Knit projects that can be worn two different ways mean that you get twice the reward for your effort! Depending on how you feel like accessorizing you can draw the i-cord tight and wear it as a hat, or let it hang loose around your neck. We’re not even certain those are the only two uses you can get out of this versatile piece. And the best part? It’s an easy knit.

If you’ve never knit in the round and want some help getting started, we’re offering two classes this month that you can check out here.

Finished measurements: 19” circumference unstretched around, approx 11” tall

Materials:
Any worsted weight yarn (we used 2 balls of a store favorite: Trendsetter Tonalita, 52% and 48% acrylic, 100 yards) about 200 yards total.

US size 8 (4.5 mm) 16″ (40 cm) circular and a set of 2 size 8 double pointed needles.
Stitch Marker
Tapestry Needle

Gauge: 5 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette st

Pattern:

CO 96 sts, join in the round being careful not to twist, place marker at beginning of round.

Work K1, P1 rib for 1 ½”

Switch to stockinette stitch and work until piece measure 9” from the cast on edge.

Eyelet Round: *Yo, k2tog, k5* repeat around until 5 sts remain, yo, k2tog, k3.

Continue in stockinette for another 2”, BO loosely

Work 3 stitch I-cord for 30”, thread through eyelet row and knot at each end.

Download the pdf version of this pattern here.

Liz is a bit of a perfectionist and loves to knit scarves in reversible patterns. When the scarf is wrapped the back and front stitchery is the same. This inspired her to create the Harris Tweed Hat and Scarf FREE PATTERN set. Seen here in Rowan’s Cocoon- a beautiful, soft and luscious blend of wool and mohair. This is a stitch pattern style that guys especially love with it’s modern and graphic look.

If you’re curious about reversible stitch patterns, we’re offering a class this month.

Finished measurements: Hat: Head circumference: 22”

Scarf: 7″ x 60″

Materials:

Hat: 1 ball Rowan Cocoon

Scarf: 2 balls Rowan Cocoon (or any chunky yarn that gets gauge)

Needles: Size 10 16” circular and Size 10 double points or size to get gauge

Stitch marker

Gauge: 3.5 sts = 1 inch in St st

Abbreviations:
P: purl

K: knit

M1P: Make 1 Purlwise

Hat Pattern:

Cast on 83 sts, join in round and place marker at beginning of round.

Round 1: *K2, P2, rep from* to last 3 stitches, K2, P1

Repeat Round 1 for 1”, on the last round:

Set-up Round: M1P, *K2, p2, rep from* to last 3 stitches, K2, P1

Round 2: *K2, P2, rep from* to end.

Round 3: *K2, P2, rep from* to end.

Round 4: P

Round 5: P

Begin Harris Tweed stitch pattern:

(multiple of 4 sts)
Round 1: *K2, P2, rep from* to end.
Round 2: *K2, P2, rep from* to end.
Round 3: K
Round 4: K
Round 5: *K2, P2, rep from* to end.
Round 6: *K2, P2, rep from* to end.
Round 7: P
Round 8: P

Knit in pattern until piece measures 7 ½ inches from cast on ending with row 7 of the pattern (P row).

Decrease as follows:

Round 1: *P2, Ptog, rep from* 63 sts left

Rounds 2-4: *K2, P2, rep from* to last 3 sts, K2, P1.

Round 5: *SSK, P1, rep from* 42 sts left

Round 6: *K1, P1, rep from*

Round 7: *SSK, P2tog, rep from*, K last stitch, 25 sts left

Round 8: *K1, P1, rep from*

Round 9: *SSK around, K last stitch, 11 sts left

Round 10: *SSK around, K last stitch, 6 stitches left.

Weave in all ends and block.

Scarf Pattern:

Cast on 28 sts.

Row 1: K2, *K2, P2, rep from* to last 2 sts, K2

Row 2: K2, *K2, P2, rep from* to last 2 sts, K2

Row 3: K2, P across row

Row 4: K2, K across row to last 2 sts, K2

Begin Harris Tweed stitch pattern:

(multiple of 4 sts)
Row 1: *K2, P2, rep from* to end.
Row 2: *K2, P2, rep from* to end.
Row 3: K
Row 4: P
Row 5: *K2, P2, rep from* to end.
Row 6: *K2, P2, rep from* to end.
Row 7: P
Row 8: K

Knit in pattern until piece measures 60 inches from cast on ending with row 6 of the pattern. DON’T FORGET to knit 2 K stitches at each end of every row!

