Sunday 4 December 2011

Year of Projects Update - 4th December



Can you believe it's December already? I know a lot of my fellow Year of Projects bloggers have scaled back their efforts in completing projects on their lists to focus on the dreaded Christmas knitting, but as I only have one present to make (Rosie's Rosie) I've been able to keep up with my list quite comfortably.

I've been making steady progress on my other WIPs, but I've been so busy this week doing fun holiday things I've not actually had all that much time for knitting. And now my Christmas tree is up, it neatly hides and partially blocks access to my stash and WIP shelves, so I've not had anything to hand!

Yesterday afternoon I found myself sitting down to watch the rugby with nothing to fiddle with, so I braved the tree and rescued my Rapunzel hat.



It's finished! I'm so excited by this hat. It's amazing. The yarn is so soft and warm, the cables are beautiful and the braids are just the right amount of silly. I decided against adding the pompom to the top, mainly because I already have a hat with a pompom and I know just how ridiculous I look when I wear it. So we made an executive decision to omit that from the pattern.

Here's the details then:

Pattern: Free Rapunzel! by Tiny Owl Knits
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Chunky in chocolate brown. I used less than two balls.
Needles: 9mm circular and dpns
Mods: other than omitting the pompom, I didn't really modify the pattern in any way. I could have made the braids looser by going up a needle size or two, but as my 9mms are the biggest I've got, I couldn't do that. I quite like them as they are. I also used elastic hair ties to tie off the braids, rather than a thread of yarn as the pattern suggested. I think they'll be more secure this way. The purple ribbon I had lying around in my LRP kit, and was too short to be of any use to me there, so I happily donated it to this hat.

It all turned out rather well. I have a new hat that I love, one more project to cross off the list and I've developed my knitting skills to the point where I am no longer afraid of cables or knitting on DPNs. So unafraid, in fact, that I've already got another hat on the needles!

I have just over two balls of this lovely yarn left over, so I think once I'm done with the other hat, I will cast on some mittens to match Rapunzel's hat. After all, I'm sure she'd need to protect her delicate princess hands while she's doing all that hard work pulling the prince up into her tower!

14 comments:

  1. You're right; it's just the right amount of silly. When I first glanced at the picture I thought the braids were real and took another look after reading further! I'm trying to keep myself from adding things to the Christmas knitting list - in the interest of maintaining my sanity - but yesterday I almost bought a pattern and yarn for a sweater for my sister, and I'm still trying to talk myself out of knitting and felting a wine bottle cozy for a friend!

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  2. A little bit sheepish4 December 2011 at 13:55

    Super hat, the bows are a nice touch. Congratulations on beating dpns and cables

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  3. I love the hat!  I think matching mittens will be great.

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  4. You look so cuuuute!!!!!!!!!!

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  5. Excellent hat! My daughter would love that. I agree, Rapunzel does seem to have one of the less useful princes, poor lass.

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  6. Awesome hat, I'm not doing any Christmas knitting this year except the cotton cloths for my DD, so am trying to work on all the many wip.

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  7. I love that pattern and have to say I personally love it even more now without the pompom. You're right, the braids are just the right amount of silly there, no need for a giant pompom on your head too :) Congrats on finishing it!

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  8. Love the hat, so much so I may brush up my knitting skills and give it a go! Definitely mittens, every princess should have them!

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  9. haha, it looks awesome!

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  10. Sarah - Crafts From The Cwtch4 December 2011 at 18:08

    Oh, you did it!!! It's lovely :) 
    xxxxx

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  11. Terrific job on your Rapunzel hat!  Goes so well against your beautiful skin.
    I have to make one - one day - for my Princess Jo-Bean who loves Rapunzel.

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  12. Love your Rapunzel hat and I think you were right to opt for it without the pompom.

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  13. You look adorable (and it's not just because of the hat!).

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  14. I love it, it looks fab on you :) The purple ribbon is perfect too. 

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