My first knit off the needles for the Olympic Games (and the similarly-named Ravellenic Games happening on Ravelry) is the Hurricane Hat. Knitting this hat feels like coming home to me - the pattern is the first I used in my One Hundred Hats project back in 2009 (blogged here)!

pattern: Hurricane Hat, by Andrea Goutier (free online!)
needles: size US 8 / 5.0 mm 16" circular and dpns
yarn: Patons Classic Wool (100% wool), 90 yards

The first time I knit this hat, I knit it to the exact specs of the pattern. As I noted back then, the hat was a bit short on me. This time around I made a few modifications to the pattern and love the results!

For starters, I sized up my needles one. The pattern calls for size US 7 / 4.5 mm needles, but I knit tight so I always size up at least one needle size. This change got me to gauge, and the hat knit up to the right size.

The other change I made came in the length of the hat before the crown decreases. Again because of my tight knitting, I tend to need a bit more hat length before my decreases begin. In this case, the pattern calls for knitting to 5" before crown decreases - I knit to 6" before beginning my decreases. In all honesty, I had a nagging feeling I should have gone to 6.5" before decreases, but I ignored it. Knitters, never ignore those instincts! While the hat fits just fine, I know I'd love it more if it were just a tad bit longer.

After the hat was done and I wore it for the photo above, Zach commented that he liked the hat as well. I hadn't thought of the hat as being for men as well as for women, but after Zach said that, I started to picture this hat knit in dark browns, greys and black.

This hat is getting placed in a box I'll be filling over the next two weeks for nest: Maine. I'm hoping to use up some of my languishing wool stash during my Olympic knitting, and this was a great start!

//

I'm making 10,000 hats for 10,000 people. This is hat 111.

Hurricane Hat

Jul 31, 2012


I'm super excited for my August knitting plans! In the next few months I've got lots of fun knits I'd like to knock out, and we all know how I love a good list, so I've combined these two and given myself a huge list of all the things I'd like to get done in the next few months, knit-wise.

I'm on track to blow away my quiet little 2012 hat knitting goal (250 hats), and that makes me super happy - it means bunches of folks will be a bit warmer this winter thanks to something I've made! To keep myself on track, I've set not a numbers goal for August, but a "type of knitting" goal.

I've got a jar FULL of little bits of yarn, sitting on the shelf in our dining room tempting Owen with its goodness. Every day he walks by it, petting the glass and begging to open the jar up and fling around the tiny yarn balls. I get it - yarn is such fun! But I'd rather knit that yarn up into some stripey hats than lose it to my son and one of our cats - the two of them love to toss balls of yarn around together!

So each Monday in August I'll be sharing shots of the striped hats I've been able to work up during the week. I'll be using my own Simple Striped Hat pattern as much as I can - it's an easy guide for a great striped hat - and pairing my tiny yarn balls with the excess of grey and white acrylic I've got laying around.

I'd love to have you all knit along with me as I knit up striped hats! Each Monday I'll be posting a "linky tools" so you can link to the striped hats you're making all month with me. It's super easy to use and really, I just love seeing finished knits so if you link to something else that you've knit up, I won't complain!

//

While working up striped hats, I'm also excited to be knitting through Jane Richmond's hat patterns in August! You'll hear a bit more about that in a few days, but suffice it to say I may just be able to knock another goal off my birthday list by the end of August!

August, I'm ready for you!

August Knitting Preview: Stripes and Jane Richmond!

Jul 30, 2012




It's been a quiet week around here. Which is to say, it hasn't been quiet at all, but the week has felt quiet to me for some reason. We've had family in town, friends in town, a trip to the zoo and FINALLY a few top teeth to take up time and space this week, but through all the busy and going places life has felt slow, in all the best ways.

There have been pauses for watermelon and graham crackers, time taken out to watch golf in our jammies, and great conversation had almost every day.

A good week indeed!


We kicked off our week on Saturday, with dinner at a new-to-us restaurant. Crave has been six blocks away for several years now, but this was our first trip. Good to know we're not behind the times!

