Make Your Hat Extra Cozy with Felting

I don’t write about felting your knitting all that often, which is weird because my first book was all about felting. It’s one of those things that I think was popular for a while maybe like 10 or more years ago and its time hasn’t come around again yet, but felting is a great way to make knitting warmer, more durable, thicker and more protective from the elements.

A great way to try felting is on a small project like the Felt Tip Toque pattern from Kiyomi Burgin. This simple wool hat is worked in super fine yarn and has a long brim that can be folded over once or twice to give different looks. cx

The pattern has three sizes, which come out after felting to something around 20, 21.5 and 23 inches, which should fit a range of kids, teens and adults. Of course you can always felt your hat a little more or a little less if you happen to have the head you’re trying to fit handy so that you can get just the size you’re looking for.

Using lightweight yarn means that even after felting this hat will still be lightweight and have a bit of flexibility, which is why the brim can still be folded and adjusted once the felting is done. It’s worked in the round from the bottom up and you can also adjust the pre-felting length if you like.

It also has a little bit of I-cord at the top, which adds a bit of cuteness.

Head to the project page on Ravelry to see different sizes of hats worn on the same head so you can decide how you would like to knit it for yourself. It also gives a lot of suggestions for yarn you can use (it needs to be animal fiber and not superwaash, of course) and recommends felting by hand.

You can get the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Kiyomi Burgin]

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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.

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