Fair Isle Hat – Complete!

It’s been awhile, so you may not remember the fair isle hat I was working on in December. To refresh your memory, when we last saw the hat, it looked like this:

That was way back on December 10th, when the knitting was done. I washed and blocked it, and then promptly shoved it in a drawer, finished except for hemming up the cotton band.

This weekend, it a fit of “finish it up” frenzy, I finally did sew the cotton hem. So now, I have a finished hat:

Pattern: Traditional Hat by Bea Ellis (Ravelry Link)

Yarn: Cascade Pima Tencel (for hemmed band) and Dale of Norway Heilo (for hat)

Needles: Size #3 and #5 circs/dpns

Knit: December 2009, Hemmed & Completed: January 2010

Mods: Absolutely none. I followed the pattern exactly. However, if I make this hat again, I will do the crown decreases a little differently, as the dome of the hat has more pucker than I would normally like.

Verdict: I wore this hat during some very cold weather this week, and it was very, very warm. The cotton blend felt soft on my forehead and ears, must softer than the wool would have.

The fair isle knitting was not difficult, as long as I could work on the circular needles. I think attempting colorwork on double pointed needles would still be difficult without more practice.

But all in all – a success! The best part – it fits my melon head, so I’m thrilled.