Knit Hats Inspired by Lady Detectives (and Get a Deal This Week Only)

Over at About I recently got the chance to review a really fun book by Julie Turjoman. A Head for Trouble: 20 Hats and Adornments Inspired by Lady Detectives of the Roaring Twenties, is a book full of stylish hats and other accessories updated for modern sensibilities.

These projects would be perfect for a costume party or just for keeping yourself stylishly situated through the cool weather (and cold office) months.

I mention all this over here today for a specific reason. A Head for Trouble is currently in preorder and Turjoman is running a special that ends this week, so I wanted to make sure you knew about it if you want to check it out.

Anyone who orders the printed book/ebook combo of A Head for Trouble this week will also get a digital copy of the six-pattern mini-collection A Head for Fashion, which includes five hats and a pair of mitts inspired by fashionable ladies of the past. If you don’t want both the printed and the ebook version, you can order one and still receive one free pattern from the mini-collection.

This book is really cute and I hope you’ll check it out if you’re into vintage fashion. If you see anything that catches your eye, I’d love to hear about it!

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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