Matchy Matchy

I knit my second pair of Align Mitts this summer and they turned out exactly as I wanted.  

I made them slightly shorter in the cuff and fingers which suit me better than the longer version.  The yarn I used was Meilenlweit Magico II by Lana Grossa in the overly descriptive colorway 3513.  It's a beautiful yarn to work with although it is a single ply so it can be a bit splitty.  The colours flow like the caribbean - hues of oceans and beaches.

When I finished I realized I had more than enough of this yarn left to make myself a hat.  And since I was in an adventurous mood, the Zigs and Zags Hat was created.  It is my first published pattern ever!

It's a really simple knit, mostly stockinette, with a zig zag pattern in purls.  It worked perfectly with the self-striping yarn by breaking up the texture without messing with the striping.  Who knows, this could be the start of my designing career...only time will tell :)

Hitchhiker Take 2

I decide I needed another Hitchhiker in my life.  Having knit my first Hitchhiker last year, and having worn it frequently, I decided I needed another for variety sake.  

I had hand-dyed sock yarn earlier in the year in a blue speckled green that screamed garter so off I went.  Based on my first go round with this pattern I knew one skein was not enough for 42 teeth so I decided early on that I would add something on the end to extend.  I debated blues and yellows but the black...ohh the black, it was meant to be.  I added the black in a few lines at a time and finished with a wide stripe.  

I love it!

I'm over my Hitchhiker itch for this year...maybe another for 2017?