Knitted autumn hat

28th September

I maybe in planning mode for the big 'C', shhh, I know it's only September so I thought I better live in the moment and make something autumnal as well.  Although, I think I'm doing ok so far on that front, see  quick autumn gift wrapping and bring autumn colours indoors and for English country side autumnal views see outdoor Oxfordshire


One of the things I hoped to accomplish this year was to knit more and sporadically I have achieved this.  To spur me on in the latter half of this year, I have just bought myself a gift... new needles from Knit Pro and I love them!!!  I have been using their dpn all year but have now branched out to their circular needles, so it was with this in mind, I began to knit.

I decided to make a quick autumn hat with wool from my stash.  Found a lovely orangey red  100% wool from Drops called Eskimo tucked away at the back of the cupboard and used 6mm needles.  Casting on 50 stitches, I set to with no pattern.

Using wool that I had, I'm trying not to buy any more,
I began knitting
I wanted a quick make as really I had not planned for this and so decided to just knit on the circular needles, with such thick wool and large needles I was whizzing along like an old pro, easy to fool yourself, right?  After a few rows I decided it would be fun to try to add some leaves in and almost make the hat pumpkin like.  I set to quickly with my mini white board and white board pens and began to work out how to incorporate some leaves into the pattern.  I love to see how other people plan their designs, so thought I would show you my scruffy planning.  Why a white board, easy to rub out the mistakes as if they were never there!


Planning the leaf design and the distances
between the three leaves

It really was a quick hat to knit, around two hours.  It almost made itself, almost.  I actually had three small balls of green that I used so that each leaf had its own yarn, this meant I was not carrying the yarn round the whole hat.  It worked well mostly, but the yarn threads did tangle up a tad and twice I needed to stop to untangle, but I thought it worth it.

Growing quickly

Excuse the no make up look,
am full of a heavy cold today
I had not planned when to begin decreasing but waited to see how it sat on my head as I wanted a tight snug fit.  Half way through the leaf design after the nine green leaf stiches I began to decrease one stitch between each leaf for 3 rows and then decreased by 2 stiches between leaves for the remainder of the rows.  Once I was left with only six stitches I cast off, leaving long green tails.  With the green tails I pulled out my crochet hook and chained 10 and then slip stitched into each chain until I was back at the hat.  I then fastened off to create a stem on the top of the hat, a little I hope like a pumpkin stalk.


We are experiencing beautiful
autumn days at the moment

Do you know how difficult it is to photograph
yourself wearing a hat?  It almost took longer
than the knitting itself!!!


I feel that should the weather turn and let's face it, it could any day now,
that I am ready and will be seasonal myself to boot! 
 
♥  Have a great week wherever you are 

24 comments:

  1. Oh, you talented person you! It's fabulous. It must be the colour on my phone but it looks a deep red so I see holly and berry rather than pumpkin. Maybe it's wishful thinking. ;-) x

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    1. Now there's a brilliant idea!!! A hat with holly and berries. Oooh itching to try that Jules

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  2. Looks like a successful project to me. Well done.

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  3. You really are amazing. :-) And I shall NEVER again believe any of your protestations about knitting inadequacies! How many people could work a clever and beautiful hat, from scratch, with no pattern in sight. It's gorgeous. And I second the idea above about making a festive holly version.

    Oh, and KnitPro Symfonies are rather fabulous, aren't they?

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    1. Ah but I won't let you look too closely at it as its nothing compared to your knitting you knitting goddess you.

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  4. It looks fab! Love the colours too :o)

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    1. Thank you! I love the colours too although supposedly they are not 'my' colours for wearing but you can get too caught up in these things I think. So I will wear it happily.

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  5. Replies
    1. Thanks Val. Hopefully will keep me toasty warm in the coming months

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  6. Hi Selma, it's really a lovely hat you have created. I love the design you came up with. Perfect for Autumn weather. Wishing you a great day, Pat xx

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  7. Very pretty!!! The color is a very pretty red and it looks good on you! When it comes to knitting I have to follow the pattern stitch by stitch, not like when I crochet! You're very talented!!!

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    1. You're very kind Oliva but u think it's more that I don't worry if it's not perfect and I live trying new ideas

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  8. Brilliant hat my friend, I love it. And I love your new needles, I have some like it and I enjoy them so much.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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    1. Thank you Meredith. Yes I love these needles x

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  9. It's a beautiful hat - love the colors! x Karen

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  10. Wonderful creation!! I'm impressed with your pattern designing and the fact that it worked out perfectly. I think it looks perfectly pumpkin like with that top stem ;) I have some tiny knitting to do this weekend, but since it IS for Christmas I can't share yet. Have a wonderful weekend ... oh, and am now following along on your blog.
    Wendy

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    1. Welcome Wendy. Ooh can't wait to see your Christmas knits. I love Christmas so much x

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  11. A clever idea. And I like the colors.
    Amalia
    xo

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  12. A truly beautiful hat! I really like the red/orange color, it looks very autumn-like (Esp. with the leaves) :)

    Take care
    Anne
    Crochet Between Worlds

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    1. Thank you Anne. It's got me back into knitting

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