a new toque for A...

after finishing the elk, which tested my sewing dexterity and made me wish for more hands more than a few times, i needed something mindless for a couple of nights. enter a new hat for the man. i pulled out some noro silk garden from the stash, and set to work on what i initially intended to be a simple 4x1 cable toque. but it turns out i needed something just a slight bit more than mindless, but not much more.



enter the spiral cable toque. this hat starts out as 4x1 cables, but then starts a set of double cables at three points on the hat which slowly spiral upward. i think it adds a bit of interest while still being a subtle detail. i love a good cable, but i didn't want something too busy that would compete or get lost with the natural striping of the noro, as i tend to dislike extensive patterning (cables, lace) with variegated yarn.

A has more hats than just about anyone i know, and he would be happy to have a different one for every day of the month. in the colder months he is sure to wear a toque almost every single day (and in the summer he incorporates a similar tactic with baseball caps - one would think he might be balding, but no sign of that so far). so he benefits well from a partner who likes to knit, and i suppose in turn i benefit from a partner who i know appreciates my knits. this silky hat is his first new one of this cold weather season, but i'm sure there will be more. (slight tangent - there's already been much discussion about his new blue jacket arriving soon, and which of his old hats will match it and what new hat(s) might need to be made. i'm hoping this one will work too. who knew a boy could be so concerned about colour coordination?)

i've had a couple of requests on ravelry for a pattern for this, and i think i might try and put one together. the hat has a pretty simple construction, but i think the decreases could be a little cleaner than what i worked out on the fly. will keep you updated. oh, and because i'm too lazy to include them here, full details on the hat can be found on my rav project page.