Free Pattern Friday – Cichlid Hats

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Cichlid Hats in Deluxe Worsted Superwash and Bamboo Bloom Handpaints (pattern link here).

Want a little color on a drab day?

Like the super-popular Hanasaku Cowl, this hat uses just one skein of variegated Bamboo Bloom Handpaints. Here it’s paired with a coordinating color of  Deluxe Worsted Superwash for the base and pompom that tie it all together.

A long, twisted rib upturned brim gives way to a basic stockinette body.  The difference in gauge between the two stitches means that the rib fits snugly, but the variegated Bamboo Bloom section is slouchy.  A neat solution to achieving the perfect fit.

We’ve shown it in two color options here, but I’m about to cast on for one for a friend, using an orange Deluxe Worsted Superwash for the base and Bamboo Bloom Handpaints 317 Sensei for the body. 

It should be very autumnal.

We hope you have a colorful and fun weekend.

Happy crafting!

Day 2 of Winter

Day 2 of Winter brings us the Broken Garter Scarf. The stitch pattern in this scarf will look familiar to anyone who owns or has read a copy of the brilliant Sequence Knitting book by Cecelia Campochiaro. If you don’t own this book yet, run out and buy it!

This book explores the concept of simple knit-purl texture in a variety of thought-provoking ways. There are many chapters in the book, each expounding on previous ideas. It is fascinating! And it’s easy to read through, fall in love with an idea, and just cast on.

The idea of this particular stitch pattern is a concept in the book that is presented in a variety of ways. I cast on several times with different combinations of knit and purl columns until I finally settled on one that felt right. It’s dead simple – it’s a one row repeat!

That is how the Broken Garter Scarf was born. I wanted to create a project easy to knit that was giftable for women and men alike. Just two balls of Deluxe Worsted Superwash and a few evenings of mindless knitting, and this scarf can be yours.

You can find this pattern, from Series 1, Day 2 of our 12 Days of Winter collection here (link).