With friends in town from everywhere it seemed, we all met up and shared drinks and good news - a babe for one couple, an impending marriage for another! Excitement to be sure, and plotting baby hand knits may have already begun!





After saying we'd head to the zoo every week, Owen and Jack just finally managed their second visit on Wednesday. We read up on all the animals we'd be seeing, Owen got so excited he tried to climb into his car seat a good hour before we were set to go, and as per usual he got so worn out he passed out half-way through!

Our zoo is such an amazing place to take kids of all ages, and having the family passes means Owen and Jack will get to enjoy the zoo into the fall and even winter!


Like I said, we've been visited by two new top teeth. It seems after saying just a few days ago how Owen has been locked in a battle of wills with his top gum, those teeth finally won out. We are all (well, almost all) happy that this has been the case, as now Mister Owen is back to sleeping and not crabbing all over the place!

He and daddy celebrated the two teeth with an evening of boys-only blanket forts last night. I managed to get this shot of them, in between giggles, tackles, and snuggles. These two are the best!

insta-life 7.27.2012

Jul 26, 2012

Last week I posted that I was taking questions - any questions you had to ask me - and would be answering them here on the blog. Today is the day for answers! You'll find questions asked in bold below, with my answers following them.

Q. Do you have any tips for starting a hat? The first few rows of ribbing are always so difficult for me until I get some weight on the needles. (anonymous)

My best tip for starting the ribbing on a hat out right is to simply knit it flat. If you struggle with those first two inches or so, don't join for working in the round until you're to the body portion of the hat! You can use the tail at the beginning to sew up the brim, and the join will hardly be noticeable

Q. My question is have you ever considered doing a video tutorial on your blog on some specific knitting skills? (Lindsay)

 Lindsay, I've tossed around the idea of doing video tutorials in the past, actually! The problem right now is that they take up quite a bit of time, and to make them the best quality I can, I'd need to have some sort of editing software, which I don't currently own. It's on my list of things to try to tackle in the near future, though - I'd love to do a series where we all knit a hat together, with each step (from casting on all the way to weaving in ends) documented in short videos.

Q. I would love to know what you have found to be the five most challenging things have been in Owen's first 11 months. (Meredith)

Meredith, this is a great question! So much of our lives transferred seamlessly (or so it feels now!) to having a baby, not much has been intensely challenging. It helps that I'm still staying home full time with him I'm sure! With that in mind, here are the five things I've deemed the most challenging almost a year in:

1. Body issues - mine, not Owen's (of course)! I didn't gain a ton of weight with pregnancy, and I actually weigh less now than I did before I got pregnant, but my body shape is VASTLY different than it used to be, including several areas that are pretty loose and fatty now. Granted, I'm not working out very much at all, but it's been a hard adjustment to go up a pants size despite weighing less, to not see my tummy and thighs look the same after the fact, stuff like that. I suppose that if I worked out more often (on the list for August!) these "problem" areas would start to take care of themselves, but as I'm not yet, this is an area of struggle still.

2. Teeth. Owen is currently locked in a battle of wills with his top gum. He's got at least four teeth that are begging to come in, and we're pretty sure Owen is willing them to stay in his gums. It's the only explanation! After his first two came in two months ago, we've had more crabby days than not, gone through more Tylenol than I'd care to admit, and still no teeth. Argh!

3. Sleep. Along with being willful about teeth, Owen is a pretty willful kid when it comes to sleep. Meaning, he doesn't see much need for it. He goes to bed around 8pm and is up by 6am, usually with one wake in between. He naps on average 2 hours a day - added up, that's not enough sleep according to all reliable sources.

4. Keeping the television off. This one is all me, I'll fully admit. I had all these visions of being the type of mom who took her kid outside all day long, leaving the television completely ignored. The string of 100 degree days we've had this month has meant something totally different, and I struggle with how much we've had the television on some days.

 5. Photos, and general memory-keeping. I try to snap as many shots as I can, and to write down the little things, but I'll openly admit I'm bad about it. I like to just let the moments happen and think about the camera later, which means many moments go un-documented.

