I Heart Noggin' Warmers

I love making hats! They are the perfect project for me -- just enough room to be creative -- yet they only take a few days each to make. And the result is something fun and very useful, especially for those in colder climates. Antarctica is such a climate and I've sent 10 of my hats down to the Ice this winter for folks to purchase. The nice thing about my hats is that they are all lined with windblock fleece, for add added layer of warmth and comfort. Here's a few of the ones I sent down:

This hat is made from all the bits of leftover hand-dyed that I had lying around. Stripes are FUN!
I found a wonderful knitting book at Barnes and Nobles when I was in California, called 'The Essential Guide to Color Knitting Techniques,' by Margaret Radcliffe. In this book are wonderful new patterns and ways to use color including these fun ovals. I added bobbles to the top for texture.
This is a Parka Hat. It is red, like the parkas the U.S. Antarctic Program issues to their employees. And it has a reflective patch on it, just like the backs of the parkas. The reflective patch on the parkas is to increase visibility of people walking around town, especially in winter when it's dark and when blowing snow can make spotting people difficult. Years ago, someone was hit by a vehicle, breaking their leg and that prompted the "Hoffman Patch" to be put on all issue parkas. So this hat mimics the parkas and the patch is worn to the back. It's made with Lamb's Pride worsted.

I had a bunch of brightly-colored Icelandic wool in my stash so I created this fun hat, just playing with intarsia and having a ball. The wool is so thick and warm, but a little scratchy, so like the others, this hat is lined with windblock fleece.

I'm really happy with how this black hat came out.

I used another technique from the book I mentioned before in this post...it looks like chains and it's SO easy! I used some more of my hand-dyed scraps to make the three chain rows and the very top of the hat, and Cascade for the main color of the hat. It's just a sharp looking hat I think. Great fit, looks good and just the right amount of pointy-ness on top. I think this hat would suit men and women both.

Here's an inside view of the lining...

Even though it is the first days of autumn here in New Zealand, summer feels like it wants to stay for a while. The past week the weather has been brilliant; warm and sunny with the clear air full of fun and promise. I hope it stays like this for a while. It's only a matter of time before things get really chilly here which, now that I think of it, will be an EXCELLENT excuse to knit and wear more hats, socks, scarves and things!