Friday, December 14, 2007

Home and Away

Dear NFL,
Please look away now. I'm not violating any trademark laws. Honest.
Thanks,
Me
When Amanda was in town a little while ago, we met up in the city at Loopy Yarns (on the South Loop). It's a nice little shop with a good selection. They carried a fantastic brand I had never heard of called Marisol. Amanda recognized and said, "Oh, I have some baby llama from them!"
Baby llama? I was done for. I had to try it. And, it was cheap! Only $7ish for nearly 100 yards.
At first I pondered something nautical in navy and white, but I was raised in the midwest. I would probably get seasick knitting it.
Then I noticed a lovely orange. There's a certain team in a certain midwestern town that has the colors of navy and orange. I decided I need a hat. I wasn't really sure how much to buy, so I grabbed two skeins of each.
I knit this hat first.

I did have to delve into the second skein of the navy, but not by much. And I barely used any orange. But it's a cute hat, and it fits really well. I don't know why I'm standing so funny, but look at the hat. It fits.
I was discussing this at one of my knitting groups, and pondered making the inverse. I don't really look good in orange, but I definitely had the yarn for it. Then Lorna made a brilliant suggestion. How had I never thought of this before? I could make home and away hats!
So I made the identical hat with the inverse of colors.

I made them up as I went along. It's a wide 2x2 ribbing at the band (enough to cover my ears), a stripe, the fair isle, another stripe, and then the rest just finished off in the main color.

And the llama was a wonderful choice. It's absolutely luxurious. I'm not quite show how to describe it. It has some of the same fluffy good qualities as alpaca, but it's a very different feel. You might be able to get a hat out of one skein, or a nice stipey one with just two. I still have enough left to get a kids hat or two out it.
Warning: You may get the llama song in your head every time you knit it.
In Summary:
Yarn: The Marisol Project Miski, 100% baby llama, 88 yds
Pattern: Home and Away Bears hats, making them up as I went along
Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) 16" circ and dpn
Time: About two days each hat
Cost: About $30 for two hats, and change

4 comments:

Amanda said...

Loving the hats! They look awesome. I love that you made both home and away versions.

Merry Christmas!

DancingFish said...

Those are awesome! Great game on Sunday too! There is nothing better than being around Chicago when the Bears do something good =)

DK said...

Ooooh, that's fabulous!

(Here a llama, there a llama, and another little llama...)

Jen said...

Oh my! I love the hats! They will look great with some Bears socks!:)