of the hat. I did find that when the hat got smaller when decreasing on the top that the needle started to be slightly too long, and it did get a little difficult. I should have switched to the same size DPN's which would have made it easier, but I didn't have any that were the right size. I did switch to some that were slightly smaller, but I don't think that anyone noticed....

The overall effect I was really pleased with. The pattern itself, was easy to understand, and I enjoyed the colour work - something I will do again!

The pattern easily broke me into it, starting off with the squares and one different colour every four, and it really ramped itself up when it got to the lovely Rose Window pattern on the top. It got a little confusing and rather tangled at times, but I managed it, and I am very very happy with how it turned out.

I got Mam to put it on so I could take some photos and she liked the hat, so I gave it to her. I had tried it on myself, and found it was ever so slightly too big for my tiny head. I also have a rather loose tension, and didn't do a tension square...  I need to get better at making sure I have the right tension if I want to try jumpers and the like!

More Scrappy Socks

These aren't really scrappy socks in a sense, they are more like leftovers socks. I should probably refer to them as that from now on.

Anyway, as I mentioned before in my scrappy socks post, I'm making single socks out of the leftover yarn from other pairs of socks I have made. All of them being the same similar pattern, and almost a record of what I have knitted for myself and other people.

This sock is leftover from when I knitted Mr M his christmas socks (He still loves them and wears them a lot!) and I used much the same pattern as all the other socks I have knitted, which was a basic cuff down pattern, with a heel flap and gusset heel. I originally got the pattern from Love Knitting, but having a quick look now, I think it has been taken down.

The yarn used was a Drops Delight, superwash sock yarn. I knitted it on a 2mm circular needle, using the magic loop method. I'm still very much finding my way with sock making, and the circular needle is a bit smaller than the DPNs that I used for my first pair of socks (they were 2.5mm), so I have been playing around to find out the best number of stitches to suit my feet.

The other pairs of socks that I have knitted on the 2mm needle has had 60 stitches. Fewer than the number of stitches I had on the DPNs. But the sock is relatively tight, and so I decided to go for 64 stitches on this sock. Safe to say, it is very comfy and not too loose. - Result!

I was mostly knitting this sock when I was volunteering out on the Talyllyn Railway, and I had a few days in the blockposts (they are like signal boxes) and there are large amounts of the day where there are no trains and you have to keep yourself busy. So I knitted, much to the amusement of the people around me. Although I did get one person who was shocked that I was knitting a sock and not something more dainty and lady like... I don't think he knew me very well.

The sock was finished in time for a trip up to Castell-y-Bere, in the brilliant sunshine, where we had a lovely picnic, and beautiful views to take pictures of socks against!

Women in STEM

Now this is a little off the beaten track. As some of you know, I am an engineer. But there is a national shortage of women in engineering, as well as a whole host of other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. Now this could be for a whole host of reasons, but we do need to work on encouraging more young women and girls into the subjects.

To prove that it really is somewhere they can succeed and enjoy, I am aiming to try and encourage people by making a series of videos. These will be interviews with other women in STEM subjects on what they do and to try and encourage young women and girls to try it out.

I have already uploaded a video of my own story, which is also on my youtube channel. But here is the second. It is a short video interview with my mam, Dr Shirley Atkinson. Watch the video to see what she does and what she enjoys about it. And please, share it with anyone you know, to spread the message of what women do in STEM and to encourage all other young women and girls to follow their dreams and choose whatever career they want.

Good Little Bunnies

I have a very close friend, and I have made countless things for her. Maybe even more than I've made for Mr M... (Oops!) Anyway, she is obsessed with rabbits at the moment, and when we were out, she saw this cross stitch kit and she pretty much swooned... And she asked me very nicely if I would make it for her. So of course I said yes!

The kit is from Hobbycraft, and comes with everything you need to make it. Although the hoop they gave you was a horrible plastic one, so I used my own wooden one, which allowed me to tension the fabric properly and squarely in the hoop. Which is important, as some people will know, you always start a cross stitch pattern in the middle, and if you line it up with the middle of your fabric you have a perfectly central piece of work.

I was doing the project in my spare time, so it did take me a little while. But luckily Emma is quite patient when it comes to me making her things. Which was good, because I have a "too many WIPs" problem... I can't help it, casting on makes me happy!

Anyway, I raced through the bunnies to start off with, I only had one minor mistake, where I added one too many stitches to part of one of the bunnies, but I carried the pattern on up and only had to add a couple more stitches to keep the shape of the rabbit... It's just slightly portly...

Once the bunnies were done it was then onto the writing and the back stitching. I don't like back stitching. It is the dreaded bit at the end of the project for me. Although when I get to it, usually its done rather quick and I always seem to think it's worse than it really is...

But in the end I was very pleased with the outcome. The bunnies were even, and I'd managed to keep the white fabric clean... mostly... Being an engineer, I do mostly come home a little bit grubby, and although I scrub my hands at the end of the day and then have a shower when I get home, I still somehow still manage to be grubby! But the main part of the piece was clean, but there were a few grubby marks outside the hoop area. I told Emma that she needs to frame with a round piece of card. She's also an engineer, she understands.

All in all it turned out well, and I'm very happy with it. I can't wait to see it framed and hung up somewhere!