Hats!

I've mentioned before in this space about how thin my hair has gotten over the past decade or so, and especially on the crown.  I've been taking some medication since the fall that is supposed to help, but I'm not noticing a huge difference yet (just less shedding, perhaps).  I have about half the hair I used to.

In any case, the back of my head is often cold in the winter, so I've been making hats to keep my wig warm!  I prefer to wear my hats on the back of my head, and I think I've cracked the sizing and style.  My previous attempts at berets all ended up too floppy and big (and that is saying something, given the size of my noggin!)  

It seems like a basic beanie is a better fit for the style I like, and I think I've got the right length figured out too.  I usually anchor the hat with a bobby pin in the middle at the top and that seems to keep it in place during the day.  

The first is a blossom heather hat, using KnitPicks Wool of the Andes DK weight yarn.  I've really come around to Wool of the Andes over the past year.  I used to think it was unbearably rustic, but I'm finding that a good soak with a little conditioner in the water softens it nicely, and it wears like iron.  Plus the price is nice. I used a stitch pattern called Lozenges and Triangles from a stitch pattern book I have, together with a basic beanie pattern that had the correct multiple of stitches for the gauge.

The next is a companion to my Footfall shawl, which has gotten a lot of wear this fall and winter and I wanted a hat to match.  I used the same lace pattern for the hat, although it came out differently because the hat is straight whereas the shawl ends up staggered because of the increases. 

(I should add that I redid the border on my Footfall to make it wider, since the original was constantly flipping up and the size was borderline for my preference. So the garter border is wider and the overall size slightly larger and I'm much happier with it!)

Finally, I finished an Easwas hat yesterday and am quite chuffed with the result. 

I used some stashed Jamieson and Smith yarn, which I really like and want to work with more in the future.  My crazy eyes in this picture should tell you the truth of my enthusiasm!  (Ha!)

J&S is a pretty "sticky" yarn, but for this project, that was just fine. I made this hat after making a Gruggle cowl (that I still have to blog about!) but found it much more enjoyable to knit, even though the twisted stitch pattern is similar.

There's also a little sneaky peak of a sweater I just finished and will also blog about soon!  

I'm giving a presentation on medieval music at my kids' school this afternoon, so I'm a bit nervous.  I've done it before as a two-parter, but this is a combined presentation and I have to cover a LOT of ground.  And sing a bit.  I just started taking voice lessons from our very talented choir director at church, so my voice confidence is pretty low at the moment.  Nothing like singing in and directing choirs for most of your adult life only to discover in your mid-40s you're doing it all wrong.  I probably just need to get out of my own way, to be honest.  

My trial run earlier this week came in just at time, so hopefully it all works out as planned!  

Fast Car

This morning I saw a video of Tracy Chapman and Luke Coombs' duet of Fast Car at the Grammys last night and it was perfect.  It was so fun to see people in the audience rocking out to the song, and also to see the obvious professional respect between Chapman and Coombs.  

Enjoy!