I thought I'd show you one of the small projects I completed at the tail end the year. This one is the Brackett hat, published in Laine Issue 3. Laine is still a relatively new knitting issue, but has quickly made a huge name for itself as a Nordic high quality knit magazine. So far I've loved each of the 3 issues published, and projects from each of the magazines have made it into my knitting queue. Issue 3 might be my favourite of the bunch though, I love multiple of the designs and the gorgeous North Uist setting. The issue got caught up in a bit of a social media scruffle when online commenters got agitated about the magazine's model, and the candid photography showing her as an actual human being instead of a mannequin with a glued on smile. I think the (internalized) misogyny exhibited by many of these commenters was telling: when it comes to patriarchal norms about women's behaviour -including appropriate facial expressions-, these norms are unfortunately often policed by other women. I was glad to see so many in the knitting community who stood up for Johanna, the model, and used the occasion to hopefully bring about some awareness for the better.


Brackett caught my eye because of the cabled pattern and the folded brim, which are both features I've come to really like in hats. I made a couple hats from Brooklyn Tweed that have these features. There are some differences with hats I've made before however, most prominently the lack of slouch on the Brackett. This reminds me a lot of knitted fishermen-style hats. It instantly became one of my favourite pattern releases of the autumn-winter season and, being such a small project anyway, I swiftly cast on for one.

The actual cast on moment was quite a spur of the moment decision, when I found myself without a project one evening and I raided my stash for a suitable yarn. I found that I had some blue Malarigo Rios, hanging around in a large enough quantity. Since Rios is one of my favourite yarns to use for cabled hats, the decision was easy and I was swiftly on my way with the cast on. I did the cast on as written, the elastic tubular cast on, which is a bit more work, which if I were in a rush, or was at the movies or something like that, probably wouldn't bother with, but I happened to have the time for some extra effort so just stuck with it.

I loved knitting it. The cables look impressive but the pattern is easy and I got it memorized super fast. It helped that I was feeling like doing some cables again, after doing loads of colourwork projects. This was a nice in-between project to diversify my knitting. I think knitting it in a blue colour enhances the fishermen-like qualities of the hat.

 I had a considerable amount of yarn left over. The pattern states a yarn amount of 366 m., which meant two skeins of Rios. I had read on the project page though that most people stated they used less yarn. I was not prepared how much less though! I used less than one skein of yarn! I guess it helped that I used needle 4.5 throughout, instead of 5 (by accident, I had forgotten to switch over after the ribbing and only found out when I had cast off). I think that even with the larger needle seize you could squeeze it out of one skein of yarn. Which is actually great, because it means I have another project to use up some of those one of skeins of worsted weight I have hanging around.


These pictures were shot last month in December, when we went through a 2 week period of -for these parts- intense snow. We even had a snow warning, and my partner had to work from home for at least a day because going out, other than on foot, was ill advised. Oddly, my parents, living roughly 60 miles to the south, hardly had any snow. Anyway other than some travel inconveniences I thought it was glorious! I love winter and I love snow, and we were outside, going for walks everyday while we had it. I'd hoped this scold spell meant we were in for more snow this winter, but then we had the warmest new year's eve on record.... I don't know what the rest of winter will give us. I'm wearing it with my Afmaeli sweater.


I actually liked this hat so much that I already made another one, this time as a gift for someone else. (No, not the baby nephew this time!) I will try to post some pictures of that hat as well, but I first have to coax the new owner in taking some project pictures!

You'll see it when I've got them!