Snap Hat No. 6

Snap Hat 

Number 6

Snap Hat is a pattern I bought about a year ago.  I paid a few bucks for the pattern but have definitely gotten my money’s worth out of the pattern. I’ve made six Snap Hat’s so far.  This is a great pattern for using up leftover bits of socks yarn. The pattern gives great information about how you can hold multiple strands of yarn together to create a bulkier yarn and quickly knit up a hat on larger needles.  Many of my Snap Hats were knit using four strands of sock weight yarn. For the hat above, I used one strand of worsted weight yarn in gray and two strands of sock weight yarn in navy blue.  My husband has been wearing the hat on our daily morning walks and he really likes it. That makes me happy.  I don’t usually bring my camera on our walks so I took this photo from across the living room when he tried it on for the first time.  

At the very top of this post you’ll see a photo of my IPad.  I have been participating in some ZOOM conferences while we are staying at home during the pandemic.  I had never heard of ZOOM before.  If you are not familiar with it, it’s like a teleconference over an electronic device and you can see the participants and you can all talk together.  ZOOM is the name of the app that you download on your electronic device to participate in the ZOOM conference calls.  On Saturdays, I’ve been chatting with knitters I met at a retreat in the San Juan Islands about six months ago.  On Sundays, I’ve been attending some on line Vegan Cooking Classes. Fun!

Here is my husband wearing his hat.

The gray yarn is Abundant Earth Fibers “Aviary” in worsted weight that I purchased at my knitting retreat in the San Juan Islands.  Here is a link to the Abundant Earth Fibers website.  I’d love to visit their shop in person; it looks like an amazing place:

https://abundantearthfiber.com/

The blue yarn is Knit Picks “Stroll” sock weight yarn from my mom’s stash of yarn. Thanks, Mom!

In The Pink

My friend, Harriet, game me some yarn recently.  Thank you, Harriet!  She did not have a specific use for the yarn and she asked if I’d like to knit it up.  My pleasure!  This is Berroco Comfort DK yarn in the “Kitten” color way.  I made up a bunny using a pattern called “Bonbon”.  This is Bonbon Bunny #5 for me. I love this pattern.

Here is the pattern link:

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bonbon-13

I decided this yarn would also look great in a cap.  In the past, I have made lots of chemo caps using Berroco Comfort DK yarn.  It’s an easy care yarn and it’s nice and soft.  Here is the hat knit up in a pattern called “Alternating Cables Cap”.  This is my own design.  

You can find the pattern link here:

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/alternating-cables-cap

I am really enjoying my knitting over the past few weeks while we have been spending so much time at home due to the pandemic. I am finding that I am doing a better job of casting on and sticking with a project until completion.  I still have MANY unfinished objects/works in progress.  

Snap Hats

"Snap" Hat 

I have been on a bit of a hat knitting kick lately.  Ann, the owner of my local yarn shop (Yarned & Dangerous, Canon City, Colorado), collects hats and other cold weather items. She brings them to her church where they are blessed and then the hats are donated to local charities.  Nice! 

I've been finding a number of patterns where you combine multiple strands of yarn to make hats that are chunky.  This pattern is called "Snap" and it's from "Tin Can Knits".  You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry.  Here is the LINK.  When you knit this hat, you hold four strands of sock/fingering weight yarn together.  This is a great project to use up leftover quantities of sock yarn.  When I knit socks for myself, I purchase 100 grams of yarn and I always have yarn leftover.  When you look at the photos above, you see some hats look like they are right side out and some look inside out.  The pattern suggests that you knit the hat in the round (knitting all stitches after the ribbed cuff) and then when you are done, you turn the hat inside out.  I think the hats look great both ways.  The pattern calls for US Size 7 and US Size 10.5 needles.  I had the Size 7 but not the Size 10.5, so some of my hats are knit on Size 10 and some of my hats are knit on Size 11. I think the hats knit on the Size 11 are a bit better since they are not so stiff.  

Some folks shy away from purchasing patterns, but I don't.  As you can see, I've already used this pattern four times.  That's well worth it if you ask me.  Also, the pattern is very thorough and includes instructions for multiple sizes.  In addition, the pattern gives information about how you can combine varying weights of yarn (lace weight, dk weight, sock weight) to make this hat.  

I am very behind in posting about completed objects.  I'll have a number of posts in the next few days.  Happy Knitting!

Chunky Hats

Chunky Hats

A week or so ago, I made a pair of slippers.  I had to buy a second ball of yarn to finish slipper #2, so I ended up with nearly an entire ball of leftover chunky yarn. Ugh!

