I had the priveledge of attending Kate Davies’ book reading for her new book, Handywoman at the Edinburgh Yarn Festival. During this inspiring talk, she described the way she used her creativity and resourcefulness to overcome her brain injury, and how this in turn led her to success in the knitting world. I was really moved by her talk and wanted to knit one of her designs afterwards. It seemed especially appropriate, after I fell and hit my head last month, to make myself a healing hat with Peerie Flooers from Kate Davies’ designs.
I used some Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift and Cascade 220 yarn from my stash to knit the hat, and I adore the cheerful colors!
I have never knitted a hat from Shetland Spindrift yarn before, and I feared it might feel a bit scratchy, but I didn’t find the fabric uncomfortable at all to wear. More importantly, the motif of lovely flowers to me symbolizes healing and hope.
I am now back at work almost full time, but I am still finding that dizzy spells come and go and nausea is almost constant as I am recovering from my concussion. I do apologize for any typos or blurry photos on my blog these days, but I still can't see very well as my healing brain finds focusing a challenge. So I have been knitting small projects--comforting accessories with a healing message. This week, I knitted my first ever pair of socks, a beginner’s pattern by Very Pink that uses worsted weight yarn and provides a helpful video tutorial for each step of the sock knitting process. Here is the result:
I feel the toes look rather odd and would not duplicate the kitchener stitch technique from the pattern, but otherwise I liked it. After I knitted my little ankle socks using Rowan Pure Wool Superwash Worsted yarn, I duplicate stitched a Peerie Flooer onto each one, using Kate Davies’ schematic as a guide. I really love the effect! I am going to knit another pair, this time using the kitchener stitch method I know from classes I've attended in the hopes the toes will be less oddly pointy. But I do love the idea of flowers near my toes! We're rather surrounded by flowers at the moment, as the rose garden has finally bloomed, almost a month late this year
I feel that when we encounter difficulties, it is helpful to dwell on happy times, and Scotland-inspired knits right remind me of the wonderful adventure in the UK right before my fall. I am already eyeing some more stranded hats and a few designs I am tempted to embroider on the next house socks I knit. Speaking of which, if any of my readers feel passionately about a beginner’s sock pattern they really like, please let me know! It is all new to me, and I am excited about diving in but am not ready for size two needles yet!!!!