FO: Two Hats for Fall

Fall is in the air. It's back up into the high 80's today, but we had a few days of chilly weather come our way. Another round of lettuce and spinach have been planted, the kids are back into the routine of school and the baby is predictably napping. If I weren't fearful of jinxing it all, I'd would say life is hitting nice rhythm.

Over the past few weeks I've finished up two hats. The first is the hat pictured above. I had been coveting the the pattern for a few years already. It's the Noro Hat (free pattern) and I am so happy that I finally knit it. I'm not terribly thrilled with the final hat - it's a bit too bulky at the top for my taste, and let's face it Noro yarn is scratchy - but those colors! And the hat could be tailored with some modifications to the decrease rounds. And I love it enough that I've cast on for a second one with Cascade Eco Duo, a luscious blend of alpaca and wool in gray hues.



The second hat is Ride the Wave by Amy Anderson, a local knitwear designer. This hat was a store sample and I knew immediately I needed one myself. I love the patterning; those sharp angles set off by bright colors. The written pattern was easy too. There was a nice chart to follow, but the simple words, "every row is a repeat of four or two" was a the most helpful of all. Can you believe that counts of two and four make this gorgeous thing? Nature, in all her numerical wisdom, is an aesthetic genius.



The brim of the hat is too wide for me, so I just seamed it under and now it flares out just a bit, but I think, in a flattering way. I may also block the hat to see if I can squeeze a bit more ease out of it. If I were to re-knit this hat I'd go for a simple ribbed brim, using a smaller size needle.

Also, taking photos of yourself, wearing hats, in the bathroom mirror is a strange experience.