I am very proud to finally show you the tam I made !!! It goes in a set with my Really Red Cardigan. I had knit the tam before the holiday gift-knitting crunch set in, then put it aside to be photographed after the new year. New year … check. Photographed…. check. I am over the moon about having this particular cardigan & tam ensemble finished because only a couple of months ago, after having hibernated well over a year, the cardigan was doomed to die a tragic death of getting unraveled out of existence! After much persuasion from a friend, I committed & cut the steek, finished the cardigan, then surprisingly soon after, decided to knit up this tam to go with it. Maybe it was meant to have waited until now, as the rains of the season has made the moss so verdant ~~~ and just look at how well the moss sings praise to the red wool !
There is a bit of a coincidence, that the red in the colorway is called “garnet heather”
. . .well, because garnet is my birth-stone .
. . . and today is my birthday !
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Details found on Ravelry here.
Jenjoyce Design 
Happy birthday Jen! Hope you have a fabulous day. I love your tam and cardigan – both are beautiful. Are they both your own design?
Thank you Kelly ! Yes, they are my own design ! 🙂
I am so jealous of the beauty that surrounds your house!
The sweater and tam are gorgeous, and many happy returns!
Thank you so much Kay. Don’t be jealous, just come visit (the blog at least) 🙂
Hey there birthday girl – have a wonderful day.
Now I will go back and read your post…..:-)
Thank you so much Lizzi ! I plan on it 🙂
So the birth of a designer on her birthday. It just gets better……..
i love the tam. I like the shape very much but more than that I am impressed with the attention to detail which gives it such a professional finish, the same as the cardigan. Be proud of yourself – a designer is born…………..:-)
I’m quite surprised that it came together (fitting as badly as it did originally, ah, but lost a few pounds, that always helps !) I am already thinking about doing it a third time (the first being the “Rosanna” cardigan I made for Jeff’s daughter three years ago ) AND learning to write a pattern. I can only dream as yet, of being a pattern-writing designer, but as all things, I know that practice and sheer determination most always bring a person to results, so, I am blindly knitting away, hoping. This is my year of HOPE !!! 🙂 And thank you for all of your encouragement xx
Love, love, love it! You did a fabulous job on this ensemble, Jen and now it is my turn to be proud of you! Yes, I would say it is very ‘Tam O’ Shanter-esque’ and you look like a lovely lass who just stepped off the ship from Scotland :). I like the Vikel braid! And, what a great idea to apply a cord to the buttonband to shore it. I’m getting ready to knit a buttonband next week and may need to use this idea.
Oh Rebecca, thanks a million for your praise ! I am glad you also think it’s Tam O’ Shanter-esque, and well, you know, I just have a *thing* about Tam O’ Shanter ! About the applied cord edging ~~ I picked up from the regular bound off stitches, about three out of four, and I suppose that is 25 percent decrease.. (??) and then did cord bind off on those. 🙂
Happy Birthday Jen! What a beautiful set! Its amazing what you’ve achieved over the past year. No stopping you now!
Thank you J. !!! I can’t help but think of the seed planted, might be that dream you had years and years ago , of the sweaters . 😉 I am hoping this will be my year to learn to write a pattern :: hope, hope, hope :: Thanks again x
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, dear friend!!!, hope you are doing something so special today AND wearing yur beautiful Really Red ensemble. They are both s exquisite. Can’t wait to see yu next week!
Debbie
Thank you so much Debbie ! I am going out tonight, for a birthday dinner ~ perhaps it will be cold enough to wear the ensemble… what a great celebratory Maiden Voyage for the sweater set ! I can’t wait for you girls to be here next week and we can spin the hours away. 🙂 x
Bravo! Very well done. Happy Birthday Jen! That is a beautiful ensemble you have created. Yes, I think a designer is born. Yay!
Martha , thank you so very much for being a first rate support here on my space !!! I’m having a nice day, and it’s really out !!!! (I think it will snow tonight or tomorrow.) x
Happy Birthday! What a marvelous Tam O’Shanter. It looks perfect on you. I adore all the unique details. Sooo inspiring!
I’ve been waiting for you wee hen!!!!!! 🙂 Thanks for the praise, I’ll let you wear it when you come to spin next week, as I’m sure it will fit you perfectly ! 🙂 xx
Belated Birthday wishes Jen,I hope you enjoyed a lovely day. I sure couldn’t have found a nicer gift to send you than the one you’ve created for yourself. Can’t believe you once considered a really horrible death for such a beautiful design. I’m in awe of your craftsmanship and attention to detail as always, you should feel very pleased with the finished results. You most certainly would not look out of place by Scottish loch or glen. Care to join me for a dander on the hill??? I’ll wear my kilt if you wear Really Red. 🙂
Aw thank you Campbell Scot ! Aye, and since I’ve learned recently that ‘ a dander ‘ is a walk, then a knit & dander is just what I’ll do, tae’ go along with you in your kilt and myself in my tam o’ shanter ! 🙂
Happy belated birthday wishes zooming your way! As I’ve mentioned, this hat is amazing and made my love for the sweater grow by leaps and bounds! The little details in the edging are killer, and I love how the moss acts as a perfect foil to the brightness of the reds you chose…
Wow Tamara, thank you so much, your lovely praise really makes my day ! The sparkle of the ensemble is just having knowledge of everybody’s encouragement.
What a stunning set! Jealous of your skill. Beautiful work.
Love, the Really Red Tam and wondering is it possible to get the pattern from you?
Thank you so much. I made that ensemble Really Red before I wrote my first pattern, and luckily I have the photos of it to create a pattern from , even though the sweater and tam were lost in the wildfire last October 2017. However, one day I will write the pattern , hopefully in the forthcoming months, so watch this space and you will be first to know. Thanks again. xx