August 2014 #2 - French Country Aqua

There is a wonderful group on Ravelry that I belong to, Itty Bitty Knits, for fans of designer Susan B. Anderson. It is by far my favorite group of people. They are warm and inviting, and over the past several years I have had the several opportunities to meet many of them in real life. We participate in fun and interesting swaps, send along unexpected RAKs, listen to problems and acknowledge accomplishments. We also celebrate each other's birthdays. This past July I received many lovely patterns, many of them hat patterns. (imagine that!)

This lovely pattern, French Country, was gifted to me by my friend Mary Rose. The hat is crocheted with two strands held together of I Love This Cotton on a size K hook. Stitches used are chain, single crochet, double crochet, slip stitch and a 2-dc cluster stitch. It took me a bit to understand the cluster stitch, but took my time and re-read it a few times and the light bulb went on. The remainder of the pattern was easy to follow and I like the finished look. I didn't have quite two skeins of yarn so I was one row short of single crochets, but I don't believe it is noticeable.

I won't go into my struggles with trying to crochet a flower to put on the hat. It was a time consuming disaster. Instead I opted for using a deconstructed silk flower like I did for my Sassy Summer Hat. It takes a bit of time itself, but I love the final look. A bit unexpected and since it is removable the hat remains washable.