Christmas 2016 Recap #2

As big of a hit the Mertails were, I think some of the smaller gifts went over pretty well, too. Like these hats I made.

I searched everywhere for a Lions patch to
sew on the brim, but apparently you can't
find them outside of Michigan.

This hat is in Detroit Lions colors for my SIL R, who is a Lions fan. The pattern is from Balls to the Walls Knits, Build Your Own DK Weight Hat. That's a great tutorial, by the way, for making even decreases, etc. I would recommend that to beginners who want to try a hat in the round for the first time, as well as folks like me, who just wanted a plain, but customizable hat.

I really like the DK weight of this hat.
It's very tightly knit, but not bulky.

The stripes in this are from the yarn itself. This is Loops & Threads Game Day in Color #7: Navy & Gray. It's 100% acrylic and self-striping. I think the stripes worked out pretty evenly on this hat, too.

I used all 196 yards of the skein. I think I have one more skein somewhere around here. Not sure what to do with that one. Maybe a gaiter or some color accents on a scarf?

I really don't know any other Lions fans, so this yarn is all his!

Stripes are a great way of adding some
interest to a hat, without adding a lot
of extra detail and work.

This hat is for my son R. It's also striped, although I wasn't planning on giving stripes this year exclusively. It just worked out that way.

This is some Caron Simply Soft in Wine and Charcoal Heather left over from another project. I like Caron Simply Soft because it is really... well, soft.  It's a simple 1X1 ribbed hat, with some stripes thrown in. I make a lot of these hats because they are quick and easy, but don't tell R I just whipped this up.

That faraway look...

I had actually planned to do some shark tails for R & R for Christmas, but life just monopolized my time with work, serious family illnesses, and the like. Also, the Mertails took way longer than I expected.

So, yeah, I had to put those tails on hold for the guys and make some hats instead. No matter. They both liked their hats.

I think I will still do the shark tails for the guys. They might just have to wait until next Christmas, though!