We are the champions

This past weekend was the Brooklin Spring Fair again.

Last year I was a big loser there, but Arthur won two ribbons for his photographs.

This year I entered 5 things: 3 photos and two knitting items. My photos didn't win anything, but the red lacy scarf got a first and my wormy cabled hat got a second. I was going to enter Stephen's Retro Rib socks, but that didn't work out. He took them to a conference in Norway and came back with only one! He checked with the hotel and everything, but the sock has vanished.

Arthur added a second prize ribbon to his first and third from last year!

This smiling goat was entered in the "Farmyard Heroes" category.

I'm not sure how heroic she really is, but what the heck, a second place ribbon is jolly good.

I don't think I've shown you my wormy hat, because I once had the idea that I would write up a pattern and make my fame and fortune from it.

But that whim has passed, so here you go.

I would still like to write a proper pattern, but really, just knit a hat with cabled braids, making one rope of each cable in a different colour. This hat has 3 ropes of 3 stitches each, with 8 stitches in reverse stocking stitch between. (I knit it flat, because of the little bits of colour. I think it could be done in the round, but you'd have to be careful with the coloured ropes. I'd also like to know how to make a lovely neat seam on reverse stocking stitch.)

When the hat is long enough, and you want to start the decreasing, put the coloured stitches on a safety pin to work in I-cord later. I worked a couple of rows of plain reverse stocking stitch before decreasing on 8 points. When I got down to 8 stitches, I did K2 tog all around, and worked I-cord for an inch or so before finishing off. I then worked the coloured ropes into I-cords of varying lengths, tying some in knots, letting some just dangle. La de da!

I'm still plugging away on the big brown wrap. I've got one half finished, and a few inches done on the other side.

It's getting rather warm and humid for working with Manos wool! At least I'm not knitting with this great thing in my lap! Things are going much more easily the second time through the pattern. It'll be so nice and cosy when it's done, though I'm not looking forward to grafting the two bits together.

This would actually be a nice pattern to adapt to the guidelines from Afghans for Afghans for a rectangular shawl for women. They need big wraps, but lighter than this, I think. Perhaps that will be next winter's charity project...