It hat to be fate! The Shetland Wool Wee Baa-ble Hat

On Tuesday I gave you a peep of my The Shetland Wool Week Baa-ble hat, half finished. I’d seen it popping up all over ravelry and various blogs for a while, before I knitted it. I loved it, but I had so much else on the go, I didn’t dare start a new project – especially fair isle, when I was attempting to clock up as many stitches as possible for NaKnitMO.

But as I wandered through Cowslip Workshops’ Christmas fair, a couple of weeks ago, I spotted Blacker Yarns’ irresistible bargain bin. In it was a blue yarn perfect for the hat. It hat to be fate. I hat to knit it.

Blacker Swan Merino

Well, I say the yarn was perfect, but that is a small fib. The pattern is for Aran weight. The bargain bin was full of double knit. But what’s a ply or two when you’re getting a bargain?

Purchasing five balls for £15 meant a sixth would be thrown in free. So I bought three blue Falklands merino, two Gotland and one Bluefaced Leicester. With the addition of another cream ball from my stash and some oddments of black, I had two balls of  each colour to knit together.

Knitting an aran pattern with two strands of DK meant I also needed to reduce the needle size. I hovered between downsizing to a 3.25 or a 3.75, but then discovered I didn’t have any 3.25 circulars, so went with the 3.75.

It took three evenings, plus a couple of hours at craft afternoon, to knit…

20151130_092904

… and half an hour to make the bobble.

Baa-ble hat pom pom

Then there was sewing up – doubled by using two strands of each yarn. Who said it was a good idea to use dk?

Baa-ble hat faie isle loose ends

I’ve got enough yarn left over to knit another hat and a spare ball of the blue. So in total it cost £6.25.

I often feel, with hindsight, impulse decisions are bad move, but in this case, I’m really pleased I acted on impulse. Have you made anything on impulse lately?

Bekki Hill

 

 

 

 

 

 

48 thoughts on “It hat to be fate! The Shetland Wool Wee Baa-ble Hat”

  1. The worst part of your endeavours sounds like the sewing up bit which is bad enough with one strand, let alone two. However, you now have a truly beautiful bobble hat which is made with gorgeous ‘proper’ wool. Will it be you wearing it or is it going into somebody’s stocking?
    I haven’t really had time for any impulse makes lately – I’ve had a bit of a run on my dog collars. It seems everybody wants their dog to have a Dr. Who themed collar this Christmas 🙂 Also, I don’t want to get behind with the patchwork block swap I’m participating in because, unlike some of the other participants, I don’t make a quilt a week so my progress is a little slower than theirs.

    p.s. Did you use a pompom maker or do it the old fashioned way?

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    1. Wow! You’re sounding very organised and disciplined. Well done. Made the pompom the old fashioned way – pompom maker has always seemed a luxury. Am writing that in the hope my Secret Santa reads it and buys me one 😉

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  3. Great job! 🙂 I’m definitely an impulse girl too. I found some beautiful yarn here in Finland perfect for a jacket and decided I could make the jacket in the wee hours of the morning in time to wear it on the plane home. And I did. Just. 🙂

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      1. 🙂 Yeah I kind of found a halfway point, sleeping 6pm to 2am Helsinki time…worked well for me as was dark at 3:30pm…:) on my way home now 😦 sitting in Hong Kong airport. Miss the cold already.

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      2. Sounds great, will be easier on the jet lag when you get back. I guess the early darkness helps. Glad you’ve had a great trip. Guess you’ll be home safe and sound when you read this comment 🙂

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  8. Not long ago, I had a bit of an “it just fell into my basket” moment with Debbie Bliss Fine Donegal and I made a Nurmilintu shawl with it. I absolutely love it and have worn it loads. I think the trick is to knit up your impulse buys as soon as you can, otherwise they becoming lurking stash, guiltily hanging about reproachfully in the back of your mind. (Or is that just me?)

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    1. No, I’m absolutely sure it’s not just you. And I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. I had a pattern for the yarn and it was a quick knit. Unlike the 7 rows of yellow cardigan I started knitting in the summer !

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  9. Your yarn choices were lovely. My last big impulse was the Shellseeker for the NaKniSweMo challenge. I think I bought the pattern the same day I found it on Ravelry. Normally I wait a couple of weeks to check out!

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    1. Thank you. Was entering NaKnitMo an impulse too? Maybe you answer that on your blog. I’ll hop over and take a look at your sweater. For some reason wordpress isn’t bringing up your posts in my reader. Have resubscribed!

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      1. That’s happened to me here, before. I’ve seen the developers mention the bug when they release a fix, but it never seems to resolve my issues.

        NaKniSweMo (or NaKnitMo) was an impulse only in that it gave me the nudge I needed to make a sweater that I was already intending to make myself this year as part of my New Year’s resolution. 🙂

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      2. Yes, I’ve had it before too. And you’re right they mention it, but never seem to fix it.
        Just commented on your sweater on your blog. Well done on keeping your New Year’s resolution 🙂

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  10. I am an impuls buyer too..often I buy the yarn and then decide what to knit with it;0) I can even find it a sport to knit a pattern with only yarn from my stash, a true puzzle from time to time! Love you hat!!! xo Johanna

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    1. Thanks Johanna. I usually work the other way round. And I think that suits me. Although I too play that what can I use from the stash game. I love your taste, so am sure all your impulse buys are excellent 🙂 xx

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    1. You’re absolutely right and I was wondering about that. Can’t remember why I decided not. Probably too much thinking involved. Have to wait until my brain’s feeling fit 🙂

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  14. Baa-eautiful! A Pom Pom making gadget isn’t exactly a luxury at a few quid for a pack of three different sizes, but it takes just a few minutes to make a Pom Pom so GET ONE! Unless, of course, you like the struggle of trying to get a ball of wool through an ever decreasing circle:)

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  16. Your hat is lovely. I am so glad you knitted it, DK or not. Its a beautiful pattern. I have also bought yarn for this hat, and I may just have way to much, but my daughter has already said that if I knit one for myself, then what about her, is she not getting one as well? 🙂 So I guess I will be making this hat more than once, specially now that I have to much yarn anyway.

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    1. You probably have – it took a lot less than I thought. You could always do mittens too -as some people have suggested to me. I too had a request from littlest daughter at the weekend and if I make one for her, I’d better make one for eldest daughter too.

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      1. 🙂 indeed. This hat is turning out to be very popular. And I think once it is being worn and seen by others, it will be even more popular, with more requests for hats.
        The mittens is a great idea, the pattern is easy to adjust. 🙂 Thank you.

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  17. Great hat…love the sheep around it, and the bobble. The colours are lovely, too. I just hope you manage to control all those strands of wool when you’re stitching up. But, as it’s you, Bekki, I’m sure it will all turn out superbly. 🙂

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      2. Think lovely husband’s head is too big 🙂 I was going to model it but had to wait for lovely husband to come4 in and by then it was late and dark and my face looked very shiny I the photo, so I gave up. Sure I’ll work me wearing it into Sunday Sevens somehow.

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    1. Thanks. I think impulse/inspiration/intuition is good for small projects as I can fit them in. It’s the big ones that I start then get put to one side.

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      1. True. One thing I’ve been discovering about my creative process (drawing and painting) is that some pieces are quick and focused, but others take time – I need to set them aside while I process the next step. Often, I’ll work on something else while ideas simmer at the back of my mind. 🙂

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      2. I’m a great believer in letting things grow while you’re thinking about something else. However, regarding my knitting I’m afraid the put aside tens to be because I’ve lost interest 😦

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