  Q. What are the average head sizes for Newborn, 3 month, 6 month, 9 month, 12 month....then if your feeling good you can go up in years.? (Debi)

This is a great question, and one I didn't fully understand myself until I found this great graphic on Pinterest (thanks to Tot Toppers)! I've cropped the chart to show only use the top few lines (which are the only ones I use). These tell me how wide and long a hat should be depending on age/head size. this way, I can match up what patterns use for their sizing with what size hat I'd like to make. The hat sizing chart is actually much larger, with all sorts of useful sizing information. However, I've found these two sections are all I usually need to get the right size for the hat I want to knit! // Thanks so much for your questions! It's been super fun answering them all, and I hope to do this again around the first of the year!

ask me anything // the answers!

The Parker Hat is a quick one to get started and finished, uses worsted weight yarn and large needles, and works for both men or women. I've knit it up with chunky yarn and even thicker needles, but am in love with the look of it with worsted best.

MATERIALS NEEDED

* one skein I Love This Yarn! solids (100% acrylic; 355 yards / 325 meteres per 198 grams)
* one size US 11 / 8.0 mm 16" circular needle
* one set size US 11/ 8.0 mm dpns
* one stitch marker
* one darning needle

GAUGE

7 stitches x 9 rows = 2"

SIZE

one size fits mots adults

DOWNLOAD NOW

Parker Hat

Jul 25, 2012


Have you been taken in yet by the amazing design house that is Pickles? Based out of Oslo, this sister-team of designers has a yarn line as well as publishing patterns at least once a week to their blog! They share at least one size free for everything they design, and their variety of patterns is astounding! Here are a few of the Pickles patterns I love and adore:


Warm Winter Pom Pom Hat - this one is on my short list to knit up this fall!


Plain Tunic - I know a gal in Copenhagen who would ROCK this tunic!


Baby Kit For Melker - this hat is a go-to for newborns I know!


Big Fat Lampshade - While we don't have any lampshades like this in our house currently, I'm tempted to pick one up just so I can cover it!


I Heart You Sweater - that same gal in Copenhagen? She'd look great in this as well!


Oslo Anorak - I'm hoping I can talk Owen into this sweater this winter!


Natural Winter Kit - I love this hat/cowl combo!


Melker's Kindergarten Kit - Love this simple sweater and striped hat! I might have to start making them for all the younger kids in my life!

That's just the tip of the Pickles iceberg! You can see more of my favorites pinned here, or head to their blog to get lost in the goodness!

Pickles Patterns I Love!

Jul 24, 2012


In a few short days Owen will be eleven months old. I have no idea where this year has gone, but he is definitely no longer a baby! In the last week alone, we've seen up to six steps taken at a time without assistance - unreal!


A friend recently had a little boy, and so I've been going through all of Owen's newborn sized clothes to give her most of them. They decided not to find out the sex of the babe, so boyhood was a fun surprise - as was the fact that he was MUCH teenier than they'd expected him to be!

Brecken (side-bar, love the name!) weighs in exactly the same as Owen did, and I remember thinking I could put him in 0-3 month stuff until I tried to, and everything was ridiculous looking. Even half of his newborn clothes hung off of him for a month or so!

These are the only three things (minus one long-sleeve sleeper) I'm keeping around. If we have another kid, it will most likely NOT be due to pregnancy, and so keeping around teenie newborn clothes just doesn't make any sense. Especially when they can be put to good use right now by someone else.


While I am boxing up the newborn stuff to be given away, I've also found myself clearing through Owen's closet not once but TWICE in the last month. Kid is growing like a weed, thanks to a regular sleep schedule (we are Ferber parents ... start the hate mail now).

His sleep went from 4 wakings a night to one every three or four nights, and thanks to this he's eating like he'd never been fed before ... and you can see the difference! Yesterday I had him in 12-month shorts and they fit!


