Wyoming Breezes

Silver Lining Hat made with several scraps of sock yarn Summer 2023 Last night just before sunset, I snapped photos of the Silver Lining (reversible) hat which I knit this summer with several small bits of scrap sock yarn. Most of the knitting was done during Sunday Face Time calls with my nieces and my sister. The hat grew about two inches during each of the weekly video chats.  hat turned inside out The sun sets early this time of year, and the golden light quickly disappears. The hedge outside my front door turns a brilliant red when the conditions are right, and the transformation has begun. Many of the trees and shrubs around town are just beginning to change color. Morning temperatures have been in the mid to upper 30s, and daytime temperatures are now in the mid 70s. I hope this is an extended Fall, but I doubt that it will be. 

one side of the reversible hat March 2023 I am very pleased with this scrappy Silver Lining (reversible) hat. It’s knit with five/six different sock yarn scraps, using the helical stripe technique. The helical stripes help the scraps to blend more completely than just alternating yarn for each row. other side of the reversible hat It’s still Winter in this area, but the hat will go in the donation box for next year. 

Scrappy Silver Lining Hat March 2023 According to my last measurement, it is time to start the decreases for the crown of this reversible hat. This is the fifth hat I've knit using the Silver Lining Hat pattern with scrap sock yarn. Each hat is unique and fun, and I love the one I kept for myself. 

Scrappy Silver Lining Hat reversible hat December 2022 Remember the old Doublemint commercials: “It’s two, two mints in one!” The Silver Lining hat is two hats in one. The pattern is straightforward and a mindless knit: it was once free but is now $5.99 at Valley Yarn. The popular Musselburgh hat is very similar, but the crown is knit differently.  My hat was knit with random balls of scrap, sock yarn. The darker section was knit with two different balls of leftover yarn; the colorful section, with multiple, small balls of scrap, sock yarn.  I’ve got a bag of sock yarn remnants, so I cast on another Silver Lining hat as soon as this one was off the needles. 

I started the Scrappy Silver Lining Hat in September from sock yarn remnants , and I'm still working on it during Sunday Face Time calls with my niece and sister. I'm almost to the final decreases.  This has been a wonderful, mindless knitting project, using two small balls of scrap yarn in random order, knitting helical stripes. The yarn is doing all the work, and I'm trying not to control the color order. So far, I've used about 10 small balls of sock yarn. The hat is reversible: one end is wild; the other, subdued.

side one March 2021 Last week, I finished the second Silver Lining Hat, made with scrap sock yarn. This one was knit according to the pattern, but with sock yarn instead of lace weight.  The pattern is free online; although, it can also be purchased on Ravelry..  Free pattern is available here Ravelry pattern is available here side two March 2021 I took the completed hat to Cowgirl Yarns for their current hat drive. 

nearing the end March 2021 I'm on the home stretch of the second Silver Lining hat: I have 1.5 inches left to knit before beginning the decreases. This hat has a more subtle color change because I used the same variegated yarn throughout and two solid colors - pale blue-green, and cream . On Saturday afternoon, I knit while watching The Call , starring Halle Berry. It was an excellent and intense movie if you like psychological drama and horror: I'd give it a five-star rating even though it rattled me a bit.  Have you watched a good movie recently?

Silver Lining hat in progress February 2021 Like nearly everywhere in the United States, it's been cold and windy recently. I don't usually like wearing hats, but I have enjoyed wearing the Silver Linings hat I finished in early February. The double layers cut the wind and keep my ears and head warm. I highly recommend the pattern and the hat.  I cast on another Silver Lining hat with more scrap sock yarn. I have enough of the variegated yarn that I plan to knit with it throughout, but change the alternate yarn to a different solid at the halfway point.

January 2021 The Silver Lining hat come off of the needles on Friday - two days before my end of the month goal. This was a mindless knit but the helical stripes kept the knitting interesting. This hat was knit with four different sock yarn scraps, and I am very pleased with the results.  two hats in one or possibly four hats in one Once one end is tucked inside the other, a variety of options become available: pink hat with rolled ear brim pink slouch hat with no brim blue hat with rolled ear brim blue slouch hat with no brim This pattern is a stash or scrap buster which makes it a keeper in my opinion. The pattern can be found here . 

