More Beanies!

I really have been on a knitting frenzy of late, churning out lots of small goodies, fulfilling overdue promises, and feeling the satisfaction of marking projects complete on Ravelry and marking off yarn as 'all used up'. I have all my yarn stash bagged in clip lock bags, sorted into yarn types and colours. There  was quite a little pile of empty clip locks building up at the end of the couch, and I was feeling very smug about what a dent I've made in the stash (mentally planning new purchases!). Yet somehow the large basket that stores my yarn, still seems near overflowing? Dam, no new yarn shopping yet then. Of course what has improved is there are far less project bags drifting about with half started projects!

I decided to make a couple of surprise Beanies, in the colours of a friend's favoured Football Team (Aussie Rules), for his little ones. The bonus is, it's a nice colour combination anyway, double blue. I found this Drops Merino, worsted weight, in Stockholm, gorgeously soft 100% merino. After the last couple of super stretchy beanies I made from it I was nervous, and sure enough these seem to have ended up on the large size too, despite knitting to gauge. When the yarn is washed, it 'relaxes' beyond belief. I'm just hoping they are on the grow into scale, and not the ridiculously large scale. They certainly stretch a lot though and appear they may fit for years!

small - 9-12mth

med 2-3 years old

'large' 4 - 20 I think from how it stretches!

I had enough yarn from three balls to get three beanies (using up to the last inch!). So a bonus winter beanie for another Aussie nephew facing those cold winters we have back home - where sometimes its gets as low as 10 (yes, that's 10 Celsius!). Hah, after spending a January in Stockholm,  and the a previous January in Helsinki, I'm not sure we will ever see Winter at home as cold again!

I knit these on circular needles, using magic loop technique, which has been such a revelation, and I wish now I'd learnt that years ago and just purchased long circular needles in each size. Anything that can be knitted in the round and remove the need to sew up is a bonus, but even for knitting in the flat I am finding the circulars easier - on posture and carpel tunnel, although I'm certainly still slower on them than full size straights.

Of course, all three were cast on using my new and much loved method, the tubular cast on, neat perfect edged, flexible ribbing. On a super nerdy knit smug note, I love how neat these hats are on the inside too!

how cool is that, that's the inside! *smug*