Three Hats

Way back in October, I wrote that I would be taking a break from knitting hats for charity. I had good reasons for my decision but what I didn't take into account is that I always like to have what I call my handbag project. This is a project with no deadline for finishing and can be picked up and put down with ease. This is what my charity knitting used to be until I decided I needed to make an item each month. So a charity project was started in December for my "handbag project". And when I finished that another one was cast on. I have also finished that one as I made myself knit something when I was sick.

So although I declared that I was taking a break, it looks like charity knitting is still part of my work.

This is the hat I started in December and finished in January.



The pattern is Scarlet and is the second time I have knit it. I feel that this one came out bigger but I have no way to check as the first one was sent to Operation Gratitude last year. The blue is the same yarn as the first one but the brown is different so maybe just the brim is bigger.

And this is the hat I started in the middle of January and finished in the middle of February.



I was trying to use up bulky yarn but didn't succeed so I can probably work another exactly the same. The pattern is The Vermonter available free on Ravelry.

Looking at these two hats I wonder why I bother looking for patterns I could just knit a basic hat and add colour/pattern as my mood struck.

The third hat I have finished will be for a gift. Although it will be a Christmas gift I wanted to get it on the needles so that the yarn didn't languish in my stash.



I found the pattern by searching on Ravelry for other projects made with the yarn. It used the whole ball of yarn so I had a number of ends to sew in as I had cut the yarn when working another project plus there had been a knot early on in the yarn which I had undone. I really like the finished item. It is very stretchy and you can turn up a brim so will fit a lot of people. The pattern is by Plymouth Yarn Company, the distributors of the yarn and it can be found here.

My current handbag project is a simple child's hat that will be a gift.

I did buy yarn for the hat I wish to knit for my niece. I chose this yarn as I have quite a bit of cream colour in my stash and the pattern I am planning on making is two colour. I had intended to purchase turquoise but opted for the teal.



The timing was right as it was on sale at Michael's. I seriously debated buying more to use for charity hats but I have decided to wait until I have used up every last inch in my stash.