Happy New Year! I hope 2016 brings you all lots of inspiration and opportunities. When I finished my Christmas markets I decided to venture into knitting for the first time in a long time and make hats for all my nieces and nephews. I got a pattern from a friend and got this lovely wool/alpaca mix yarn from Drops and off I went!

The first one I made following the pattern ended up too narrow and long, so either the pattern my friend got from someone else wasn’t quite right, or my knitting is very tight. So I went searching online for guides to hat sizes for all ages and found several, all pretty similar. Following them I made up my own patterns and made 5 hats, 1 for a 3-year old and 4 for 7-11 year olds.

I was quite pleased with them (and myself, considering I haven’t knitted anything big for ages – apart from a green pig at work) and looking forward to what they would all say… Luckily they all either liked them or were too polite to say they didn’t! However, several of them were too small. Width-wise they were ok, but even though I had made them longer than the recommendations, the ones for the boys were all too short. So we equipped the hat for my 10- year old nephew with a pompom and it became a hat my 3-year old nephew!

I suppose it’s all a learning curve! I got quite into it though and even got myself a set of pompom makers and circular and double pointed needles in the right size for making more. So while I was in Denmark over Christmas I started a hat for myself using circular needles for the first time in my life. It got a bit tricky at the top, but there is no seam which is much better!

It’s a little bit tight, so I started another one in another pattern… I just got more yarn in the post today so I can finish that one soon. I’m having a wee break as I was quite tired even before going to Denmark and being with people non-stop is quite tiring too. But I look forward to seeing what 2016 will bring and to getting on with all my new ideas and projects!

© SARAPHIR QAA-RISHI

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