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Knit a Lacy Hat for Fall

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Last year the Washington Post did a story looking at data from Ravelry that revealed that knitters tend to start knitting hats in August and scarves in September. I’m not quite sure I’m ready for either yet, but if you’re the sort of person who wants to start wearing a hat as soon as the tiniest hint of cool is in the air, you might be ready for a hat like this one.

The Saji hat pattern from Yoko Johnston uses DK weight yarn and has lacy patterns to make it even lighter weight and allow more air flow for those days when you want to wear a hat for fashion but it’s still a little warm for having a solid knit hat or a thicker hat on.

It’s worked in the round from the top down and alternates between a lacy rib and an undulating lace pattern that looks kind of like spoons (saji means spoon in Japanese).

The pattern is designed to use a single skein of yarn (142-175 yards, or 130-160 meters) and because it’s worked from the top down you can just keep knitting the brim until you run out of yarn if you like the fold over look.

The hat comes in one size, about 19 inches/48 cm around and 9.5 inches/24 cm tall, but again you can make it longer if you want a slouchier look or to fold over the brim (or both!).

You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

What do you think about the idea of starting to knit hats in August and scarves in September? It’s way too warm most days for either where I live, and even after all these years I’m still terrible at planning ahead with my projects. Maybe you all are better at that than I am?

[Photo: Yoko Johnston]

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Knit a Patch of Pumpkins for Fall

As soon as there’s the tiniest bit of fall feeling in the air, all I want to do is make pumpkins. I mostly knit pumpkins, but I have a few crocheted ones, too, and I just can’t get enough of them. If you feel the same way, this patch of knitting pumpkin patterns is for you. (And if you need even more, check out these roundups, too.)

Since I have done several posts on pumpkin knitting patterns before, I searched for new pattern on Ravelry, and I’m pretty sure I haven’t shared the Etsy ones before. Let’s get into it!

The Cute Little Pumpkin Patch pattern from Nimble Needlez on Etsy is just what it says. You can knit these little pumpkins individually with little stems or you can make a whole vine with leaves and connect a few pumpkins together to make your own pumpkin patch. The pattern calls for fingering weight yarn but you can try other weights to get pumpkins of different sizes.

The small knit pumpkins from Jordann Cholst on Ravelry are also diminutive, but they use worsted/aran weight yarn so they’ll stitch up all that much faster. The pattern comes in three sizes so you can make a variety from just this pattern.

Ewelina Wojsz’s Pumpkin Number One is a free pattern on Ravelry that’s worked from the bottom up in the round using fingering weight yarn. I love that these are shown in non-traditional colors because once you get going you’ll learn just about any color works for a pumpkin. 

Speaking of colorful pumpkins, check out the Checkerboard Pumpkin from Tabetha Moe. It uses DK weight yarn and easy colorwork in the round to give it a rustic checkerboard look. You can find this one on Ravelry.

Another little one is Dena Washington’s Teacup Pumpkin, available on Ravelry. As the name suggests, this pumpkin will fit in a teacup, making it perfect to use as a pincushion or just to add a bit of cuteness to your fall decor. It uses aran/worsted weight yarn.

If you’d rather have a big pumpkin, check out the pattern from Hand Knit Hugs, which offers a 9, 11 and 13 inch diameter pumpkin. That’s 22.8, 28 or 33 cm for our metric friends. The pattern uses two strands of worsted weight yarn held together and is worked in the round.

I love a pumpkin with a cable pattern on it because it just makes it look more like fall to me. Gray Bear Akswokrat on Etsy has an easy pattern for a cabled pumpkin that’s worked flat on two needles.

And if colorwork is your thing, check out the Harvest Hugs pumpkins from Karysha on Ravelry. These patterns use chunky yarn and have a few options for colorwork. The full bundle includes three large pumpkins, a mini pumpkin, acorn, mushroom, mug hug, and leaves and tendrils to make a fall themed garland.

 

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