Every good hat needs a ridiculous scarf

After my self-proclaimed success with Yulie, it only seemed fitting that I have a laughably oversized scarf to go with it. I wanted to pull a color from the many in the hat with the half-hearted goal of a slightly awkward combination.

I settled on a super chunky yarn, Lion Wool-Ease Thick and Quick, which knits up on hilariously large size 19 needles. For the stitch pattern, I wanted something simple, but not plain. I settled on a faux-herringbone pattern. The right side has that cute zig-zaggy look, while the wrong side looks like boring purl bumps.

Hopefully the end ensemble is cozy and cute instead of weird and homeless.

Camera found = Yulie pics

I've been bouncing off the walls since I finished my amazing Yulie beret. And while I'm not complaining, the 60 degree weather that kept me from wearing it is over. So without further delay...

Seriously, how great is this?

This is the right side.

And the "wrong" side.

Yayay Yulie!

Holy Yulie, Batman!

(from Grumperina!)

I can't find my camera so I can't adequately share with you the amazingness that is Yulie. But I am SO excited that I just can't wait another second. Really.

Yulie is a near-perfect beret pattern that I came across whilst browsing Grumperina's freebies. Reasons I love this pattern:
1. It requires very little yarn. At less than 1 skein of each color, I could use one of my "special" yarns for the contrasting color (Noro Kureyon, to be exact. As an aside, I dare you to tell me these colors don't make you swoon).
2. It is a lace pattern, so a little more fun to knit than other patterns, but easy enough to memorize.
3. The stripes are knit in a spiral, so to speak. This way there are no jogs in the color and it looks super seamless (well, because it IS seamless).
4. The pattern is amenable to adding more or less slouch.

(from Noro)

I knit this over the weekend. That includes finishing, realizing it was too small (because I can't be bothered to swatch), un-knit the crown, re-knit the plain rounds (see #4 above), and refinishing it. I didn't block, because I was digging the squishy look. And did I mention, I'm in love with it?!?!

I promise, as the camera resurfaces, you can see my sweet hat.

Hats!

As I traveled to lovely NYC last weekend, I anticipated some cool fall weather (btw, I was right). At the last minute, I packed two favorite hats, my Odessa and a slouchy hat.

(this is the first version I knit as a gift, but I like the way L shows of the sweet swirl action)

The Odessa was a pattern published in the now-defunct MagKnits, by the delightful Grumperina. The pattern was well-written and really fun to knit with the traveling stitches. It called for a slightly above-budget Rowan cashmere-wool blend. But it only needs one ball so I gave in and I'm glad. It's soft and lovely. It's thin but warm.

(this is not me either, as far as I know this is the designer, SloMoeKnits)

The slouchy hat was knit on a whim, before I realized slouchy hats would be in style for the following 4 years... This was knit in a more budget-friendly yarn, to the tune of $3.00 and change. I actually think I like it more now than when I first knit it. It's a good go-to.

What I love most: each was knit sometime around 2007. And they still rock. Each is soft/stretchy enough to not pinch my ears with glasses on (am I the only one who has this happen?) And both were knit in neutral enough colors (dark teal, "mushroom") that they go with most anything. Hat win.

Cupcake baby - update

She looks like a cupcake. Love!

Happy Birthday Hat

Booyah! Learn something new every day. I'm proud to have finished my first colorwork hat just in time for birthday wishes. I'm not sure how often it will get worn, but I quite like it.

Science slump

Unfortunately, new fall classes and new projects at work are making me all stressed and annoyed and thusly, needing a slouchy hat. Famous and cool people are wearing them, and that's good enough for me.


However, I'm knitting this beret on the sly. Periodically, I find myself so bogged down in UFOs, that I take on some small project with the zeal to finish it in three days or less. This was true of the legwarmers, true of the slippers, and now nearly true (Friday at the latest) for my beret.

Mine will be of my favorite Lion Brand Wool-Ease ($3.00/skein) in the "mushroom" colorway. It looks surprisingly like the color of mushrooms. And now that I think of it, it will probably look like a mushroom on my head, what with the floppiness. Is that good or bad?