I know I'm very late to get on the mohair/silk bandwagon; for years I was convinced I was allergic to mohair because one sweater I had one time was itchy. I should've known better (how many times have I told my mother that finding a rough wool sweater itchy did not mean she was allergic to wool?). I mean there's the scratchy mohair of cheap sweaters from long ago and then there's the luscious mohair/silk you can get from so many indie dyers these days -- and there's quite a difference! This stuff is like petting the softest kitten you can imagine, and it's so warm on a windy day without being bulky. For this hat, I held a laceweight mohair/silk yarn alongside a fingering weight (Mirage and Deep Sock, respectively, from Murky Depths Dyeworks) to create this wonderfully haloed fabric. The fingering weight was a deep gray with hints of acid green and blue, and the lace weight was a pale gray, giving this lovely marled effect when held together.
The stitch pattern is subtle when the halo is out in full force. I took this rather dramatic photo of the hat being modeled by one of our lamps so you can see the pattern when it's backlit.
Can you believe this isn't lace? I promise, it's not! It's just m1 increases and centered double decreases amid knits and purls, resulting in a very stretchy but delicate fabric that is warm but not too heavy. It's pair with a hemmed ribbed brim for a double thickness around the ears, where you feel the cold most on a blustery day. And if you like the look of the pattern but not the halo (or if you're truly allergic to mohair), then you can work it in a single strand of sport weight yarn, as I did with some well-aged handspun.
The pattern is graded to three sizes, to fit children through adults; has both charted and written instructions for the stitch pattern; and has been reviewed by my tech editor to ensure that it's error free and easy to follow. And for the first week, it's $1 off when you add it to your cart and use the code HALO.

I love this hat and the lamp photo! Today is predicted to be fairly warm, but my ears were quite cold this morning during my walk. I clearly need this hat, and am off to purchase the pattern and look for some lovely mohair/silk.
ReplyDeleteSo pretty, Sarah! (Also, appears my ability to leave comments has magically returned!!!)
ReplyDeleteThe lamp photo is spectacular! This is really a lovely pattern! I love a hat with a strand of mohair, it is such a little luxury!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great pattern. And taking a photo over a lamp is a great idea. The pattern really shines. I love that the pattern looks so different in different kinds of yarns. I've never knit with a strand of wool and mohair so I am also late to the party.
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely pattern! I'm so impressed by people who write patterns - nice work!
ReplyDelete