I finished another lovely warm hat - just in time for summer! D'oh! Sometimes knitting inspiration doesn't synch with the seasons at all. :p

My new design is a cabled beanie hat called ' Bubble & Squeak'. The name is a play on a tasty way of using up leftover vegetables - because this hat is a re-do of my Carrot Top hat design. I've made a lot of changes, including to the basic design of the cables. The new version is a bit simpler to knit, but the cables are still moderately complex: I would recommend having some experience knitting cables before trying this pattern.

Before adding the pompoms

With pompoms!

With the brim turned up

Features:

• braided cables in two sizes, meandering out of the ribbing
• longer ribbing so you can turn up the brim (or not)
• easily adjustable sizing of length + circumference
• a nice tidy tubular cast-on (optional)
• one or more pompoms on top (optional) - see my mini tutorial on making pompoms
• 'rest' rounds on every second round
• both charted and written instructions

The yarn I used is my current fave, 8ply Pure Wool Naturals in 'Pumice' from Anna Gratton's Little Wool Company. I'm looking forward to doing more cabled projects in this yarn, it suits them very well!

The pattern download for Bubble & Squeak is available on Ravelry.


Just for fun: this is what happens when a New Zealander goes to the beach on a chilly evening - a woolly hat and jumper, worn with shorts and jandals. ;p




Messing about with a bubble wand is a great way to pass the time before one's fish & chips are ready. :)