Hi, Jan,
Finally, photos of the finished Swedish Hawthorne cap. Despite its being knit from Kerstin Olson’s original design, in colors quite close to the original, I think it is more of a Bohus-inspired cap than a true Bohus.
The reason - the yarn, Fairy Hare from Kimmet Croft - just doesn’t meet the Bohus standard. It is a a lovely soft merino/angora blend, the dyeing is adequate (though color intensity is not consistent along the strand), and it would make a lovely yarn for many projects. The problem is that it is terribly inconsistent in spin, going from laceweight (too fine of a gauge) to chunky (far too heavy a gauge) within inches, and sometimes repeating this several times a yard. At first I spliced out the worst of it, but it was so frequent I finally gave up and knit away.
The result: more of a folk cap than a Bohus hat. Don’t get me wrong - it is still a fabulous cap. But it isn’t Bohus. Here is a shot of the cap right next to one knit of the SolSilke yarn from which the true Bohus reproductions are being knit.
As you likely know, this yarn is intended to be a slightly larger gauge - 7 st/in vs the 8.25 or finer gauge of the original sweaters. Because of the larger gauge, the crown is exceptionally deep, and I had to alter the pattern to increase the decrease rate (hey, that’s calculus!) by about 50%. It yielded a pretty gathered top. I used a size 1 needle - likely I could have gotten a finer gauge if I’d gone smaller, but this needle size worked well for me with this yarn.
Another thing of beauty I’ve been admiring this week is the way our snowbanks are melting. I can’t quite capture it in photos. South-facing snow banks are melting into the most bizarre shapes due to the reflected warmth from the road and the dripping and refreezing water. Some look like waves cresting - really quite beautiful. Yes, they are dirty, but the shapes are fabulous. The left hand photo, not sure you can discern this, shows a thin sheet of twisted ice that has formed as things melt. It amazes me that it doesn’t just melt in a lump. (Yes, we cling to small thrills here in the northland.)
And not a thing of beauty yet, but my last Ravelympics project (WIPS Wrestling) is heading that way - the gansey has resurrected. You can see that all I have to finish is the last sleeve, and I am about 2/5 of the way there. I also want to reknit the collar and snug it up a bit. I hope I don’t get over-confident and wipe out before I cross the finish line.
Good luck crossing the finish line of your week!
Love,
Ellen
Jan and Ellen are identical twins who have always had an innate fashion sense. Crafting is an integral part of their lives and they stay stitched together sharing their love of knitting, family and community.
February 25th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
That hat is just lovely! The colors are really beautiful, and it looks great on you. And your gansey is moving along quickly — just don’t try any fancy tricks like grabbing your needles mid-air on the last jump, and you should be good to go.
February 25th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
It’s beautiful!
And I love the ice art (and miss it).
February 25th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
Absolutely GREAT! I think it’s lovely on YOU, too!
(((hugs)))
February 25th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Now that the hat is complete, I’m really liking it. And Jocelyn is right, it does look great on you.
I was wondering about the gansey…glad to see you have gotten back to it. I can hardly wait to see it in person!
February 26th, 2010 at 10:41 am
I see what you mean about the hat, and I’ve not heard the best reviews regarding the Kimmet Croft fibers. I think the colors are spot-on, though, and the finished hat is gorgeous anyway.
Good luck finishing up the gansey. That will be lovely, too.
February 27th, 2010 at 6:32 pm
The hat looks lovely, even if the yarn wasn’t perfect! I hate it when yarn is uneven like that. At least it doesn’t show (from a distance, anyway) in the final product! I’ve also been watching the snowbanks melt and the ground re-emerge. It’s so exciting to see the first signs of spring coming, even if it is in a pile of dirty snow.
February 28th, 2010 at 1:08 pm
I saw someone at Stitches West wearing a Bohus sweater in the same colors as your hat, such a stunningly perfect match in the greens and orange that I did a doubletake–yours was a hat, not a sweater!