Crown Shaping Masterclass

This month in The Knitter my first article about Hats and Hat design for them has been published!

my latest article, explaining the maths behind crown shaping

And it's all about crown shaping.

I got talking to the editor a while back, and we discussed the possibility of a Hat design masterclass; It would have been impossible to try and fit everything into one article, and so I'm writing a series of 3! And even then, there's lots more to be said.

In this article I cover the maths for familiar crown shapings such as beanies and berets, and then go on to discuss how row gauge affects shape, and how altering the decrease ratio creates other shapes (e.g. pixie or gathered crown). There is a fair bit of maths, which is kinda essential! And talking through with the editor and tech editor, I think it's broken down well into manageable chunks.

This article goes into much greater depth with the maths for the crown shaping that we cover in my Hat Design workshop - it would be impossible to cover all the maths in a 6hr day AND have everyone complete their Hat! Hence I've developed a method of teaching it that makes it a little easier to manage all in one day. The crown is the most complex part of the Hat, and it undermines the design for the rest of the Hat, so you may wish to consider this alongside my design class. (and I'll try and see if there's any way to incorporate this info in the workshop notes, for those that want to take the maths further... hmm... how many pages is too many for workshop notes?)

The next two articles will be Style and Fit, and all about Sideways Knit Hats. It's going to be hard to contain myself within the word count; you know how much I can go on (and on and on) about Hats....

If you're not able to get your hands on a print copy, then I believe single issues are available through Zinio (I've just looked and yup, issue 97 is listed!) The rights revert back to me a little earlier than usual, as I've asked to republish the article on this blog - it'll probably need to span a couple of blog posts as there's a lot to it - but it's something to look out for late summer/early autumn.

I've had great feedback so far on the article - I do hope you enjoy it!

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So yeah, I kinda fell into a bit of silence! My neck/shoulder issues post EYF didn't improve and my sciatica started to grumble, so sitting here at my laptop hasn't been easy. I'm getting better but not quick enough, really! I've had too much time to think and more time in the garden, as I try and break my day up so that my posture changes and my back or neck doesn't get stiff. Getting older is no fun.

But I have new knitting and maybe some new designs, so it's not been all bad! It's just that trying to get images from my phone to here without emailing them to myself or sitting here too long hasn't proved easy. Now, if only I could get the SquareSpace app on my table to work, I might find it easier to blog....

We've been adopted

This lady has decided she's coming to stay with us. 

Affectionately named 'Fiona' by one of the children on site, we don't really know much about this lady. She appeared sometime back in spring, most likely abandoned. The first time we saw her we presumed she was male due to her size, as she's no small cat. When we came back this autumn she'd had her ear clipped (the system they use here to denote that a stray has been spayed) and it was pretty clear she was desperate for some company.

She took her time moving in; she was nervous and skittish and had to contend with the ferals over food. We let her know that we're cat-friendly and once it became cold enough to close the door during the day, she started staying in. She only spent her first night inside a few nights ago and that's it - she hasn't left since.

She seems to be happy with a litter tray; she knows what it is and we've yet to find any unpleasant surprises. She's much calmer, although she's still wary of feet (we believe she was mistreated before coming here, most likely kicked, judging by her behaviour) and hasn't yet come round to the idea of sitting on the sofa with us or being picked up. She's playful and talkative and loves being stroked.

She's a mature cat and seems pretty healthy. She's mostly white, with the exception of tortoiseshell markings to her head and ears, two brown fingerprints on her shoulders and a tortoiseshell tail. She's not sure about Jimmy the ginger cat: he's being his usual vagabond self and wandering in, attempting to tell her that this is his patch. But she's got news for him; she's telling him this is HER place and we're pretty sure she means it.

We've resisted adopting a cat of our own for a few reasons. But who can turn away such a lovely lady looking for somewhere safe to spend her later years?

Jimster (a Cat & a Hat)

Jimmy, our most frequent feline visitor, has gotten himself into a bit of a mess. The evil feral tom that likes to terrorise the cats around here has beaten up this soft ginger lump (again) and now the wound needs a bit if help to get better. He'll be fine. He has to wear the cone of shame and we have to keep him indoors as much as possible, which is easier said than done when a) he's spent most of his life outside and b) he's not even our cat.

