needles & vectors

I could be sneaky and have these as two separate posts but, well, I’m not evil like that. I made two of the same hat pattern, almost immediately after one another. The first, because I’m selfish, will remain with me and the other will eventually wing it’s way to my cousin, Nicole. As soon as I can make her semi-matching fingerless gloves, that is. But that’s another story which may end with me simply sending her the hat by itself and, out of guilt, knitting her a matching winter trio of hat, gloves, and scarf later.

I knit the first Amanda hat with an excellent yarn I wish I could regularly afford, Fibre Company Organik. It’s an amazing blend of silk, merino, and Alpaca that is a single, luscious ply. I bought three skeins (two brown, one blue) as a Christmas gift to myself just before the holidays and am soooo glad I did. The one downside to the hat is that it has dramatically grown since I first made it. Great that it covers my ears far better now, bad that the lace is now much more open and I, therefore, am more susceptible to drafts. But it’s a great hat and Matt is already joking that I’ll be wearing it this summer in 90-degree weather, I love it so much.

The other hat is made from some leftover Cascade 220 Superwash which I thought I would never use but, apparently, did. It’s not the full pattern, as I left out at least a few rows of garter stitch if not also some lace (didn’t take notes – oops), but it still fits my head rather well. Like I said, I chose my cousin, Nicole, as its recipient, though I’m certain to re-make this hat again and again for others. Get in line now if you want one.

Project Ratings – Hat 1 (Organik)
Yarn: 10
Yarn/Pattern Combination: 8
Execution: 8
Pattern – Overall: 10
- Instructions: 10
- Finishing: N/A – none is required
- Stitch pattern(s): 9
- Interestingness: 9
- Desire to remake: 10

Project Ratings – Hat 2 (Orange Cascade)
Yarn: 8 (hate the superwash yarn smell)
Yarn/Pattern Combination: 8
Execution: 9 (easier the second time)
Pattern ratings (obviously) same as above

Pattern: Amanda Hat
Source: Sleep Eyes Knitting (Free Ravelry download – link)
Designer: Gina House

(Ravelry has the deets -here and here)