Weave in all ends and block.

Enjoy!

Liz made this lovely, versatile mobius scarf in anticipation of our massive Baby Alpaca Grande shipment… this pattern is perfect for the yarn!  The Mobius Scarf can be worn looped around the neck a couple of times or as one long circular scarf with a natural twist created by the unusual cast on. It’s great for both men and women and almost impossible to lose! Check out our FREE PATTERN!

***Please note: There was an error in the pattern which is now corrected. We were contacted by a customer who ran out of yarn before the pattern was complete, and her scarf was much wider than the pictured scarf. The corrected pattern below will give you the size pictured here, we apologize for the confusion!***

The scarf pictured takes only two skeins of Baby Alpaca Grande, but is just as beautiful in any number of our worsted or chunky weight yarns. If you’d like some guidance with the pattern we will be offering a class on the Mobius Cowl in December, as well as many more simple projects for holiday gift knitting… stay tuned!

Pattern:

We have always been fascinated by the mobius style and technique. Once you’ve watched Cat Bordhi’s very informative “Intro to Mobius Knitting” tutorial on YouTube you will be on your way to knitting a great scarf that can be wrapped double around your neck for cold weather or worn long and drapey! It’s a fun and fast project and makes a great gift.

If you want a longer scarf just cast on more stitches. You can also make your mobius wider –just add an extra skein! This scarf is equally beautiful knit in just garter stitch.

Size:
60″ long circumference x 7″ wide

Materials:
2 skeins Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande (100% baby alpaca)
US 10 or 101/2 /40″ or 47” circular needles
1 Stitch Marker

Gauge:
3 stitches per inch

Technique:
Intro to Mobius Knitting tutorial by Cat Bordhi on you tube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVnTda7F2V4

Directions:
Using Cat Bordhi’s mobius cast on technique, cast on 152 sts. Place marker and join careful not to twist the stitches. See Cat Bordhi’s tutorial for directions.
Knit the 1st st tight to avoid a gap at the join. Knit the first round as directed by Cat.

Important: Round begins when you get to the stitch marker.

Knit for 3 rounds.
Purl 4 rounds
Knit 4 rounds
Purl 4 rounds
Knit 3 rounds

Cast off knitwise. Weave in ends.

Trish of Tanglewood Fiber Creations is coming to visit again!!

When: Saturday, November 14 and Sunday November 15
Time: Saturday: 12:00 pm ~ 5:00 pm
Sunday:   12:00 pm~ 3:30 pm
Where: The Knitter’s Studio: 8118 W. Third Street, L.A.

Just in time for holiday gift knitting we are very excited to have Trish Anderson of Tanglewood Fiber Creations back for a 2-day visit to The Knitter’s Studio. Trish will be coming with baskets and baskets of her luxurious and, as Vogue Knitting calls it, decadent yarn. Included will be new colors in her beaded cashmere silk — Hot Chocolate, Fire and Ice and Hot Sugar (pictured above). And for an added treat Trish will bring her spinning wheel to give us a sneak peak on how she works her magic and makes such luscious yarns.

On Saturday we are offering our Eyelet Cowl Class. Pick out your yarn anytime before, meet Trish, and then settle down to get started on this knitted work of art featured in Vogue Holiday Knitting 2009!

September means back-to-school, cooling weather, and time to get a start on that holiday knitting (and not put it off the way we did last year). With the changing of the seasons came the changing of the store window, and we wanted to inspire anyone who passed by with all the adorable knits they could make for their petite-sized loved ones.

If you are interested in knitting up any of these sweaters or accessories, we’ve provided a list of patterns and materials below.

Starting at the top left we have:

A Sirdar pattern in Koigu KPPPM.

The Little Cable and Cable from Sublime Book 611 in Sublime’s Organic Cotton.

The Petal Bib pattern from One Skein in Rowan Handknit Cotton DK.

A baby sweater from Debbie Bliss’ Baby Knits in Filatura Di Crosa Zara.

The Blue Sky Kitty Hat done in Blue Sky Alpaca’s Suri Merino.

