May 2009 Archives

Halfdome for Jason, originally uploaded by elemmaciltur.

Start: 9th May 2009
Finish: 10th May 2009
Needles: 3 mm / 80 cm and 3.5 mm / 80 cm Addi Turbos
Yarns: CC using Lanartus "Brando", colour 1468 "Grey", MC using Filatura di Crosa "Zara" colour 1466 "Red"
Patterns: "Halfdome" by Jesse Loesberg, aka Yarn Boy, in Knitty Summer 2006
For: Jason P.

Last week, I found out that an internet friend, Jason, who was diagnosed with testicular cancer in March and was going through chemo, had recently received some pretty bad news about his condition, i.e. the cancer is spreading and there's not much else that can be done....

A whole load of people over at Men Who Knit are knitting squares to be assembled into a blanket for Jason. However, at the rate the cancer is going, the blanket has to be done fast and so the deadline to send in the squares over to the USA is for the end of May (find more info HERE). Actually this wouldn't have been the problem for me, but I just can't get the required yarn easily enough here in Germany. Besides, I know that Jason is based here in Europe, so it wouldn't make much sense for me to send something over to the USA, only to have it be sent back to Europe again.

So, I sent off an email to Jason - and I'm happy to have heard back from him - and told him that I'm going to send something off directly to him. I would have loved to knit him a blanket, but I won't make it in time, so something fast has to be knitted up. And what's better than a kind of chemo cap for a sexy chap who has lost his hair? ;-)

I've never knitted anything for someone with cancer before, so I don't know how sensitive they are. I thought that 100% merino should be fine....we'll see. As for the pattern, I thought that it shouldn't be a full hat because the weather is getting warmer, but should still offer some warmth and so Halfdome was the perfect choice.

Halfdome is a super fast knit. I like it, but I didn't like the fact that there's a seam (although to tell you the truth, you can't feel it...but for someone who hasn't got hair, you might be able to feel it).

I'm going to knit another one in the round instead and send it off to Jason along with this one.

Ishbel-Jezebel, originally uploaded by elemmaciltur.

Start: 4th May 2009
Finish: 7th May 2009
Needles: 4 mm / 80 cm Addi Lace
Yarn: Wollmeise 100% merino superwash Sockenwolle in "Wellensittichvogelfeder" (dark)
Pattern: "Ishbel" from Whimsical Little Knits by Isolda Teague
Modification: Stockinette done in smaller size and the lace part in the bigger size.
Shooting location: At the base of Friedensengel, Munich