People I'm in the throes of a major fair isle obsession and I don't see it letting go anytime soon. Between the 'Fair Isle Revisited' Debbie Bliss magazine , Rowan 48 and the Fall 2010 Vogue Knitting (my taste for which proves to me beyond any doubt that yes, I am middle aged), I am on a bona fide fair isle tear.
First up for me is the terribly unimaginatively named 'Fair Isle Hat'. Seriously generic name for a honey of a pattern. Gee, I guess 'hat' had already been taken. Vogue Knitting, you are ever the inscrutable publication, one day I will decipher yours ways...
The Specs:
Pattern: Fair Isle hat by Sheila Joynes
Yarn: Felted Tweed, six colors, only scant amounts used of the following: 158, 165, 168, 151, 170, 164. Since I collect Felted Tweed like it's my job, these leftovers don't present a problem.
Needles: size 5. If there's a next time I'll surely go down a needle size as the hat is going from slouchy to something altogether much larger and potato sack-y.
Mods:My only mod was not knitting the crown in the pattern indicated--I just hate decreasing in pattern, so I free-styled it.
The pattern was a lot of fun to make and already have number 2 planned. Sadly not everyone around this house gets the whole slouchy thing. I did have a moment of sheer horror and blanched in agony when one of the junior texting crew asked 'OMG is that one of those Jamaican hats that white people with dreadlocks wear?'. Children are so precious, are they NOT?
My lovely friend and colleague Gina agreed to model the hat for me today after our morning commute [note the (almost double)Rainbow over her shoulder. Kismet!]. I was so pleased that she obliged my request because she is my silver style icon! In fact if you see me at Rhinebeck you will indeed notice that I am going the silver fox route. Stop me and say 'hi', under my hat I'll be the lady with the skunk stripe.
its so wonderful... this is what I wanna do one day... when I get that good,... showing my age??? Naaaaa/// just like this... hated it when I was a kid,.... go figure.... lovely
ReplyDeletehugs Birgit
What a great hat!
ReplyDeleteaghhhhhhhhhhhh one of those jamaican hats that white people with dreaklocks wear!! I'm crying. CRYING.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the colors you've chosen for this hat. Gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, it's AWESOME!! Such beautiful colors/pattern! :)
ReplyDeletehahaha. i don't know what is funnier.. the jr. texting crew or the comment she made! actually, she is hilarious!
ReplyDeleteoh, yes. just stinkin precious!
i do love that slouchy look.
Damn, she's stunning! As is the hat.
ReplyDeleteHope to meet you at Rhinebeck!!
Wow the hat is beautiful, lovely colors.
ReplyDeleteI queued that pattern right away, too! I totally did not realize that I was turning into a white person with dreadlocks. I guess I'll save a lot of money on haircuts!
ReplyDeleteYou're back! And sassy as ever. Yay!!
ReplyDeleteFantastic hat - it is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI hope that when my kid gets older she's as sassy as your kids.
ReplyDeleteThe hat looks so nice and cozy -- and incidentally, those slouchy styles work just as nicely for those of us with very thick hair as they do for the white folks with dreadlocks!
Awesome! The hat is so gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteOMG! Total LOVE for this hat. You rocked it with the colors you chose. It makes me want to leave my desk and run to the yarn shop (which, btw, does not open until 10 am). Hope I run into you at Rhinebeck. Still iffy on it...
ReplyDeleteWOW! This looks beautiful! I love slouchy hats, and this looks like a deliciously slouchy hat. The hat really looks like a piece of art!
ReplyDeleteThat is one rockin' Jamaican dreadlock head rag!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you are back! Missed you!
ReplyDeleteOh my god was that Nora or Bugles? A) give whoever it was a smack upside the head from me for insulting her mother's craft, but then B) praise her for realizing that white people with dreadlocks are a scourge upon this earth.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that your hat is amazing (love the colors you chose) and your friend is indeed lovely! Those colors are exceptionally becoming on her!
ReplyDelete(((hugs)))
That hat is gorgeous and the colors are wonderful!
ReplyDeleteExcellent hat! Not to be renamed: Whitey's Dread Hat. I really want to rock the silver fox look (and hope I look glowing and not washed out) but it's so hard to get past the skunk stripe stage. My skunk stripe is being dyed this weekend.
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love kids? Fair Isle is my first love knit-wise. My first real project was Fair Isle. And congratulations for being gutsy enough to go silver! When my hair starts to turn, I'll be with you.
ReplyDeleteHeather! Love this post, love this hat, love you. Can't wait to spot your silver fox self at Rhinebeck!
ReplyDeleteI like the colors you chose, and it's beautiful. Love what your kid said; that is so true...I'm especially thinking of Brad Pitt.
ReplyDeletePerfect hat, not for covering white-person-dreads (shudder), but a flowing head of silver hair. How I hope and pray that one day my hair will look like your friend's. And I can't wait to see you rock the silver fox!
ReplyDeleteYou did an amazing job on the hat. I actually love the slouchiness. And I love that it makes me want to pull out my poorly neglected Alice Starmore WIP.
Wish I was joining you at Rhinebeck...
The hat is awesome! I'll be at Rhinebeck too with my own skunk stripe. I've been rockin the gray thing for a couple of years now and haven't looked back.
ReplyDeleteVERY pretty. And silver is 'in' ;-) Gina's hair is beautiful. We all can be winners in the aging gracefully category.
ReplyDeleteAnd my word verification is gracu (grace you?)....spooky!!
Oooh, this hat is gorgeous! I'm going to have to give Felted Tweed a try one of these days...it looks great in colorwork like this!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah - I am all into fair isle. It is my way to use up all of my odd ball pieces of yarn. I spend hours putting different combos together. Now all I need to do is go to every LYS in driving range to "fill" in the gaps and then I will really knit up all of the projects.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see the hair!
as noted on flickr, or was it rav, this hat is amazepants! can't wait to see you in another 10 days or so!
ReplyDeleteWhoa! That hat is sooo intense! (love the *double* rainbow in the background ;-). Your hat came out really lovely. Oh, gosh, I hope it's not a middle-aged thing (I personally hate being middle-aged and fight it everyday), because I am drawn to fair isle at the moment, too. I've got my eye on a mitten pattern.
ReplyDeleteI've missed your posts.
I have missed your posts too. Siler foxiness is not for everyone, but you can always change back if you don't feel it goes with your vibrant colouring and personality.
ReplyDeleteWow. Gorgeous hat.
ReplyDeleteYour work is stunning, Heather.
Maybe I will take up knitting one of these days (although I'll be content if I can complete a one-color hat).
Bunny
Waht a wonderful, wonderful hat. It's so beautiful.
ReplyDelete