I decided to make a hat.  You can see the hat above in white and shades of gray.  The yarn is King Cole Comfort Chunky Multi in a colorway called "Humbug".  I started out following a pattern on Raverly but ended up doing my own thing. I took some notes but can't refer you to a pattern for this hat.

The next day I saw a really cool looking chunky hat with cables on Instagram.  The pattern called for holding two strands of worsted weight yarn together to basically create chunky-weight yarn.  It got me to thinking about the leftover quantities of Cascade Pacific and Cascade 220 Superwash in my craft room.  I purchased the pattern called "Braided Cable Beanie" on Raverly and made the two hats above with big ol' chunky cables.  For the shorter hat, I held together two strands of Cascade 220 Superwash (one strand of a reddish-brown and one strand of a heathery-purple). I was running out of yarn so I made this hat way shorter than the pattern called for.  For the longer hat, I held together another two strands of Cascade 220 Superwash (one strand of silver/gray and one strand of lavender).  I like using up some of the random yarn in my stash and I love they way the hats look using two different colors.  I am sure I have yarn in my stash to make up at least one more of these cool Braided Cable Beanies.  

Here is the link for the Braided Cable Beanie (Click HERE).  This pattern is available for purchase on Raverly.  

Copy Cat "C.C. Beanie"

Copy Cat "C.C. Beanie"

I've been seeing this hat for a year or two or three?  It's a commercially made hat and it seems to be quite popular. I've made a similar hat for myself.  I wore it to the knit shop one day and I got to talking about it with Tammy at the shop.  She mentioned a hat called a "C.C. hat" or a "Colorado Chick" hat and she told me she had seen copy cat patterns on Ravelry.  

I did a little looking and sure enough I found the "Copy Cat C.C. Beanie" pattern. It turns out there is  a company called "Colorado Chick" and their hat called "Boulder Authentic C.C. Original Beanie" is that hat I've been seeing around.  You can see the hats on their website HERE. 

Of course I had to make the hat. The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn and I used Cascade "Pacific" yarn that I had left over from my "Building in Color" afghan project.  I got the greatest fluffy white pom pom at my local yarn shop (Yarned and Dangerous, Canon City, Colorado).  The pom pom is detachable and includes a snap.  You stitch the snap receptacle onto the hat and you can pop the pom pom on and off so that the hat can be washed.  How cool is that?

You can see a little video about this type of pom pom HERE.

I did not entirely follow the pattern for this hat.  The pattern calls for starting the brim with a provisional cast on and then, after you work the ribbing for enough length, you fold the brim in half, undo the provisional cast on, and merge the cast on stitches with the live stitches for a brim that is double thickness.  I did not work the brim this way; I was worried I might run out of yarn since I did not start out with a full skein of yarn.  I wish I had made the brim this way; I think it looks really nice. If I do make this hat again, I'll follow the directions for the brim.  I've never made a hat brim this way and I'd like to try this technique.

If you'd like to make a "Copy Cat C.C. Beanie" you can find the pattern HERE.

Clever Construction Cap

Clever Construction Cap



This is my second attempt at this hat. This is a hat pattern I made up on the fly last year.  For both hats, I used Cascade Pacific yarn (it's a worsted weight wool/acrylic blend). The first hat was knit in a great charcoal color and the latest hat, as you can see, is a great blue color.  I love way this hat fits me (even looks good when I wear my glasses which is sometimes a problem with stocking caps) but better yet... the hat looks great after several washings in the washing machine.

I am working on writing up this hat pattern.  As you can see, this design appears to be rather ordinary. The brim is a "knit 2, purl 2" ribbing.  After the ribbing, the hat appears to be alternating bands of knit areas and purl areas, but it's not. After the ribbing, the hat is entirely worked in KNIT stitches.  Pretty cool, huh?  Once I get the pattern worked up, I'll be sure to share about it here.

Another Messy Bun/Ponytail Hat

Another Messy Bun/Ponytail Hat

I just whipped up another Messy Bun/Ponytail Hat.  The last project I made using this pattern can be seen HERE.  This time around, I used Cascade Pacific yarn which I really like. This is a really nice yarn that my local yarn shop carries in a variety of colors.  It's a worsted weight wool/acrylic blend and it's very reasonably priced. My favorite knitted hat that I wear all the time (and wash in the washing machine all the time) is made out of this yarn in a charcoal color and the hat still fits and looks great.

