she makes hats

Red Jane

2012-02-29T07:00:00.000-06:00

pattern: Jane Hat, from Jane Richmond
yarn: I Love This Yarn! solids from Hobby Lobby
needles: sizes US 8 / 5.0 mm and US 10 / 6.0 mm 16" circulars

One of the greater things that's happened in the last year is the love my extended family has for hand knits. Two years ago they fake smiled as they opened handmade presents from me; this past Christmas the folks who didn't receive them were disappointed!

I don't know if that's a testament to my perseverance and how much I've worn them down, if it means my knitting has gotten better, or if I simply figured out how to knit things they'll actually want.

No matter, because this is the SECOND hat my sister-in-law has asked for in as many months! And if you were to look in my knitting basket you'd see a light blue hat nearing completion for her friend, whom I met just a few weeks ago and who commented on how much she liked the hats I made.

Like I said the other day about Jona's Jane Hat, I need to add a few inches to these Jane hats before I decrease. I'm getting a bit jumpy to have them off the needles, and they're ending up less and less slouchy with each hat.

//

I'm making 10,000 hats for 10,000 people. This is hat 026.

Breakfast With World Travelers, A Renewed Love For The Internet

2012-02-27T20:42:00.000-06:00

Last Saturday, Colin and Jona traveled through Omaha on their bus tour of America, and even though they were only here from 5:30 to 8:00 am, we met up for breakfast and a quick hat photo shoot! When I heard they were potentially going to travel through, I offered to make each of them a hat. One for each turned into two each, and some great shots were gotten!

Did I remember to take photos while we were eating? Nope. Of anything else that morning? Nope. Ah, well!

Colin Hat #1

Colin originally asked for a hat like the Boyfriend Hat featured in my Crochet Hats for Men post. Unfortunately, I don't have the book that hat is from, so I winged it! Brown, tan and dark blue colors, a few different crochet stitches, and even a ribbed brim made this hat almost exactly what he asked for!

Notes for making it again: Do the ribbing in SC instead of HDC for a tighter rib. Make it one row longer before decreases.

Colin's second hat was made before I made the crochet hat, actually! As I didn't have the book for the Boyfriend Hat I thought I'd wing a knit version. The hat is a titch too small for his head although you'd never know it from these poses, and is missing one light grey row at the very top as I ran out of yarn!

I would knit this exact hat again and again using leftover bits of yarn ... in reality, I most likely will do exactly that and list the hats in my shop, it's such a fun hat to knit! Again, a few more rows before the decreases, as I forget just how big men's heads actually are!

Jona's first hat was a no-brainer - when I offered to make a hat however she wanted it, she jumped around screaming BUNNY HAT, BUNNY HAT! Or so the story was re-told to me via e-mail - a bunny hat in the colors of her hair.

Bunny hat, in blue and pink, delivered.

It was so fun to crochet up, although I had hoped for more epic ears than she ended up with. Jona squealed with delight when she got it, and immediately placed it over her gorgeous blue and pink hair!

Jona's second hat came simply and easily - a Jane Hat made using the rest of the pink yarn from her first hat.

I must remember to make this one an inch or two longer than I have been going forward; somehow I've ended up with a non-slouchy version the last three or four I've knit. I think I'm getting restless and want to end the hat before it's ready.

The hat still looks adorable on Jona, so it was a success nonetheless.

//

As Colin and Jona are traveling by bus and have a minimum of space for things on their trip, I told them to feel free to give away one of the hats if they decide they don't want both. In my mind, if they don't want both I'd rather the second hat go to someone who will use it and love it than it languish at the bottom of a bag unloved and unused!

//

While we ate, we discussed the camp factor of Star Wars, the hilarity of much of what America does from the perspective of the rest of the world, and of course knitting. Colin is an ideas man, a marketer to his core, and he tossed out a few amazing ideas for me to grab and go with.

Some floated right past, but one stuck - Hats On People. I'll share more about this later in the week, but suffice it to say if Colin has his way with my and my hats, folks all over the world will soon be wearing them and talking about them, helping me reach my goal of 10,000 hats on 10,000 people.

