Running Horse Bucket Hat

Not my daughter, but a fashion student friend.

 

My daughter asked me to knit her a bucket hat with horses running around the brim. A fun project, and as I was planning it, my husband suggested that I have the horses in different poses, as if on a film reel. 

We used to live in Kingston-upon-Thames, and in the local museum there was a section on Eadweard Muybridge, a local photographer who was a pioneers of film. Kingston Museum was a small but really excellent place, with exhibits from Kingston from prehistory to the current day, and other exhibitions and events. 

So I knitted my hat, and then jokingly said to my husband, this probably isn't original, someone somewhere will have done a Muybridge Hat. And a quick click on Ravelry, and there it was, the Zoetrope by Leah Batt. My hat was a one-off, and is not going to be a pattern. I think I can admit that I prefer her hat, and wish I had found it first. I ended up embroidering the legs and ears on my horses, while hers are proper fair isle. It is also nicely set out to look like a film reel, and she has done a clever series of linked photos to look like a moving picture, which I guess is the point. It just shows how difficult it is to come up with a truly unique idea in knitting, or anything.

                           Not as pretty, but me in the hat when just finished.

Samite Silk Blend - St. Nectan's Glen

I had said I would post a few of the other photos that I took for Blacker Yarns new birthday range, Samite Silk Blend. After a lovely time swimming at Bossiney Bay, my daughter and I walked up to St. Nectan's Glen. This is a really magical place, with associations with Arthurian legend.

The site gets its name from a sixth century saint who is said to have lived in a hermitage cell here. It is also said that this holy site was where the Knights of the Round Table were blessed before setting out on the Quest for the Holy Grail.

The waterfall is very tall, and shoots through this hole in the rocks. I have also changed the photo in my banner heading, which is prayer ribbons tied in the trees around the valley.

Although at first I thought that the valley was going to be a bit dark for photos, but just as I needed it there was a golden evening glow.

Samite Silk Blend

I have been absolutely itching to post this video, which I made to advertise Blacker Yarn's new limited edition birthday yarn, which is launched today. The advert has been put near the top of the Blacker Yarns website. This yarn called Samite Silk Blend is made from 15% recycled silk 85% wool, and feels lovely and soft, and comes in a range of rich colours, named after characters from the Legend of King Arthur.

The filming took place on Dartmoor at sunset, and also at dawn in our field. It has taken a lot of planning and thought. On the Dartmoor shoot me and my husband spent quite a while avoiding groups of walkers. When we got home we realised that we had completely forgotten it was our wedding anniversary, which was fine because we had both forgotten. But making the film was such fun this is probably going to be more memorable than other years.

I have quite a few still photos that I have taken at other locations, and will post a few in a separate post.