So far behind! Knitting edition

As usual I have a number of projects on the go, but little time to blog about them. Gotta rectify that!

I finished that machine knitted hat I was working on last time I blogged. It is the same concept as the lizard hat, but with improvements.

I found a better way to attach the two layers by machine.  For the lizard hat I grafted the stitches by hand, as per the original hand-knitting pattern, and the lower edge was a band of ribbing. The lower edge is a little indeterminate since it's just wherever the ribbing is folded. And it isn't very firm.

My improvement was to knit the two layers together using an 8 stitch wide strip knitted in the red yarn. Because stockinette rolls it creates an attractive round binding all by itself. The edge is firm and it make the hat very secure and easy to put on.

The outside is wool sock yarn and the inner lining is Woolease (acrylic from Michael's). The hat is super warm.

I had to put my machine away (visitors) and haven't had the energy to get it out again. But one of these days I'm going to knit matching mittens.

I've also resurrected a hand knitting project that I started (ahem) more than two years ago. It got sidelined by my broken wrist in 2017. However I made myself pick it up in the last six months to finish the sleeves and it is now ridiculously close to being done.

The pattern is Woodfords by Elizabeth Doherty. As I said before, this is a very complicated knit - no seams, top down, plenty of short rows. It's one of those patterns where you simply have to follow along because there is no overview. Despite my frustration at feeling I'm not in charge of my own project, I love many things about this project: the texture of the broken rib stitch and the fact that the ribbed skirt is the same pattern minus the purl rows; the corrugation of that ribbing, especially around the back neck; the braid rows at the back; the dropped shoulders and narrow sleeves. And the colour!

I've only got about 2cm left to knit at the lower edge and then all that will be left is to weave in the many ends generated by the complicated instructions, and block it.