Linking up with Ginny for her weekly Yarn Along of current books and projects. (Pretend there's a crochet hook stuck in that sweet little graphic she made.) I've been busy making more hats since last week's post. First up is my new spiral hat in cream wool, inspired by the ones Justamouse made. Don't you love the green one she did? The free pattern is here: Divine Hat Pattern. It's very clever and it was so fun to work up and watch the spirals form. It's also nice and roomy which is good for me as I don't like anything too snug on my head.
At the same pattern site I saw this Lattice Hat (also a free pattern) which looked kind of cool. Mary Rose said she would like one, as hats are currently in fashion at my house, so this is what I'm working on right now. I actually was almost finished with it but wasn't pleased with how the lattices turned out, so I went back and looked at the pictures and realized I was doing them wrong. The directions are very clear and there are helpful pictures, but I hadn't previously looked at them. (ahem) So I ripped it back and started them over, and this time I've got it right.
I've just started reading Never Too Late by John Holt which I 'just happened' to come across. It immediately caught my eye as I often the lament the fact that I have no musical talent, having never studied music as a child. The book is a memoir of the author's early musical influences (or lack thereof) and leaning to play the cello in middle age. So far it has been interesting to read of how this man had so little music in his early life, yet remembered so well the tiny bits he was exposed to. It has me contemplating my own childhood musical memories, and wondering indeed what the possibilities are for learning music later in life.
And back to the hats, I said I'd show you Jonathan's new hat this week which is now finished. Since the striped hat didn't fit him I offered to make him something else, and he requested a slouchy beanie rather than a close fitting hat. After searching a bit for patterns and looking around on etsy for inspirations I decided to just make it up as I went along. Half double crochet crown, mixed with some double crochet for the body and a single crochet brim. It got super slouchy as Jonathan kept requesting the brim wider to cover his ears snugly and so it got longer than I anticipated. But I love the look.
And when his brother saw it he said, Dude, that looks cool. It's kind of medieval. I want one! How could any crafty lady refuse that bait? And so I made slouchy hat number two in the same light brown wool as Mary Rose's. Josiah wanted a brimmier looking brim so I used alternating front post/back post double crochet. This one is all half double crochet and it's very warm.
Both guys are happy, and so is their crocheting mama.
Do visit Small Things for more Yarn Along goodness, and thank you to Ginny as always for hosting.