Starting at the bottom left we have:

Another kitty hat.

One of the Appalachian Baby Kits.

Saartje Booties in Classic Elite Posh.

Heirloom Knits Jack and Jill Sweaters done in Noro Iro and trimmed in Noro Cash Iroha.

Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Baby Surprise Sweater done in Koigu KPPPM.

Mr. Monkey and Mr. Giraffe are sporting the hat and scarf that we are offering as a free pattern and class. These cute patterns will fit many stuffed animals and dolls, including American Girl Dolls– another great holiday knitting idea!

We absolutely love knitting with Blue Sky’s Organic and Dyed Cotton– it is so soft, lofty, and delicious. This yarn is a joy.

If you’ve been in the store lately, you may have seen Leah knitting this little creation. We thought a hooded baby sweater would be a great project for this yarn, so we decided to whip one up and offer it as a free pattern!

The sweater has a rolled hem, and is knit bottom up in the round. The sleeves and trunk are joined at the yoke in a nice seamless construction. Basic color work around the middle adds to the fun — or can be omitted easily.

The yoke features raglan shaping for the shoulders, and is worked flat once the neck placket is started. The hood is also worked flat and seamed across the top. Finally, a crochet edging and adorable braided ties are an adorable detail.

Leah took pictures of her work in progress. Below you can see when she had joined the sleeves and the trunk and was starting to work on the yoke. She put some stitches in the armpit on some green scrap yarn in order to graft them together later — this will make sure the garment fits.

Don’t be intimidated by the description above, every step of the sweaters creation is detailed in our free pattern, which can be downloaded below.

Baby sweaters are such satisfying projects — and even those of us with short attentions spans can stay focused long enough to finish them! Leah loved working with this yarn and we all loved the way the sweater came out.

Download our Free Pattern Here!

Description: We will be knitting my Beaumont Tam/Beanie pattern from Made in Brooklyn together. We will use the hat as an exercise in traditional colorwork technique and discuss the hat’s construction/shaping. We will also cover an explanation of dominant color in stranded knitting and blocking techniques for Tams.

Pre-Requisites: Knitters should be comfortable with the following techniques
• knit and purl stitches
• knitting in the round
• basic decreasing (k2tog, ssk, and centered decs)
• some experience with colorwork is recommended, but not required

Materials: Classic Elite Yarns ‘Fresco’ — 2 or 4 skeins, depending on your choice for color scheme as
directed by pattern. I encourage experimentation with individual color choices — students are not
required to knit the same colors as pattern suggestions.

Stitch Markers (If you like to mark each colorwork-motif repeat, bring several. I recommend have at least one in an alternative color to indicate beg-of-round)

For TAM Knitters: One pair of US 3 and US 6 16″ Needles, or whatever size required to give you pattern gauge. One pair of double pointed needles in larger size for crown shaping.

For BEANIE Knitters: One pair of US 2 and US 4 16″ Needles, or whatever size required to give you pattern gauge. One pair of double pointed needles in larger size for crown shaping.

Homework: (To Be Completed Before Class)
Obtain copy of pattern from your LYS. Make a gauge swatch and achieve pattern gauge to determine correct needle sizes - swatching in the round is recommended . Begin pattern and work ribbed brim, as instructed, stopping just before initial Increase Round.

When: Saturday, February 13th 2010

SOLD OUT!

Description: This course will cover the foundations of seamless sweater knitting: construction, percentages, techniques, and yoke variations. We will be exploring Elizabeth Zimmermann’s 7 seamless sweater models and discussing her percentage system (EPS). The goal of this course is to familiarize knitters with the seamless method of sweater construction and design, and give them the confidence to formulate original garments, without a pattern, to suit their own tastes – or alter existing patterns into seamless ones.

Pre-Requisites: Knitters should be comfortable with the following techniques
• knit and purl stitches; basic stitch patterns (ribbing, seed st, garter st, etc)
• knitting in the round (required)
• directional decreasing (k2tog, ssk, centered decrease variations will all be discussed)
• experience working small garments in the round (hats)
• sweater knitting experience encouraged but not required

Materials: One skein (50g or 100g) of worsted weight wool or wool blend (animal fibers only please).
Smooth, multiple-ply yarns are recommended for clear stitch definition. Boucle and novelty yarns
prohibited.
One set of double pointed needles in size US8. One optional 16” circular needle in same size.
One stitch marker.
Notebook and writing utensil for note taking.

