FO: Norwegian Star Hat

  

Here’s my latest FO, which Lindsey correctly guessed as being a Norwegian star earflap hat. I had a lot of fun making it, and it was a great way to use up some Patons merino that was leftover from Christmas projects. Stranded colorwork is my new love! 

 

The lining came from a blanket I bought for $2.48 at CVS, which was easier than trekking to a fabric store for some fleece (I used the rest of the blanket to insulate my drafty windows).  

 

The hat looks awful on me, but most hats do and I wasn’t expecting this to be an exception. Regardless, it was a quick project, completed in under a week, and it barely cost anything in materials.

This was a project of many “firsts”: first project with a Norwegian Star motif, first hat with earflaps, first time lining something, first I-cord, and first pom-poms (which, incidentally, are ridiculously fun to make). So I say it was time well spent.  

 

I’m going to donate the hat to charity, unless someone wants it.

 

FO: Dog Mittens

 

I finished these while sipping coffee in the National Portrait Gallery’s stunning new Kogod Courtyard. Who cares if the coffee is $3 when you’re surrounded by so much beauty?

 

Foliage Finished

So Foliage ended up being a slouchy hat, which was fine because my sister liked it that way (and, um, it hid my mistakes). Doesn’t it look great on her?

 

Cactus Flower, Completed

It makes me look 10 lbs heavier, but otherwise I’m happy with how it turned out.

 

Urchin Completed

 

Here’s my finished Urchin. Taking pictures of the back of your head is tricky!

C said that my ball of yarn was scary, and I can understand why– it’s the sort of yarn only a knitter could love. The bumps, blobs, and fuzz, which some might see as ugly, translated to a feast of textures and  for my fingers to enjoy. Tactilely, it was a very satisfying yarn to work with.

 As far as the pattern goes, I thought the contruction was pretty interesting; it took a while for it to actually start resembling a hat. The entire time I was praying I didn’t run out of yarn, and I had to omit a “wedge” because I did run out, but the yarn is stretchy enough that I can still get the hat over my head.  

 

Cherie Amour - Finished!

This has been done since Monday but I didn’t get a chance to take pictures until now.