{See, he took my long-winded thoughts about knitting hats for friends, family, and charity and boiled it down to the perfect tagline. Genius.}

I'm super excited at the thoughts he put into my head; I love how they mesh with my own thoughts and dreams about this space, my knitting goals, and so much more. One little breakfast, thanks to a leap of faith style e-mail sent out on a whim, and the world as I know it is changed.

I love the internet, I truly do. It connects folks together in amazing ways, shrinks the world a ton, and makes pancakes an event. Hooray!

//

I'm making 10,000 hats for 10,000 people. These are hats 024 and 025.

Shop Sale Now Live!

2012-02-27T07:36:00.002-06:00

The shop sale is now live!

All kids and baby items are just $10!

All adult items are just $15!

The shop sale will run from today until Friday at around 4pm, so grab what you can while the getting is good!

I'll be adding items to the shop throughout the week at sale prices as well, as time permits. Look for one to five items to show up around Wednesday!

a few hats for some world travelers

2012-02-25T13:05:00.001-06:00

Have you met Colin of Exile Lifestyle? He travels the world, spending four months at a time in a different country while writing for his website, writing books, and so much more!

He and girlfriend Jona - who he met in Iceland, no less - are spending the next few months traveling the United States via Greyhound bus. They swung through Omaha this morning, and I gifted each of them with two hats!

I'll share more about these two hats (as well as the other two I made for them!) on Monday, but I had to share these two photos today ... they're too cute, these two!

up, up, and away

2012-02-24T07:00:00.000-06:00

It's been a rough week at the compound. Lack of sleep, crabbiness all around, and the realization that due to my financial issues brought into our marriage we've got to postpone a few family dreams for a few more years. Bummers all around.

The fact that Owen now loves to be tossed up into the air by daddy definitely makes us all smile, though. This kid is both a snuggler and a dare devil at the same time. He loves to be tossed around, hung upside down and even balanced on just one of dad's hands, but will snuggle into us to give big hugs and kisses several times a day. Perfection.

I'm learning to be thankful for this little man's gifts to me - his love and devotion, how daring he is and how little he knows of the yucky stuff of the world. He just giggles and snuggles and flings himself backwards to be held upside down, unaware of everything that stresses us out. Oh, to have that gift for myself, even for a day!

And so, to do something to bring a bit of peace, cash and space to our home, I'm having a shop sale next week! I've got a number of items to list in the shop, and starting Monday everything that's READY TO SHIP will cost you just $10 for baby and kid's items and just $15 for adult items! That's mittens, cowls, hats - anything and everything I can get listed READY TO SHIP between now and Monday morning!

And if you want to grab something before the sale starts, use the code FLYING12 to get 20% off anything in the shop until Monday morning!

owen and the fudge bar

2012-02-23T19:20:00.000-06:00

We decided to treat Owen to a few pieces of fudge bar for his six month birthday ... I think he loved it!

six months with Owen

2012-02-23T07:00:00.000-06:00

Is it true? Are you really six months old already? I can't remember what life was like without you (do I say that too often?) and yet it seems like you've only been here for a brief moment.

This has been the month of food for you. As soon as the doctor said you could eat solids at your four-month check-up we grabbed some bananas and got busy. You've worked your way through every "first food" we can find for you, moved from rice cereal to oatmeal - for the flavor, of course - and have even dipped your toes into eating rice cakes and puffs. You now eat two jars of food (or one jar and 3 tablespoons of oatmeal) three times a day, and I think you'd eat more if we gave it to you.

We're gearing up for sippy cups and even more foods as soon as Dr. Moore gives the okay. Dad can't wait for some of the combinations the "second foods" offer!

We've been practicing sitting up a lot this month. You love to check out your toys from this new vantage point, although we still have to put the Boppy around you because you love to fling yourself backwards (as seen above) and giggle like a maniac while doing it. Once you get that out of your system, I'm pretty sure you'll be hanging out on the floor with mom all the time!

