Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat, part 6

 At the end of Part 5, we were here...

While doing some unpacking/organizing/looking-for-something-else I found this Needle-Felted Flower that I made in a class several years ago, when we were new to alpacas.  It needs to be finished a bit, but I think this might be a good way to complete this hat.

So after weaving in the ends, I pinned the flower in place and tried the hat on multiple ways, to settle on its final location...

  

and I don't love it.

So I decided to go ahead with crocheting a brim-edge.  I like this a lot better, but I still don't care fore the dark red "v" at the front.

  

So I wove in the ends and fastened down the flap with the minty yarn, while aligning the dark-red section.

  

I like this a lot(!) better.

I am still debating whether to add a small embellishment to the peak of the flap, but for now I am of the mind that less is more.

So I will live with it for a while and call this one good, finally.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat, part 5

Part 5?  Who would have thought that such a simple pattern would have so many things to talk about?  Not me... but here I am, with Part 5.  :-)

As a reminder.... I was contemplating accents at the end of the last post.

I knit a couple of rows with the gold and decided I didn't like it.  Then I knit the remainder out with the dark red-wine color (because it has matching blue flecks in it) but did not bind-off or join, because I was still not certain I liked it.

I sat with it for a few days and shared the above photo with a friend... and the more I looked at it, the less I liked it.  So I set it aside.

This is why color can be so challenging for me and why I generally prefer to work with un-dyed fibers!!

After letting it sit for several weeks, and growing impatient with the number of nearly-complete projects I had, I decided to bind-off with the wine-colored yarn over the Independence Day Holiday.

At this point, I don't hate it.  But I don't love it either.

The pattern calls for a button to hold the flap in place and, of course, the ends still need to be woven in.  

My current plan is to crochet a brim-edge in the wine-color and then likely add other embellishments.

So, clearly there will be at least a part 6 to this project.  Stay tuned.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat, part 4

Since last time, I have been contemplating what to do with the last inch of my Dutrieu Hat....

I went thru my stash of wool yarns and pulled out the close-to-sport weight.  Then kept out the few yarns that appeared to coordinate with the hat...

with undyed Targhee

with the white used for the
Provisional Cast-on

with unknown wool - gold and wine

While the hat sat with the potential stash members, I also took a snip of the yarn with me to the Estes Park Wool Market and happened to find an interesting coordinating yarn from ModeKnit Yarn, of Saint Paul, Minnesota.

So now, I have four-ish options that are marinating...

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat, part 3

So, last time I was just beginning the last panel of this six-panel hat and expecting to play a game of Yarn Chicken.

Soon after writing that post, I found the few grams remaining from my Minty Mitts...

While I am feeling a little better about my supply, I'm not confident that I have enough of this Possum-blend yarn to complete this hat.

I got ~25% into the last panel with the remainder of the first skein...

And another ~50% with the remainder of the Minty Mitts Skein.

Which means I have ~25% or 10 rows plus the bind off and join remaining to complete this hat.... AND that I lost at Yarn Chicken twice!  ;-)

So my mind has been turning toward my stash, wondering if there's something suitable to compliment the end of this project.

The ending stripe will be about 1-inch wide.

Do I go with white and drive a summery feeling?  Do I go with a natural, undyed color for a more cozy feeling?  Or something completely different?

I'll be pondering these questions for a while...

In the meantime, I hope you are having lovely weather and Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat, part 2

Last time I was just beyond 50% complete and now after a couple of  Dog Shows, this project is nearly complete...  I have just begun the last panel, and it looks likely that a game of Yarn Chicken is in my near future...

Stay Tuned and Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat

In looking for a simple project appropriate for waiting for services, I settled on Dutrieu by Wooly Wormhead.

I previously mentioned that I have wanted to make one of their patterns for quite some time.  I have also wanted to make a Cloche for several years.  Add in plenty of yarn left over from the Minty Mitts, and this seemed like the right one.

In searching the interwebs for how to pronounce Dutrieu, I learned that this is for Hélène Dutrieu, a Belgian Cyclist, Stunt Woman, and Aviator.  Very cool, indeed!

