Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Hats Off (Or Should that Be On?) for Warmth

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I have been feeling the desire to knit a lot of hats lately, which is kind of funny because I don’t wear hats all that often. I usually only wear mine when my daughter makes me go out and play in the snow, or the cold, but I have to know I’m going to be outside for more than a couple of minutes to make it worth my while.

Maybe I need some prettier hats (though I do really love the funky flat hat I wear most of the time) to encourage me to keep my head warm. Maybe you do, too. Here are some projects to help all of us out.

The Dibdin hat by Amanda Keep Williams for Berroco uses a fuzzy and warm mohair/merino blend yarn and a relatively easy openwork pattern with a sort of cloche shape. Classic and pretty. Gyr from Berroco (this one is by Brenda York) is an earflap hat with a subtle textured stitch pattern.

Tahki Yarns has a great hat and scarf combo (PDF) by Teresa Chorzepa that uses a casual cable pattern and two strands of yarn held together for extra warmth. For the hat the cable is worked sideways in a band, from which stitches are picked up to form the top of the hat. Their Loretta Hat, worked in a fur-like yarn, is easy but also really dramatic.

Plymouth Yarns has a great little mistake rib hat (PDF) worked in super cozy Baby Alpaca Grande that is sure to keep even the coolest head warm. I actually have a bit of this yarn left over from a sweater I knit so I may be adding this one to my list soon.

The Ombre Pom Pom Beanie from Things We Do is super cute and easy, and a great way to use up bits of bulky yarn you might have lying around.

Mirasol’s Llama Una hat is a pretty two-color hat with a really simple colorwork pattern that makes the hat that much warmer. I love this color combination, too.

Have you knit any hats lately? I’d love to hear about it!

Looking for more knitted beanie patterns for Babies? Check these out on Etsy.

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Knits with Sheep

It felt like it had been a while since I’d done a roundup of knitting patterns involving sheep, and if search is any indication, that is true. I found a roundup of patterns for knit sheep from a few years ago, but the only one with v I could find is from 2015. So it’s definitely time to revisit this fun genre of knitting patterns.

This all started with a headband. Alyssa Kaat’s Icelandic Sheep Headband (free on Ravelry) to be specific. Ravelry showed it to me as a pattern highlight and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. It’s worked with two colors of worsted weight yarn and alternates sheep with stars around your head.

Another great sheepy headband is this one from Loch Fyne Crafts on Etsy. These sweet little sheep are worked in bulky yarn and you can make the background look like field and sky or work it in a solid color.

Or make a headband (or a hat, cowl, or all three) covered with a flock of sheep with this set of patterns from New Age Knitting CA. These pieces also use the field/sky coloring, but you can use whatever colors of worsted weight yarn you like.

Speaking of hats, there’s also the sheep hat from Lynann Knits Designs. The sample was worked in Icelandic wool to make the sheep and the hat extra fuzzy and warm, but any worsted weight yarn will work.

There’s also the Wandering Sheep hat from Kat Hudon (on Ravelry), which features a fun collection of speckled sheep that can be worked in different yarn weights to make different sizes of hats for kids and adults.

And lest you think sheep need to be knit in traditional stranded colorwork, check out the Rebel Sheep Mob blanket by Deborah Moore. This one is worked in mosaic knitting using fingering weight yarn. In mosaic knitting you’re only working with one color per row so it’s pretty easy. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

I can’t possibly share sheep knitting patterns without mentioning the amazing Black Sheep Shadow Shawl by Mark Jamieson. Shadow knitting is a technique I want to do more of, but it involves working two rows alternating in two different colors and the pattern emerges when you look at the design from an angle. It’s so cool and the sheep on this one are amazing! It’s not a beginner project but well worth the work. You can find it on Ravelry or at the designer’s website.