I also broke down and gave Owen a much more thorough hair cut this week. I've trimmed his bangs a bit before, but it was starting to get ridiculous so I went to town. Distracted by a bottle and Jimmy Neutron, I was able to get things almost totally even, trimmed around his ears, and his mullet removed. Now he looks like a toddler to me (and far too much like my little brothers!), which is both exciting and a bit sad - definitely no more baby now!

At some point we'll take him to one of those "kid cut" places, but he's such a wiggle worm right now it makes more sense to cut it in short bursts at home, where we can distract him and it's not a big deal if he's got half a hair cut for an hour!

//

Are you on Instagram? I'm "shemakeshats" and share far more photos than these weekly updates can tackle!

insta-life 7/20

Jul 20, 2012

I've been blogging in this space consistently for almost seven months now (archives go back farther because I brought over my Minimalist Knitter blog archives), and there's this amazing community that's grown around what I'm doing - making 10,000 hats for 10,000 people. I wanted to take some time out over the next week to connect with you all in a fun way ... a Q & A post!

Here's how it works - simply ask my anything in the comments! Next week I'll share all the questions, and my answers to each, in a separate post! I'll answer questions about anything - my knitting, my goals (both with crafting and outside of crafting), our fertility journey, pregnancy, c-sections, life in Omaha ... you name it! I can't wait to see what you're all curious about ... ask away!

ask me anything!

Jul 19, 2012

Several people in my life have either had little boys in the last few months, or they are set to do so by the end of the year. That means lots of baby boy hats need to start flying off my needles in preparation for the fall and winter months! Here are some of the knitted hats I've fallen in love with for baby boys (up to a year old):


This Owl Hat has me running for my yarn right now!


This cute hat is knit in vertical stripes instead of horizontal. But oh no ... the link from Ravelry doesn't go through to a pattern! Maybe I can write one myself ... ?


Warm As Wool hat. I love the contrasting stripes done in different stitch patterns.


The Aviatrix Hat is a perennial favorite knit of mine.


I love to make the cabled baby hat on the right for just about every new babe I know!


I love the loopy tab at the top of this Magic Coffee baby hat!


Tubey from Wooly Wormhead is one I've got on my needles right now ...

More cute knit hats for babies (both boys and girls) pinned here! Head on over to have a look!

knit hats for baby boys

Jul 18, 2012


Carlos Miceli is an Argentinian business consultant, writer, education activist and entrepreneur. He is the Co-Founder and Fellow of Exosphere, an entrepreneurial community and alternative university in Chile that focuses on creating a customized learning experience centered around mentoring, rigorous academics, and entrepreneurial application. You can follow him on Twitter


pattern: Joe Hat by Jane Richmond
yarn: Lion Brand Fisherman's Wool (100% wool)  
needles: US 9 / 5.5 mm 16" circs and DPNs

Carlos was introduced to me by Colin, who knew he'd love a warm winter hat just as the weather started to turn cold down in Argentina! Claiming bad fashion sense, Carlos left me to pick out a hat pattern and color for him - a very daunting task! I decided to go with a classic Joe Hat in brown wool - perfect to match with almost everything in Carlos' wardrobe and just in time for the freezing temps to set in! I knit the Joe hat according to pattern, leaving 1" off the length before decreasing. This gives the hat proper length without having a fold-over brim, a look I've grown super fond of. You can see a few more pictures of Carlos modeling his hat over on my Ravelry page.

Hats On People: Carlos Miceli

Jul 17, 2012



pattern: Hermione's Cable & Eyelet Hat, by JL Yarnworks (free pattern!)
yarn: Lion Brand Wool Ease in Chestnut Heather (80% acrylic, 20% wool) - 102 yards (44 grams) used
needles: size US 8 / 5.0 mm 16" circulars and set of DPNs

This is the third time I've knit this hat - first, I made one for the One Hundred Hats project, and then again in early May 2011 as part of a larger hat-making project (not documented here).

With this version, I stuck to the pattern in every way but three - I used a bit thicker yarn, and thus used larger needles. This caused an adjustment in cast on numbers (from 110 down to 88) in order to keep the hat from getting far too large!

