we interrupt this sock blog...

.....to bring you an important announcement. There has been a change in knitting here.

There I was on Monday morning, merrily knitting along on a sock. Reading blogs while drinking my morning coffee, and then I got to Margene's blog. She had blogged about several things, but I saw her new hat and immediately my wheels started spinning.

Just the day before I'd been complaining to my daughter that I needed a hat. A cabled hat. I mean, how embarassing is it that the hat I actually wear most of the time is a slimy sleazy polar fleece piece of crap hat from Old Navy that I bought in the men's department? And me, a knitter who hates polar fleece.

I zipped off an email to Margene, because although the pattern calls for Wool Ease, I've never knit with it (thank the wool gods, I've been spared) and didn't know other than vaguely what weight it is. She responded quickly, because in spite of the time difference, Margene is an early riser. Thankfully.

Her response made me jump up again, grab some wool/mohair yarn I'd bought in the sale bin at Botanical Shades last year, and cast on. Margene blogged something about 4 hours worth of knitting - I'm not really sure how long it took me, but I worked on it on and off all day and finally, at just about sunset I had

something that was not a sock

Pattern: Lady Hat from Amy Boogie
Yarn:  2 ply worsted kid mohair/wool blend from Botanical Shades
color: Poppy, yardage 118 yds per skein (used one skein)
Needles: size 8 Addi Turbo and bamboo dpns

I've had trouble with knitting hats for myself in the past. Most of the hats I've made are simple watch caps, and I don't love the way they look on me, although they're serviceable. This hat is, first off, lacey. Secondly, its orange, which is important. I hate the red hat society connotations involved with wearing red for headgear. Thirdly, I knit it in one (long) afternoon's worth of knitting, so the gratification was almost instantaneous.
Great pattern, many thanks to Amy!

A note: the pattern calls for one skein of Wool Ease, at 197 yards. I used less than one skein of 118 yards for my hat. Admittedly, I tightened up my gauge considerably for the last repeat, worried that the hat was going to be too long. Au contraire. If I had read ahead to the second page, I would have seen that all of the decreases are accomplished over 9 rows of knitting. The hat could have been a little longer with no harm done. I had some yarn leftover, about ten yards.

After the break, we will return to your regularly scheduled sock knitting blog.

Comments

[Sonja]

What a great idea - cable and lace combo! Must have been fun to knit. Definately something I would make.

[valentina]

Nice! Four hours is right. I once knit a hat over a boring dinner. I knit through the cooking and the after dinner conversation and on the way home. I then figured we'd been gone four hours. So I call it the four-hour hat pattern. It doesn't have fancy cables and lace, though.

[Laurie]

Beautiful hat! The link is good...it's mine. There is no SSS for hats, even on a day when we act as if we have two heads.

[Norma]

It's beautiful. It would make my peahead even pea-ier, but on most people it's marvy. Maybe I can redesign it with a thick brim?

[Kim]

It's so cute! When I do where hats (not very often), those caps are the kind that I prefer. I printed out the pattern yesterday after seeing how cute Margene's was. I think one in angora for my daugher will be wonderful......and quick. Love the orange!

[Carole]

I totally agree on the whole red hat society thing, it's bogus. But your hat is great and I'm tempted to make one myself. So, plain ole worsted weight would be okay? I think Hannah would like this one.

[Jody]

Your hat looks great and not like a sock at all. I was getting a little worried about you with all those socks flying off your needles.

[margene]

You hat is SO not red. I love the way Amy does the decreasing for the crown. The hat is flattering and wan't it totally fun to knit!?

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

Love the hat. I had the same reaction (and possibly the same hideous polar fleece cap) to seeing it on Margene's bog, yours is just more fuel for the fire. enjoy it!

[Rachel H]

Lovely hat. I like making hats. Unfortunately if the hat that doesn't make me look insanely stupid exists, I haven't found it anywhere.

[Liz (YarnGeek)]

aieee! Hat cuteness everywhere today!

I love it -- it's great on you!

Damn. I am SO behind on my knitting it's just sick.

[claudia]

oooo. Orange.

It is warm even with the lacey, holey bits?

[Amy Boogie]

I'm glad you like the pattern
It looks fabulous in Orange!

[regina]

Love that hat! It's so hard to find winter hats that are flattering. OK, so you must excuse my ignorance, but what is the red hat society?

[naomi]

It's very pretty, but I worry about wind resistance.

[Juno]

I just googled the Red Hat Society and while I wish I hadn't, I can assure you that any red hat you knit would be impossible to confuse with that other kind of red hat.

Doesn't it seem to you that sometimes just doing something might be better than founding an international, lavender-suit-wearing sorority to celebrate it?

[S.Kate]

That hat caught my eye too, but dang, pardner, you're outta the gate and done with it already. Mighty purdy on you, I might add.

[Lee Ann]

Okay, so maybe I'll make a hat. I'm on a non-dorky hat search, and it ain't easy. This looks so nice on you, I might give it a try....

Okay, okay, it's Canada, I'll die of frostbite if I don't start covering my ears, dorky or not. You're right.

(your voices reach mighty far, you know...)

[Liz]

A worthy sock-knitting hiatus for a fab hat! Love this. Off to get the pattern myself. Now, get back to the socks, dearie! ;)

[Rebekah]

The hat looks great, and great now I'm tempted myself. Of course I'd have to officially frog one of the 22 projects on my Everest List on my blog, but there is that felted bag I'm not to fond of and the Manos might look great in a hat on my head. Hmmmmm.

Blog writers are evil for enabling aren't they.

[Rebecca]

The hat looks great! I love the colors.

[Risa]

Oooh like the hat!

[Valerie]

Thanks for the link to Amy's hat pattern. Yours looks great! I have a skein of Encore left over from Will's gansey. I also have need for a hat for my 4 mile walks most days. This'll do just fine!

[rams]

Come now -- have you ever seen a Red Hatter in a knit hat? Wrong association (I love red, so immediate redemption is necessary.) Think WWII instead; the Nazis finally issued an edict forbidding Norwegians to wear red caps because they were so associated with the Resistance. Now THERE's the right kind of red hat (hmmm -- maybe it's time for a comeback.) Off to secure my own copy...

[jessie]

Glad to see you are busting out of your sock rut. Great hat!