I tried my hand at another fairisle hat a few weeks ago, but didn’t get photos until this weekend.
This is the Janine Bajus Raven Hat, and like my previous Cascade Hat (blogged here), is designed by Janine Bajus. She apparently used this design as a teaching tool in her workshops in fairisle knitting and it is easy to see why. It is a very simple pattern to work and to memorise. It was easier to make than the Cascade Hat, and I think only part of that is due to my increasing ease with this technique.
I knitted it in the colours suggested on the pattern page, using Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift, which is a really lovely yarn for working fairisle. I thought that the hat would be too long as written and wanted to shorten it; I did this by leaving off the first 6 rows of the pattern (starting the fairisle section at Row 7) instead of trying to re-calculate the decreases on the crown. I think this worked out well and it keeps the crown pattern intact:
I do feel as if the top of the hat is a little bit pointy. Blocking certainly helped flatten out the crown, but I think that perhaps I didn’t do the best blocking job. I may try to block it again.
This hat has very nice colourwork. I especially like the way the teal and the tiny bit of copper livens up the purples. I am happy with how it turned out. This guy, however, seems to think otherwise:
You can’t please everyone.
What a gorgeous hat – you certainly have the technique down!!
Thanks, Kim! It’s definitely getting easier.
Love the humorous touch! This is a really pretty hat, with a nice blend of colors with just a tiny hint of contrast. You’re becoming quite the Fairisle expert, aren’t you? Bravo.
Doug made me stand there for the photo; I didn’t even notice the face in the stone till I saw the photos. So the kudos for the humour go to him.
That’s a cute hat! Love the colors.
Thanks, Sarah!
This hat looks amazing! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you, Tiffany. I enjoyed making it (and sharing it).
Very nice hat and I really think the way you shortened it was nice idea.
Thanks. I had a choice to shorten it by leaving off the first few rows or starting the decreases ealier. They both had disadvantages, I think, but I am happy with the way it turned out. If you look at the link to the pattern, you will see that the black yarn from the ribbing is incorporated into the first rows making a nice transition, and that is what I lost by leaving off those rows. But in the end, I think the hat still looks organic and the transitions work.
Your hat turned out lovely! Beautiful colors and wonderfully done! And you can’t make everyone happy 😉
Oh so true! Thanks!
Beautiful hat!
Thank you, Alissa!
I’m glad you detailed your modifications – I would have said that the beanie was too small, but that’s what you wanted! For myself, I’ll work to instructions or even increase to a wider circumference, because I like my berets to look like a big pancake slapped on the side of my head. 😉
Yes, I definitely don’t like them too big; on the other hand, I have a big head so the circumference has to be big. I just don’t want them all baggy on the top. I have seen some very cute hat patterns lately that have lots of excess, so may be I should try one out. The good thing about knitting is that you can get what you want.