We will be making a shaped swatch in-the-round, exploring ways of using different types of
decreases as design elements.

Homework: Come prepared to knit a hat-sized swatch in the round with needles and yarn listed above. No
other preparation required.

When: Saturday, February 13th 2010

Description: We will begin knitting my Girasole Shawl/Blanket pattern together. We will discuss the piece’s general construction/shaping, the basic lace techniques employed, chart reading, circular cast-on, and yarn choices. We will also discuss the general benefits of knitting lace at a heavier gauge, with the hopes of making this unique way of making lace accessible to those students who would like to experiment.

Pre-Requisites: Knitters should be comfortable with the following techniques
• knit and purl stitches
• knitting in the round
• basic understanding of simple lace techniques (yarn over, ssk, & k2tog)
• chart reading experience recommended but not required

Materials: at least 100g worsted or aran weight wool if you will be making ‘blanket version’ or 50 g of fingering weight wool for the ‘shawl version’ (wool blends and other animal fibers also encouraged, although 100% alpaca, mohair, or silk fibers are not recommended). [Completion of project will require between 1150 yards (Shawl Version) and 1800 yards (BlanketVersion)of yarn, although students will only need enough to get started during class]

One set of double pointed needles, one or two sizes larger than recommended size on your yarn label
One package of stitch markers
One 16” circular needle in same size as DPNs

(optional)
One 32” circulare needle in same size as DPNs (for completion of project. It is unlikely you will need to switch to this needle size during class, unless you prefer working the Magic Loop Method)
Crochet Hook for working circular cast-on

Homework: (To Be Completed Before Class)
Download Girasole pattern from Brooklyn Tweed (http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2008/12/girasole.html); Read over pattern to familiarize yourself with content of course.
Come prepared with listed materials to begin your project during class.

When: Sunday, February 14th 2010

This past January at our bi-annual trade show, TNNA,  I made a beeline straight to Wendy Bernard’s book signing table (of Knit and Tonic blog fame) to excitedly ask her if she would honor us with a vist to the store. Not only is Wendy coming to sign her wonderful book, Custom Knits, but she is also dropping off a trunk show filled with samples from her new book as well as samples from her line of patterns sold in our store and online at knitculture.com.

Come meet with Wendy and have her sign your copy of Custom Knits. Snacks and food and good conversation provided.

Have a summer fling with one of our adorable kits!

We think summer knitting should be about fun, fast projects. With that in mind, we have a variety of knit and crochet kits to satisfy your crafty craving. Kits are not only fast and fun but are great summer trip projects.

Make it even easier on yourself with our travel-friendly Yarntainers.They keep your project self-contained and prevent dreaded travel-induced tangles.

Check out our fun new kits from Appalachian Baby, Classic Elite, Woolpets and Pick up Sticks.

We love the new kits from Knitwhits! You can make a Bramble Owl, the Ella floral crochet scarf, or our personal favorite — Hettie the chicken. Just look at her! Adorable. 

All through June and July we will  be teaching Knitwhits Kit classes, which would be great for those scarf-only knitters looking for a great way to learn some new skills with personal attention from one of our fantastic teachers.

When you are done with the kit, one of these finished projects would make fantastic gifts, if you can bear to part with it!

A simple baby blanket is a thing of great beauty. We took the reversible cable pattern, added a seed stitch border and wound up with a blanket that looks good from any angle. To keep things subtle and beautiful this blanket was knit up in the kettle-dyed Malabrigo Worsted. Now it’s ready to become a family heirloom.

Finished Measurements:
approximately 33” x 33”

Materials:
4 Skeins of Malabrigo Worsted, or approximately 800 yards of a worsted weight yarn
Size 9 needles, or size needed to obtain gauge (as this is a blanket gauge is flexible)

Gauge:
Approximately 5.5 sts = 1″ over cable pattern

Blanket Pattern:

Cast on 164 stitches

Border:
Row 1: *k1, p1, repeat from * across
Row 2: *p1, k1, repeat from * across

Repeat these 2 border rows for 2”

Set Up Rows:
Row 1: (k1, p1) 5 times, (k6, p6) 12 times, (k1, p1) 5 times
Row 2: (p1, k1) 5 times, (k6, p6) 12 times, (p1, k1) 5 times

Repeat the above set up rows once more.

