Knitting outside at the Millstones below Stanage Edge
The walk from Burbage car park to the edge of Stanage is always a joy. Something happens to your soul part way across the moor – it opens and you take a deep breath. I’m 63 years old… and I’m still scrambling over the rocks to reach my favourite knitting spot.
Beneath Stanage Edge, beside these old millstones overlooking Hope Valley, is where I come to slow down, eat my home made granola from a flask, drink tea, knit and look and feel grateful.
I’ve shared this place with you before because so many of you tell me you wish you could sit here too. I completely understand. There’s something about this view that quietens everything.
Today I brought along my Smola Beanie—a pattern I designed while living in Shetland, in a house called Smola —and I cast on using Pony’s new aluminium interchangeable circular needles, which they’ve kindly sent me to try. I a being honest here, I love them and wish they went to bigger sizes so that I could knit the chunky vest. I am using the 3mm needle and the shortest wire. There is a little extension, if you want to add 2 wires together to create a bigger one. The needles are smooth and have a good pointy needle to get into my Fair Isle stitches.
I couldn’t think of a better place to use them for their first use – out in this very cool place in the Peak District, 6 miles from my door.
Sometimes the best knitting room has no walls at all.
The pattern is called Smola Beanie, it has matching fingerless mitts and a scarf (which my daughter wanted – praise indeed)
If you would like to knit this beautiful Shetland Motif pattern called, Smola Beanie, then the link is here
tracey doxey 