As for toys, you love anything that makes noise, your green bunny, and your football. You'll bang and shake and slam anything you can get your hands on, and the more noise the better! Dad and I already agreed that once you're a bit better at sitting we'll start letting you bang on pots and pans, and maybe get you a few of those super cool baby instruments so you can make as much noise as you want, all day long!

When you're not rolling around on the floor, practicing scooting, or sitting up with your toys, you still love to play in your exer-saucer and your new-to-you jumperoo. Once Jack taught you how to use it you decided it was one of the cooler things you owned, and now spend mom and dad's dinner-time bouncing around, screeching along with the music and grabbing at the birds above you. Genius.

You also discovered television this month. We watch Sesame Street during the day sometimes, thanks to Netflix, and dad watched Ok Go on the computer with you for around 30 minutes. Now we all know about the primary colors (from their Sesame Street video), although you loved their first video best (with the treadmills).

My favorite moment from the month? Putting you into one of those wooden high chairs at Mama's Pizza and how much you loved it! You watched your buddy Jack do it, decided you wanted in on this game, and sat like a champ for quite some time. You're still a bit skinny for them and so as you got tired you slid around a little bit, but the photo above is proof of just how big you're getting. I can't wait until you have a few teeth, have mastered the art of people food a bit better, and can munch on the crust!

a few new photos for the shop

2012-02-22T12:26:00.001-06:00

We took some time this morning to take a few photos for the She Makes Hats shop. I listed these hats before Owen was big enough to fit into them, and now that he is I wanted to add a bit of personality to each listing! He wouldn't let go of that binkie for anything though, which is why he's chewing on the pink hat like his life depends on it!

How fun to have a little man who can sit up on his own now so I an grab adorable shots like these!

You can grab any of these hats now, and I'm hoping to add bunches more - both baby sized like these and adult sizes - in the coming weeks!

giveaway over at The Blank Pages!

2012-02-21T07:50:00.004-06:00

I'm over at The Blank Pages today, giving away a knit-to-order Jane Hat in the color of your choice! There are five ways to win, so pop on over and jump on in!

023 // Half and Half

2012-02-20T07:00:00.000-06:00

pattern: Half and Half Hat, by Sara Dudek (free Ravelry download)
yarn: Stitch Nation by Debbie Stollar Washable Ewe (64 yards of purple)
needles: size US 10 / 6.0 mm 16" circular and dpns
made for: Hats for Soldiers

It's been so much fun to use this washable wool yarn up on hats for Navy soldiers! I'm still a bit stuck on how wool can also be washable, but I'm loving that I'm able to get some hats to folks serving in the military while also helping a Ravelry friend de-stash a bit!

This free pattern was fast and fun to knit up, and I only made one change. Instead of knitting the ribbing for two rows, I knit it for three. I think if I knit the hat again, I'd do the same, and make the purl section about an inch shorter before starting the knit section. That way I could wear the hat slouchy if I wanted to as well! Right now I have the three ribbed rows rolled up so the hat fits a bit snugger, but I'm not a huge fan.

Thankfully, most folks have larger heads than I do, so they shouldn't have this problem!

Snug As A Bug Sleep Sack

2012-02-17T07:00:00.000-06:00

All babies need a bit of extra snuggle when first born, and sources tell me they should also be wrapped up tight. But what if your babe likes to kick her legs?

By using worsted weight yarn, this pattern will practically knit itself, while still keeping everything soft enough for even the most sensitive of babes! And as an added bonus, you use the entire skein of yarn, so there’s no need to figure out what to do with leftovers!

Materials:
One size 8 circ (16”), one extra size 8 needle. · One skein Vanna’s Choice Baby Yarns · Darning needle

Finished Measurements:
12” wide at the top (unstretched), 15” long

Gauge:
17 stitches x 22 rows = 4" (10 cm) on size 8 needles

Directions:
Cast on 72 stitches. Join for working in the round, being careful to not twist stitches.

