Today's post comes to you with a disclaimer (lest you think I'm a crazy knitting fool - ha! me?!). Hats - as many knitters will tell you, are a quick fix. And hats for small heads? In big yarn? Well, they're an even quicker fix. Perfect for the instant gratification crafter - as I will admit to sometimes being. Also note: This is one full month of hat knitting - the photos only just discovered in my February photo folder as I attempted to clean it out and back it up this weekend, as I do when the computer starts humming and making noises like it might seize up on me (that can't be good).
So with that in mind, we shall proceed. To the parade of hats-knit-in-February.
{Photo by SoulePapa}
I knit this one for Ezra, in pretty much a reverse of Papa's winter hat (found here). Calvin tells me that this semi-matchiness makes spotting them on the mountain, "after I've skiied past them!" a lot easier. So that's good. Manos del Uruguay can never steer you wrong.
This beautiful handspun yarn (whose source I can no longer remember - sorry!) has been giving me such trouble for a while now. I just couldn't get any kind of consistent gauge enough to make a hat I liked the fit of well enough. This hat - attempt #3 - finally got it right. I used the Elf Hat pattern from Handknit Holidays (love that book). The hat is now headed (ha! get it? headed?) to my dearest and oldest friend, who also happens to be the skilled one who makes my hair all silky and shiny and free of any grey every six weeks or so. There are very few people besides my own five peeps for whom I knit hats for. She's one of them. For her crazy-mad magic skills.
Another Elf Hat from Handknit Holidays. This one for Calvin, knit in Magnum by Cascade Yarns. (Which, yes, means that it matches my Urchin. He's cool with that, though.)
This one, which Harper is kindly modeling, was sent across the country to a sweet, fresh little one. Because if I can't squish them and kiss them and hold them in person, the next best thing is to send handknits, right? The pattern is the Baby Hat in One Skein. I knit one for Adelaide a few years ago (look at those baby cheeks of hers!). It's such a sweet pattern.
Here we have Adelaide in her big-girl cheeks and Felicity hat (link to the free PDF pattern from Knitology). I've been loving every version of this slouchy hat that I've seen on Ravelry...so I gave it a go in a smaller version. Knit in Debbie Bliss cotton, I think it's going to be her favorite spring hat.
A little something (else) I knit up for Harper. I made this one using the leftover yarn from Calvin's fall hat (found in this post). I love this handspun yarn so much - I do think I will use up every last inch of it on something or other (it's from Ram in the Thicket - who now has an Etsy shop, found here). There was no pattern for this one - just a really wide garter stitch brim and simple decreases after that.
And lastly, a little number for miss Ada. It was originally intended for a small-headed recipient, but since I didn't pay attention to the gauge (what? gauge?), it ended up a bit big. No matter - she was happy for yet another hat (she hopes/asks/believes that all things I make are for her anyway). It's the buzzbee pattern from the Wee Woolly Wormhead pattern booklet, found here. And knit up in some Peace Fleece (leftover from my sweater, yes!).
(Are you still there? Oh my goodness, that's a lot of hats - and one big, long blog post.)
If winter is to go on - as it appears to be doing this morning as more snow falls out there - I'm so glad we have some fresh new hats to enjoy it with.
