Finished: 16 Cable Hat

I recently found a treasure...a skein of Malabrigo Worsted in Paris Night.  Malabrigo has been a little difficult to find lately (in my neck of the woods and on my regular sites anyway) and this particular colorway has seemed to escape me at every turn.  At some point my LYS had a bit of it... I naively thought "I will get it some other time..."  Yeah, right.  Anyway, I found it lonely and looking for shelter a few weeks ago.  I knew it would be a hat, but wasn't sure which pattern I would use.  I had been eyeing the 16 Cable Hat for a long time...so long that at some point the pattern wasn't available for purchase anymore.  Luckily, the designer reposted the pattern on Ravelry and Paris Night was just perfect for it. 

I had heard a lot of negative things about how large the cables were--how awful they were to knit--how holey they left the finished product.  None of these gripes were ever an issue for me.  In fact, after putting down my Rosebud (getting sort of bored with it), and my Damson (not sure I am loving it), it was the perfect distraction without too many bells and whistles.  And while I know Mal Worsted will always be one of those polar yarns to knitters, I love it.  With this pattern, the yarn worked up beautifully.  I can completely see knitting this hat over and over (and over) again. 

In other news, I have been watching Knitting Workshop DVD's with Elizabeth Zimmermann lately.  Ugh.  I feel quite lucky to have stumbled upon her advice, attitude and patterns, but I can't deny the twinge of jealousy I have for those who watched the program as it aired.  I have pretty strong feelings that every knitter ought to have the attitude that EZ has... she is such an amazing teacher and inspiration.  I am finding it hard not to stay in bed and rewatch every second.  If anyone has purchased the BSJ DVD I would love to hear your thoughts as I am considering making the plunge and buying (along with knitting one, obviously).  There are about a million websites and wikis devoted to the pattern but I can't imagine a better way to knit it than with the accompaniment of Meg. 

This week I have a tremendous amount of time off as I am gearing up for dental surgery---yay! (?)  I am hoping that I am not too doped up to get in a few rows, if not start another project entirely.  I have some Quince and Co. Chickadee that is asking for some attention, but we shall see.