Silver Linings hat in progress January 2020 The Silver Lining hat ( started in December ) is progressing at a steady rate. It's mindless knitting, round and round in helical stripes. The color change is the opposite end of the double-sided hat. I love how the two self-striping yarns are creating an interesting design at this end. I need to knit about four more inches before I can start the decreasing. Hopefully, this project will be finished by the end of the month. 

I found a great fireplace video on YouTube that I've been using on chilly and windy afternoons. The video has a 10 hour loop without advertisements, so I can comfortably knit away the afternoon. Many fireplace videos have music, but this one is just the sound of flames and popping logs. I love it!

progress on Silver Lining hat December 2020 Now that I am nearly finished with the first section of the hat pattern, it is clear that my worries about being large enough for an adult head were unnecessary. I did change needle sizes after finishing the decreases: the crown was knit with size 2 needles, and the rest of the hat was knit with size 4 needles.  I have about an inch or two to knit before starting the "silver lining." This has been a great mindless knit project. 

beginning of a scrap sock yarn hat December 2020 It's time to focus on reducing the scrap, sock yarn in my stash. I didn't think I'd been knitting that many socks, but the small balls of yarn are beginning to fill the plastic zip bag. I'm alternating yarn (using the helical stripe method) and using a pattern I saved several years ago.  It will be a very warm hat because it's actually two hats in one. The pattern is Silver Lining Hat by Kirsten Hipsky. Right now, it doesn't look like much and doesn't look like it will fit an adult head, but my gauge is spot-on, so hopefully, it will stretch. 

six headbands and one hat for donation February 2020 When I finished the hat I started in January , I decided to knit something faster with the worsted, scrap yarn. The headbands were knit with two strands of yarn and used this simple pattern . The headbands and hat are in the donation box, and all the yarn scraps have been used.

worsted weight, scrap yarn January 2020 One of my new friends moved in October and asked me to take her worsted-weight, scrap yarn. I seldom knit with worsted, but I accepted her offer, thinking I would knit some hats or neck warmers to donate. I haven't knit a hat in years, so I had to consult my stack of patterns to find the correct number of stitches to cast on. Many of the balls are small, so the items will most likely be striped. All the scraps are Plymouth Encore, a wool and acrylic blend, that knits, washes, and wears well. * yes, that's snow in the photo - the latest storm was two days after Christmas.

preparing to cast on March 2018 Someone donated two skeins of Haute Fur to the local charity knitting group, and I took both skeins to knit "No-Hair-Day" Chemo Cap  by Sue W. Thompson (Ravelry link) I've knit several of the caps before , but this was the first time I'd knit with the Yarn Bee brand (Hobby Lobby). The skein contains 76 yards, and I thought it would be enough to knit a medium/large cap, and it nearly was. The pattern is easy - just plain knit in the round for six inches and then begin decreasing. I was on the sixth row of decreases when the tail of the yarn came into view over the arm of my knitting chair. Tinking back is impossible with this hairy yarn, so I to make some adjustments and began decreasing more quickly. In the end, it didn't change the appearance of the hat, but it's probably a half and inch shorter. After knitting the hat/cap is turned inside out so the smooth knit side is worn next to the head. a very "hairy"...

No-Hair Day Hats Lion Brand Fun Fur yarn (Deep Sea) September 2017 This week, I knit three hats for local patients going through chemotherapy. The eyelash yarn (Lion Brand Fun Fur) was donated by a woman in the local charity knit group. No-Hair Day Hat Lion Brand Fun Fur yarn (Rainbow) Pattern : Head Huggers "No-Hair Day Hat"   or   Chemo Hat (Ravelry link) Needles : US size 9 Yarn : Lion Brand Fun Fur           Colorways:  Deep Sea and Rainbow Do you like knitting with novelty yarns?

hat and scrap ball of yarn February 2017 Last month, I accompanied a friend to a charity knitting group that meets twice a month. One of the ladies had prepared a yarn ball out of scraps that I took to knit hats. I had no idea what colors would be in the ball or how much of each color.  There was no rhyme or reason for the order of the colors - some worked and others not so much . . . I prefer to knit hats with more control over the color, so I separated the remaining yarn into small balls for stripes. I like the last two hats much better than the first three.