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Hello and thanks for visiting my blog. I have been knitting on and off for 50 years and I recently learned to crochet. I love looking for wool bargains and making them into something useful. I mainly knit for charity. I occasionally knit for myself and family members if I find a really good pattern or if they ask nicely!!

Thursday 6 March 2014

Can she do it? Yes, she can...

Last year I blogged about knitting hats with some really strange yarn.  I think I was very rude and called it "horrible yarn".  Fiona of the FC Knits blog read my posting and we entered into a little bloggy banter about impossible, problem yarns.  Fiona had some unloved yarn and challenged me to make use of it.  I picked up the gauntlet and a parcel arrived.  It contained 3 different types of yarn. 

Here is what I am knitting with some of it:


I love this shade of mauve.  Fiona told me the yarn is "Rowan Summer Tweed" so I was able to look it up on Ravelry where there are many reviews....some good, some not so good.  The main problem seems to be that it is slightly knobbly and therefore difficult to pull through each stitch.  But if you pull too hard, it breaks.  Another slightly negative feature is that, though it is Aran weight, it is not very warm.  This is probably because it it a mixture of silk and cotton.  (Note to self: it is called Summer Tweed for a reason!)

I toyed with the idea of knitting a small summer dress and can't quite remember why I decided not to.  There possibly isn't enough yarn for a dress.   Instead, I have cast on a child's hat. I like knitting hats "in the round" and I enjoy knitting cables, so I chose the Nottingham hat pattern.  I think the cables and ribbing will make this warm enough.

This would be a very quick hat to knit, but I am not rushing it as I have other projects in progress.  I will post another photo when it is finished.  Then I will pick more yarn from Fiona's parcel.  But that's another story...


12 comments:

  1. Nice pattern!

    I have found that some of the 'posh' Rowan yarns are very difficult. I have just finished a jumper in Rowan Cocoon. It was very difficult to sew up as the yarn kept untwisting and breaking and it is a very heavy garment and it hasn't even got sleeves. I don't like it and I am leaving it so I can decide what to do with it.

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    1. Thanks for the info. I generally like Rowan yarns, but I will be happy to avoid Cocoon.

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  2. Good luck with it Una, it's a very pretty colour. I've just finished a crochet scarf with some what I would call knobbly yarn and it wasn't that easy to work with. :)

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    1. Eek! I can't imagine trying to crochet with this tweed yarn. I'm glad I can knit!

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  3. I have never used Rowan yarn ever Una, the purple colour is pretty though and i look forward to seeing it finished. I love cables too :-)

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  4. Love the colour.
    You may not enjoy working with the yarn but it's going to be a lovely hat.

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  5. It's definitely a beautiful colour and the combination of yarns sounds lovely. It will make a beautiful hat! I dislike working with those yarns that feature pompoms in the yarn...the ones that are half an inch I find very difficult to knit with...smaller ones are ok

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  6. Hello Lovely Una - I tried knitting with this yarn a few years ago and gave up on it - it ended up in the charity shop - it was a lovely shade of blue with flecks in it but I could not work with it for some reason. Well done you though as it looks as if you are going to make something really beautiful with it. What a good idea to have a challenge. Have a lovely weekend Una, big hugs
    Dorothy
    :-)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

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  7. Gorgeous colour, too bad it has other issues. Looking forward to seeing the finished cable hat (I like knitting cables too). I like your challenge to each other ... especially when you pass on the yarn along with the challenge. Fresh eyes always help :) Wendy x

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  8. Excellent start, Una! :) I knew you had the patience for it. ;) Fiona x

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  9. What a great idea - a yarn 'exchange'! Looking forward to seeing how the hat progresses - well done, you, for taking on the challenge!

    SueH at The Knitting Assassin!

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  10. Oh, I know what you mean by problem yarns! It can really slow you down, which is frustrating. But good for you for picking up the challenge and making something pretty!

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