My French is not very good and my Flemish is non-existent, but at least I can hear the pronunciation in my head, even if I can not actually say it correctly.  :-/

This is an interesting construction, as is typically the case with Wooly Wormhead designs.  You can see the crown is starting to be shaped at the top of the piece, and the flap is beginning at the bottom.  There will be a total of 6 panels when complete.

I did take the opportunity to upgrade my tools in this size... I'm surprised by how much I don't like working with my original wood- and bamboo-tipped tools.

And with my new tools, I'm much further than I expected to be at the end of Memorial Day Weekend... currently just beyond 50%.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Minty Mitts, part 3

Since casting on Mitt #2, I finished the second wrist at a recent dog show,

 and finished the second palm on May Day.

At this point I have just shy of 6g remaining on the first skein.  So, plenty of yarn for the thumbs.

And the thumbs only used about 1g.

Modifications made were to make the wrist longer, stop the stockinette early, and keep the thumb and palm areas shorter.

These fit snuggly, which was the goal... So now I'm ready for more-comfortable computer work next winter. :-D

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Minty Mitts, part 2

Since last time...I have been working on this project more than I expected to.... it's a simple pattern with an easy to remember repeat...

On April 11, I separated out the thumb and began working on the palm/hand.... I decided to start this earlier since the mitt was already wide-enough and I thought that any wider would be too loose.  Also the Twisted Rib pattern is more stretchy than stockinette and I would prefer to have a snuggly-fitting mitt.

As of April 13, I have a life-line prior to the Slightly Stretchy Bind-off to aid in measuring the second Mitt, bound-off the palm of Mitt #1 and have cast on Mitt #2.

So far, I think I can get both Mitts made from one skein.  There should be 1-2 grams left.

*fingers crossed*

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!!!

Fiber Arts Friday: Minty Mitts

I've been wanting to make a new pair of Fingerless Mitts for a while.

My Tibetan Mastiff Mitts are really too big to wear while working on the computer and the Alpaca ones that said Tibetan Mastiff remodeled a long(!) time ago hadn't been speaking to me.  These both used the same pattern, and I wanted something more fitted.

I had seen a sample of Possum yarn at one of our LYS's a long while back and neglected to purchase a few skeins then.  They did not carry it for long, so I had been looking, unsuccessfully, ever since.

So last fall (October 2022), when a friend came for a visit from Australia, she brought this gorgeous Possum-blend yarn along.

I asked her to choose 2 skeins of which ever color she liked in the weight I preferred.  Sometimes it's fun to use things that others choose for you... it helps to mix things up a bit.

This yarn has a subtle blue color, dyed over a brown-ish base.  It has character and I was anxious to start working with it.  So I swatched right away, but then did the responsible thing and set it aside because I was trying very hard to reduce my number of WIPs.

After contemplating patterns for a while, I settled on this one called, Hidden Gusset.... Crazy, I've been on a Twisted Rib run recently... (Baker's Hat, Twisted Rib Stocking Cap, and a yet to be discussed here, design idea)

The colorway is called Peppermint, thus why I am calling these my Minty Mitts.  :-)

The Brushtail Possum does not shed nor is it shorn.  They were originally exported from Australia to New Zealand for the Fur Trade, and then became invasive in New Zealand.  So the use of their fur is part of a control program for an invasive+destructive species.

Possum is a hollow fiber, like alpaca, so it is valued for both its softness and warmth.

I finally cast on at the end March 2023, as our Temporary Housing Stay/Remodel was coming to a close...

This yarn is a blend of merino, nylon, possum, and alpaca and has excellent stitch definition.

Merino is a breed of sheep.  Sheep are sheared annually, as are alpaca.  These haircuts are performed manually, do not injure the animal, and are required as part of responsible husbandry.

Nylon is a petroleum product.  The extraction and manufacture are generally not good for the environment nor is the finished product biodegradable.

Wools such as Merino, Alpaca, and Possum biodegrade and add to the health of our soil and air.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!