Hello! Friday is project reveal day, and up today is a light and simple knit I’m really enjoying wearing at the moment – The Observatory.
I originally created this design for our West Highland Way book, building the pattern around one of my all-time favourite Shetland lace edgings. This edging has a wonderful, intuitive rhythm, beautiful undulating lines, and a final zig-zagging appearance that I find deeply satisfying.
In this version (which is worked in the quintessentially spring-like Cowslip shade of Milarrochy Tweed) the edging of the edging is made (if possible) even more satisfying, due to Mel experiencing one of her not-infrequent blocking brain waves when finishing the sample. You’ll be able to see from the photograph below that, in addition to fixed wires and pins, Mel has threaded her nifty, flexible blocking wires along the very outer edge, allowing those stitches to really open up. Genius!
The airy effect of this extra blocking step really lends a stunning finish to a hap that’s otherwise super-simple to knit.
Using a method that’s inspired by the borders-in construction of traditional Shetland haps, this design begins by knitting the lace edging to the length that you need it to be (in this case, just over a metre and a half).
After binding off the edging, you are left with a long, narrow lace strip. Stitches are then simply picked up from the centre of the strip and worked outwards, in garter stitch rows. There are no complicated turning techniques to remember: simply by working each row progressively, the hap is shaped into an elegant curve.
The shallow, crescent makes for a nice comfortable fit around the shoulders
Though in practice, I most often wear my haps like this
Just the thing to wrap around the neck on a nippy spring morning
There was a very cold mist over the loch at first light today, but we were able to take these photos just after it burned off.
We stopped stocking the yarn used for the original Observatory sample quite some time ago, so I’m really happy to have the kit back in stock, in our own Milarrochy Tweed (there’s a couple of alternate colour options too)
Plus, I now get to enjoy wearing my favourite hap in one of my favourite yarn shades!
And because I know you’ll ask about my necklace: it’s made by Scottish designer, Lynsey Walters who creates really beautiful jewellery from hand-made and industrial felt. I love Lynsey’s colourful work, and own a couple of her necklaces, which she’s currently selling with a very generous offer of free worldwide shipping.
Happy May Day, solidarity, hope in work and joy in leisure, everyone!
I know the ridiculousness of calling a woman older than me adorable, but you really are absolutely adorable and stunning! I joined the blogging world finally two days ago(after buying my domain nearly an entire month ago!) and am only just now looking around at everyone else’s blogs. So much value can be read and seen from blogs in general. Very excited to continue my journey and see where it takes me! I have so much to learn. Lol!
LikeLike
Perfect
LikeLike
very interesting! i love the way you describe your work in such an engaging way
LikeLike
Excellent!
LikeLike
I love Observatory – I’ve knitted it twice. Once in some grey vintage angora that I found in a charity shop – judging from the style of the ball band it must date from the 1960s. It’s one of my very favourite things to wear in chilly weather. The other was knitted in a yak, silk and merino dyed in green and purple from Alls Wool That Ends Wool. It makes a much floppier fabric than pure wool and I might just re-block it using Mel’s trick with the wires to open up the lace.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah…..pure genius!
What a lovely sight to wake up to on dreich day, a beautiful Observatory shawl in gorgeous Cowslip.
I knitted an Observatory in the original cumulus pearl, but found it unforgiving truing to rectify mistakes.
It really is a beautiful, straightforward knit, so relaxing picking up a stitch on each row, I found putting a locking stitch marker in the next stitch helped a lot, the first attempt looked like a bowler hat because I knit two or more stitches in each stitch instead of one. Thankfully it was only a practice yarn.
I am so looking forward to making another one in MT, ah, but which colour to choose?
What a lovely thing to think about!
Thanks Mel for the blocking tips.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Cowslips are my favourite flowers. My mam had some in our garden in Ireland; and, of course one seems them growing wild. However , I live in Vancouver now and I rarely see them anywhere. What a wonderful idea to knit a Cowslip hap and wrap myself in cowslip memories. Thanks
LikeLiked by 1 person
It doesn’t seem to matter what you’re making, or what photos Tom has taken, or what Bruce & Bob are doing — it’s just sunshine delivered every day. Thank you from Donegal.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Kate
I just wanted to say thank you so much for wearing my Necklace and letting people know where it came from. So generous.
I’ve had lots of new visitors to my website today.
Thank you. ♥️
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hurrah! I love your work, Lynsey x
LikeLike
Thank you! That means a lot. You have brought me lots of new followers. Just what I need right now. 🙏
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a cheery hap! I must confess, I fell in love with the necklace, too. (You knew I would!) Aside from the free shipping, there was also a 20% discount on necklaces! Just FYI…Thanks, Kate. Hope you are having a lovely weekend!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes until Monday at 12pm GMT.
LikeLike
well you MADE me go get my book and I must say it never caught my eye in white but this Cowslip colour is fantastic! I have some yellow and I guess I will have to give this a go :) Thank you for brightening my day!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Amo, Amas, I love a lass
As cedar tall and slender,
Sweet cowslip’s grace is her nominative case,
And she’s of the feminine gender.”
(John O’Keefe)
There’s always a poem!
LikeLiked by 3 people
It looks fabulous in Milarrochy Tweed and so fresh in the Cowslip shade!
I’m knitting Observatory at the moment and am so enjoying the process – it has just enough interest in the lace to make it enjoyable without being taxing (I can’t handle complex in my knitting right now). I’ve someone in mind who I might give this one to – if I do I may well make a second one for myself in MT!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is beautiful Kate, I have some cowslip yarn and West Highland Way book so this will be my next project. I love it! I also want to thank you for your blog about cutting your own hair. I was so impressed I bought hair clippers and had a go, very pleased with the result and would never have done it without your help.
LikeLiked by 1 person
congratulations on the new haircut!
LikeLike
I knitted your traigh hap and so enjoyed making it. It sits neatly on the shoulders because of the clever shaping but also wraps round like a scarf. I always get compliments when I’m wearing it. Looking forward to knitting this.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve just finished knitting the Observatory in a lovely sea green/ turquoise. I have to say it took a bit of practice to knit the lace border as I haven’t knit lace for years now. Once I had my ‘lace head’ back on, I loved the rhythm of pattern. It was for a wedding which has sadly been postponed until next year.
I love your yellow one. I may knit this in another yarn, not a fluffy one next time. It’s a great pattern!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The design is lovely. And, of course, it is beautiful in your yarn. But I already have notions of it as a design that I can use with my stash. At home and out of work, I am really exploring what I have and I am finding some hidden gems. But my next project is a “Cakewalk” kit ( in an alternate colour way). Can’t wait to start.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yellow is such a Happy Color!! I have a whole cube of yellow yarn stuffed into a cube in my Wool Room, waiting for inspiration……yardage probably or blankets or …..
Thank you so much for brightening my day again!!
LikeLike
This is beautiful, Kate and The Observatory is a great name.
LikeLike
Lovely I have cows lips growing between the paving slabs under my rotary washing line along with thyme and grape hyacinths none planted.
I have a reel of stainless gardening wire from a well known DIY I use for blocking a lot cheaper
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a beautiful way to start the day!I am interested in your choice of name – The Observatory.
Best, as always
LikeLike
Ah! It’s named for the meterological Observatory that once stood on the summit of Ben Nevis http://www.ben-nevis.com/information/history/observatory/observatory.php
LikeLike
I never would have thought of knitting the border first. Thanks for the tip!
LikeLike