Occupied

This year I am dividing my charity hat knitting into two camps: Occupy Wall Street, and a local outreach program.  Woven Art (my LYS and place of employment) is now collecting hats for Occupy Wall Street protestors. In fact, I boxed up our first shipment to their Fulton Street address - 28 hats went out just in time for the winter snow.

My three hats will go out in the next shipment, which may go to our local Occupy Lansing protest at the Capital Building if they are needed or may head out to NYC.  Either way, I hope my hats will help keep someone warm.

Occupy Hat #1

Occupy Hat #1 was started in my tips & techniques class to show how to do the Channel Island Cast-on.    This used up a good portion of my no-name Chinese lopi-esque yarn (I used a lot of it last year, but not all!)  It is an retina-searing blend of bright red and hot pink, and has been in my stash since....2004? Certainly before 2006.  This was a totally made-up on-the-spot pattern, and was finished in the car on the way to Rhinebeck.

Occupy Hat #3

Occupy Hat #3 used up the last of the lopi (huzzah!) and used the last of my leftovers of Mission Falls 1824 wool in grey, and a bit of some Dalegarn Free Style. This hat was knit when I was recovering from  my first winter cold, which may have been Strep.  Using up the last of my MF 1824 was painful. I loved that yarn.

Occupy #2

Occupy Hat #2 was an actual pattern! (And, on a side note: I was so excited to find my alma mater sweatshirt in my winter storage drawer - I wasn't sure it survived last year's clothing cull. This ragged baby is over 15 years old, but still nice and comfy on a cold Saturday at home.)

Pattern: Belugah Slouch Hat

Yarn: Khroma in Aegean. 50% Merino, 50% alpaca by The Fibre Company (now discontinued)

Needles: US 4, 9, 10.

Mods: I worked the pattern as written, then after working with the US10s for a while, I decided I wanted to make the hat a bit warmer, so I went down to a size 9. It was a simple and fun pattern, and I also finished this hat in the car on the way to Rhinebeck.

My next few hats will be for a local charity.  I would really like to donate them to the Greater Lansing Food Bank, but I am not sure they want knit hats.  Guess it couldn't hurt to ask!