Notes from the designer state she recommends adding a fourth cable/eyelet set before decreases - I didn't have to do this thanks to the thicker yarn creating longer rows. As you can see above, the hat stretches perfectly over my head, and there's actually room in the length to pull the hat down farther. Perfect if you have more hair than me, or a larger head!

This hat will be added to the box for the Chicago Food Pantry that I hope to deliver in late October.

You can see my Ravelry notes here - there are a few more photos there as well.

//

I'm making 10,000 hats for 10,000 people. This is hat 109.

hermione's cable & eyelet hat

Jul 16, 2012

It's been awhile - photo dump time! From new shoes to a wedding to the Olympic Swim Trials, it's been quite a fun few weeks!


Have a great weekend!

INSTA-LIFE | no. 2

Jul 14, 2012

As I continue to knit through my yarn stash, I'm reminded just how decidedly NOT earth-friendly most knitter's stashes truly are. We pick up yarn on a whim, ordering it from across the world or buying yarn made from non-sustainable content. Once in our stashes, we keep it there, choosing to buy new yarn for new projects rather than using what we've got.

Knitters tend to be of the magpie persuasion - picking up pretty and shiny things and then storing them away. I've been attempting something quite different for some time now - minimalist knitting. Working through my yarn stash one skein at a time, I'm making conscious choices about what yarn I bring into my stash and how it gets there.

Here then are five ways I've been trying to be more earth-friendly with my yarn consumption.

 ONE // Before purchasing anything, dig deep into my stash to make sure I don't have something I can use. Nine times out of ten I find I have just what I need and want right here in my home, and I not only save a few bucks, but manage to use what I've got!  

TWO // When I do need to purchase yarn, check with folks on Ravelry and in my knitting circles first to see if someone has what I need and wants to de-stash. Again with the saving money; more importantly I'm using what's already out there in yarn stashes around the world. This helps other folks de-stash and reminds me second-hand yarn is still new to me!  

THREE // Buy local! This means shopping my locally-owned yarn shop rather than the big box stores to be sure. It also means checking to see if there's folks in my area who spin their own yarn and picking up Brown Sheep Yarn as well (a Nebraska-based yarn company).  

FOUR // Consider picking up sweaters at thrift shops and unwinding them for their yarn. Time consuming for sure, but for charity projects such as hats and mittens, reusing yarn like this is a great alternative to buying new.  

FIVE // Purchase my wool from sellers like Manos Del Uruguay and Peace Fleece. The environmental impact of the yarn traveling to me from farther away if off-set {in my mind} by the types of companies I’ll be supporting.

FIVE WAYS TO BE MORE EARTH-FRIENDLY WITH YOUR KNITTING

Jul 13, 2012

A few weeks late, but here's bunches of photos from the last night of the Swim Trials, held here in Omaha.

Being married to a former competitive swimmer (remind me to tell you the story of how he passed EVERYONE in the lake when he completed his first triathlon), this event is amazing to see ... as fast as my husband is in water, he'll readily admit he would be one of the last ones out of the water in the preliminary heats!

It's super amazing that we've hosted this event the last two Olympic Games ... here's hoping they come back for 2016!




















It was super fun checking this off my "36 by 36" list ... if only they were all this fun and easy!

Swim Trials 2012

Jul 12, 2012

I'm so excited to share with you my first official donation to the 100 Beanie Drive! Like I shared last week, Jess is collecting hats suitable for men that she'll be donating to the oncology center where her dad receives chemo.

I hopped on board instantly - I love knitting hats for men, as they are sorely under-represented in the charity knitting world! While I have plans to send Jess many more hats than just this one, I wanted to get my first one out the door as soon as it was off the needles.

So often I find myself stashing away hats to be sent off to a charity, only to discover them months later ... unsent. I didn't want that to happen with this hat, especially considering Jess's end date for collection being at the end of this month! Remember, you can always ship more later, so don't let those hats pile up unsent to charity because they're waiting for "just a few more" to fill the box up good and proper!

my contribution to the 100 beanie drive

Jul 11, 2012

Oh how I love the Harry Potter movies! I love the books as well, to be sure, but I get repeatedly swept away at how the differing directors have adapted each of the books I have read on repeat for over a decade now.

