Hat In A Weekend
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This week\\u2019s episode is inspired by a recent decision I made to try and knit a hat in a weekend. This was partly prompted by a sudden ten degree drop in temperature here (doesn\\u2019t a chill in the air make you want to cast on all the things?) and inspired me to look for a nice, easy pattern. The hat is complete, and I\\u2019ve also picked out another four potential hat in a weekend patterns for you to take a look at, in case you feel the need to cast on this weekend.
First up is a bit of news, and I\\u2019d like to shout out all the people who have emailed or messaged me since episode 134 was released, expressing their delight at me being back behind the mic. It is truly appreciated, so I hope you won\\u2019t mind indulging me in saying thanks to them. It is easy to forget that it isn\\u2019t just me, sat in a bedroom, talking to no-one; there are literally thousands and thousands of listeners worldwide. I\\u2019m very grateful to each and every one of you, even if you only listen to one episode ever. Thank you!
In other news, I was contacted by a listener of the show, @Zencrafter2 on Twitter is undertaking a challenge leading up to her 50th birthday on 7th December 2020. After hearing about the Knit A Square project, she has decided to try and make 500 squares to donate to the project. That\\u2019s over 1 a day \\u2013 amazing! Let\\u2019s all encourage her along (or join in if you wish over on Twitter \\u2013 her handle is @Zencrafter2.
In other news, I\\u2019ve had several requests for some stories from here and a bit of armchair travel. As such, in this episode I share my endeavours to learn Mandarin. I\\u2019ve always (up until now) been quite good at languages \\u2013 or Germanic languages, anyway. Chinese is proving to be a bit more challenging than either of those. I struggle to hear the tones of the language, which is a pretty fundamental part of being able to understand and speak it. There are four tones and two of them sound the same to me, which makes me worry about saying a word and getting the tone wrong and actually saying something rude by mistake! I\\u2019ve learned how to say \\u2018steamed bun\\u2019 and can order beer and soda water, but otherwise my vocabulary is limited to words associated with yoga (more on that in another episode) and some very specific work-related words that will be of no use to me in everyday conversations. I am really keen to be able to talk to people here (who are extremely friendly) as well as generally understand what is going on. I would imagine this is what illiteracy is like, as I can\\u2019t read Chinese either. It\\u2019s hard, but I am determined to be better and not just do the lazy English speaker thing.
I\\u2019ve picked out 5 pattern suggestions for knitting a hat in a weekend. These are in thicker yarns with straightforward patterns for maximum speed and satisfaction. Tag me with your projects if you decide to get involved with this or hashtag it up with #hatinaweekend. The first pattern is the one I have knitted, Classic Beanie by Woolly Wormhead. I interviewed Woolly in Episode 61 and encourage you to listen to it. I chose this pattern as I really liked the way the ribs herringboned together as they reached the crown. It\\u2019s a free pattern for worsted weight yarn on 4.5mm needles, with multiple sizes. I\\u2019m knitting it in Morris & Co Empire 10 ply in the colourway Absinthe. You can download it from Ravelry here. The next suggestion is the Classic Cuffed Hat by Purl Soho. Again, this is a free pattern for a basic worsted weight beanie, the classic design with a bobble on top. It\\u2019s really straightforward no-thinking-required knitting and the simple pattern allows for lots of playing around with yarns. Most dye styles will work with this pattern. You can find the pattern here. Swirlwind by Nicole Vanderlee is a worsted weight toque with a ribbed brim and a swirling slipped stitch pattern on the body. It\\u2019s a padi pattern at CAN $6.00 and is available from Ravelry. This pattern affords some experimentation room in terms of yarns; it will look great with solids and variegateds alike. The colour changes in the variegated yarns will pop on the slipped stitches. Likewise, striped yarns look great, especially if the same colour is always slipped, as this creates an almost brioche looking effect. Slef striping yarns would also work well. You can purchase the pattern on Ravelry here. The Tchaikovsky Hat by Helen Stewart is next on the list ad this pattern is taken from Knitvent 2017. If you aren\\u2019t already familiar with Knitvent, it\\u2019s an annual collection of gift knitting pattern that Helen produces each October/November, usually around a theme. The theme for 2017 was The Nutcracker, and you can either buy the pattern separately at \\xa35.34 or as part of the 6 pattern collection at \\xa315.54 here on Ravelry. It\\u2019s a DK weight hat, with a ribbed brim and a simple repeating textured stitch pattern, that adds interest for the knitter without it being too \\u2018out there\\u2019 texture-wise for a gift recipient. You can find Helen\\u2019s podcast, Curious Handmade, on all podcatchers and at Curious Handmade, and you can listen to her interview on this podcast in Episode 90. Finally we have A Useful Diversion by Elizabeth Felgate. This is a paid pattern (\\xa33.70) doe a deep cuffed 3x3 rib hat with a textured stitch pattern that runs (or diverts) around the body of the hat. It\\u2019s described as being just enough to be a useful diversion for the knitter and I think it would look great in a nice, high-twist, solid or semi-solid yarn. You can find the pattern on Ravelry here.
Getting out of a funk: I asked for any tips from listeners as to how to get out of a funk. It seems to be a pretty common thing at the moment, probably due to the amount of stuff that is going on in the world. Anyway, Nichola Nolan got out of her funk after recently meeting Christine Perry of Winwick Mum fame. She decided to crack through some small projects and \\u2018pull her finger out\\u2019. Aimee Croke has got back into the swing of things by carving out time earlier in the day for her accountancy study by getting up early. She knits along on a simple project whilst watching training videos. Carving out the time is the key, and making it a priority, regardless of whether you want to knit, learn a new skill or anything else. That\\u2019s all we have time for this week. If you\\u2019ve enjoyed the show, please consider leaving a review on iTunes or your podcatcher of choice. Music for this episode is by Adam and The Walter Boys and is available for purchase on iTunes.
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