Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Setting the Manos Free

I've had this sweater's worth of Manos in my stash for a couple of years.

A lustrous turquoise, I got it on sale during our lean years in Virginia, and it felt like an incredible indulgence at the time. I wound some, swatched some, even started to make a sweater with it, but it never got made into anything. I diligently considered tons of sweaters, and spent endless hours surfing Ravelry to match the right project with this yarn.

Until I finally figured out what the problem was. I do not want a sweater out of Manos. I just don't. I also really love turquoise, but I do not want a turquoise sweater. I just don't. But turquoise is a flattering color for me, especially near my face, so I decided to wantonly break into my sweater's worth of Manos, and make myself a warm winter hat to match my down jacket.

I started with the the Yarn Harlot's Unoriginal Hat, and it was too small, despite multiple modifications to account for my yarn's different gauge. So I slapped on a huge pom pom and gave it to Rosebud, who also needed a warm winter hat.



This week's spring-like weather does not have me fooled. I know I have many more freezing mornings at the bus stop ahead of me, so I tried again, this time, making Kirsten's Thorpe hat, with some contrasting pink Nature Wool Chunky from the stash.


This hat fit, but it definitely didn't flatter. It took me a day or two to realize that through. And in the meantime, I had begun matching mittens.

The color combo stopped working for me altogether, so the hat and mittens are headed for Dulaan. Yay for serendipitious charity knits!

But I am undaunted. I'll start hat #3 tonight.

11 comments:

Kristy said...

I'm glad you've given up on the sweater (if you didn't want to knit it) and found a use for the yarn at last. And yay for having good charities to send failed FOs to :)

Bridget said...

Gretel should work - and you can feel noble at the same time, having made a hat for Rosebud, and a set for Dulaan ... seems to me that it's a win-win.

nova said...

Hat #3 will work out, I am sure of it. But how happy is Rosebud with her new hat?! She is so cute!

Theresa said...

That's so liberating - I'm always worried about splitting up sweater quantities of yarn, but sometimes that must be the answer.

LaurieM said...

Third times the charm. Or I should say, is charming.

I'll bet you're having fun with this.

SpiderWomanKnits said...

That is so funny. I have yarn in my stash that I have "plans" for and I don't use it because of that. Ha! Sometimes you really do have to let go don't you?

Rosebud's hat is great!

MandellaUK said...

Third time lucky. But then the first and second were lucky, but for others rather than you.

Coronet's a lovely pattern and it comes in three sizes..

Madge said...

Yay for repurposing your Manos! Great results so far...and good luck with Gretel. Such a pretty pattern, and your turqoise Manos will work it righteously. I just saw a bright green Koolhaas on Ravelry, which this reminds me of; it's delightful to see "classic" patterns modernized in fun, bright colors.

Anonymous said...

The manos is so nice! I'm glad you are able to use it in the great projects and even better that you are able to knit it all for Dulaan!

Anonymous said...

No worries, third time is a charm! and what a wonderful charm it will be. Gretel is just beautiful!

Besides in the meantime you made knits that others can love

Dorothy said...

I like both hats, and who knows, by the time you find just the right hat, you may have managed to find good use for a sweater's worth of Manos. :)