I’m beginning to wonder if knit pattern designer Jane Richmond is now or ever has been a graduate student. Or maybe she just knows a lot of graduate students? Her patterns seem designed just to suit my current “mid-term” state of mind (which is a bleary kind of mental exhaustion that doesn’t seem fair or appropriate for this early in the semester).
I recently summoned all of my knitting gusto and time, which wasn’t much, and was able to produce one of Jane’s Autumn hats in such short order that I literally almost forgot to tell you guys about it.
I used the recommended yarn, Lion Brand Wool Ease Thick and Quick, that I purchased at my local big-box craft store for around $5 and ginormous size 11 and 13 needles (8 and 9 mm respectively). After months of knitting on needles of 4mm diameter or less, these babies felt like broomsticks in my hands. But in the time it took me to watch a movie with my husband, I had this cute hat.
There is enough yarn left from the 1 skein I used to make a toddler sized version of the hat, and Jane thoughtfully provided a tiny pattern for that which she includes when you download the grown up size. How cool is that? Now I just need to locate a toddler with cold ears to knit for.
This won’t be my last Autumn hat! Or the last time I look to Jane Richmond for simple, cool patterns.
I’m on such a garter stitch kick right now… it really is perfect grad student knitting!
It’s funny that you went for Instant Gratification in response to Mid-Term Mania. I’ve gone in the opposite direction, knitting a huge scarf with thin yarn on tiny needles. It’s been very zen.