Not A Sock is Finished and is getting a friend!

I finished my Celtic Cap this weekend! I used just under 2 skeins of Elann's Sierra Aran (Wool/Alpaca blend) yarn in Atlantic Mist. (They seem to be out of this color right now). With the remaining second skein and 5 more skeins, I'm knitting the scarf you see here. My original idea was to knit the Irish Hiking Scarf, which is a really pretty cabled scarf. As I was knitting the hat though, I decided I wanted a bit more than just cables. I wanted something more Celtic looking. After looking at the pattern for the Irish Hiking Scarf, I knew I would have had to change it anyway - its a 6 stitch wide cable and the knotwork on the cap is the same size as a 4 stitch wide cable. So, since I wanted the cap and scarf to be a set, I decided on this. The side cables are 4 stitch wide cables, twisted every 6 rows, flanked by two stitch wide knitted ribs (this is the same size of ribs on the cap). The middle part of the scarf is the knotwork pattern from Cafe Bastille Cables (Interweave Knits Fall 2003). This exact knotwork pattern is also in Nicky Epstein's Knitting On the Edge book, called Saxon Braid there. There is a fringe added to one side of the cable in the book, but this can easily be eliminated. I'm really loving how the hat and scarf are looking together and I know that I'll be snuggly warm next Fall and Winter.

In other news, remember how I had emailed the Smithsonian ages ago about the position of the spinning wheel to the chair it was next to? Well, this morning I got a reply!

Your e-mail regarding the angle at which our flax wheel sits in the textile exhibit was referred to me for reply. We know how such a wheel should sit to be used by a spinner. Since there is no spinning demonstrator at this time, the wheel is not always placed in the correct position for spinning after cleaning. Unfortunately, it is more important to sit it at an angle where the public can not play with it and damage it.

We are glad you enjoyed your trip to the museum, and we thank you for your interest in the Textile Hall.

I was shocked to hear anything from them after all this time, but I was also glad that the Smithsonian knew how it was supposed to go. I imagine that many little girls who are fans of Sleeping Beauty would love to get their little hands all over the spinning wheel.