Can't Even Go to the Movies -- Love, Cables

I just saw the new Harry Potter film IN 3D! Well, the first 10 minutes and the previews were in 3D. But, as any good knitter will, I spent the entire movie not concerned over magic and Death Eaters, but moreso with the knitted items the cast wore.

Though I did identify the various techniques used to craft Ron's sweater and admire each girl's cardigan while longing for some cooler weather, I was most intrigued by Hermione's hat, a simple cable and lace beanie.

This clip shows Hermione and her handsome hat quite -- quick and blurry-- but it's there. Yay for videos! (Marker 2:20 or so maybe a little later.)

Of course, I came home and immediately started my search for duplicating this pattern. So far I've found that some other knitters have made their own Hermione hats. Here, JL Yarnworks crafts a nifty little hat in Patons Classic Merino, a worsted weight yarn and Size 5 circs and DPNs (pattern on linked page).

But I was thinking of basing the pattern off of the Winter 06/07 Knit.1's Skull Cap Cabled Hat (one variation of mine here on Ravelry), which uses DK weight yarn and only Size 6 DPNs. Although this pattern uses a 4-st cable with 2 sts in between the cables, a slight (or not so slight) modification of the number of stitches in the non-cable panel to 3 to account for the lace pattern. This adjustment doesn't worry me because the original cable pattern came out much too small the first time I knit it. I'll double the band size of the Skull Cap to match Hermione's, of course. I'm thinking of a deep red for the color, like Cranberry. Then we're cooking! Or knitting!

I've make several different versions of this hat with different DK weight Knit Picks yarns including Swish DK and Elegance. I think it'll be just as awesome as a nerd hat can be. I'm especially excited to start working on this one because Knit Picks just released new weights of their Gloss yarn (like the extra perfect Gloss DK-- shivering with knitty joy!). That means soft yarn and super warminess!

Oh, knitters. You can't even watch a movie without thinking about cables. You can't even watch cable with thinking about cables. What am I going to do with you?

"Go Places" -- Alpaca Sox Legwarmers

Hello there! So, welcome to Record Cozy, a blog which will combine knitting projects I'm working on with music and other media I feel fits the mood of the pieces. I'm a college student at the University of Pittsburgh and writer for The Pitt News, for the Arts and Entertainment section (Here's my latest). I'm also an avid, book-taught knitter and lover of all things A&E. Nice to meet you.

I fully intended to start this blog fresh, with a brand new project, but I've just completed a project I'm too excited about to ignore. Let's start things off with the stats.

The Stats:
The Pattern - Alpaca Sox Legwarmers
Yarn - (substitution) 3 skeins Knit Picks Gloss Sock Yarn in Porcini
Needles - Size 3 DPNs from Knit Picks in Harmony Wood
Source - classiceliteyarns.com
Price - Free

[Songs]* rep to end. - "Go Places"
Since this is the first post, I thought the most appropriate song for the job would be "Go Places" from The New Pornographers' Challengers. Like the song, the legwarmers are sweet, with their lace pattern and super soft yarn. Plus, it sums up the whole feeling of "The Journey begins..." Epic. Yes, I just described lace legwarmers as epic.


Let's Get Cozy - Alpaca Sox Legwarmers
The pattern is a free one offered by Classic Elite Yarns. I've substituted 3 skeins Knit Picks Gloss Sock Yarn for the recommended 1 skein Classic Elite Alpaca Sox. The fingering weight yarn I used is a blend of merino and silk that is soft to the touch and has a slight sheen. The pattern is super easy, but will not bore you (much) because of the repeating lace pattern. I can't wait until the weather cools off and I can wear these gems with some colored tights and a winter skirt. Legwarmers may not be the hot trend any more, but I just couldn't resist this unique pattern-- pretty and sweet with an interesting twist.

Lace Pattern:

Happy knitting and happy listening! Stay tuned for my next project: Highlander's Stole (also pictured on page 11 of "Look Inside") from Twinkle's Town & Country Knits.