Friday 25 November 2011

FO Friday- Koolhaas hat

I wanted to try Knitpicks Wool of the Andes to see if it would be any good for a jumper. I bought two balls and used them to make a hat. There is probably enough left to make some short mitts.


Pattern: Koolhaas by Jared Flood
Yarn: Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in currant
Needles: 5mm circular, magic loop style

I have had this pattern in my Ravelry favourites for ages and finally got my hands on it when I purchased the Interweave accessories e book when they had a special offer (it cost about 10 cents!). Since it used worsted weight it seemed like the perfect pattern for trying out the yarn.

It is a lovely pattern, the cables do slow it down somewhat. I tried a few rounds of cabling without a needle but still find it easier to just use a spare dpn as a cable needle. The most effective way of not using one seems to be to move the stitches for the cable around and then knit them as a second action. Doing it all in one go just leads to dropped stitches.

The reason this pattern would be worth the purchase has to be the decreases, they make the pattern flow nicely to the top of the hat.

I do like the yarn but have not decided if it will be good for a sweater yet. It is very affordable and 100% wool. It is also softer than I expected although obviously not the softest yarn I have ever used. The stitch definition is pretty good, the cables stand out nicely on the hat. I think I need to make a cuff or mitts out of the leftovers to see how it is when worn next to the skin for a while and to see how much it pills. 

Stitch pattern close up, it opens out when it is being worn.

6 comments:

  1. I like the pattern on the hat :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is a beautiful hat pattern. I like how you are doing your research on the wear and look of the yarn before committing it to a sweater.

    ReplyDelete
  3. lovely pattern, great colour.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nice, nice, nice!! Very distinctive.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Love that pattern. I think you just gave me some ideas for next year.

    ReplyDelete