Lately I’ve had hats on the brain (ha! sorry).

It started with the need for a good, simple hat for a friend to wear in the cold. I wanted something ribbed, with stripes, nice and simple. I had some Zara Plus ready, so I went ahead and crunched a few numbers and came up with a simple hat pattern.

I liked it so much I had to knit one for myself in reverse colors. Then I knit one for the store in Mission Falls Wool and came up with a  free pattern so that anyone could make one. It can be made out of numerous yarns, in addition to Zara Plus and Mission Falls it can be made out of: Classic Elite Lush, Sublime Cashmere Silk Aran, Debbie Bliss Rialto Aran, Debbie Bliss Luxury Tweed and Trendsetter’s Tonalita.

It could have stopped there. I might have moved on to something more innocent like socks, but then someone came in and told us about the Fish Hat from the latest Knitty. I was in love.

I knit one in a week, and the next one in two days. At the suggestion of my boyfriend I altered the second one by making it longer. I used two colors of Malabrigo for each, a yarn that I will never grow tired of feeling slide through my fingers.

If you are interested in making this hat but at all intimidated by the pattern, we are offering a class to make sure that anyone who wants their own fish hat can make one.

I’m not the only one with Hat Fever however. No sooner had the Blue Sky Alpaca’s Kitty Hat pattern arrived when Liz had cast on The Kitty hat from Blue Sky Alpacas in their luscious Suri Merino for her nieces and a friends baby.

Now maybe the hat obsession has run it’s course — we’ll see. There are a lot of hats out there.

Sara

When this amazing beaded silk yarn arrived at the store, we wracked our brains (after picking our chins up off the floor) to find the perfect pattern to showcase the beautiful texture and sheen.

This classic Lace Leaf pattern is a lovely configuration of branching lace and stockinette. The rich color and luxurious feel of this yarn and the addition of sparkly beads knit up into a sweet scarf with depth and a lovely, drapey texture.

Liz knit this beauty in one night, using a single skein!

This scarf is the perfect easy, quick-knit holiday gift.

Pattern:

Yarn: Art Yarns Regal Beaded Silk

Needles: Size 9

Size: 6″ x 48″

(gauge is not critical but knit a swatch to determine approximate width of scarf)

CO 20 stitches

Knit 2 rows and begin lace pattern

Row 1: and all WS rows: Purl (wrong side rows not charted)

Row 2: RS P2, *k9, yo, k1, yo, k3, [sl1-k2tog-psso], p2.

Row 4: P2, *k10, yo, k1, yo, k2, sl1-k2tog-psso, p2.

Row 6: P2, *k3tog, k4, yo, k1, yo, k3, [yo, k1] twice, sl1-k2tog-psso, p2.

Row 8: P2, *k3tog, k3, yo, k1, yo, k9, p2.

Row 10: P2, *k3tog, k2, yo, k1, yo, k10, p2.

Row 12: P2, *k3tog, [k1, yo] twice, k3, yo, k1, yo, k4, sl1-k2tog-psso, p2.

Knit until scarf is desired length (or until you are almost out of yarn) and allow for 2 knit rows; bind off loosely, wash and block.

Have fun and happy holidays! Leah

Download a pdf version here.

I cast on these socks with fall in mind. When I first saw color 108 of Ella Rae Lace Merino I envisioned beautiful brown and orange leaves on the ground. I cast on Knitty.com’s Interlocking Leaves pattern with that in mind.

The reality of the Southern California fall hit me a few weeks later. Hot and humid. The leaves on the ground were dirty pale eucalyptus. It was hard to stay inspired, but I kept going.

As luck would have it I finished these socks over Thanksgiving weekend. I was up the coast on a vinyard and all I could see in either direction was bare grape vines. By the house was some large tree that was shedding beautiful golden leaves with every gust of wind. From the moment I arrived at the house I was antsy. The finished socks in my backpack, waiting.

“I’m going to take a picture of my socks,” I blurted to my company. No one really said anything. I went outside and it was only me and fall out there in the quiet afternoon.

Sara