"Keep It Simple Hat" by April Klich FO

Pattern: "Keep it Simple Hat" by April Klich

Source: Free Pattern on Ravelry

Yarns: Zen Garden Superwash Worsted & Galway Heather Remnant Grey

Colour: Fire Red

Source: Lettuce Knit Toronto

Needles: Addi 4mm circular, 4mm dpn's

Start: May 11 Finish May 13, 2013

 (Leafs in the Playoffs Knitting - the hat worked out better than the games!)

Modifications: worked in two colours rather than five

 
 A quick, fun, knit using a free pattern, remnant yarn and another of my Christmas gift skeins from Number One Son.

Aptly named it is simple with thoughtful construction details and opportunity to play with the colours as I did. If you consult the projects pages you'll see a variety of colour combinations, added pom poms and variations that play with the length of the droopy bit at the top. Lots of inspiration!

My version has resulted in what I think is a handsome hat that looks good on "boys" or "girls".

'Love the notched slit in the bottom band that works as a design feature and also makes for a comfortable fit.

A long tail cast on gives a stretchy, tidy edge. Then the bottom band is worked flat to facilitate that slit.

Before joining to work in the round an invisible-on-the-right-side increase is worked into a stitch a couple of rows back, It was new to me and something I'll try to remember when working garter stitch in the future because I really like the effect - or maybe better to say lack of visual effect!

After the stranded colour work chart, swirling decreases, made all the more lovely by the hand dyed yarn, march in softly turning lines towards the crown. 

I need a hat for walking the dog in winter. This should fit the bill perfectly. I also badly need warm wool mittens so I plan to knit up a pair of solid colour twined mitts in a similar colour of Cascade 220 Heathers. I want to echo the diamond pattern in the hat with raised chain stitches over the back of the hand and nod to the contrast colour with a bi-colour braid at the wrists.

A "kit" for that project is wound and ready to cast on once the second Tyrolean sock is done. (If you're thinking "...didn't she just knit that giant Man-Cardi in this same colour as these two projects? Yes, I did, hence the break to work on the Orangy Pink socks before the same-colour-red mitts.)

Humidex readings are forecast after which we're to expect another cool down but I spent yesterday in a turtleneck and wool sweater and wore hand warmers to walk the dog so the mood for mittens will still be with me for a while yet - it'll be great to have the whole works done and ready to go next autumn.

And there you have it. "Simple"! Thanks for dropping by!