im not usually a big wearer, or knitter, of hats, but considering my sock knitting mojo has gone the way of the dinosaurs, and i can not STAND those small triangle shawls on me, i need other things to make out of single skeins of yarn. its not usually cold enough here for mittens or hats, but i’m doing some travelling this winter to colder climes, so when i made the half-cranford mitts, i decided they would need a matching hat out of the remaining yarn (the gorgeously smooshy ‘sanguine gryphon bugga’). i had first thought of the ishbel beret because i knew it incorporated a similar pattern, but then fee showed me this, and i was away

i cast on on friday night i think and soon had the first repeat done. i knew i was onto a winner, easy to follow pattern, looking great in that awesome yarn.

by saturday night, it was off the needles and a bunched up pile of grey.

sunday morning it had a little bath and then put on a plate in the sun

the yarn had gone quite floppy in the bath, so i couldnt really stretch the pattern right out without making it too big but it fits

and has excellent crown shaping (which ishbel lacks i think) that makes this gorgeous star on the top of your head:

and it matches the mitts perfectly!

i would definitely make this pattern again  but i would go down a needle size, i didnt have a 2.25mm circular for the ribbed brim so i used 2.5 and then 3.25 for the body, its probably a little loose. i did everything exactly as written (including the 152 stitch long tail cast on) and i love it. now i just need to get my  hands on some of the actual quince and co yarn.

i am like, queen of accessories, at the moment. lets just not talk about the cardigan. or a particular piece of deadline knitting.

k xx