Following a visit to the Scottish Textiles Showcase in Edinburgh last summer, I picked up a ball of Di Gilpin Lalland Aran yarn.
After admiring the complex shades of blue, brown and grey in the Storm colourway, I decided to knit the Regular Guy Beanie by Chuck Wright. Its simple shape allowed the yarn to shine.
As I was knitting, I decided the recipient would be Scott, my niece's boyfriend. Scott and my niece, Siobhan, had recently moved to Vancouver on a two year work placement. The photos I'd seen of the couple following their relocation had involved skis, canoes and walking boots. Such outdoor pursuits in their time off would definitely require knitted head wear! Of course, I'd have to make a hat for my niece, Siobhan, as well.
Using leftover pink fluffy wool from the Holiday Slipover I knitted for my daughter, Maddy, I was able to complete the Winter Smiles Hat for Siobhan. I wrapped the hats in tartan tissue paper and popped them in the post. In November 2021...
It's just as well I didn't tell Siobhan to expect a parcel.
This happy photo, from the day the hats arrived in Canada, was taken in February 2022!
The first grey hat had finally reached its intended recipient.
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Last October I was invited to knit a sample jumper by Janice, the owner of my local yarn shop, Baa! in Stonehaven. A special event entitled A Traveller's Dye-ry was being held in the town to showcase the photographic talents of the owner's daughter Jenny. Six Scottish yarn dyers had also been invited to select one of Jenny's photos as inspiration and create yarn colours to be exhibited alongside the photos.
I was sent these sumptuous copper skeins from Shilasdair Yarns in Skye and Janice asked me to knit the Cirro sweater from Issue 6 of Making Stories magazine. The beautiful cosy fabric is created by holding the hand dyed yarn together with a strand of mohair /silk.
After the exhibition, Janice sent me a wonderful thank you box of knitting goodies including two balls of Rowan Alpaca Classic yarn in Feather Grey and a book of beautiful hat patterns. I chose to make myself the Josie Hat and added the huge pompom which was also in the gift box. Most hats are too big for my wee head so I deliberately made this smaller than the pattern suggests.
Which meant I had enough of this beautifully soft alpaca / cotton blend left to make the same hat over again.
I gifted the second hat to Janice at Baa! for her either to wear herself or use as a shop sample.
The second grey hat had reached its recipient.
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When my lovely cousins had a post-Covid break in the Western Isles, they brought me back some souvenir wool. It's a local blend of Cheviot, Blackface and Hebridean from Wool 4 Ewe in Stornoway. I made the Kindling Hat by Helen Stewart for my husband, Geoff. I'm a big fan of Helen's patterns and the structure suited the rugged texture of the grey/brown natural fibres.
You can even spot my alpaca hat being admired by the giant stone elephants guarding the Carlsberg brewery!
I'd almost enough Hebridean wool remaining to make another hat so I searched in my stash for something suitable to add. Wool from Balnahard Farm on the (relatively) nearby island of Colonsay came to hand, leftover after I'd made these fingerless gloves in 2018.
Here are my cousins, Stephanie and Ian, with Ian wearing the third gifted grey hat.
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| Steph is wearing the Gentle Wave Hat by Knit Cosmic Strings in yarn by Crafternoontreats |
Recently I needed a gift for a crafty friend and knew I'd get just the thing at Baa!.
No surprises - I chose grey - albeit a heathered charcoal this time - for my pal to knit her own hat.
And so, as I prepare to send this yarn package to my chum, the Great Grey Hat Giveaway continues...
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