I believe I might have been a tad hasty when I said in a fit of self-loathing that I wanted to ditch my stash. Let's face it, it is because of the Ye Olde Yarne Shoppe on the third floor that the following series of events could take place:
- search on Ravelry for 'men's' hat patterns
- click on the Purl Bee blog after finding the precise type of hat I was looking for, scanning the yarns required and realizing that while I don't have those precise colors in Casscade 220, I most certainly do in Brown Sheep Nature Spun and some random Classic Elite Wings for a faux cashmere lining
- send my eager shop girl Peeperlou upstairs with a basket to fill my order
- and voilà, I am in business.
Whitney, that author of the pattern, talks about how this hat reminds her of her childhood in the 70s, and I so agree. My older brother (class of '76) always wore a hat like this when he was listening to his Bread albums on his 8-track tape player while drinking Dr. Pepper (a profoundly 70s beverage) and using his Presto Hot Dogger machine. Laura made a joke on Flickr that this hat made her want to have fondue and watch Matchgame--the Seventies possibilities are endless! I just had to make this hat for strictly nostalgic purposes...
The Specs:
Pattern: Whitney's 70s Ski Hat
Needles: Size 7
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted in "Goldenrod", "Orange You Glad", "Nordic Blue" and "Spring Break"; Classic Elite Wings #2385 for the lining.
This might be the first time I've made a hat for two people to share. One of the recipients (class of '78) loves the color orange so I wasn't worried that it would be too loud--and luckily they are both amenable to the sharing concept. I'm doing this type of 'two birds with one stone' knitting more often!
The Manos Silky Blend you see pictured above represents another first--it might be the first time I have purchased yarn out of sheer humiliation. While in NY, me and my large purse and even larger rear end paid a little visit to the Point. You might know this very cramped store with huge tables that take up almost all of the space in the joint from the Spiders fame? In any case, there is not a lot of breathing room in there. So as I was fondling the Manos display I made a misstep, turned around and my purse swung around and sent a gigantic display basket filled with loud, clattering hangers off a ledge and down a staircase. "Hi! Don't mine me, I'm just visiting from out of town!!". Yes--there were disapproving glares and looks of incomprehension and mild disdain. Covered in shame, you see, I had to purchase the yarn in my hands at that point--it was my only option.
28 comments:
My sister used to have an 8-track tape player in yellow and looked like those old fashion devices that blew up TNT! I LOVED that thing and feel the need to buy one off of eBAY. However I have no 8-track tapes. Still have some records, but no player. And while cds are here to stay, I've had to replace some cds due to scratches and yet my tapes still play well after 25+ years and baking in the car under Florida sunshine.
At least it's fabulously gorgeous yarn. The pictures of that store make me claustrophobic.
The picture of that 70s hat *totally* makes me smell those kool-aid-colored popsicles. They defined my summers.
That yarn is wonderful ... but will you blush every time you see it?
Off I go to enjoy my own 70s flashbacks. Thank you : )
Ah, the 70's. As a kid, we would pile into my dad's '73 chevy van that he carpeted from the ceiling to floorboards in green shag. No joke, we called it the Jolly Green Giant.
We would hit the road and travel from ATL to Chicago to visit relatives. Dad's cb(!)radio handle was "Dr.Pepper" for his fav drink and mine was "Heavy Heather" since I was such a pipsqueak. Orange rocks by the way. Love the hats.
I've bought yarn out of embarrassment. Totally normal.
That is a fab hat. All my high school boyfriends wore hats like that. (Class of '77.)
I dig that hat (I love orange, too), and I wasn't even around in the '70s!
(I know, I'm young, AND I'm a brat for mentioning it)
Meeeeeemrieeeeees, light the coooorners of my miiiiind. Misty water coloured meeeeeeemrieeeees, of the way we wheeeeeere.....
Boy does that hat bring me back! I've gotta check my stash store, I'm sure I've got what it takes to make one. And at least at home I won't run the risk of having to purchase "humiliation" yarn. Been there, done that! (I fully blame the big purse, and you should too). Also? Eff those pointy b's and their mild disdain. At least you got some yummerly yarn out of the whole debacle.
