FO: Woodland Grave Beret

I don't know when hats became a big part of my wardrobe, but they seem to be here to stay.  They are one of those items that I did not realize I wore a lot or knit with great frequency until a family member I had not seen in some time knew about my hats from pictures.  Then I began to assess my hats, wonder if I should knit fewer, give some away, stop wearing them as much.  But I quickly realized that I love my hats.  I'm completely addicted to them and so far I have not found a point which I would consider too many.  That being said . . . I seem to be on another hat kick.

But how could you not knit another Alana Dakos leaf beret pattern?  This only makes three (I gave away a fourth).  And they are just so well written and charted that they are a dream to knit.  Pressed Leaves is has a lot more purling than the others I have knit, but it is just as satisfying

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I bought the yarn specifically for this pattern while at Stitches South at the Cephalopod Yarns booth.  The purchase itself was an impulse buy, but I justified it by only buying one skein for which I already had the perfect pattern.  Traveler is an excellent yarn.  It is DK weight, which I do not knit with all that often, and brought out the stitch definition in the pattern perfectly.  And don't get me started on the color (Candy Kingdom).  Since when do I have a thing for pinks?

To see more FOs, head on over to Tami's Amis!

A Mite Leaf Obsessed

I'm sure that if you read knitting blogs or are in tune with the online knitting community you have heard that Alana Dakos has finally opened up her new self-published book, Botanical Knits, for pre-orders.  I was at work on Friday when it went live and could not get a payment form to go through until I came home.  Evidently the enthusiasm of knitters broke the internet again.  But, because the book is immediately available as an ebook I went ahead and started a swatch while we were at Top Gun (so the Boba Fett hat got no love).

In trying to take an artistic yarn picture I got a much better shot of my Top Gun-themed manicure

I was initially swatching for Entangled Vines, but my yarn worked much better for Twigs and Willows, so I have since cast on for the back.  And yes, this is the yarn I was using for my Central Park Hoodie.  That was getting no love and I cannot imagine having orange yarn available and not using it for a  leafy cardigan.

But wait, there's more!  Since I seem to be fighting off a major case of startitis (and losing badly -- I'll have enough WIPs for months), I also started the Ivy Trellis Mittens.  The required yardage was perfect for the leftovers from my Purslane Beret.  I was going to make myself wait until I finish something, but it is still mitten weather when I head to work in the morning, so I caved.

In case it bears repeating, I am really excited about this pattern collection.  I have never knit an Alana sweater, but I have knit up several of her accessory patterns over the years and have listened to her podcast since almost the beginning.  I'm in love with the way each piece incorporates a leaf motif.  It is bringing back memories of the little vines I would doodle in my school notes.  I cannot wait to see how different knitters interpret this vision.  It's going to be one colorful landscape.