Row 1: k2, p2* to end of row, ending with p2.
Continue in k2, p2 ribbing for 4”.

Knit in the round until you have approximately 20” of yarn left in your skein.

Bind off all stitches, using 3-needle bind off. Weave in both ends, and gift to a cute new babe!

Pattern available for FREE DOWNLOAD! download now

020 - 022 // Snowy Days

2012-02-16T07:00:00.000-06:00

pattern: Jane Hat, by Jane Richmond
yarn: I Love This Yarn! in brown (two hats, approximately 130 yards each), I Love This Yarn! in periwinkle (142 yards)
needles: sizes US 8 / 5.0mm and US 10 / 6.0mm 16" circular needles
made for: Chicago Food Pantry

It snowed again Sunday night, leaving a few more inches of white stuff all over the yard, our car, and even the porch! Winter will probably be short this year - we didn't even see snow until the beginning of February, so even if we see snow until the end of March it'll only be two months' worth!

We're taking advantage of snow days around here by wearing pajamas as much as we can, checking out the snow from next to our electric fireplace, and waving to daddy as he has to trudge off in it each morning.

Oh, and tromping outside for a few minutes to take hat photos!

I'm halfway to my goal of knitting 20 Jane Hats by the end of March, and pretty sure I'll reach my goal. I've got a few weekends in March where I'll have some concentrated knitting time, so between now and then I may knit a few different things instead.

What do you love on your knitting needles when there's snow on the ground?

Pretty Hats For Springtime!

2012-02-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

Even if it's only mid-February, spring will be here before you know it! You won't want your super warm winter-friendly hats anymore, but you may still want something to keep your ears warm. Below are a few hats I've found recently on Ravelry (and then pinned to Pinterest) that are springtime-friendly.

Source: ravelry.com via robyn on Pinterest

Springtime Beret. I love the patterning on this one!

Source: ravelry.com via robyn on Pinterest

Simple Yarn overs give this hat tons of texture!

Source: ravelry.com via robyn on Pinterest

I love the larger than usual brim on this one!

Source: ravelry.com via robyn on Pinterest

The All-Day Beret has the perfect spring-time pattern.

Source: ravelry.com via robyn on Pinterest

Butterfly-like patterning gives this hat a great warmer weather look.

Source: ravelry.com via robyn on Pinterest

Ties at the bottom of this hat? Perfection!

Source: ravelry.com via robyn on Pinterest

Use fingering-weight yarn to get a lighter hat, like this one.

Source: ravelry.com via robyn on Pinterest

I've knit Foliage a few times - when made in wool it's super gorgeous, squishy, and still has just enough lace to keep you from getting too warm.

019 // NOT A Hat For Owen

2012-02-14T07:30:00.000-06:00

I attempted to knit a hat for my growing boy last week ...

Clearly my little man has grown a lot faster and bigger than I thought he had!

018 and 019 // A Few Shine Hats

2012-02-13T07:00:00.000-06:00

pattern: Shine Hat, by Robyn Devine
yarn: see below for details
needles: sizes US 8 / 5.0 mm and US 10 / 6.0 mm 16" circulars

I loved working up the pattern for the Shine Hat. I'll admit that I saw a hat on Pinterest that caught my interest, and I immediately wondered if I could knit up a version for charity. I love the idea of using a neutral for the main body of the hat and mixing up the colors for the brim and pom.

To test things out, I made the first hat using a neutral grey for the brim and pom (right hat). The Patons wool worked wonderfully, giving the hat warmth and thickness while not adding too much bulk.

But I also wanted to send a hat to Ashley from The Shine Project, and so I contacted her and asked her what color she wanted for the brim/pom. She picked grey, and the result is the hat you see to the left!

For her hat, I used Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool for the body of the hat - a different neutral than the Patons Wool but still a nice neutral, undyed color. I mixed it up with a grey yarn from my stash.

I've got big plans for some more of these worked up with some of the leftover brighter wools in my stash, but they may have to wait a few weeks as both my queue and my "works in progress" pile are far too big right now!

