Sometime last spring I turned to Elaine at knit night and said, "I wonder if I could make a hat with a flower knit into it, and then with a felted flower on top." At the time, I'd only done a few rows of an intarsia scarf (that I have since unraveled).
Over spring break, I figured out how to write and read a chart, and remembered a conversation I had with Melissa at Lint about the slantiness of decreases. Kristin at Naked Sheep helped me decide where to put the decreases, and within a few days of the picture in my head, I had a hat.
Let me say this: it was my first full intarsia experience, and once I started the colorwork there were ELEVEN bobbins of yarn attached to the piece, tangling together, making a mess. Now, I'm a really high strung person, and I need things to be neat and orderly, and here were these eleven bobbins in two different colors, wrapping around each other in knots.
I take this as one of the big learning experiences of my life. As I sat on the couch, I tried to focus on one stitch at a time, unwound bobbins as I needed to, and decided that the tangled mess was going to be OK.
When I'd made 3 of them, in 3 different sizes, I asked Nora and Kristin if I could use their kids as models for some photos of the hats. They showed up on campus, ran around like mad, and sat for as many pictures as they could manage. The sun was out. That doesn't happen too often here. Not in April, anyway.
The pattern is free, and you can get it over at MagKnits.
My advice, when you go to make one, is to have a glass of water (or wine, or coffee), relax, and untangle as you need to. The big mess will take care of itself.
9 comments:
I do hate the tangles that come with intarsia too - I also hate the little holes that appear when you change color and only disappear once you weave in ends. I've only done a few intarsia projects so far. But yours is super cute and will have to be tried! The hats look very spring like.
I came over from MagKnits, and while I wanted to say "Congrats" on the pattern, can I add how we're think of your freinds in their adoption process? Hoping it works out! Now I'm off to make one of these hats, they're cute beyound words!
Thanks! I'm glad you like it!
Thanks! I'm glad you like it!
I showed the photo to Ada this morning and asked her who it was. ADA! she said. I'm amazed she recognizes herself, she looks so different to me.
Yeah Stephanie - that is wicked awesome. I'm very proud of you :) Not only can you do amazing things out of jello and pretzels, but fabulous hats for kids, too. Soren wears a size 2-4 if you feel the urge - hee hee hee
Hi Stephanie-
I love your flower hat pattern in the new Magknits. I'm going to give Intarsia a second try so that I can make one.
the hat and pattern are so fabulous: great job!!
Stephanie, the link is not working to get to your flower hat pattern. Can you e mail it to me at daisyjk@hotmail.com It is so cute, I love it and have to make it!!
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