I have an ecletic selection of hats published lately and they all have quite different personalities. In Creative Knitting magazine's Autumn Issue, I have two sets to discuss.
Lady In Lace is a scarf and beanie set worked in one of my favorite yarns, Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk:
In #147 Crabapple, it is a luscious 50% alpaca, 50% silk yarn that has incredible sheen:
The hat is worked entirely in the round from the bottom up, switching to double-pointed needles when no longer comfortable to knit with the 16" circulars.
There are the same two lace patterns in both pieces that would be a wonderful introduction to lace knitting. The hat has two sizes, 17 3/4" and 20 1/4" and required 1(2) hanks. I thought it would be styled as a beanie, but I loved how the magazine slouched it a bit so if you want it over your ears, pull it down like I did on my model's head above. If you want just a smidge of slouch even more pronounced than in the magazine, then work the main section of the hat for another inch or two.
The scarf is worked flat, 9 1/4" x one hundred years or however long you want to knit. The sample is 60" and required 4 hanks. It would be your perfect holiday scarf to jazz up your little black dress. Or, when you really do want warmth, wrap it a couple times under your jacket.
My second set for Creative Knitting is officially named Evergreen Dream.
I worked with a yarn new to me, SMC Select Extra Soft Merino:
Look! The yarn ball is bigger than her head!! Yikes! Neverthess, it is a super squishy multi-ply superwash wool that is just lovely on your hands. Officially a DK weight, it has 142 yards per ball and this color is Moss, #05164.
The slouch comes in two sizes, 16 and 19 1/4 which stretches easily to 18–20 (20–22) inches.
The tee is fun because the shaping is worked in different sizes of needles so the leaf pattern is uninterrupted. Sizes on this one was determined by the pattern (hence, not typical) and are 32 (37 1/4, 42 3/4, 48, 53 1/4, 58 3/4) inches with the total length is 23 (24, 25, 26, 27, 28) inches. I would work this one 1-2 inches larger than your bust measurement as it is meant to be relatively snug to the body. This one is easy to modify. If you want a bit larger armhole than just work a bit more of the pattern.
It is seamless, worked from the bottom up. The garter plackets are worked flat and then joined in the round for the body to the armholes. It is then divided and worked flat again to the neck edge. My favorite friend the three needle bind off is worked for the shoulder seams and then stitches are picked up to work the armhole and neck edgings in the round.
Next up on the hat parade is Sweet & Slouchy Hat in 50 Knitted Gifts for Year-Round Giving from Sixth & Spring Books:
This book is packed with super cute gift ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed designing the cable pattern and I hope you will enjoy it too. Universal Yarn's Deluxe Worsted is a great workhorse yarn that is 100% wool.
The slouch/tam has one size and is 18" unstretched and has a 10" diameter.
The book is only $19.95 and has a vast selection of projects that include home decor items, other hats and mitts, scarves and kid items. Just a huge variety of knitted goodness to have in your knitting library.
Lastly, it is not every day that I can say I have knit with a yarn made from 40% cashmere, 40% possum and 20% silk, and yet here is that very yarn:
That petite little ball of perfection is a laceweight yarn called Air from Zealana. It has a whopping 191 yards for 50 grams. Just one ball is needed to knit my Leaf Panel Beret:
It is worked at a loose gauge of 7 stitches and 9 rows per inch with the leaf motif down the center.
Treat yourself to a little luxury.
Switching gears entirely from luxury to reality, as you know school has started and I can't believe I have one in high school, middle school and elementary school -- one in each school! Paul is a freshman, Wade is in 8th grade and Kate is a 4th grader. My dad visited for a couple of weeks and enjoyed getting everyone off to their first day of school.
Don't you love Kate' glasses? It has been a bit of a rude awakening getting our acts back together but we have stabilized a bit. Yes, I do find it odd Kate is covered head to toe in clothes and I am in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. She said she wasn't too warm and needed to wear her favorite pants and jacket. Of course!
Hope your transition to fall has been a good one...knit on!
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