Hats Off to Me!

I fell in love with this pattern the first time I saw it and knew I needed to try it as soon as I was brave enough. Little did I know that I would end up making four of these lovelies. The first one I started was for my mom. Soon after I began, we received the sad news that one of our aunts has ovarian cancer. I immediately set aside my mom's hat and casted on stitches to make one for my aunt. The Malbrigo yarn would be perfect to keep her head warm if she lost her hair from chemo. The pattern was easy enough for a newbie knitter, yet challenging enough to keep me focused. The lace part was a bit difficult for me to get the hang of right away, but once I did, I loved it. This is a super fast, fun, addicting knit with gorgeous results. I added an extra round of the lace pattern since it felt like the hat wanted to come off my head before I added it.



The next hat was for another aunt who told me not to worry about buying her a Christmas gift this year. Ok...I'll knit her one instead. This yarn is Cascade yarn and although it looked beautiful, I don't think I'd use it for this pattern again. The thicker, softer Malabrigo was much nicer. I modified the pattern a bit here and there. One way was by doubling the garter stitch after the first lace pattern. It started as a mistake, but I ended up liking it, so I kept it.



Once Christmas gifts were done, I picked up my mom's unfinished hat and whipped it up in no time. It turned out beautifully. I mailed it to her a couple of days ago and I can't wait to hear what she thinks!



When my daughter saw my mom's hat, she loved it and asked for one in the same pattern. This time I used Berroco Ultra Alpaca. Another great yarn to use for this pattern. I hope she likes it!




I plan on making two more - one for a friend and one for myself!