project: nikki's birthday hat

A few years back, I knit my friend Nikki a hat from some lovely Noro yarn. When I moved back to Chicago this past winter, I asked Nikki where the hat I made her was, and why she wasn't wearing it.
Here's the story: apparently it got left outside in the snow, and her (not knowing the properties of wool) put the hat in the dryer to, well, dry it.

Are. You. Kidding. Me.

After being slightly heartbroken and then explaining the properties of wool and how they have scales on their fibers so that leads them to felt when being wet and agitated, Nikki got it. And I love Nikki, she's a best friend and a part of the Dream Team, so for this year's birthday gift, I decided to knit her another hat.
This hat is the same pattern as my Mariposa hat, only using Manos del Uruguay yarn. I believe I purchased this yarn at Weaving Works in Seattle a few years back (again- using up the stash!). The colors seemed right for Nikki, and I know she enjoys the variegation of color in hats. While taking a break from my market bag (which I finished last nite, btw), I whipped up this hat.

I finally saw Nikki this past weekend while we were meeting up with the girls and gave her the hat. As the nite went on, we decided to have a photo shoot with the hat:

Here is Kayla wearing the hat

And Carrie wearing the hat

And, finally, Nikki wearing the hat. Can you sense the anticipation for winter to come???

Next post: logan square market bag!


playlist: nikki's birthday hat

"let the cool goddess rust away" - clap your hands say yeah!
"can you tell" - ra ra riot
"lost coastlines" - okkervil river
"heart it races" - architecture in helsinki
"yeah yeah" - matt & kim
"ambling alp" - yeasayer
"let's go surfing" - the drums
"whirring" - the joy formidable
"10:1" - rogue wave

project: mariposa hat

The Windy City Soul Club dress didn't make it to Friday's event. I tried it on: too big. So I need to fit it and make some alterations. The new goal for the dress is May 28th. It looks absolutely stunning! The fabrics are great together, and I think the colors will still work with my skin tone. Future blog posts about the dress to come!

In the mean time, that knit tank top I was working on got pushed to the side for a mindless project, like a hat. Every year I visit Minneapolis to see friends and family, and always like to check out the LYS while I'm there. So while visiting back in 2008, I stopped by Linden Hills Yarn and was overwhelmed by their AMAZING Malabrigo selection. I don't know what was going on with the yarn stores in Seattle, but none of them carried much Malabrigo yarn. Major bummer!

While drooling all over the Malabrigo selection, my eye was immediately drawn to this one color way called Mariposa. As we all know, red heads look good in green. This green was a beautiful mix of mint, with hints of chartreuse and then flecks of purple and brown along the way. Gorgeous! I had to have it for a hat.

Upon getting back to Seattle, I started searching for a hat pattern that would suit this lovely yarn. I came across a pattern called "The Amanda Hat" by Sleepy Eyes Knitting. I printed the pattern out, and didn't do anything with it until last Monday. Noticing a trend?

Pattern was a piece o'cake. I knit it up in a week (mostly on the blue line to and from work). I'm extremely happy that the colors did not pool, and are all spaced out really well. The hat a little big on me, but I do have a ridiculously small head size at 21 1/2" inches. Why do I know this? Thank you, grad school wig class.

So one more project completed that I can't wear until Fall! But hey- the yarn is out of my stash and one more project has been checked off the list! Woohoo!


playlist: mariposa hat

"like janis" - rodriguez
"the funeral" - band of horses
"fly around my pretty little miss" - built to spill
"i don't blame you" - cat power
"quicksand" - david bowie
"rose parade" - elliott smith
"do you realize??" - the flaming lips
"perfect day" - lou reed
"recommendation" - mirah
"don't let it bring you down" - neil young
"winterlong" - the pixies
"please please please let me get what i want" - the smiths
"marquee moon" - television

Props to Adam for making this wicked rad playlist!