Merrymeeting Mitts

2012-02-10T06:50:00.000-06:00

Please say a sweet welcome to Merrymeeting Mitts!

Knit on size 5 dpns, these mitts are made with worsted weight yarn to help keep your hands toasty warm in the winter time. But you can wear them in the fall and spring as well, thanks to the open fingers and thumbs!

Perfect for newbie knitters, there is very minimal shaping, no thumb ribbing to pick up after the hand is made, and simple 2x2 ribbing at each end to ensure these mitts will fit just about anyone you gift them to.

Materials Needed:

One skein Lion Brand Wool-Ease (80% acrylic, 20% wool; 197 yards / 180 meters per 85 grams)
One set size US 5 / 3.75 mm needles
Darning needle

Gauge:
5 sts x 6 rows = 1” in stockinette stitch

Finished Measurements:
Small (medium, large) = 6 (7, 8)” around palm

Stitch Descriptions:
MlR = make one right; with left-hand needle, pick up a stitch from the row below, inserting your needle from back to front. Knit stitch through the front of the loop.

M1L = make one left; with left-hand needle, pick up a stitch from the row below, inserting your needle from front to back. Knit stitch through the back of the loop.

Directions:
Using the long-tail cast-on method, cast on 36 (40, 44) stitches.

Divide evenly between three needles, being careful not to twist. Join for working in the round, and knit 2x2 ribbing for 2.5 (3, 3.5)”.

Set Up Rows:
Knit all stitches for 2 (4, 6) rows.

Thumb Gussett:
Rows 1 & 2: Knit all stitches

Row 3: Knit 1, M1R, knit to last stitch M1L, Knit last stitch.

Repeat these three rows 5 (6, 7) more times. You will now have a total of 48 (54, 60) stitches.

Finishing The Hand:
Knit to the last 6 (7, 8) stitches. Bind off 12 (14, 16) stitches.

You will now have a hole for the thumb. Begin knitting in the round again with the first needle.

Knit 7 (8, 9) rows.

Work 6 (8, 10) rows in 2x2 ribbing. Bind off all stitches in pattern.

Break yarn, leaving a 12” tail. Weave in all ends.

my wednesday in photos

2012-02-08T19:23:00.002-06:00

exhibit A:

Owen got his first ear infection. I love how the bottle has his name in quotes, like ALLEGEDLY it's for him.

Exhibit B:

I found time to wind some gorgeous yarn that will become a shawlette. Watch out!
{ETA: yarn is Magallanes 100% wool, hand dyed by Araucania Yarns, from Chile! I've got several skeins in my stash, too!!!}

Exhibit C:

Husband came home from work decidedly NOT SICK. Can you spot him under the two blankets with a wool hat under a hoodie?

pinning lately // knits for your neck

2012-02-08T08:19:00.000-06:00

While I'm a tried-and-true hat knitter, I do love a good scarf or cowl on occasion as well! And with so many great patterns sucking me in lately, I may just make the 2012 holiday season the season of keeping others' necks warm!

Here are a few scarves and cowls from my Pinterest boards if you'd like to whip up a cowl as well!

Source: pickles.no via robyn on Pinterest

Love this luxury cowl from Pickles - and it's super simple to whip up!

Source: smashedpeasandcarrots.blogspot.com via robyn on Pinterest

The Runaround Cowl seems especially toasty after all the snow we just got!

Source: shibuiknits.com via robyn on Pinterest

I've already had several folks ask if I can make them one of these!

Source: ravelry.com via robyn on Pinterest

This chunky scarf is actually crochet - I bet it would whip up super fast!

Source: lionbrand.com via robyn on Pinterest

Heaven. That's all I see when I look at this photo.

Source: janerichmond.blogspot.com via robyn on Pinterest

The Rae scarf is super fast and fun, and would definitely keep you warm this season!

Source: things.luxuryistohavesimplethings.com via robyn on Pinterest

This tube can be worn so many ways!

