Category Archives: Hats

First Snow Hats

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First Snow is a hat pattern I really like. (All the links in this post are Ravelry links.) It was a free pattern when I downloaded it, although it looks as if it’s no longer available. 😦 I started using this pattern a few years ago, for these Caron Chunky Cupcakes self-striping yarns – each skein came with a matching pompom:Caron Cakes hats knit by Deborah Cooke using First Snow pattern by The Vulgar KnitterThe cables made these a more interesting knit than they would have been otherwise, and I liked the finished hats.

I also used this pattern for two bundles of Caron X Pantone, one in Faerie Cake and one in Morning Blues. These took me forever to finish because I don’t really like the feel of the yarn.

Although these hats ended up with bands of colour a lot like the ones above, in this product, there are five separate skeins of yarn. The cakes at the top include self-striping yarn. That makes an easier knit (no ends to sew in) but you can’t change the order of the colours.

Last fall, I used a ball from the mill ends of a purple tweed and made yet another hat. This one has a commercial fake fur pompom. I like this one!

First Snow hat pattern knit by Deborah Cooke in a mystery tweed mill end

I had more of those tweedy mill ends in my stash, so this summer, I knit it up into a few more hats, also with commercial pompoms.Wool hats knit in First Snow pattern by Deborah Cooke

Finally, I used up the last of the Noro Kochoran in a hat for the mister:First Snow in Noro Kochoran knit by Deborah CookeThis one is a little smaller, because I forgot to do the increases after the ribbing. I was too worried about matching the stripes – I had a lot of bits and ends to use up for this hat. It fits more like a watchcap, but the mister likes it that way, so all is good.

Do you have a favorite hat pattern?

Mr. Math’s New Vest – and Hat!

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Sonny vest by Sarah Hatton knitted in Colourscape Chunky by Deborah CookeWhen I finished my Iced in Noro Kochoran, there was a bit of wool left over. I decided to knit a vest for Mr. Math because it turns out that Noro Kochoran knits to the same tension as Rowan Colourscape Chunky. I have a book for Colourscape Chunky called Rowan Colourscape Folk. (That’s a Ravelry link.)

I’ve knit the Sonny vest by Sarah Hatton from it for Mr. Math before. That’s it at right, using Rowan Colourscape Chunky:

And here’s the Noro Kochoran one, all finished:Sonny Vest in Noro Kochoran knit by Deborah Cooke

This was a much fuzzier knit—and not the kind of thing to knit in the summer at all—but I was able to match it all up just as I wanted. I like having the red around the neckline, too.

First Snow in Noro Kochoran knit by Deborah CookeThere was a little bit of yarn left so I made a hat.

Jess by Sarah Hatton knit in Texere Olympia by Deborah CookeThis pattern is called First Snow and it’s one I use a lot. I was so busy concentrating on matching the colours that I forgot to do the increases after the ribbing: this one is a bit smaller than usual, but Mr. Math likes it better. It fits more like a watchcap. I had a pompom in dark grey, but he nixed that, so there it is.

The ten skeins of Kochoran are all used up. Yay! But, of course, I have another ten skeins stashed away in a different colourway. It has a bit of mauvey blue in it, but also a lot of grey like the first one. The Rowan book will give me some more ideas for using up the Noro. For example, I made this sweater for myself from the book, called Jess, in the same colourway as it’s illustrated in the book. I like it a lot, and am thinking I’d like a second one in the Noro Kochoran.

Harriet’s Hat

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It’s Fibre Friday again and I have a pair of hats to show you.

This pattern is part of a fundraiser to raise money for an MRI for Shetland. A local knitter there – Harriet – created a pattern for a fair isle hand and a local yarn producer there – Jamieson and Shetland – put together yarn kits for knitting the hat. I thought this was a pretty cool and creative way to raise funds, so I bought the yarn kit and the pattern.

Learn more about the MRI Maakers Shetland MRI Scanner Appeal.

I ended up making two hats from the supplied yarn. The first one is on the right:Harriet's Hat knit in Jameson's Shetland by Deborah Cooke

I washed both hats and they fulled a bit, which made them softer and probably warmer.Harriet's Hat knit in Jameson's Shetland by Deborah Cooke

There was quite a bit of yarn left over, so I moved the colours around the charts and knit the second one. I also made it a bit shorter, since Mr. Math thought the first was too deep. It’s more blue, too, and he prefers it.

If you’re interested in the details of how I switched the colours, you can read about that on my Ravelry project page.

Harriet's Hat knit in Jameson's Shetland by Deborah Cooke

I still have some yarn left and could make another hat. It would be mostly yellow, though, and since the darkest blue is all used up, I’m going to stop now.

Turn-a-Square Hat

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I completed a quick project this week. It’s a hat in Noro Silk Garden and Noro Silk Garden Solo (that’s the kind that doesn’t stripe but still has the same fibre content.) The pattern is free from Jared Flood, called Turn-a-Square. (Yup, that’s a Ravelry link.) I’m kind of amazed at how big this came out – even though Mr. Math really likes it. I used a 4 mm needle instead of the recommended 4.5mm, and knit the depth as specified, but he still has to turn up the rim. Maybe I’ll felt it a bit for him. I like the colours a lot – it’s funny but the black and first green stripes almost disappeared when I was knitting it, but now that it’s done, they’re quite evident.Turn a Square hat by Jared Flood knit in Noro Silk Garden by Deborah CookeThe Silk Garden is the same colourway that I’m using for the garter stripe scarf that’s still on my needles. I thought he needed a hat to match.

Here’s what it looks like from the top. I learned how to make a jogless seam with this pattern – that means that the stripes match up, even though it’s knit in the round. Without this nifty trick taught in the pattern, the stripes would be more like a spiral at one of the corners.  Turn a Square hat by Jared Flood knit in Noro Silk Garden by Deborah Cooke

What have you been knitting this week?