Sunday, December 02, 2007

Snug

Yesterday was beautiful, and I certainly did not stay home to keep warm. After all, it'll be 20 degrees colder than that in a couple of months! No, I put on my down-filled coat and super-Sorel boots, and I -- along with a bunch of other local knitters -- went yarn shopping. Ariadne Knits opened its doors yesterday! I was excited to see the new shop, and to buy yarn for Kate's Bird in Hand Mittens and Adrian's Norwegian Snail Mittens, but I was also very excited to pick up a yarn order I'd place on Ariadne's website earlier last week.

I'd gone out for a walk on Tuesday evening, you see, and while walking and listening to the latest S&B podcast, my ears had nearly frozen and dropped off my head. My fault; I was still in winter-denial and hadn't worn a hat. Last year, it didn't even snow until Boxing Day, but this year promises to be a whole other kettle of fish, and I'm determined to keep warm throughout. Anyway, when I got home from my walk (during which I'd been listening to Nicole and Jenny talk about cozy knit hats and scarves while my ears froze, which was cruelly and unusually apt), I went straight to my Beehive booklets. "What I need," I thought to myself, "is some winter headwear."


I was looking for a balance of style and practicality. Some patterns certainly look practical, but, well, let's say they'd be challenging to pull off. Consider, for example, the ribbed helmet on the right:


I'm sure it's very toasty, and you could even eat with it on! But since I wouldn't actually want to wear it in public, I kept looking. (Or maybe it's just the models' disembodied heads that are a turn-off?)


OK, getting closer, but I don't think the Eyelet Hood would cut it in the wind. Plus, as Bill pointed out, it looks like chain mail. For the knitter on her way to a winter Renaissance faire -- perfect! Not for me, though.


Yes! This is it. This is exactly what I'm looking for. I'll understand if the appeal isn't immediately obvious to you, and maybe the coldness of my ears affected my judgment, but I settled on the Head Snugs, and I ordered the yarn. I'm going to be knitting a snug (plus, it's called a snug -- how cute is that?) in Warani, a suri alpaca/extra-fine merino blend: chocolate for the main colour, and turquoise for the contrasting Fair Isle. As soon as I finish Bill's Manly Mitts (I'm halfway through the first one), I'm casting on for my snug.

Because of the sudden wintry-ness outside, I've revisited my knitting queue, moving lots of cold-weather accessories to the top. After Bill's mitts and my snug, I'm going to be all about stranded mittens. Stranded mittens are the new socks. And Head Snugs are the new toques. You heard it here first.

19 comments:

emilyoboe said...

I actually think the head snugs are super cute...and your yarn choice sounds delicious. and I agree that mittens should be the new socks...that bird in hand design is awesome.

Anonymous said...

i've been waitin' on this post. the snug sounds perfectly awesome. :)

La Cabeza Grande said...

You are so funny (disembodied head as a turn-off?) AND spot-on with your choice of snug as your cute / practical winter headwear!

Chris said...

I'm worried about you. I think that head snugs must possess their wearers - LOOK at those people!

Joanna said...

I thing you are right. Soon everyone will knit a head snug. I remember my little sister wearing a simular one when we were kids, that she got from an icelandic friend. Very warm and cozy.

Kate said...

dude. I'm seriously about to knit one of those. I've been thinking about it for a couple weeks.

spajonas said...

that right helmet is HILARIOUS! i love the look on that guy's face :)

Anonymous said...

There's a wee harbour in Tasmania called Snug. We just had to stop there one cold, wet day. http://www.smh.com.au/news/Tasmania/Snug/2005/02/17/1108500205957.html

Unknown said...

Brown and turquoise will make a beautiful head snug. And there's something irresistibly cute about the phrase "head snug." It's a hug for your head!

Stacey said...

I think those are a great idea! I often wrap my scarf around my head - it's like an extension hat! :)

aandjblog said...

Where did the store open? Ottawa, Montreal?

Anonymous said...

Snugs may be the new toques, but I'm running fashionably late and need to knit myself a toque to catch up. Any great patterns to recommend for someone so far behind?

jennie said...

oh! I want a snug. that's exactly what I've been needing, now that the cold has finally (maybe?) descended here.

Wonder if I can get my hands on the pattern...

Anonymous said...

Personally, I love the snug concept. It's vaguely bonnet-like. Can't wait to see yours!

Seanna Lea said...

They look warm, but I think it would be a little too constricting around the neck. Though I've been thinking of knitting a new hat, because mine is a little worn.

nstssj said...

The Eyelet Hood might not hold up to the weather, but it is fascinating--you could be hypnotized by it for hours...

Gaile said...

the snug scares me. I have entirely too much hair to pull that off, and i'd inevitably end up looking like King Arthur's sidekick Patsy from Monty Python's holy grail. But, i am anxious to see you try it out, and no doubt rock it.

Julia said...

I have the same book!

http://knitteroo.blogspot.com/2007/07/prospector.html#links

Good luck with your snug!

Unknown said...

I think you need a post on all the fabulous knitting stores in Montreal. I know they're sprinkled throughout your posts, but I didn't care before - but now I'm moving to Montreal, and so is my friend who is a knitter. (I still don't knit, but thinking of getting back into crochet). Though when we visited last week (for apartment hunting), with help from a GPS we managed to find Effiloche.