FO Friday: Hendreary Hat

Ever since I snagged Whimsical Little Knits 3, I've been dying to make this colorwork hat. I bought the yarn back in July during Bijou Basin Ranch's Fourth of July flash sale, but didn't cast on til mid-August. It's a nice, easy-knitting colorwork hat and I'm really thrilled with how it turned out.

Both colors are hand-dyed, but as you can see the Cadet blue color has a lot more variation within the skein, producing a kind of trippy effect! The yak/cormo blend yarn (Bijou Bliss) feels sturdy yet soft when you knit with it, but the real treat is what happens after you give it a good blocking: the yarn relaxes and blooms, becoming even softer than before! My hat actually grew in size to a slouchier version of a beanie. These are the kinds of surprises you get when you throw caution to the wind and don't gauge, but at least this time it was a pleasant surprise.

I'm hoping to wear this tomorrow, when I head up to the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool festival with my pal Lauren. There are some great vendors (among them a few of my clients) and I am expecting a bit of a yarn-and-fiber-blowout. I'll be sure to share my photos with you, if I survive this weekend - besides a day trip to Wisconsin, I'll also be stopping by the 92nd annual German-American festival in Lincoln Square, hitting our neighborhood's block party on Saturday, heading to the farmer's Market on Sunday morning, and browsing the Renegade Craft Fair on Sunday afternoon. It kind of makes me tired just thinking about it!

Pattern: Hendreary by Ysolda Teague (from Whimsical Little Knits 3)
Yarn: Bijou Bliss in Cadet and Steel (1 skein each)
Needles: Knitter's Pride Cubics Special Interchangeables

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