When I made the pattern this time around, I did add an extra pattern repeat (five instead of four repeats). I also went down a needle size for the ribbed brim for a snugger hat.  Oh! I added a flower. This flower is crocheted and felted and the yarn is Plymouth Yarn "Gina" (100 percent wool).

I've been working on a number of other things so hopefully I'll have something else to share sometime soon.

Happy Knitting!

Top This! Hats

Top This! Hat Kits



Just a quick post to show you a few things I've finished lately. The company called "DMC" has the cutest hat kits called "Top This!".  They are a single ball of yarn that fades from one yarn to the next and, instead of a pom pom, the kit comes with a little stuffed item to use on top of the hat.  Super cute!  I've made some of these hats before and the DMC company keeps coming out with new and different kits.  I love them all.  Unicorn, penguin, soccer ball, Santa, elephant, owl, bear, and so on and so on...

You can see more about these kits HERE or perhaps you can find them at your local yarn shop like I did.  You can also find free patterns on Ravelry to make this kit into various size hats or another project if you would prefer something other than a hat.

Some Hats

Top This Puppy Hat



I've been knitting up a storm lately. I've been making so many things that I am not finishing things very quickly, but I do have a few finished items I've not yet posted about.  This is a hat to fit a child.  It's a kit called "Top This" by DMC.  Instead of a pom pom, each ball of yarn comes with a little stuffed item to add to the top of the hat.  Puppy, kitty, lion, elephant, flower, unicorn, soccer ball... so many choices.  This is a puppy of course.



Kodiak Kisses



Here's another hat.  This is one hat but there are different designs on each side of the hat. The pattern is adorable, isn't it? It's called "Kodiak Kisses" and the pattern can be found HERE.  Sadly my hat doesn't fit due to some problems with my fair isle technique.  Gauge might have also been an issue for me.  I do have more of both the blue and cream colored yarn. My next attempt at this project will be to cast on about 50 percent more stitches and make a cowl using the cute charts for kissing Mama and Baby Bear and trees!  The yarn is Cascade Pacific and is really soft; it's a wool/acrylic blend.

I think I am done with hats for now. I am working on an amazing project called "Cozy Winter" and it was going really well... or so I thought!  I brought to show the gals at my local knit shop yesterday and, as I was holding it up, I noticed a mistake in the braided cable.  I considered leaving the mistake in there, but I just had to rip it back.  So I ripped out 100 rows (maybe less) to fix the offending cable, and I am back on track.  I'll show you this project soon.

Kim's "Chloe Kim" Hat

Kim's CHLOE KIM HAT

Have you been watching the Winter Olympics in South Korea?  I have been watching a little bit here and there.  Sweet 17 year older snow boarder, Chloe Kim, is such a lovely girl.  She was wearing a super duper chunky hat when interviewed after winning her gold medal.  Of course, fiber enthusiasts were all over that and quickly copy cat patterns for Chloe Kim's hat could be found on the internet.

Horrible photo!  It's really hard to take a photo of a project knit in such dark yarn.  Sorry!

I was not inclined to make this hat until I realized I had some super duper chunky yarn in my yarn stash.  This is Tahki Yarns Jumbo yarn; it's a wool/acrylic blend.  The yarn comes in a 100 gram ball and includes a faux fur pom pom.  Perfect!  I did need about 1 1/2 balls of this yarn to make my hat.  I used US size 15 needles for my hat and cast on 32 stitches. The pattern calls for US size 17 needles and 28 stitches. The gauge is 4 stitches equals 4 inches, so that gives you an idea how chunky this hat is.  I think the pattern looks a little cuter when made with a paler color yarn and it probably looks way cuter on a 17 year old girl, as compared to this almost 50 year old. But I don't care and I was really wishing I had this hat this morning when I walked the dogs at the river (it was 12 degrees Fahrenheit this morning... burrrr!!!!)  This hat will be keeping my ears warm for sure!  I did make my hat a bit longer than called for. I like rolling up a longer cuff to keep the hat on a bit better and to keep my ears warmer.  Finally, the yarn calls for holding two strands of yarn together while knitting but I did not need to do that since my yarn is so was so super duper jumbo chunky.

Here is the pattern link for his hat if you are wanting a Chloe Kim hat of your own.  The pattern is FREE. Click HERE.

Road to Success Chic Hat

Road to Success Chic Hat 

I saw this pattern on Facebook back in December and I had the perfect yarn in my stash. The hat is called "Road to Success Chic Hat" and it's by designer Marly Bird.  The pattern calls for Red Heart yarn but the yarn I had was Berroco Comfort (Worsted Weight).  It worked out perfectly and I love my super slouchy hat.  It's been coming in handy ever since I finished it.  It's been cold here in Southern Colorado!'' Here is the FREE pattern link:  Click HERE.