017 // For A Good Cause

2012-02-07T07:00:00.001-06:00

Scarf Notes:
pattern: Malabrigo Waffles Scarf, by Sarah Florent (free pattern)
yarn: Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn! in navy blue (one entire skein)
needles: size US 10 / 6.0 mm
notes: I sized up the needles to accommodate the thicker yarn, but otherwise followed pattern.

Hat Notes:
pattern: Waffle Hat, by Gail Bable
yarn: Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn! in navy blue (1/3 of a skein, or 114 yards)
needles: size US 9 / 5.5 mm

A few weeks ago, my friend Becky asked if I would knit a scarf and hat set for a silent auction for her friend. Leila was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, and it was discovered 19 out of 22 lymph nodes were cancerous, along with cancer cells in her liver and spine.

After hearing all that, I said yes immediately, and set about making a hat and scarf for the Spaghetti Feed and silent auction being held on February 12th. Above are my offerings - a gender-neutral waffle hat and scarf.

If you live in the Omaha or Lincoln area and can attend the benefit, it's being held on February 12th at Norris Middle School in Lincoln. It sounds like it's going to be an amazing event, and all money will help support this amazing woman fighting for her life.

015 and 016 // Snowpocalypse!

2012-02-06T07:00:00.001-06:00

pattern: Jane Hat, by Jane Richmond
yarn: I Love This Yarn! in turquoise (approximately 130 yards per hat)
needles: sizes US 8 / 5.0mm and US 10 / 6.0mm 16" circular needles
made for: Chicago Food Pantry

Winter has finally come to Omaha! Between Friday night and Saturday we got almost a foot of snow, cocooning our neighborhood in gorgeous white! Plans for pizza with Owen's friend Jack were put on hold, and we just hunkered down at home playing, surfing the internet, watching Netflix Instant, and knitting!

By Saturday afternoon I had these two Jane hats off my needles. Snow is great for knitting, even with a little one at home who wants to play all day long.

I still can't figure out how I manage to get such dramatic yardage differences on each of the Jane hats I've knit so far this year. Using the same yarn (although different colors) and the same needles, knitting to the same length before decreases each time, I've wound up with hats varying in yardage from around 110 to almost 150 yards. It's a mystery!

fun in the snow

2012-02-04T13:24:00.000-06:00

Ah, Jim, robot camels.

The Shine Hat // Now In The Shop!

2012-02-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

Good news - the Shine Hat has officially been added to the Etsy Shop! You can have the Shine Hat made to order with any brim/puff color, so you can match it to your coat, your eyes, or just your mood!

$5 from the purchase of every Shine Hat will be donated to the Shine Project Scholarship Fund, so your purchase will be helping some amazing kids head off to college!

Shine Hat

2012-02-03T07:00:00.000-06:00

A few months ago I was introduced to Ashely at The Shine Project through another blog. I was instantly blown away - what an amazing woman who is doing amazing things!

Ashley began The Shine Project to help send a few high school students off to college by raising money using her blog and some seriously inspirational and motivational posting skills! Now The Shine Project is becoming an official charitable organization with a board of directors and even bigger dreams for the future!

Ashley is super inspiring, and I wanted to create something to share my excitement at what she's doing. Enter The Shine Hat.

This fun hat can be made as slouchy or as fitted as you want, and while the stitches and construction are simple enough, the overall effect is fun and different. I used Patons wool for the hat pictured above, but I'll be sharing a few more hats made with this pattern soon, and for each I used a different combination of worsted weight wools just to see how versatile this pattern is - I'm happy to report you can substitute in just about any worsted weight wool and as long as you get gauge, you should be good to go!

Materials Needed:

One skein Patons Classic Wool (210 yards/192 meters per 100 grams) for color A – I used grey heather
One skein Patons Classic Wool (210 yards/192 meters per 100 grams) for color B – I used natural mix
One set size US 8 / 5 mm 16” circular needles
One set size US 10 / 6 mm 16” circular needles
One stitch marker
One darning needle

Gauge:
5 sts x 8 rows = 1" in seed stitch on larger needles

Finished Measurements:
17" circumference, un-stretched.

