Knit a Pretty Tam in Two Colors

There are all sorts of fun hat knitting patterns out there, but I will admit to mostly having knit beanies throughout my knitting career. But there are lots of other fun shapes that allow you to bring different kinds of colorwork to the party, like a tam.

Tams are similar in shape to berets, and both are fun to stitch. The best part is that you can fit a fun circular pattern on the top, which is harder to do on a hat with less real estate.

This Fair Isle Tame from Lion Brand Yarn has a fun design on the top that kind of reminds me of a compass. On the sides of the hat you will find a round of diamonds with little floral shapes inside.

The design is worked in two colors of DK/light weight yarn. The pattern comes in one size, with a circumference at the ribbing of about 20 inches/50.8 cm, which is meant to fit an adult woman but should be a little stretchy to fit a variety of heads.

It’s worked from the bottom up in the round and the colorwork is worked from charts. The pattern is rated for intermediate knitters because of the colorwork and the charts. But it looks like it would be a lot of fun to make!

The pattern for this fair isle tam is free from the Lion Brand website. You can also buy a kit that includes the yarn (you’ll just need one ball each of the two colors in the yarn suggested) and other tools if you need them.

If you’re ready to learn how to knit fair isle or stranded knitting (there is technically a difference but this pattern calls itself fair isle so we’ll go with that), I’ve got a tutorial over on my website, Our Daily Craft.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

This free knitting pattern falls in the category of cute but maybe not essential, as well as a nice way to use some yarn left over from another project.

The Briggs St. Fruit Hammock from Mycah Knits is beginner friendly because it’s a big rectangle worked in stockinette stitch on larger needles than the yarn would usually call for (size 11 US/8 mm for DK weight/weight 3 yarn) to provide more air flow around the fruit.

The idea behind a fruit hammock like this is both that it saves you counter space since it’s meant to be mounted under a cabinet and that air flow around the fruit helps prevent moisture from getting trapped below the fruit, which should keep it fresh longer. They’re also just cute and keep your fruits or veg accessible so hopefully you will eat more of them.

This pattern also includes I-cord handles, which is how you hang the hammock, and you’ll need to be able to pick up stitches for them, but that’s the only beyond beginner skill required in this project.

It only uses about 25 grams of yarn, so this is a perfect project for using a little something left over from another project. It would also be cute with stripes, so you can use odd balls from several projects. Or make the I-cord with a contrasting color to add a bit more fun if you like.

The designer does recommend using acrylic yarn for this project because it shouldn’t stretch out of shape with use and is easy to wash should your aspirations for eating fruit outstrip your reality. But they also provide tips for testing the stretch in a yarn you want to use and adjusting the pattern to account for that.

I don’t have a space in my place for this but it is super cute and a fun way to add knitting to the home, which I’m always a fan of.

You can grab the free pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Mycah Knits]

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