Sunday, December 7, 2008

Time to Cocoon

I would like to thank everyone for the nice comments on Steve's scarf ~ he was thrilled to read all of them! But. Well. A little disappointed that there were no requests for nude photos.

It has finally turned Wintry here in Southern California. It always seems that Winter will never arrive and then all of a sudden you know it's Winter because it's freezing cold outside. I find myself wondering, when I venture out into the brisk morning air, why it is that I wished for it to be Winter. I certainly don't enjoy freezing on my morning jog. Ah, yes. Now I remember. It is because I can wear my knitwear! Enjoy cozy days inside! Warm my tummy after dinner with a glass of liqueur! And, in general, enjoy cocooning at home!



This is Haven a Kim Hargreaves design knit with Rowan's cocoon yarn. I have always loved the cozy hat and scarf sets that appear in magazines around this time of year so decided that this year I would make one for myself.



When I first felt the cocoon yarn in the skein I wasn't that impressed. However, it was surprisingly soft to knit and the final washed and blocked product couldn't be more warm and cozy.



Please don't examine the hat too closely. It will pass with non-knitters, I believe. It seemed so simple a concept. I would just knit a panel of the Haven scarf design in the round to make a matching hat. This would have worked perfectly but for my failing to take into account the increases and decreases which effectively shifted the design 1 stitch over each round. I decided I would rather have the hat fit than concern myself with an exact pattern match so I merrily knit on worrying not about the lack of perfection ~ which is an attitude I try to bring to life in general.



Particulars: Haven from Heartfelt the Dark House Collection; US 11 needles; 3 skeins Rowan Cocoon (including hat); colorway Polar. Modified by simply doing 1 lace panel instead of 2 and only 18 of the 28 pattern repeats with the goal of having an opulent but more traditionally sized scarf (wash/blocked 62"x9"). My hat is a wonky version of Haven in the round.

I will warn that if you wash this yarn you must be extremely careful how you do so. I just tossed the scarf and hat into a warm bath and came back 20 minutes later to find that the yarn had relaxed and grown at least 12 inches. I went into shock and required ER procedure, um, actually it was the yarn that required ER procedure and somehow I managed to coax the hat and scarf back to their original shapes. Now that it's dry, I love how springy and lively the yarn is and maybe that always happens when it's washed. I would just be careful that you don't allow it to stretch too much when washing.



You may recall that my neighbor Chris (Mom to Mr Puffy's best friend, Ralph, who Mr Puffy was referring to in his award speach) and I knit this project together. We had lots of fun sharing laughter and mistakes, not necessarily in that order! Chris chose to knit hers exactly as designed and it really came out fabulous. But she was a little shy about having her picture taken so it was fortuante that Mrs. Santa Claus agreed to stand in. Both the picture above and below are of her lovely Haven taken amongst her Christmas decorations.



Lastly, if you are not yet feeling the Christmas spirit, take a look at this link and prepare yourself to feel Christmasy! Christmasy link (you will need to click "download original attachment" to watch the video) .

Have a great week everyone ~ and try having a small glass of liqueur after dinner to warm you inside :) My favorite is Grand Marnier of Crepes Suzette fame and I would love to know yours!

27 comments:

jillian said...

Beautiful set! I doubt even knitters would notice anything with your hat.

I am hearing good things about Cocoon - even the name sounds extra cozy.

As to liqueur, I enjoy Bailey's, either on ice or in hot cocoa :)

Renee said...

Your Haven hat and scarf set are gorgeous! And ready for the cold winter to boot, bonus.
I'm not one to appreciate liqueurs, but my husband enjoys Jaegermeister or a fine Brandy.
I enjoy getting cozy in the house by the gas stove with my herbal tea when it's freezing outside - and of course with yarn and the dogs. They make great foot warmers.

t does wool said...

so beautiful,Claudia...I ordered my yarn today!!lol!! you are an enabler!!
Lovely really and the yarn is so soft!

Anonymous said...

Sorry we disappointed Steve. I thought it would be in poor taste to ask for nude photos. Apparently not. So...Steve, nude photos, PLEASE!

BTW, gorgeous Haven set. They are sure to keep you snug and toasty.

sweetp said...

