It has been a phenomenal Christmas for our little house. My son was fortunate to get some fun and exciting presents, and we were with family and had a great meal. I received a few knitterly presents this year that I am excited to dig into very soon:
I didn’t give any knitted gifts this year- between early pregnancy illness and the busy season for my photography business, I finished an on-the-needles project, (the Clara Dress), did a quick baby hat, and I am now working on A(nother) Hat Fit For My Brother. I love my brother, like, a whole lot. I will now prove this to any knitter reading this.
Requirements for the hat:
- Must be black
- Must be very tightly knitted so air cannot penetrate it
- Cannot be lined in another fabric
- Must be washable and dryable
So first thing you notice is that it’s solid black. In a sea of beautiful handpainted yarns, I know my brother wants something simple and uncomplicated. Something classic and traditional. So okay, I’ve found a very pure black (lightened to show the texture/twist of the yarn and fabric for the above image).
On top of the color requirement, my brother very kindly asked me to make a fabric with “no holes” in it, knitted very tight. The cold winds in the Midwest/Northeast are cutting through his previous hat (modeled by my husband). My brother has a shaved head, and it is very sensitive to those teeny little intrusions that we coiffed individuals cannot fathom. So this is a bulky yarn and I’m knitting it on size 4 needles. The previous hat was DK on size 8 needles, which makes a very squishy and comfortable fabric. This particular hat is akin to concrete, but much tighter than the previous one. I can still see light through the fabric when I stretch it, but I don’t think it’s physically possible for me to knit it tighter.
I have to be honest- I am petrified that this won’t pass muster. I really wanted to line it with something like flannel or even a thin knit, but he tells me it makes his head itch, which seems unpleasant. I really hope it’s an improvement over his last hat!
I am enjoying using the Ewe Ewe Baa Baa bulky yarn I got at Park Avenue Yarns. I do have to take frequent breaks during the knitting because it’s so painful at such a teensy gauge. I could see this making quite a glorious fabric on larger needles. Luckily for me, I have an extra ball of it that will likely be used for a second, larger gauge hat for my husband. But first, I have some personal projects I’d like to get to.