she makes hats

off the needles: joe hat

pattern: Joe Hat, from Jane Richmond (Ravelry link | Etsy link)
yarn: Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn! Sport Solid, in black
needles: one US 7 / 4.5mm circular needle; one set US 7 / 4.5mm dpns

This might just be the perfect men's hat. Some think the 1x1 ribbing can get a bit tedious, but I love the melody the front/back/front/back creates. I tend not to be a sport-weight yarn knitter, so Jane shared a little secret to the pattern so I can knit this hat again and again on worsted weight yarn - hooray!

The only mod I made while knitting was to not sew up the brim and make it automatically folded under. I thought Amy's husband might want to be able to fold his own brim, although in future versions of this hat I'll be knitting the brim under like so many of Jane's patterns suggest.

This hat was made for Amy's husband - I knit everyone in her family something for the holidays and had such fun doing so!

off the needles: casey cowl for amy

pattern: Casey Cowl, by Robyn Devine (Ravelry Link)
yarn: Yarn Bee Andes Alpaca
needles: one set US 15 / 10.0mm bamboo straight needles

I knew as soon as Amy noted she liked the Casey Cowl that I wanted to knit her one for the holidays. I also knew I wanted to make it a bit special, but couldn't break the bank. Enter Yarn Bee Andes Alpaca yarn - purchased at Hobby Lobby it's under $10 (by quite a margin) but still looks and feels absolutely amazing. And knit up on size 15 needles, only one skein of yarn was needed to make this squishy and gorgeous cowl!

off the needles: Walk In The Park Hat

pattern: Walk In The Park Hat, by Pickles
yarn: I Love This Yarn! in purple
needles: sizes US 8 / 5.0 mm and US 10 / 6.0 mm 16" circulars

What fun I had this holiday season, crafting items for each member of Amy's family! Amy blogs at New Nostalgia, and while we've known one another for close to a decade, it had been several years since I'd seen her gorgeous family - thankfully, we were able to reconnect at the pumpkin patch this year!

When her girls started commenting on my handmade hat, I offered to knit something for each member of Amy's family, and thankfully she agreed to let me! First off the needles was this hat for her youngest daughter. This one loves color, so I was excited to grab some bright purple yarn from my stash to whip her up a slightly slouchy hat.

I made a few modifications to this hat - a 2x2 ribbed brim, some decreases at the top of the hat (the pattern doesn't call for any) and a shorter knit time before binding off; all in all though, the hat looks almost exactly like the pattern photos, and will fit this little lady perfectly!

off the needles: Invisible Children Hat

pattern: Invisible Children Hat, by Robyn Devine (Ravelry Link)
yarn: I Love This Yarn! from Hobby Lobby in maroon
needles: size US 11 / 8.0mm circular needle

For Amy's middle child, a hat that would match her brown coat was requested. Maroon matches just about any color, is neutral enough while still adding a pop of color, and looks great dressed up or down. A simple Invisible Children hat means this one will grow with the recipient, can be worn slouched or with the brim folded over, and can even be borrowed by mom if need be!

off the needles: Jane Hat

pattern: Jane Hat, from Jane Richmond (Ravlery Link | Etsy Link)
yarn: I Love This Yarn! solids, in black
needles: size US 8 / 5.0mm and size US 10 / 6.0mm circular needles

For Amy's eldest daughter, something basic and black was called for. I wanted to jazz it up just a bit, while still leaving the hat basic enough that she could wear it with everything, and for everyday wear. Enter Jane Richmond's namesake hat.

I love knitting this hat for almost anyone; I've made it in wools and acrylics, in bright colors and neutrals, and every time it comes off the needles I want to keep it for myself. Maybe this means the next one should be for me?