Whenever I write a hat pattern I always knit it at least twice. I don’t want to be publishing patterns with errors in them if I can possibly help it. I always welcome feedback but would prefer people didn’t have to go to the trouble of letting me know that my products are not up to scratch.
So at the moment I’m knitting my second Holgate Beanie. After a bit of drama with the ribbing on the first one, I’m very happy with how it turned out. The ribbing drama was my stupidity, not the pattern.
The original Holgate Beanie was actually for my fella Geoff, but I have stolen it a couple of times. At least he can no longer say I’ve never knitted anything for him.
The one I’m about to finish is in Autumn colours from Jo Sharp’s DK wool range. The yarn for Geoff’s was from Morris and Sons Estate 8ply. For me they knit to the same tension and they both relax a lot with washing and blocking. I’m always amazed at how things grow once they are washed.
If ever there was good reason to swatch, a pure wool, fair isle beanie is it.
I’ll publish these on Ravelry and here in the next few days. Downloads will be priced at AU$4.00 but I will offer them at AU$2.00 per download until the end of June 2011.
I’m holding a “Holgate Beanie” competition between now and the end of May.
Anyone who posts a comment on this blog between now and 31 May 2011 will go into a random draw to win a pattern and yarn kit. The winner will have a choice of either soft colours (lemon/cream/latte), brights (red/cream/blue) or dark naturals (sage/brown/grey).
So start commenting! It’s been very lonely here lately and I’d really like some suggestions for technical tutorials.
Love the Holgate beanie, I want one too! Love the website Jennifer, wonderful.
You’ve certainly got a winner here!
Cute hat — I love that it’s a stranded pattern with a slouchy shape, and the snowflake on top is super! If you are thinking of doing a technical tutorial, maybe you could share a how-to on corrugated ribbing and/or figuring gauged in stranded knitting?
Ooh! Great idea. I was thinking about corrugated rib as a tutorial because there are things you can do to make it a LOT less painful. I knit with both strands in my right hand so I’ll try to find a friend who knits one right and one left so I can get pictures of both styles. I might have to take my camera to Stitch n Bitch tonight and stalk people and their projects.
I love the hat! I’m just in the process of teaching myself stranded knitting, and this looks like a good early project.
Hi Andrea – this would be a good pattern for a first-ever fair isle because you don’t have to sew in many ends and you don’t have to weave in as you go because you will change colour every two to five stitches.
– Jen
I’ve never done fair isle before, but this hat is super cute and makes me want to try!
Beautiful hat! That may be what I use for my first colorwork challenge.
Love the pattern. I have the perfect person to make it for.
I don’t have anything specific in mind as far as technical tutorials, but that’s a lovely hat!