bocce

some things just take time; my bocce cap being a good example example. the design is based on the baci scarf/cowl , which was last year’s red scarf fundraiser pattern.

i knit several of these hats at that time, eager to make a set and enthused about the way this piece reflects the patterns seen on bocce balls.

i had two colorways of studio june springy sport to work with on this project and knit one in each color—the red (here comes trouble) was my prototype and the blue (midnight teal) was to test out the sizing of the pattern. i wrote down nothing, confident that i’d be putting it all on paper within hours of finishing the blue).

but the poor thing got lost in the undertow of a very busy winter and spring with the result that the pattern never got written.

in late spring i knit another in our newest shade of kent DK (driftwood), partly to test out the yarn and partly to remind myself of the pattern details. this time, i was really going to get that pattern written up—readers were asking about it!

heh. best laid plans and all that . . . it never got done.

then summer arrived and with it, our cotton KAL on ravelry and beautiful organic cotton yarns to sell in our online shop (most colors recently restocked, BTW). well, i just had to knit some of that into a few hats for mister knitspot.

i remembered the bocce hat and decided it was time to dust that off and get the ball rolling—it would be the perfect fall cap in cotton sport. so, while i was in denver over the fourth of july weekend, i knit one in the wonderfully soft chocolate pakucho cotton (above).

my friend luci swooned over its softness and i made a mental not about holiday gifts and immediately cast on another in the mauve fifo sport that might go to her husband scott.

with each yarn i got to explore the pattern anew—some of these are super soft and drapey, some are crisp, with more weight, and some are light and airy, wicking away moisture to keep your head cool and dry.

and don’t ask—i can’t decide which is my favorite.

the pattern is awfully fun to knit, that i will give you—i think i’ve knit five or six of these altogether and i’m still thinking i might need to knit another (even though luci fawned over that chocolate hat, i think with her white-blond hair, she’d look smashing in the deep green cotton).

and how cute would it be just to knit and wear that textured brim as an ear band? i’d take one of those . . .

and my board of directors agrees.

to purchase pattern or view complete pattern information, please click here to visit the bocce page in the knitspot pattern shop or click here to see specs and purchase in my ravelry pattern shop

well, now we’ve come full circle and it’s nearly december once again—the 2015 red scarf fundraiser is already underway; can you believe a whole ‘nuther year has passed again? the hat pattern is done and just in time, too—baby, it’s cold outside!

thank you to all of our wonderful models and yarn producers who made such a varied journey possible!

(i did manage to knit my two or three repeats for the day, BTW.  i forgot to take a photo, but i’m getting ready to go away in the morning and holy cow, have you looked at the time?? i have to get up early, too!)

so i’ll be knitting away on my red tire scarf all the way to albany (or as long as mister knitspot will drive and let me). we have a full calendar for the days we’ll spend with my mom, cooking, celebrating thanksgiving, running the turkey trot (well, i will be doing that, anyway), and hopefully, knitting and watching a good share of movies together.

i’ll be back in a day or two with exiting updates on our adventures.