A scary proposition since there is a bit of lore warning against knitting for your sweetie. I rarely give creed to such bits of irrationality (ok, I pick and choose - highly irrational, isn't it).
Anyway, the Sweater Curse.
But I did the math: our time together + his birthday = it's ok to make a hat.
But it had to be the perfect hat.
A nod to science whilst being abstract enough for aesthetics.
Electromagnetism? Wind energy?
Eventually, I landed on radio astronomy - the subject of his PhD.
It couldn't be itchy at all - and the colors had to be perfect.
I designed and knit on the fly... starting with a mini VLA.
The dome was divided into quarters - I looked long for a good image that would be translatable in knitting - I found and used this image as a foundation (adding some larger shapes to represent galaxies, nebulae, etc...). I think it worked out very well.
**********Drum roll**************
I give you, the VLA Hat!
In progress... (look at all those happy radio telescopes gathering emissions...)
FINISHED!
View from the top...
And to personalize it, I added his initials and year...
I gave it to him last night and it was truly well-received.
Phew!
3 comments:
Truly beautiful work! I haven't knitted since last spring and you may have just got my fingers itching to take it up again!
Your hat is awesome! I just came back from New Mexico--the trip, including a long wished-for visit to the VLA was my husband's Xmas gift to me. I hope to build my own radio telescope one day.
Is your pattern for sale? You know there is a Night Skies Knitters group on Ravelry. Are you on Ravelry? These folks would love your pattern--you could sell it from Ravelry very easily.
Diane
Thanks Diane, I AM on Ravelry - as phmatters - and no, won't likely sell it. I used "They might be pirates" as a base and replaced my pattern with theirs. But I have been meaning to get it down in an excel spreadsheet to post there for free.
I have always been smitten with the VLA and Socorro. It was a days drive from Phoenix, but I never did make it there - no one would go with(!).
Someday I'll get there... and I will be sure to get the hat back and wear it.
Thanks for the note!
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