Oh that looks so pretty and snuggly! I really love the patterning

Cat in the Foxgloves said...

What a gorgeous set! I've just begun a warm and snuggly house sock project (I admit to keeping the heat turned down) but after getting past the heel I decided that I didn't like the ribbing at the top so I ripped it out to re-do it MY way. They'll be finished someday....

raining sheep said...

Lovely toque and scarf. It would be perfect for here today. We have 15 cm of snow and it's like winter wonderland...I have to go to the airport tomorrow early for a business trip...it won't feel like wonderland at that point! Nude photos? Good grief! Only a man would think up something like that :)

Sue said...

The set look beautiful.

Anonymous said...

It's cold here this morning, and your hat and scarf look perfect!

SissySees said...

I agree - from the photos, the hat looks just lovely!

Anonymous said...

Oh I love it in this winter white colour! So cosy. Having seen the size of Lily's I can only imagine how scary it was when you wetted this. I think we'll just be giving hers a slight dampening with a water spray! :)

Bridget said...

Beautiful set! Who cares if the hat isn't "perfect" - just call it a Design Feature (my knitting teacher used to say that ...).

Mrs. Santa looks quite lovely in her scarf as well. :-)

Um, Steve - this is a FAMILY blog!! Or at least it used to be, until you got all suggestive ...

Oh - we should have a favorite liqueur?? I'll have to test a few and get back to you.

amanda said...

Love the winter white set - goes with everything, and looks very cozy.

I really enjoy Port wine. I don't usually buy it, but your post is reminding me of this, so maybe I will have to grab a bottle this week.

CelticCastOn said...

awesome! Love that you made it into a set and the length of the scarf is perfect!!

At Home Mommy Knits said...

Lovely scarf! Looks beautiful on you.

Anonymous said...

That is a lovely set! I think that hat is fine. :)

Hilary said...

Ooh, they both looks so warm and toasty -- and gorgeous! And I don't see anything off about the hat at all!

Anonymous said...

Well now, I wouldn't want to bar Steve from doing anything he wants to do. And I'd certainly stop by .... =)

The Haven set is gorgeous. I love that you and your friend chose a wintry white. It's perfect for this time of year.

I think I would have panicked too if the yarn had stretched that much. I'm glad that the yarn eventually relaxed back to its original state. what a relief!

Pat K said...

Very pretty!

Tracy said...

Stunning hat and scarf set, Claudia! It is beautiful...love the white and lacy design. I've head other noises about how great Cocoon is, I must try it out. I've been wanting to do sassy cap and scarf set for myself as well, no time yet, prehaps this winter...before winter is over--LOL! I love your truly fearless knitting of the hat. May that be a lesson to us. ;o) So sorry Steve was disappointed...Us girls try to behave ourselves, not to come across as rowdy or lusty girls. But if Steve is game...well...LOL! ;o) Ooo...a little tipple of liqueur would go down a treat about now, it's so cold here! Oh, have you tried Bailey's fudge...oh, so good! Gosh, liqueur, nude photos, sinfully soft yarn...what's happening here?! LOL! ((HUGS))

Chris Tolomei (alicethelma) said...

Lovely scarf and hat. You *are* a clever dog!

Denise said...

Beautiful, I wish I had the cold weather to wear such a lovely scarf! I'm not one for liquers, they are way too strong for me. Except Baileys Irish Cream, I love that over ice, and sometimes in my coffee ;-)

Philigry said...

beautiful hat and scarf set. i love the white!

Ally Jay said...

It looks lovely. You can almost feel its softness the way you describe it. Good to hear that it was a fun knit with lots of laughs along the way. The hat looks pretty good too.

knittingdragonflies said...

Your photos are always so good. The hat and scarf are pretty. I like the winter white. Does Steve take your photos?
I agree I'm ready to cocoon this weekend also.
Vicki

Susie said...

Beautiful scarf and hat set!

Firefly Nights said...

I think I'll have Baileys Irish Cream or possibly Amaretto, but I'll be happy to join in for your after dinner drink.

I LOVE that scarf. Glad you were able to find the pattern. The book seems very hard to find.