Yes, a hat ;)

Thanks everyone, for the get well wishes!  That cheered me up and I hope I'm on the uphill side of it and will continue to mend.  You guys are the best!

Several of our clever readers correctly guessed that the strange item in my last post was a hat...Very good!!!  Remember back in February I mentioned that I was going to try to knit 12 Hats in 2012?  Well, even though I haven't been good about keeping them posted I have been good about getting them knitted.  Those previous photos were of the inside and outside of my version of the Elizabeth's Cap from the Winter 2011 issue of Spin Off magazine.  (NOTE, all of the links to patterns I'm sharing here are at Ravelry).  I liked the idea of it because you spin some singles yarn of various colors and then carry the singles together to make the cap.  I'm always sampling handfuls of fleece from our sheep, washing and combing it and then spinning it up so this was a perfect project.  I leave the singles right on the bobbin and knit from there, does anyone else do that?  Anyway, here is another picture of the cap:

That's dark grey; medium grey; silver and ivory Corriedale fleece from our flock in the hat.  And guess what?  It actually fits me and it doesn't look to bad!  I would definately recommend this hat, especially to hand spinners.

Another hat I did in February is the East Falls Hat from Knitscene Spring 2012.  I did some "stash-busting" for this one and used millspun alpaca/merino from my friend Maple at North Star Alpacas (the moorit color) along with Corriedale (the ivory color) .  Again, a cute design with a nice fit and interesting construction.  It used a different method of making "jogless stripes" that I quite liked.

A few more artsy shots of the hat ~


In progress



Topside, blocking


I think I've got enough of the yarn left to whip up a pair of matching mittens.  The hat pattern calls for a couple of decorative buttons on the side of the band and I have something in mind if I can find them.  Otherwise I'll leave it as is.

My first hat in March was a pattern I'd planned to make since I saw it in the Interweave Knits Winter 2010 Weekend Special Edition.  It's called the Bryony Cap and it's one of those chunky,  cable-y, fluffy hats that shout warmth and winter!  I also knew I wanted to make it with a wool-angora bunny blend, using - what else? - Serenity Farms Corriedale along with some silvery grey English Angora yarn I'd spun a while ago.  I LOVE this hat!!!  It was a fast knit, its warm and big but not sloppy and if it wasn't for the fact that it has been close to 90 degrees these past few March days, I don't think I would ever take it off! 

This isn't the best picture for showing details.  It actually has a long ribbed brim that you roll up for double thickness over the ears and then nice, big undulating cables.  I can't wait to show it to my friend Renee this weekend (she raises Angora bunnies, so I know she'll appreciate it!)  By the way, the rooster isn't really so tiny - LOL - he's just down below me in the yard quite a ways.

So now you know more than you probably care to about my growing collection of hats and hat patterns.  I have a second hat for March on the needles, called the Shamrock Tam that I started on St. Patricks Day but I'm using navy blue yarn and it doesn't really show up in pictures very well.  I'll share that one when its done.  Then I think I'll do another crochet hat.  My friend Kathy recommended one that looks like fun.

How about you?  Are you knitting in this weird hot weather?

P.S.  A set of triplets born, two boys and a girl, all natural colored.  Five more ewes to go, if I'm counting right.