Simcoe Headband

So, I guess it’s no surprise that I’ve been test knitting exclusively for Good Night, Day  the last couple of months.  I don’t think I’ve ever produced so many knits in such a short time.  I think this is my last knit to post on, no wait I have two more.  But I wanted to let you all know that the book is up for pre-order at Good Night, Day.  I feel like any knitter, from the newbie to the seasoned crafter, would enjoy these projects.  The fact that they’re mostly worked with bulky yarn and big needles is a draw for those of us who learned to knit with those tools.  It lends a very nostalgic feeling to the process.  This also makes for quicker results, which I often crave.  That would be a draw for a new knitter, but the patterns themselves would keep them coming back.

I’m sure I’ll say more about it later, but I’ve seen the finished layout and it’s beautiful- rich photographs and clean, simple design.  I would’ve asked for this book for Christmas, with some bulky wool, were I not test knitting and tech editing for Tara- Lynn.  Since I already have a copy coming to me, I think I will want to get another as a Christmas gift to give.

The Simcoe Headband is a good example of this book’s appeal.  Who wouldn’t want to own this?  I wanted one.  I also want a cold, snowy winter in which to wear it, but that’s another story.  My daughter has wanted one since Tara-Lynn published the pattern in that first knitting booklet a few years ago.  I wasn’t being the greatest knitting mom to wait this long to knit her one.  But I did finally did it, and I knit one for myself too.

When Tara-Lynn asked me to test knit for her, I was in-between yarn orders (which means- big sales) and had very little bulky or superbulky.  This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, because I dug deep into the stash, combined some yarns in ways I might not have thought to, and used recycled yarn that had been sitting for a couple of years.

So these Simcoes are knit in a black wool-blend from a sweater I unravelled.  I’ve knit a shrug, part of the bear face on my Smokey sweater, these two headbands, and have another headband in the works, all with yarn from this, one recycled sweater.  There’s another sweater just like it in a box to be unraveled another day.   But, guys, unraveling sounds like more fun that it actually is.

The details:  I held this thick and thin yarn double to approximate a super bulky weight, and used the size US13 double point needles I made a few years ago.  Ah, size 13’s… I haven’t had many opportunities to use them.

I knit my daughter’s headband as directed.  For mine, I knit one less cable repeat and even reduced the ribbing a bit.  My head is smallish and I wanted a fit that wouldn’t loosen up with wear.  You can see her Simcoe fit her perfectly, though.

(on ravelry, kollabora, instagram, and flickr

What I really want is for this girl, here, to try knitting for real.  I think it would be an excellent outlet for pent up energy.  It might also save her fingernails.