One of my favorite little bits of the movies is their use of hand knits. Movie after movie you see the Weasley family wearing a variety of knits Molly made, along with all the gorgeous hats the gals of Hogwarts wear as they get older. There's sweaters and scarves and mittens galore, but I can't help loving the wide variety of hats in each movie.

And I'm not the only knitter! Almost as quickly as the first movie hit theaters, knitters began writing patterns based on the knits in the movies. Nowadays you can find patterns all over the internet featuring the knits of Harry Potter - below you'll find as many of the hat patterns as I could find!
(Note: Many of these hats are based on those found in the movies. However, several of the patterns are made in honor of the movies, and are not hats featured on any of the characters.)

Hermione's Cable And Eyelet Hat. This hat was worn in the fifth film of the series, Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince.
Other versions of this hat pattern include:
Hermione's Godric's Hollow Hat. A favorite amongst hat pattern writers, this hat has been interpreted by a number of folks!
The Dobby Hat is super cute, and looks like the only one of it's kind right now. I love how the stripes use up leftover bits of yarn, and the whimsical quality means it would be perfect for kids. Look for it to show up on my needles soon!
The Parseltongue Hat is a gorgeous ode to the students of Hogwarts! Purchase-able from Ravelry, this hat nods to the slithering snake that upset so many folks in Harry Potter and the Chamber Of Secrets!
Ron's Animal Crackers Hat is such a fun pattern! Worn in Prisoner Of Azkaban, this hat immediately reminds of the boys sitting around eating magical animal crackers that provide a bit more fun than their Muggle counterparts! You can find this pattern in Charmed Knits, but there are a few varieties available online as well:
Ginny Weasley's Goblet Of Fire Hat got only a few seconds of screen time, but it made quite an impact! Folks love whipping this hat up, as is evidenced by the number of patterns available.
The Wizardly Incognito Cap (Ravelry download) can be worn as a beanie as pictured above; it can also be worn without the brim, giving it a slight wizardly point! Perfect for the wizard making his or her way through Muggle society!
(note: The pattern does not get into detail on the striping and is for a solid-colored hat only.)
Hermione wore this Cables And Bobbles hat in the Prisoner Of Azkaban. You can view a version of the pattern in Charmed Knits, or you can use one of these Ravelry downloads:
One of my favorite has of the Harry Potter series has got to be this Weasley Ski Cap! I'm actually quite amazed more folks haven't tried to write up the pattern (this is the only other version I could find!) or knit it up. I may have to cast this one on as a Christmas gift or two in a variety of colors, I love it so much ... look for an official pattern review to come!

HARRY POTTER HATS

Jul 10, 2012

It's no secret that some of my favorite hats to knit are those that will adorn the heads of men. I love the way a man will wear a handmade hat FOREVER if you get it right. I love that you don't have to worry about which colors will work best with their wardrobe, whether they'll prefer bobbles or lace or other various patterns, and you can stick with a few tried and true looks, always with success.

Apparently I'm in the hat knitting minority with these thoughts, though. Time and again I run into knitters who aren't quite sure how to go about knitting for guys in general, much less something as visible as a hat. This then are my top five tips to remember when knitting hats for guys.

 ONE // Pick a super neutral color. When I knit hats for guys I always ask them what color they'd prefer. Nine times out of ten they say grey or black. That other time? It's navy or olive. Occasionally a dark brown will get tossed out there to surprise me. Men want a hat they can wear every day, with everything. So check out their everyday coat or pay attention to their wardrobe for a few weeks to pick up on what colors they wear most often. When in doubt, a super dark grey (like the color of the hat pictured above) will work perfectly for just about every man you know.  

TWO // Stick with the most basic of patterns. Think stockinette or all-over ribbing here. Yes, it can feel a bit tedious to knit, knit, knit every stitch for up to nine inches. Yes, you'll want to throw in a bobble, lace panel or cable motif. Save these urges for the next hat you make for a girlfriend! Every man I've ever knit a hat for has asked for super simple, choosing all-over ribbing or stockinette most times.  

