How Did I Not Notice This Sooner?!

The Noorse Sokkenwol* by Scheepjes, how on earth did I not realize that there was a thicker alternative to the Scheepjes Invicta Colour yarn out there?  I think my addiction to that yarn is pretty well documented and I blame Ravelry.  There are just so many patterns out there for shawls, socks and all sorts of other things using self striping yarn that the Invicta Colour is perfect for, I can’t knit them fast enough.

BUT… I have recently been on a hat kick and I found a pattern that I absolutely had to try, the Phoncible Hat (alternative pattern link for those not on Ravelry here).

Hello, stripey awesomeness!  I loved how the two different color changing yarns and the different direction of the stripes all work together, but there was just one problem… I needed the Invicta, but thicker.  I initially researched tweaking the pattern to suit a fingering weight yarn, and it is possible, but I wanted a hat that would be warmer.   As I said, I’m not sure how I didn’t notice this yarn sooner, but I think I just have tunnel vision where the Invicta Colour is concerned.  I need an intervention.

When I did a search on Ravelry for thicker Scheepjes yarns, suddenly there it was.  There aren’t as many color options as the Invicta but it didn’t matter because it had exactly the ones I was looking for, a combination of grey/black and rainbow (colors 951 / 968).  It’s so soft and this hat is going to be perfect (I’m knocking wood here, just in case my saying so somehow jinxes it!)!

The Noorse yarn is marked as being sport weight on Ravelry but I went ahead and cast on the same as the pattern called for (which calls for a worsed weight yarn) and I seem to have come quite close to the gauge intended.  So I’m happy about that.  It’s definitely significantly thicker than the fingering weight Invicta yarns, so perhaps it’s a little thicker than sport weight?  I’m not sure. I really suck with yarn weights and gauge calculations so don’t trust me on that.  I will just knit on and see how the size works out, it’s entirely possible I’ll be ripping it and starting over with another needle size once it gets long enough to try on, we’ll see.

I got the yarn for this project to work on while we are on holiday next week. We are going to a beautiful cabin in Belgium in the middle of nowhere, so I will have no internet if I need to look up something about a complicated pattern. I thought this would be easy enough for me to just sit and pleasantly knit away.  The only problem?  At only a few rows in I immediately loved it.  I know, this doesn’t seem like a problem but when I saw the stripes starting to form and was watching the color changes, I really had a hard time putting it down.  With a week still to go before we leave for holiday, I could plow through this project in no time, but I really want it for while I’m away.  I had to literally force myself to put it away and save it, but I can hear it calling to me.

I mean, a nice finished hat would be good for keeping me warm on walks while I’m there, right?  (Yes, I’m rationalizing)

Oh well, I will try to be strong. One way or another I’ll be back in a bit with an update later… hopefully with it not fully completed before we go, and a little more clarity on the sizing!

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