January #1 2015 - Earth

When I started this project almost five years ago, one of my goals was to make it easier for someone making a hat for charity to find a wide range of patterns. I consider this goal fairly accomplished, but not necessary to move forward with anymore. Especially since there are other places that are far more comprehensive and organized to find great patterns, such as SandyHam's Chemo Cap Pattern Library on Ravelry and of course a quick browse through Pinterest. (but then no browse through Pinterest is ever quick, LOL)

Therefore, I'm shifting the bulk of my focus this year to using only yarn from my stash. No new yarn purchases. I found that I would get so caught up wanting to do a particular pattern and spending my precious time trying to make my stash work, only to become frustrated and ending up buying new yarn to make the pattern. I need to select a yarn and then find a pattern that will be appropriate. Hopefully this new strategy will finally allow me a bit of personal knitting time. After all, we all should have a bit of that.

My first hat of the new year was knit with some yarn that had been donated. It is An Unoriginal Hat Stephanie Pearl-McPhee and available for free on her website. I used almost all of the two skeins I had of Tahki Yarns Taos in #1 Brown Green on a size 10.5 16" circular needle and a set of 10.5 dpns. Stitches used are knit, purl, k2tog, p2tog, and two different cable stitches. It was quick, it was easy. I will most likely make this again.