I Love Yarn Day Every Day

Saturday marked the fifth I Love Yarn Day, a celebration of all things fiber and yarn crafty.

I was busy celebrating my husband’s birthday and didn’t get a chance to mention it, but it’s a great holiday that this year was focused on paying it forward by teaching someone else how to knit, crochet or otherwise craft with yarn.

This is a great idea and I hope it brings awareness to yarn crafting by being more visible on social media (there was also a movement to yarnbomb Facebook, which you can check out at that link).

But in my life, and maybe yours, too, every day is I Love Yarn Day. Every day we can celebrate by working with our hands and our yarn in whatever way we desire.

Yesterday that was a crocheted scarf (I’m trying to brush up on my skills). Today it’s finishing a long (LONG) neglected knit vest, that was really almost finished when I abandoned it.

How are you celebrating yarn today?

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Not too long ago my daughter and I had a discussion about what a chestnut really looks like. The nut itself is small and brown, of course, but on the tree they’re covered with this weird kind of spiky, kind of fuzzy shell. It’s a wonder anyone ever figured out they were edible.

If you didn’t know that, you might wonder why this project is call Chestnut balaclava, but now you know.

This fun design from Yevheniia Pyroh is covered with spikes just like a chestnut shell, and is even the same color, though of course you can make yours whatever color you like. It uses two strands of fingering weight yarn held together (which it says is fingering weight but you could try a light/DK yarn and see if you get gauge with it if you’d rather).

There are two different design options in the pattern. One is a more fitted balaclava style hat (it doesn’t cover the face but does go around the neck) and a looser fit hood.

It’s worked primarily in garter stitch, with shaping done by knitting and purling in the same stitch and through various decreases (including a knit 3 together).

The pattern is charted but also explained in words. It’s worked flat to the size you want, and then joined into a hood shape with ribbing at the neck. The opening for the face is finished with I-cord.

This hood/balaclava would definitely be a conversation starter and in different colors it might read more dinosaur than chestnut, which could also be fun. The sizing is totally custom so you can make it fit whatever head you’re stitching for.

If you want to try it for yourself (and I’d love to hear about it if you do!) you can download the free pattern from Ravelry.

[Photo: Yevheniia Pyroh]

Balaclava Knitting Patterns

Colorwork Balaclava Knitting Pattern [Knitting]

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