Tag Archives: Hoodola by Laura Nelkin

FO

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Thursday, February 13, 2025

SNOW DAY! I was supposed to work today and while the accumulations have not been thrilling to this snow-loving girl, I am enjoying my snow day immensely. We had our coffee in a very leisurely manner not typical of days we both work. I went up to my atelier and wrote the store newsletter for Sunday and now I’m writing this blog post because I realized that I never posted a picture of my finished Hoodola.

Hoodola by Laura Nelkin is one of the 8 FOs that I’ve managed for 2025 so far. I knit my Hoodola in what I thought was going to be boring creamy-white yarn by Berroco that has been discontinued. I was given a couple of hanks of the white and one or two of a dark green. It was DK weight and I decided, why not give it a shot and hoping that I wouldn’t have to play yarn chicken. I am thrilled to report that I didn’t and it’s finished and I really do love it. Laura sent out a minor update to the pattern once I was well on my way and I didn’t choose to put a tie on mine (I’d have had to use another colorway and I didn’t want to do that.)

Here it is …

Hoodola by Laura Nelkin

The long ribbed section at the neck keeps my neck warm without need for a scarf, I can certainly fold it up and cover my nose with it if I want to. AND, I can pull the hood down in the car or when in a shop so my hair doesn’t get too flattened out and then just pull it back up when I head out again. I may have to make the green yarn into another Hoodola because it’s such a great “hat”! (Behind me is the American Flag quilt that I made several years ago. One of my favorite sewing projects of all time. I even quilted it on a friend’s long arm machine!)

The snow is coming down a bit heavier now (yay!) and it looks like the rest of my day will be watching Netflix and knitting. I am hoping to get the lace part of my Winter’s Finery shawl finished and get it bound off so I can finish the edge ornaments and block it. I also want to work on my Bang Out a Sweater … Cardoon. It’d be great to get past the colorwork before all of my classes tomorrow. I’ll bet I could get well into the body of the sweater if I could get to the sleeve division today. So I’m going to sign off.

Gone knitting.

Windy with a Chance of Knitting

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Saturday, January 18, 2025

It was a pretty in pink kind of morning this morning. The opposite side of the lake was all lit up in blush pink … a beautiful sight to see when you first wake up. The lake is covered this morning with people ice fishing. There’s a little “village” just on the other side of the “sunken island” (aka Penny Island) and snow machines and wheeled vehicles are abundant. I think they’re all nuts! It’s windy and quite cool despite being the warmest of the next few days. Not me, thank you very much.

Yesterday I delivered the two tams I knit for my customer to the shop for her to pick up and this morning I’ve written the store newsletter. I am looking forward to getting some knitting done today. I think I can finish my Hooodola project since I have only about three inches of ribbing to go. I am hoping that this will be a good “hat” for me (who doesn’t like wearing hats, not even the lobster one that I recently finished.)

Hoodola is a knitted hood with a ribbed neck that can be folded up to protect your face (think balaclava). I had three hanks of a sport weight wool blend yarn by Berroco that is discontinued in my stash and it was another opportunity for me to knit down my stash. The construction of Hoodola is fascinating and quite simple. With lots of stockinette stitch, it’s not complicated and I can knit it and talk or have a cocktail. Laura sent an update for the pattern with a casing and drawstring so you can cinch it closed a bit around your face. I have a sample skein of On the Round sport yarn that’s hand-dyed in blues and grays that I may choose to use if I decide to add the casing. I’ve not really decided just yet.

Hoodola by Laura Nelkin

I’ve begun working on a new pair of fingerless mitts for my daughter who has been wearing her ex-husbands initial on the thumb gusset of her favorite pair. It’s time to burn those babies and get a new pair for a new favorite. I’ve managed to knit the cuff and I would love to start the hand today. She chose the Rain Shadow Mitts pattern by Daniel Herrera and I chose the requested colors, black and blue, in Brown Sheep Nature Spun Fingering (see the details in my Ravelry project page.) Any knitter who chooses to knit with black yarn knows that it’s difficult to knit with and hard on the eyes. BUT this mama bear is determined to make her cub happy and I was reminded that i have a Lumos neck light that I will put on and see if it lights up the stitches better for my “old” eyes. I love her that much!!!

Rain Shadow Mitts by Daniel Herrera

My goal for the weekend is to give these two projects some attention and see how far I can get. I may pull the pink mittens out of hibernation and give them a shot, too. We’ll see how motivated I am. Ha! Ha!

There have been several winter storm warnings from my weather app today and it appears that we are going to get some winter weather later today and/or tomorrow. For now the wind is blowing enough to rattle the screen in the window here in front of my desk. I’m praying for inches of snow!

Gone knitting.