Following a precedent set last year, I declared the month of December a House-Project Free Zone in favor of creative pursuits. Of course, that means now it's time for some show and tell.
Hats turned out to be one of my principal outputs. It all started with this one, knit at Thanksgiving.
This particular hat was meant to go to a fundraising auction. But when I finished it, somehow these colors were speaking to me and I felt a need to keep it. I've been wearing the same stripy hat every day of every winter for eleven years now. (If you've seen me, or a photo of me, in winter, I guarantee you've seen it. For instance:
here,
here,
here,
here...) I decided I could justify a second one.
So then I dropped by the
Thistledown Shoppe in Suttons Bay and bought more of
my favorite hat yarn in some exciting new colors and made this one to donate to
the cause instead.
On a roll at that point, I made another for Nick and gifted it to him in time for his travels to Wisconsin for Christmas.
The simple pattern is one I learned from my friend Siri on a college semester-abroad program, copied in spiky handwriting on a bumpy bus ride somewhere in the high country of Ecuador. I've been making these hats ever since (15 and counting at this point). With size 10 needles and bulky weight yarn, the knitting goes quickly. I line the inside with a band of fleece for another layer of warmth and add a few extra rows as I knit for complete ear coverage. The result is quite cozy indeed, which is why mine has become a near-permanent fixture on my head.
But I did branch out from this signature pattern to make Maggie a little pointy-topped pixie hat. It's the
Stella Pixie, oh-so-popular with the online crafty crowd. Much slower going on size 3s with sock yarn (I used
this from Yarn Quest in TC), but it's entirely worth it in adorability. Unfortunately she's not a big fan of hats in general, so she won't be loving this gift - but hat-wearing isn't optional in these parts, and if you're 9 months old, your hat might as well be as cute as this one!
4 comments:
Oh, Siri! The name is a blast from the past. Are you still in touch with her?
No, I lost touch long ago but I still think of her every time I get out that hat pattern! I'd love to know where she is now.
Kate, is the yarn self-striping, or are you changing colors as you go? The top hat is my favorite but they are all really gorgeous.
I've been making baby hats but I have a hat pattern I want to try. Unfortunately the bulky-weight yarn I purchased is much to bulky for the size 5 dpns the pattern calls for so I'll have to go yarn shopping.
Unlike most kinds of shopping, I'm always pleased when I have to make a trip to the yarn store! On the top three hats, I changed yarns to make the stripes. The last one is made with a single multi-colored skein.
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