Directions:
Using color A, cast on 80 stitches.
Work 2x2 ribbing for 4.25”.

Fold brim in half with cast on edge inside of the work. Knitting one stitch from the cast on edge together with one stitch from the needles, work one more round of ribbing. This will turn the brim under doubled for added warmth.

Switch to larger needles and color B, knit all stitches around. At last 2 stitches, k2tog – this will create an odd number of stitches.

Now simply (k1, p1) around until the hat measures 8.5”. Because you decreased one at the beginning of the hat body, this will create a seed stitch pattern.

Decrease Row 1: (K1, K2tog) around.
Decrease Row 2: (k1, p1) around.
Decrease Row 3: (k2tog) around.

Break yarn, leaving a long tail. Weave through all live stitches on needles, pulling off the needles and closing the top of the hat. Weave in all ends, and attach a pom to the top of the hat.

TIP: I use a commercially-purchased pom maker for all my hats, and tie them up using yarn from the main body color of the hat. This way, when I weave in the ends from the pom, they do not show up on the hat body!

014 / Sparkly Waffles

2012-02-02T07:00:00.001-06:00

pattern: Waffle Hat, by Gail Bable (my Ravelry project page)
yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease Glitters in white
needles: size US 9 / 5.5mm 16" circular needle
made for: my sister-in-law

Sunday was family dinner night. Usually it's just my husband's parents, his sister and her family, and our little family. But on the last Sunday of the month it's the entire family - as many relatives as we can pack into one house.

Zach's dad comes from a family of seven children, and his mom from a family of six. That's a lot of aunts, uncles and cousins in one home!

This past Sunday, I was so excited - there were several people there wearing hats I had made them, including the newest addition to the group - my sister-in-law with this hat! She wanted something white, with a bit of sparkle, to match her winter coat. I happened to have this skein of Wool Ease Glitters in my stash, so I whipped up a hat as quick as could be.

She wore it all day and night. The best compliment ever!

011, 012, and 013 // Blog Exchange Hats

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-06:00

I jumped at the chance to be part of a blog giftie exchange hosted by Casey Wiegand and a few of her friends. I wrote a few days ago about the amazing goodies I received from Nikki, but I also wanted to share my notes and thoughts on what I sent to her!

{read her post about these hats here}

Black Waffle Hat
pattern: Waffle Hat, by Gail Bable
yarn: Hobby Lobby I Love This Wool! in black (105 yards)
needles: size US 9 / 5.5 mm 16" circular needles

notes: This hat was made for Nikki's husband. I made it like I have made every waffle hat so far - sized up the needles, knit 80 stitches instead of just 76, and made it so it could be worn a bit slouchy or with the brim turned up.

Purple Jane Hat
pattern: Jane Hat, by Jane Richmond
yarn: Stitch Nation by Debbie Stoller Washable Ewe (130 yards)
needles: sizes US 8 / 5.0 mm and US 10 / 6.0 mm 16" circular needles

notes: Like the Waffle Hat, I followed the same modifications I follow whenever I knit this hat. Cast on 80 stitches, and knit for almost 10" before decreases. This makes the hat a bit slouchy, a bit of a tighter fit, and perfect in every way!

Turquoise Hat
pattern: Aviatrix Hat, by Justine Turner (free Ravelry download)
yarn: I Love This Wool! in turquoise
needles: sizes US 7 / 4.5 mm and US 9 / 5.5 mm needles

notes: I love knitting this hat for babies and young kids. The perfect hat for newborns, this hat also works great for busy toddlers who can't be bothered with hats and love to pull them off. Meant to stretch to fit for at least one full winter, as kids get older the sizes of this hat pattern mean you may just be able to get two winter seasons out of it!

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I had such fun knitting these hats for Nikki and her family! Next time Casey hosts a blog exchange I'm definitely signing up again!