So I finished the colorwork hat that is the basis for my Conquering Colorwork class at the Camas Creek Winter Retreat on Saturday. Here it is, freshly washed:

I am not sure how I feel about it. Why?

First of all, I was trying to create a project small enough to work on in class but big enough to be done on 16" circular needles. Brilliant me, I thought that 100 stitches would make a great base for any colorwork patterns I might find (because I hadn't yet picked one out when I cast on). Huh. Turns out that a lot of colorwork patterns are based on 6-, 12-, and 16- stitch repeats. There are 5-, 10-, and 20-stitch repeats, just not as many. I managed to find a 10-stitch repeat, but I would have been better off to cast on 96 stitches instead of 100. Live and learn.

The second issue is that I really struggle with putting colors together. Thank goodness for Kristin Nicholas and her Julia yarn (which is what this hat is knit in), because she has done a lot of that work for us in choosing the colors for that line. I threw all the colors of Julia I had into a basket and picked out the ones I thought went together well—actually, I think ALL the colors go together well no matter which ones you pick. Part of me wishes I had done something other than dark purple and orange for the little accenting squares, but I was trying to be as fearless as Kristin. Still working on that fearless thing.

For the students, I specify that they should stick to three colors. Maybe I should practice what I preach.

Anyway. In theory, knitting with multiple colors is not difficult for me. I know all the tricks. I can knit two-handed. I can knit with two colors in my left hand and one in my right. However, knowing how to do it does not necessarily equate to doing it well, because last night the husband and I were sitting in the living room in our respective chairs, enjoying the peace and quiet, when at one point he said to me, "Are you going to yell at your knitting all night?"

I guess maybe it wasn't as peaceful and quiet as I thought it was.

Oh well. I am happy with the hat as a class sample. Even if students only get about 2" into the hat in class, they will have had a chance to work corrugated ribbing, knitting with two strands, and knitting with three strands. I think that's plenty for a three-hour class.

The class handout for Conquering Colorwork is also done. I've got one more handout to do, which I have to do tomorrow. I am subbing for my little first graders again on Thursday and Friday, and leaving for the retreat right after class on Friday. The last handout is for these projects:

both of which are based on patterns from Lynne Barr's book Reversible Knitting. That woman is a genius. Alas, there aren't many people signed up for this class (which is scheduled for Sunday morning, always a tricky time), so I may not get to teach these clever techniques.

And now—I am without a project again. I need to rectify this situation. Debbie, I may take your suggestion and knit something designed by someone else. But I really do need to get something of my own on the needles. I think it's time to start an Aran of some sort.