Blood Thistle by Faye Kennington (https://www.ravelry.com/designers/faye-kennington https://payhip.com/UkeeKnits) (Ravelry Link): https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/blood-thistle https://payhip.com/b/9PbC0
Yarns Used: Rowan Felted Tweed: https://www.yarn.com/products/rowan-felted-tweed
Kit Purchased: https://www.theknittingplaceny.com/shop/c/p/Blood-Thistle-Hat-Kits-x59874057.htm
I purchased this yarn from a kit put together by The Knitting Place in New York. I’ve never used Rowan Felted Tweed before now, and I have been thoroughly impressed. Rowan Felted Tweed is very soft and works great for colorwork. I am getting a lot of definition in my stitches as I work the colorwork on the pattern. The yarn is knitting up wonderfully, with specks of tweed that give the hat a rustic look – without a rustic feel.
The pattern is a beret though I am making it for my son, who will prefer to wear it as a slouchy hat. The chart is beautiful, and I am enjoying seeing it knit up. The yarn characteristics add to the pattern, with all tonal flecks, and I am excited to see the final product.
Easy chart
Excluding looks, there is something I love even more about this chart. So far (and I am on row 30 of the chart and have not looked ahead, so take this as you will), I have not carried yarn for more than five stitches. The number of stitches a color has to move without being knit is what makes a colorwork pattern enjoyable for me. Five stitches are about the max I will go without wrapping my floats, and I don’t like to twist yarn all that much. So if a chart is simple with short color floats, it quickly becomes an enjoyable knit. Bonus points if the graph is as awesome-looking as this one.
The pattern comes in three sizes, and I am knitting the middle one. I have been working on the hat for two nights now. With more time to knit, I would finish quickly in a day. It is pretty fast and straightforward, with an impressive look at the end.
Gift Knitting, anyone?
If anyone out there is looking for a knitted gift, this pattern could fit the bill. As a result, if I were going to knit a gift for someone, I would feel good picking this design. I am going to make this hat for my daughter, but I am not sure what yarn I will pick. I wish I had Rowan Felted Tweed in light pink, but I don’t, and I can’t justify spending money when I already have perfectly good yarn that would make a hat. So I will have to keep the rowan felted tweed dreams in the back of my mind and find a different yarn from my stash.
I should be able to finish this hat later tonight or tomorrow morning at the latest.
