Got a Good Head Start Going

Geri's collection of hats is growing quite quickly. Her cream cloche is finished and is being put to frequent, good use. She reports it is very comfortable and has a zero itch factor.




Me thinks a hat addiction may be developing...




The next hat to hit her head is knitted in:

Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton - Nut

from this pattern:

Not-just-for-chemo-reversible-cloche

This hat is actually part of a set that Geri has decided is a necessary addition to her wardrobe. It consists of the cloche with matching seed stitch wrist warmers and a scarf.

The other component in this set is a special Geri request ...

"Muuuum... do you think you could make me an Ice Cream Hat???"

Are you surprised? Me either!

The inspiration for this hat came from a picture that Geri spotted during an internet search - goodness knows what she was looking for originally, but the Ice Cream Hat caught her eye. The band of the hat will be knitted in the same taupe cotton as the rest of the set with the body in these two luscious ice cream inspired yarns:

Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Organic Cotton - Shell

Blue Sky Alpaca Dyed Organic Cotton - Tulip

 The pattern I've sourced to use for the top is:

Swirl Hat by Gail Tanquary

but I'll be changing the band design to a simple cable pattern reminiscent of an ice cream waffle cone. It is knitting up nicely and should be finished in the next few days. However, the band will be my first foray into cabling and even though it is a simple cable, I'll be taking my time to avoid potential disasters.

Bringing up the rear is this little gem. I was planning to make a red cotton hat for Geri from this pattern:

Cloche Hat and Handwarmers

and as I've never used this stitch before I decided to do a test piece. I reduced the number of stitches cast on and set to. The stitch pattern seems complex at first but it is ok once you get going. I was working on this last October whilst Geri was in hospital and as I was sitting beside her one afternoon she looked over and said that it looked like a babies hat, as indeed it did! So that's what I turned it into. It has worked out to be a premmie size and is very cute. I'll be donating it to the Beanies for Babies organisation once I have a few other items to send along with it.

I have since decided not to use this yarn for the hat so it's back to the drawing board on that one ....