Main Body:

Row 1: (k1, p1) 5 times, *Slip 3 sts onto cn (cable needle) and hold in back; K3, K3 from cn., P6.  Repeat from * across row until 10 stitches remain, (k1, p1) 5 times

Row 6: (p1, k1) 5 times, *Slip 3 sts onto cn and hold in back: K3, K3 from cn, P6. * across row until 10 stitches remain, (p1, k1) 5 times

Rows 2, 4, 8, 10: (p1, k1) 5 times, (k6, p6) 12 times,  (p1, k1) 5 times

Rows 3, 5, 7, 9: (k1, p1) 5 times, (k6, p6) 12 times,  (k1, p1) 5 times

*Repeat rows 1-10 as above for 31”, end after row 6 of the cable pattern.

End Border:
Row 1: *k1, p1, repeat from * across
Row 2: *p1, k1, repeat from * across

Repeat these 2 border rows for 2”, Cast off and weave in ends.

Download a pdf copy of the pattern here.

The Reversible Cabled Scarf is one of those scarves that is beautiful on both the right side and the wrong side! To make things interesting, our lovely Keri added alternating long and short cables that will keep the knitting from getting too repetitive. Knit up in the wonderfully soft Baby Alpaca Grande, this scarf will keep your neck warm and toasty all year. Thank you to Keri for allowing us use her wonderful pattern.

Suggested Materials:
2 Skeins Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande (or Baby Alpaca Grande Paint or Baby Alpaca Grande Tweed)
One pair of size 11 needles
One cable needle

Gauge (but it doesn’t matter as the scarf will just be thinner or thicker): cable pattern, 14 stitches = 4”

Scarf:
CO 32 stitches.

K4 P4 for two rows.

Begin Reversible Cable Pattern:
Row 1: (RS) *Slip 2 sts onto cn (cable needle) and hold in back; K2,
K2 from cn., P4. Repeat from * across row
Row 2 –3 : K4, P4 across row
Row 4: *Slip 2 sts onto cn and hold in back: K2, K2 from cable
needle, P4. * across row
Row 5-6: K4, P4 across row
Row 7: (RS) *Slip 2 sts onto cn (cable needle) and hold in back; K2,
K2 from cn., P4. Repeat from * across row
Row 8-9: K4, P4 across row
Row 10: * Slip 2 sts onto cn and hold in back: K2, K2 from cable
needle, P4. * across row
Row 8-9: K4, P4 across row
Row 13: (RS) *Slip 2 sts onto cn (cable needle) and hold in back; K2,
K2 from cn., P4. Repeat from * across row
Row 8-9: K4, P4 across row
Row 16: * Slip 2 sts onto cn and hold in back: K2, K2 from cable
needle, P4. * across row
Row 17-22: K4, P4 across row

Cont. even in Reversible Cable Patt until piece measures approx. 65-66″ from the beginning, or desired length.

BO (bind off) in rib.

Block

Download a pdf version of this pattern here.

Knitted flowers are quick, simple, and lovely. A hand-knit flower can be sewn onto another knitting project or made into a brooch, hair ornament, or given on its own as a gift. The best part– they use very little yarn, and are a great way to use up beautiful scraps! Here is a pattern I cooked up for a flower with individual petals– you can see it at the center and bottom left of the photo above.

Yarn: Pretty much anything with stitch definition (not too fuzzy or novelty). For the pictured flowers, I used Debbie Bliss Pure Silk DK (white) and a double strand of Rowan Kidsilk Haze (pink). The tutorial flower below was done in fabulous Noro Cash Iroha.

Needle Size: A few sizes smaller than the yarn calls for. I used size 2 for both the flowers above and size 5 for the purple Cash Iroha flower below.

Abbreviations:

K- Knit

CO- Cast on

ssk- Slip slip knit. Slip one stitch as if to knit, the next as if to purl, transfer them back onto the left needle and knit them together through the backs of the loops

k2tog- Knit two together

sts- Stitches

Pattern:

CO 6 sts using a knitted cast on.

Row 1: *K1, CO1 on right needle as shown, K1, CO1, K1* repeat once more. (10 sts)

Row 2 and all even rows: Purl across.

