Could This Be the Perfect Hat Knitting Pattern?

It takes a certain something to declare that a particular pattern is perfect. I’ve made things that I thought were perfect for me, but I wouldn’t call them perfect necessarily because different people have different wants and needs and ideas of what perfect would be for them.

But having said that, Celia Llopis-Jepsen, who designed the Perfect Stocking Cap, may yet be on to something giving her design that name.

I mean, first off, take a look at that shaping on the top of the hat. That is actually pretty darn perfect and satisfying to look at.

The hat is worked with two strands of sock yarn (the designer used Malabrigo sock, which I can tell you from experience is pretty perfect), which makes it warm but not too hot. It also gives you the opportunity to use some yarn you might have bought with the intention of making socks but you and I both know that’s not going to happen. You can use two strands of the same yarn, two shades of the same color, or even mix it up with two different colors for a fun marled look.

If there’s anything that keeps it from being totally perfect, it’s that it only comes in one size, but it’s stretchy, so it should be good for teens through medium and large adults. It’s long enough that you can fold over the brim if you like, or keep it slouchy.

The other great thing about this pattern? It’s a free Ravelry download. So go check it out for yourself and let me know if you think it’s perfect.

And if you’re in the market for more patterns that use two strands of yarn at once, check out my roundup of patterns that call for two yarns being held together throughout. It’s the perfect technique for using your stash that much faster!

[Photo: Celia Llopis-Jepsen]

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork.

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn.

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look.

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me.

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round.

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.

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