Those hats are a hoot. So like we wore back then. Sorry about your yarn accident.
I so must try that technique next time I want yarn but shouldn't be buying it -- ooops, I knocked over your display? Here, let me buy some of that yarn to make up for it! (I guess it's just a matter of finding a display of something yummy to knock over, though, right?)
There you go again... :-)
My husband loves orange, and looks good in it. He passed that on to one of our sons. The rest of us look like death warmed overin anything that close to what could be considered anywhere near a shade of yellow... it has to be a seriously dark/burnt orange, pumpkin pie-like to get away with, perfect for fall/thanksgiving wear... not so much for spring, oh well.
...and I was totally looking for a pattern with that shape the other day, to mimic a fun store bought hat (gasp! I know) for my boys. Thanks for the pattern heads up!!
Happy knitting-
ali
Shame yarn? I haven't gone there yet. But it could be a great reason to buy yarn. Really if you were visiting, I consider any yarn in a new store potential souvenir yarn. And it's gorgeous stuff anyway.
At least you had pretty yarn in your hands at the time.
I think I'd have a sip of Tab and tune WABC in on my Toot-a-Loop radio while wearing that hat.
I have that hat in my queue as well! Nice to see it all done up in such a festive 70s-worthy colorway.
I remember that when people in the 70s said, "ski hat," that's the kind of hat they meant. My brother had one just like it.
Oh, Pullease... It's not like it was "the end of the world as we know it..." Jeesh! Great hat!
I think I've done more embarrassing things at the Point... I once got stuck in the bathroom before I realized I just had to push the door really hard. I may have banged on the door and yelled for help. I've accidentally made yarn fall to the floor many, many times. And yes, I may have purchased yarn to hide my embarrassment. That's normal, right? (By the way: love that blue!).
Oh, I've totally done that kind of thing at a yarn store. Actually, at a number of types of stores. Oh well! I don't think you'll regret the Manos Silk Blend, though. It's one of my absolute favorite yarns! I far prefer it to Malabrigo's Silky Merino.
The hat looks great -- very 70s, indeed.
Even in that hat Class of 78 is still The One I Love, ;o)
Kellie16@gmail.com
Had that hat from 8th grade thru graduation--it was THE hat if you skiied (class of 75 speaking). I adore it in your colors.
and....aren't you glad you didn't have something itchy scratchy beige in your hands when you bumped the display?
I just went to the Point last weekend and while it was tiny, turns out Purl Soho was even tinier! Loved your ski hat btw, my first husband (class of 76) had one very much like it (different colors) and he used to wear it when we went skiing (78-81). Memories for sure!
Nothing says the 70s to me like that orange. It's bringing back all sorts of memories. The Mike Douglas Show. Fish nets as home decor. Potato leek soup (this strikes me as the quintessentially 70s soup). For sure, Dr. Pepper.
I have some of the Manos Silky too! Four skeins. Trying to decide what to do with it.
yep. i should have been wearing that exact hat while doing ski club. i would have been ALL set!
hilarious story......nice save. :)
Groovy hat. I had a similar store bought ski hat in the 70s but the main color was white with orange, green, blue & red stripes with a giant pompom. Loved wearing that hat but it covered up my Dorothy Hamill haircut. I drank a lot of Shasta in the 70s. In the 80s, it was all about Bud.
Hah! Class of '78!?!?! Me too!
I love this hat! It's totally up my "use up the stash" alley!
Love the hat!
I would have totally done the same thing, and look, you walked away with yarn. I couldn't be that bad ;)
Oh what a great hat!! (and yes, you totally had to purchase the yarn in your hands).
I used to have an 8-track tape player. I loved listening to my Shaun Cassidy album on it. Actually the 8-track was a part of a whole stereo that on top had a disco ball with different color lights I could turn on to make awesome sparkles across my darkened room. Damn, I miss that thing.
So how did you get Michael Stipe to wear that hat ?.............
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