Potato Chip Knitting (plus a discount code!)

My Maraschino Cherry Hat.   

Now available on Ravelry!  Read below for the code...

That was the direction I was given last summer, when we started working on my Mason Dixon Field Guide, #8, Merry Making 

Kay and Ann had a vision of patterns a knitter would want to keep making over and over again, substituting yarn or colors, working them in various sizes -- so that come the holidays, an entire family could pose around the dinner table in their matching hand knits...  And I was a little intimidated by this instruction, because isn't that really just the holy grail of knitwear design anyways?

However, I soldiered on and came up with a collection I was proud of and they were happy with, and one of the designs was the Slip-Stitch Cap, featuring two colors, some simple slipped stitches, and some gorgeous, squishy Studio Chunky yarn from Neighborhood Fiber Company.  And I think it did do the trick - especially since I even found time to make a few of them! (these are MDK's,not mine)

But I wasn't done.  Because potato-chip knitting is like that. It sticks in your head. So, it may not come as a surprise that I found myself in the Neighborhood Fiber booth at Vogue Knitting this January with two skeins of Studio DK in hand, in two of the same colorways we used for the Field Guide.

This time I went a bit more delicate with the design, choosing a textured and slipped motif that seems to change, depending on the angle from which you view it! (cool, yes?)

I added some detail around the brim on this design and created a crown that allows the pattern to continue almost to the tippy top.  And of course, I added a giant pom.  And then Ann Shayne said, "Maraschino Cherry" !  She was right.

All the test knits and details are up on Ravelry!  It's designed in sizes to fit an older child thru adult, and this one is easy to modify for depth or width if desired - comments on how to do so are in the pattern.

And since I'm the sole breadwinner around here these days -- my husband was just laid off  -- I'm adding a discount code to this one to encourage some purchases....  The code Cherry will get you $1 off until 3/31! 

Enjoy!