So now we're being kept awake by this great big softie sitting on our heads and squeaking at us because he wants to be let out at 3am. Or maybe have some more food. Who knows. He's a real-life Garfield. It's kinda strange having a cat around full time again. 

On the knitting front, the project in progress I shared in my last post is all finished and blocked already. I will reveal more about it in good time (there's normally a good reason for only sharing a teaser shot!) and late last night, the fingers got itchy again. Itchy for something quick; for something in garter stitch.

A quick rummage in my stash late last night turned up the leftover yarn from Lollie in Twisted Woolly Toppers. It's a bulky weight single ply from Abuelita yarns and is perfect for next-to-the-skin-knit-it-in-an-evening knitwear. So, after a quick bit of maths, I provisionally cast on and got knitting.

And then this morning I grafted it. Then wrote the pattern. And then this afternoon Aran dressed up and let me take some photos of him in his new Hat.

Aran pulls off the moody look pretty well for a 3yo, huh?

It really is a super quick knit, and simple too. I've included links to the tutorials for provisional cast-on and klitchener, as well as a run down on how to graft garter stitch sans photos. And if you didn't fancy the graft it'd be pretty easy to seam (although a little bulky in this weight)

The top can be finished just about any way that takes your fancy - seam it flat for a square top that'd create ears when worn, or do a tri-peak or even gather it for a scrunchy look. Here I went with a 4 peaked top, which works really well with the garter stitch, which loves to stretch to fit.

And if you didn't already know, slip stitching through the ridges that you get along the edges of garter stitch gives a really nice finish. Simply thread the yarn through the base of the bump, then do the same along the next ridge on the adjacent edge, rinse and repeat. There's bound to be a name for this technique, but it's pretty easy to do, and very handy when you have side seams to be done in garter stitch (which, given how this is knit sideways, is what you have when finishing the crown)

And there we have Jimster. So called because that's one of our pet names for Jimmy ('scuse the pun) and, well, the colour bears an uncanny resemblance to our feline friend. A Hat named after a cat.

Jimster is a great, quick knit, which is perfect for practising skills and is suited to all skill levels. 4 sizes are included, and given how stretchy garter stitch is, you'll be able to make this Hat for anyone and everyone.

Have at it, folks!

Not so unusual house guests

It's raining here today, and whenever it rains we can guarantee that some of our regular feline visitors will pop by, looking for a cosy spot to nap.

We have 4 regular visitors, and this morning all 4 have been by, with no less than 2 in the bus at any on time. Let me introduce you to them.

I'm sure I've mentioned Jimmy before on this blog, he's been coming to visit since we first got here. He likes to try and tell the other cats that this is his patch, and we gently remind him that it isn't. Otherwise, he's soft and cuddly and a bit of a lump. He tolerates Aran to no end; he's the perfect childrens' cat.

This is Namu, and she's probably about 18 mths old now. She's feisty and playful and damn quick. As a kitten she came to visit often, and still does, though not so much. She'll howl demandingly at the door to be let in, howl again for a drop of milk, then depending on her mood, either curl up on the sofa or be on her merry way.

This is Whiskey, and he's a couple of months younger than Namu. He's gorgeous. He's a sit on your shoulders and purr kinda cat. He's another very affectionate chappy and has the softest nature I've ever met in a tom. He belongs to our neighbour and used to bound around here as a wee kitten and probably sees our bus as an extension of his home.

And this is Zulu, and she's Whiskey's sister, from the same litter. She's timid and noisy and oh so much like Minky it's unreal. She may be smallest of the cats but she's also the noisiest. She won't ask for a cuddle but like her brother she appreciates one.

Since we've been here we've been offered kittens or other cats in need of a home but we always say no; saying goodbye to Minky and Spook when we left London still upsets me and I don't think I've the strength to have another cat of our own. Yet we miss feline company, so the little arrangement we have with these fellows suits us all rather nicely. Unless we have them all come to visit simultaneously and they start arguing over food.