Looking for a challenging spinning project you can sink your knitting needles into? Head on over to the Spin Off Hapalong thread on Ravelry, and you’ll be met with a lively exchange between handspinners of all skill levels who are united in a common goal: to spin and knit a hap.
“What’s a hap?” you say. Deborah Held gives us the 411 on this versatile Shetland-style design in the Fall 2018 issue of Spin Off.
A half hap, such as this one by Sara Greer, makes a great first hap project. Photo by George Boe
On a recent visit to the Interweave offices in Fort Collins, Colorado, Spin Off Editor Kate Larson and I discussed some common questions posed by our enthusiastic group of Hapalong participants. Some common questions included:
- What is a hap?
- What’s a good pattern to use for a first-time hap knitter?
- How much fiber do I need in order to spin enough yardage for my pattern?
Check out our answers in this Facebook Live video: Embedded content: https://www.facebook.com/SpinningDaily/videos/784666911893361/
Newer spinners may like the heavier-weight yarn of Sara Greer’s half hap, which was featured in the Fall 2018 issue of Spin Off and adapted from Rebecca Blair’s full-sized Woodland hap. But in the video above, you can see how Kate transformed Sara’s half-hap pattern by knitting it with a fingering-weight handspun yarn. It’s both light and lovely! Plus, Kate talks about how to figure out the amount of fiber (affiliate link) you need to spin for your hap—important info if you don’t want to run out!
Don’t fret! It’s not too late to join this friendly group of spinsters. Stop by and join in all of the fun in the Spin Off Ravelry group!
—Elizabeth
Featured Image: Handspun yarn for a Shetland-style half hap by Sara Greer. Photo by George Boe