Dec 9, 2016
I think hats are great little projects. You can knit a
challenging charted cabled hat, or you can knit a simpler
stockinette in-the-round hat. You can knit a hat in chunky yarn and
big needles, or you can use up the leftovers from a skein of sock
yarn with tiny needles. If the hat doesn't fit, you won't have
invested too much time, and hey–it's a hat. It will fit
someoneafter all. So if you aren't too particular about
whether you end up with an exact size, you can forgo the swatch and
just start knitting. That is the way most of my hats this year came
into being. No swatch, match yarn to needles, figure out a cast-on
number that will fit someones head, and go. They are all
going to charity organizations so I have no doubt each hat will
eventually find its way to a head that it fits.
In addition to it being the cold weather season, it is also the
season of holidays, of being busy, and often being pulled in too
many directions at once. I find that quick small projects satisfy
my need to keep my fingers busy and my compulsion to knit, as well
as provide satisfaction of finishing something useful.
When I teach, I like to start knitters on hats because there is a
lot to learn in the making of the humble hat. You cast on, learn
your knit (and maybe purl) stitches, you decrease, then you bind
off. All in one small package. I find a beginning knitter has a
higher chance of success with a smaller project. I like to give my
students the best chance for success.
So yes, even though Gayle and I are sweater knitters, we do find
out thoughts turning to hats every year about this time. We've
stalked some cool free patterns available on Ravelry this time, so
take a look. There are others (we can't mention them all!), so
please feel free to share more (both free and patterns for sale) in
the discussion thread for this episode in our group on Ravelry. We'd love to hear from you.
- Sharlene
What are we wearing?
Featherweight Cardigan by Hannah
Fettig
Sharlene's tunic length Featherweight Cardigan (and
bonus photo of Nani!)
Citadel by Joji Locatelli
Gayle's Citadel
What are we stalking?
Troll by Gabriela Widmer Hanke
Chunky Harvest Hats by Susan B.
Anderson
Sharlene's apple hat
Standing Rock Hat by Lavanya
Patricella
Pussyhat Project by Kat Coyle
(knit flat)
KitKat Hat by Andre Sue (knit in
the round)
Brimming by Lori Puthoff
Clio by Elizabeth Doherty
Phoebe yarn from Quince and
Company
Boreal Forest Cowl by Renée
Callahan
Boreal Forest Hat by Renée
Callahan
What are we knitting?
Sockhead Slouch Hat by Kelly
McClure
Big Old Coat by Joji
Locatelli
Sharlene's Big Old Coat
Bleached by Amy Miller
Silk single yarn from Western
Sky Knits
Project Peace by Christina
Campbell
Gayle's sock yarn blanket
What have we finished?
Donation hats 12, 11, 10, and 9
Granito by Joji Locatelli
Sharlene's Granito
Magnolia Luxe yarn from Western
Sky Knits
Spiral Hat by Laura Kolarik
Gayle's Spiral Hat
Bankhead Hat by Susie Gourlay
Gayle's Bankhead Hat
Simple Skyp Sock by Adrienne
Ku
Gayle's Skyp socks
Vector by Katya Frankel