Rose Red FO and Ishbel WIP

As promised (a day late...oops!) my Rose Red. It isn't the greatest photo but my camera isn't the greatest camera and likes to pretend it's in focus then just go out of focus as I take the photo. I love this hat so much. I wear it every day and it's warm and pretty and wonderul. The colour is darker and more vibrant than the picture shows, I just can't get my camera to capture this shade of green at all. It's Rowan Felted Tweed in the colourway herb. LOVE IT.



On to my Ishbel now, my olympic project. We are not exactly getting on. It isn't Ishbel's fault at all, the pattern is well written and just beautiful. It's the yarn. Regia Hand-dye effect. Usually I am quick to sing Regia's praises and their standard sock yarns are just fabulous. They come in beautiful colours and wash really well, I have no complaints. This hand-dye effect stuff is another story all together. The colour is beautiful but it's splitty as anything. There have been dropped stitches, lost stitches, bits where I've only knit using part of the yarn where it split...it's lumpy and my stitches are uneven. It's just not good. I'm not going to frog it. I wouldn't use this yarn for anything else because of what a splitty nightmare it is. I'm going to use it as a learning experience, get through this Ishbel and have something to show for my olympic project, I don't think it's completely awful or anything, just not perfect and not as good as I'd hoped. When I'm done with it and I've had a little time I'm going to find some beautiful yarn and try again, hopefully without silly rookie errors, uneven stitches and rubbish splitty yarn.

I have pictures of progress anyway...

Part way through the stockinette.



Chart A finished



A closer shot of the lace.



I do still like the Ishbel, I am hoping that after blocking the errors wont be too noticable and I'll wear it anyway. The colours are lovely at least...