Row 3: *K1, CO1, K3, CO1, K1* repeat once more. (14 sts)

Row 5: K1, CO1, K4, ssk, k2tog, K4, CO1, K1. (14 sts)

Row 7: K5, ssk, k2tog, K5. (12 sts)

Row 9: K4, ssk, k2tog, k4. (10 sts)

Row 11: ssk, K1, ssk, k2tog, k1, k2tog. (6 sts)

Row 13: K1, ssk, k2tog, k1. (4 sts)

Now you have a petal! Don’t bind off, just break the yarn leaving a tail to wind in, and setting it aside by sliding the 4 stitches to an extra needle. If you are knitting on a circular needle, you can push the completed petals to the middle of the cord and let them hang as you work on additional petals. When working your final petal, leave a longer tail that will be threaded on a needle and pulled through the other petal stitches to bring them together. I wove in all my ends except the long tail to make it easier to see what I was doing.

Once you have the number of petals you want, carefully place them face-up in a circle, with the live stitches in the center. You can take them off their holders if that makes it easier, just be careful not to drop stitches. Thread a tapestry needle with the long tail of your final petal and run it through each set of 4 stitches in sequence (see picture). Once you have completed the circle, pull the thread tight. Weave in the tail and it’s done!

Download a PDF version here.

It’s that time of year again. We’ve brought out the knit thong for Valentines day. We’re getting smiles, leers, and the occasional “ew!” from the pre-teen crowd.

This perennial favorite always gets a few boyfriends interested in knitting. Once again we’re offering the popular class to help students get started. An added bonus, this is a quick project that doesn’t require too much yarn.
You start the project at the top of the front, and get to learn a little bit of lace as well as some decreases and shaping. Then it’s time to learn how to do a little bit of crochet in order to connect the front and the back of the piece.

The back gets you acquainted with a bit of increasing, and then it’s time for picking up, cable cast-ons, and knitting in the round.

A picot edge rounds off the experience nicely.

All that technique in one little garment means that by the end of the project you’ve learned a whole lot in a relatively short period of time.

Check out the free pattern available from Interweave and join us at our class.

,

There was of course, one step before I started gauging. The bride-to-be and ex of the Knitter’s Studio, Mindi, came over with about 20 books of lace patterns. One by one these books were paged through, post-it noted, and dumped unceremoniously to the ground. After which Mindi went home and decided on the patterns for the shawl I was going to knit, as well as a skirt for herself.

That’s when I came into the picture, having volunteered some months ago to undertake the project. We wanted to do several guages, so that we could decide what needle size based on the look of the lace. Mindi had already started her skirt with 2s, but we had both agreed that we wanted the shawl to be looser and lacier, so I went ahead and guaged on 3s, 4s and 5s.

As you can see, I got wildly different results from each needle. The 3s (on the left) were the most substantial, but were of course also the smallest. Not only would they take the longest to knit, but I felt (and Mindi agreed) that it wasn’t lacy enough. The resulting shawl would be a little too weighty. On the other hand the 5s (on the right), were a little bit too far in the opposite direction.

The 4s (in the center) seemed to be the perfect compromise. The resulting shawl will be loose and lacy, but not too much so.

Keep an eye out for some progress pictures here on the blog.

If you’re interested in starting your own lace project you may want to check out Folk Shawls or Knitted Lace of Estonia.

We are very excited to announce that Sharon Brant of Rowan, a knitwear designer, author and costumer who has worked on such films as Harry Potter, Elizabeth and Atonement will be leading a workshop on professional finishing techniques at our store!

In this three hour workshop Sharon will use her recently published book to help you through a whole series of tips and techniques that will give your knitting that professional look and finish.

The day is aimed to show the techniques of working with colour, texture and the following techniques will be covered:

• Choosing the best method to cast on
• The importance of tension and how to correct it
• Working with Colour (Intarsia and fairisle)
• Textures (Lace, Cables and bobbles)
• Finishing techniques, (seams and picking up stitches)
• Plus many more tips that will make people ask “where did you get your sweater?” rather than “did you make that yourself?”

When: Saturday, January 24
Time: 10:00am~1:00pm
Where: The Knitter’s Studio
Price: $65.00

Sign up here!

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