Snow Days are for Finishing.

I've been working away on my Cross Tam, a project for which I purchased the materials in Lerwick, Shetland, way back in 2012! This year, the year of finished objects, is the year I finally pulled out the materials and the book, "Knit Real Shetland" which contains the pattern for this tam. I used six shade of "jumper weight" wool from Jamieson & Smith Wool Brokers, a place that Barb and I visited together. I've been working away at this stranded colourwork project, throwing yarn from my right hand and picking with my left.

It's been a fun project! I enjoy the smaller "peerie" designs that are easy to work using both hands: "1 left, 3 right, 1 left, 3 right...". This tam is worked from the top down and when I was finished with the crown increases, I took the tam off my needles and washed and blocked it to be sure that I was getting gauge. I did this around Pi Day (May 14 or 3.14) and so I used my math skills to figure out if the circumference would be sufficient by measuring the diameter and multiplying it by Pi. Measurements verified, it went back on the needles and work continued!

I've worked away at my Cross Tam in spare moments, usually while watching a bit of television or listening to an audiobook. (I'm listening to "Old Babes in the Woods" by Margaret Atwood right now.) The wool is perfect for stranded colourwork: it's woolly and a bit "sticky" and it holds the pattern in place and forgives my sometimes uneven tension. It plumps up in the washing and settles nicely in the blocking.

And it's March in Alberta and that means that any day could be a "snow day". It's been snowing for two days straight as I write this blog post and that's perfect weather for all the finishing. This morning I finished the tubular bind off at the brim and then I wove in all the ends. There were a lot of ends! The tam went into its warm water + Eucalyn bath and then I blocked it the Shetland way: on a dinner plate.

And... I love the finished product! Here I am, wearing it: the snow is still falling and my head and ears are happy for the warmth of this wool hat. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!