Red Hat and Red Carpet

I have been working on my many works-in-progress. The Moss Grid Hand Towels are done, but still need to be washed (more on that in an upcoming post). The Endpaper mitts are progressing nicely, and should be done shortly. I also picked up the Montego Bay scarf again!

Because I was making such good progress, I decided to cast on for the Foliage Hat. I had some Frog Tree Alpaca Worsted burning a hole in my stash... I cast on right before leaving for Boston for a conference and got a whole lot of knitting done on the plane and during the conference. If I'm not taking notes, I find that knitting (or crocheting) keeps me focused on what the speaker is saying because my eyes and hands are busy, so my thoughts don't wander.



Details:
Pattern: Foliage Hat, by Emilee Mooney. Published in Knitty, Fall 2007
I made no modifications. The cast-off method wasn't specified, so I used a yarn-over cast-off, which is quite stretchy. (My first cast-off attempts, with a simple knitted cast off in ribbing was a disaster: so tight that I couldn't squeeze my head through it...). The hat itself is very stretchy, so it's very comfortable to wear. Of course, it's now sunny and warm in Seattle...
Yarn: Frog Tree Alpaca Worsted*, in red (color 23). Purchased at the Fiber Gallery.
Needles: US 7 (4.5mm) DPNs and 16" circular for hat, US 5 (3.75mm) for ribbing. The hat is knit from the top down, so DPNs are used for the crown.
Started: February 13, 2008
Completed: February 20, 2008



*Frog Tree yarns import their alpaca yarns from a non-profit cooperative in Bolivia. :
"Purchases made by Frog Tree Yarns are intended to provide support to the individual artisans and non-profit groups. We operate as a not-for-profit company, and do not take any salaries for our efforts. Excess funds generated by T & C Imports are used to provide educational assistance to individuals and support to educational projects."
They also commit to fair trade practices.

No doubt Brangelina would approve... Look for them on the red carpet tonight at the Academy Awards! I'll be watching. And even though Daniel Day-Lewis is practically a shoo-in for Best Actor, I'm secretly hoping that George wins...