Winter knits for me

During a field trip visit to a LYS that isn't quite as local as I'd like it to be (must cross DC to get there) Ruth came across a great hat that was prefect for those cold mornings trucking to work. The hat allows you to actually keep your hair styled from your morning routine and not arrive at work with either mushed down hat head hair or freaky spiked out static head hair. One itty bitty problem. The yarn used in the model pattern is no longer available. Simple solution. Know the owner of the LYS and ask her to sell you the actual hat and give you the write up for the pattern. (I don't know all the details here, but it sounded as if it was a free pattern but I couldn't really tell you where it originated from). All the gals loved the hat so we took on making several of them and now almost all of us have them in various colors. We look kind of like those hat women who meet for lunch in a strange sort of way. We all have the same hat in various yarns and colors. But we're happy so who cares. In a feeble attempt to take my own photo of myself wearing my hat, I give you this pathetic photo. You'll just have to trust me that it looks a lot better than that in real life. I'm in love with the colorway. It's Cascade 220 color 9451. I must get my hands on some more and knit up some fingerless mitts and/or a cowl to go with the hat.

Speaking of fingerless mitts, I was thinking of doing a pair for a friend of mine and couldn't decide on a pattern for the yarn I wanted to use for her. But in my Rav search, I came across a pattern I had queued and decided I could throw together a quick pair for myself in the meantime. I adore the way they came out!

I had some left over Wool Bamboo, just enough for these little beauties. The pattern is called Cafe Au Late, but I'm calling mine Hot Choc-o-late for the darker brown colorway I used. I love the feel of the bamboo blended with the wool.