THREE // Men's heads are larger than you think! While I may be short, I have a normal sized head, and so I've always sized the hats I make to fit my head. This works great when making hats for women, but when I make hats for men I've learned to add a few inches - both in length and in width! On average, hats knit for a man should easily stretch to 24" without feeling tight, and should top out around 9". When in doubt, add a few stitches and rows to the pattern you're using!

FOUR // Choose super soft yarns! I tend to think this is a good rule for any hat you make, but it's super important when knitting for men. Whether you choose wool or acrylic (or a blend of the two!) be sure the yarn is as soft as you can find. While a woman may wear a hat that's a bit scratchy if she loves the yarn and pattern, a man will toss that hat into his closet, never to be worn again! Thankfully, you can find super soft acrylics and wool blends at most big-box craft stores, and your local yarn shop staff can help you find a 100% wool that will work well.  

FIVE // Always Always ask first! Every time I think I know exactly what type of hat the guys in my life will want, one of them surprises me by wanting a striped, patterned, and cabled number!

And some guys just won't want a hat from you, no matter how much you KNOW they'll love a hat if they'd just let you make them one. If you ask first, you may just be surprised at what you're asked to knit!

FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN KNITTING HATS FOR GUYS

Jul 6, 2012


The latest hat pattern to make it's way off my needles is one I'm more than excited to share. It was such fun to knit, quick both onto and off the needles, and comes with infinite possibilities. Simply stated, I am in love with this pattern ... and not ashamed to admit it! Stripes. It's got to be the stripes. I have a never-ending love for stripes, and so being able to make a super simple striped hat stole my heart.

The original version of this hat swung its way halfway around the world to Denmark, to the wife of a dear friend I've known since he was 15 (and now that he's a father of two, I can't believe it's been this long!) and I didn't yet know how to knit. After I knit it and held onto it for a week or two, I kept coming back to it, thinking about how I could knit it again and again. Use up scraps, buy some new yarn in two colors you love; pair two neutrals like I have, put a neutral with a pop of color or go super daring and just use brights - your options are so limitless it's a bit crazy!

MATERIALS NEEDED

* two skeins worsted weight acrylic yarn (I used Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn!), one each in two different colors
* one size US 10 / 5.5 mm 16" circular needle
* one set size US 10 / 5.5 mm dpns
* darning needle for weaving in ends

GAUGE

4 stitches x 5 rows = 1"

SIZE

20" circumference un-stretched; will fit most adult heads

DOWNLOAD NOW

Hadley Hat

Jul 5, 2012

Love.

That's a word Colin Wright says (a few times, actually) he doesn't use. But it's one I use, and so I will use it again and again when talking about this book!

While living in Iceland for four months, Colin met a lovely Icelandic lady named Jóna who "who tests his ideas about relationships and becomes a partner-in-crime across three continents."

A nice and concise description (part in quotes ripped from Amazon) of a memoir that spans well over a year, three continents, a bus trip, an unlikely long-term romance ... and quite a bit of sex.


Iceland India Interstate is a quick read - I managed to finish it in two of Owen's naptimes! Don't let that fool you though, as Iceland India Interstate is also packed full of amazing stories.

I think if you were to ask Colin, he would call himself an entrepreneur, a world traveler, and a life-experiementer. I would also call him a consummate story-teller. As he weaves his way across the globe he pulls you along - many times I felt as though I was standing in the room or on the street right next to him as the events he was sharing unfolded.

I may be a bit biased about this book. After all, Colin mentions me and the hats I made for him and Jóna in the midst of one of his chapters! I didn't know this, and was tickled when a mutual friend e-mailed to tell me as much. But even with this bias, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story!

(a note: Links above are affiliate links through Amazon. If you click on them and then purchase this book - or anything else during your Amazon stay - I receive a super small portion of the sale. When this happens, I use the money to buy Kindle books just like this one.)

reading // Iceland, India, Interstate

Jul 3, 2012

Instagram