Hat Knitting: Alternating Cables Cap

 

Alternating Cables Cap

Knit in Berroco Vintage DK

 

I've been doing a little hat knitting this week.  My local yarn shop has a great selection of Berroco Vintage DK. I was curious to see how this yarn would knit up in my Alternating Cables Cap pattern.  Turned out really nicely and it was a relatively easy and quick knit.  Turns out the hard part was taking a decent "selfie" to show off the hat. 

 

Ummm, this photo is no good. Try again...

 

 

Mmmmm???  Fail!

Okay, keep trying.  Don't get that weird angle where it looks like you have a big 'ol double chin.

Oh, okay.  I can live with this picture.  Hat looks great and I don't look like a total dork.

 

When I originally came up with this hat design, I used Berroco Comfort DK. I love his hat in both Berroco Comfort DK and Berroco Vintage DK.  I think Berroco Vintage DK may just be my new favorite yarn.  I think this colorway is called Lilac and it has a very delicate tweedy quality, with subtle flecks of other colors in the fibers.  LOVE it!

Knotted Rib Hat

It felt good to knit a hat this week!
It's been a long time.

I saw this pattern on Facebook and decided to make it the hat since I had suitable yarn.  I used Cascade 220 Superwash (worsted weight).  When I finished the hat, I noticed the pattern called for Cascade 220 Superwash (aran weight).  I had never heard of this before. Maybe it's new!?  I think aran weight yarn is slightly thicker or heavier than worsted weight.  The pattern called for US Size 7 needles which is what I used.  The hat fits perfectly on my wig stand, Miss Wiggy.  To me the hat seems a bit short so I imagine the fit is more of a skull type cap.  I haven't even tried it on myself yet; I am sure it will fit someone. 

The pattern is called Knotted Rib Hat and the pattern is free. The pattern can be found HERE.

Bernie: A hat

A hat called "Bernie" by the Bellsisters (Debbie and Susan)...

I knit this hat out of Berroco Weekend (fuschia pink), Berroco Comfort (pale ice blue), and Cascade Fixation (bright white). I've become Ravelry friends with the Bellsisters and they were nice enough to send me the pattern for "Bernie".  This was a very fun knit!  I especially love the top portion of the hat!  I also love the "houndstooth pattern" in the middle of the cap which is created rather simply just by slipping stitches.  The pattern looks complicated but the instructions say, "If you can knit with one color per row, then you can make Bernie!"  And that really is the case. 

"Bernie" is named in honor of the Bellsister's mom. Very sweet! 

The fuschia pink yarn in this hat was a gift from my good friend Harriet! Thanks Harriet!  I love it!

Alternating Cables Cap

Alternating Cables Cap

 

 

I made a smaller version of my Alternating Cables Cap Pattern (see right hand side of screen for pattern information). I intend to give this to my friend for her 4 year old daughter, Emma.  I cast on fewer stitches (112 instead of 128) and used US Size 5 needles instead of Size 6 and this made a shorter and snugger cap which I think would be at great size for a child. I tried it on myself and I feel it's a tad short for me (like it will feel like it's slipping off my head... my straight hair is really slippery... no texture here!).  My mother-in-law is here for a visit and she tried on this cap and the original longer, looser version (in green... posted about this not too long ago) and she likes the larger hat better. We picked out some cherry red yarn from my stash of Berroco Comfort DK and I cast on a cap for her with this pattern.  It's fun to knit for another (of course) but it's especially fun to me when you know the recipient likes the fit, design, and color!  

Alternating Cables Cap (Free Pattern)

Alternating Cables Cap

I improvised this hat design and typed up the pattern over a year ago. The hat looked great on my wig/hat stand "Miss Wiggy," but the hat was a tad short on a person.  I finally got around to knitting up the hat one more time and inserted a few rows, here and there, to make the hat long enough.  The hat is rather loose fitting but I am really happy with it.  I think a hat like this, with ribbing and cables, is really flexible for sizing since it's so very stretchy.  As is, this cap will fit lots of folks. My son tried it on and I think it fit him pretty well, too (he's over 6'1" and is almost 16 years old).  Soon I plan to knit another one of these caps in pink and I plan to go down a needle size to see how that works.  I think it will work just fine.  This hat is knit in Berroco Comfor DK and used nearly the entire ball of yarn.

The pattern is available as a free download on Ravelry; for the Ravelry link click HERE.

It is also available as a PDF download by clicking HERE.