one of my favorite people in our industry is woolly wormhead, who i have the pleasure of seeing a few times each year at TNNA and knit nation. one of the things i like best about woolly is that she focuses her design work on hats—and only hats; she describes herself as a hat architect.
woolly is the author of seven books about hats and today i have the pleasure of introducing her newest publication, classic woolly toppers, which presents ten timeless hat styles, redesigned for the modern knitter.
hats are wonderful, one-skein projects that make terrific traveling companions. and because a hat is the perfect project to start in the middle of a sleepless night or when snowed in at home, they are great stash busters, especially for those fun single-skein impulse purchases. i thought it would be entertaining (and hopefully informative) to pull my favorite styles from the book and show how i’d pair them with yarns from my studio shelves.
this red toque, named taboosh, looks like it should be knit from a yarn with some body to help it keep its upright shape, but enough softness that it doesn’t grip too tightly around the ears—it should feel relaxed when worn. and maybe in a fiber that blooms just enough to give the surface a cohesive density. blends are great for getting a combination of yarn qualities in one package—foxfire upland wool and alpaca or the cormo alpaca classic might be nice choices. each has a good measure of springy wool and enough twist to support the hat shape, with some alpaca to soften the surface and provide stitch cohesion (which helps keep the cold out).
the camden cap definitely wants to stand up off the head in an architectural shape, so i would look for a somewhat stiffer yarn with a tighter twist and possibly a bit of polish to the surface—something that will support the architecture vey well and not sag.
string theory caper aran is a nice choice—the firm twist gives it lots of body and a bit of sheen to make that cap really stand up, while its blend of merino/cashmere/nylon provides a soft edge to counteract the stiffness of the hat brim.
i just love a nice slouchy tam, don’t you? annular is a soft mound of loveliness that sets onto your hair without mushing it—just right for days when you’ll be running in and out, and wanting to take your hat off. for this i want yarn that is very soft, with a relaxed twist to maximize the slouch—and maybe some fuzziness as well. i’m thinking something luxurious—cashmere, mink, silk, alpaca, yak are all fibers that will contribute the right qualities of softness and drape for a slouchy tam.
great northern yarns sport weight yak or mink/cashmere DK would be lovely in this hat, creating a luscious cloud of soft fabric that drapes just right—both are so light that they will keep some shape despite the volume in the hat’s fabric. the bloom of these fibers helps support the fabric while keeping it very light in weight.
karenin is an adorable earflap hat with a button-up brim and a fairly close fit. i’m thinking a wonderfully sturdy worsted weight yarn, such as briar rose charity would be just the ticket. studio june andrea mae DK would be another great option in a super wash merino.
in one of chris’s signature tonal handpaints, this cap could be a witty replica of grandpa’s old plaid hunting cap—the perfect gift for one of my nieces or nephews.
sumner is one of those hats that can fit itself to any mood or personality—this is a great cap to make ahead and keep for when you need a last-minute gift; it will suit any age or gender and its lightweight fabric can be worn nearly year-round. and who doesn’t have some fingering weight yarn on hand? the original is knit in a luxury merino/silk blend, which will make a drapey fabric with lovely sheen
this skein of periwinkle sheep merino/silk would recreate the same look and be an elegant choice for someone with sophisticated, subtle taste.
on the other hand, for that rugged hipster skater in your life, you might want use a sturdier, washable sock yarn, such as spirit trail sunna
still soft with a nice sheen, but a bit more practical.
bobba hat is a fun, retro look that can be worn by anyone—a funky, fun choice for that über-sure guy you know and one that will fit over a voluminous hairstyle, such as dreadlocks. on the flip side, i see lots of elderly women wearing this style hat as well—a testament to its universal appeal. this hat requires worsted weight yarn and the original is a singles, so i’m looking for something with a light twist and some density that will create good stitch cohesion . . .
green mountain spinner mountain mohair would be a nice choice for a soft solid or the fibre company terra for a more textured, tweedy look.
now here is my very favorite hat from the book—a delicious garter stitch piece that folds into a soft, smurfy shape and can be worn in any direction. i don’t know if i can pull of this look with my short hair, but i’m probably going to try—if it doesn’t work for me, i can give it to someone else.
for this hat, i definitely want a soft yarn that will maximize its luxurious draping. since the fit doesn’t rely on elasticity at all, i can go for lots of softness with just enough body to add some plumpness to the folds. a little sheen wouldn’t hurt either to provide some shadowing.
i’m choosing shalimar haven for this one—a delicious 70/30 merino silk 5-ply that is somewhat round, with a sueded soft surface finish—completely luxurious, yet knits up very evenly with good stitch definition.
this piece would also be incredible in a luxury fiber blend, such as miss babs tierno or spirit trail holda.
oh, there are many more hats and yarns to go with them, but i’ll let you do the exploring for those yourself. in fact, woolly wormhead has generously offered a free digital copy of classic woolly toppers to one lucky reader of today’s post. if you’d like to be considered, please leave a comment below by 9 pm EST on sunday, october 28. the winner will be announced on the blog shortly after.
ooops, i almost forgot; the next stop on the blog tour will be bricoleur knits!
have a good day; i’ll be back with more of my travels in a day or two.
224 thoughts on “get your woolly on”
Wow, these are fantastic patterns – very unique! I would like to try all of them. I’d love to be considered to receive a copy of the pattern book.
I would love to win a copy of this. I really want to make several of the hats for Christmas presents.
Thanks for this giveaway, Anne! I’m loving that you did a post like this, pairing patterns with yarns. As a knitter I think it’s my biggest question when planning my next knit – which yarn that i own/could easily buy will pair the best with any given pattern? You could even turn this type of post into a series – it’s like taking a mini class with you! Thanks so much for this!
I haven’t tried one of her patterns yet and several would be wonderful Christmas gifts!
Fun collection of hats! Thanks for taking the time to suggest yarns to go with the various styles.
Wow, those hats look like they would be fun. wonderful gifts for my Minnesota relatives!!
Really enjoyed this post. Pairing specific multiple yarn suggestions with the styles and how they are designed is a knitter’s dream come true. Thanks Anne for the ideas and for the give-away.
Such lovely hats! Heads would certainly is stylishly warm! And patterns good for Hats for Sailors 2013!! Thanks for the chance to win.
I actually sucked in when I saw that last hat, my fave too! I bet all your example yarn was from your stash 😉
Wonderful hats and a wonderful yarn selection/suggestion. Would love to have the book in my collection!
Ooh! I love hats! I end up knitting several a year for the folks in my life. Hope I win!
Anne, thanks for humoring my fangirl moment at Rhinebeck. It was nice to meet ypu in person.
Wonderful! A few years ago I knitted my way through “Twisted Toppers” — something for every member of my extended family (and a few extra special people). Looks like hats will be back on the Christmas list this year!! And your yarn recommendations will make it even easier!
What a fun post! All the cool patterns and yummy yarn combos.
I have been seeing this e-book everywhere and have not bought a copy yet; I would love to win one! 🙂
Camden the newsie cap definitely jumps at me!
love the patterns! I even see a few I could probably pull off!
I’d love to win a book 🙂
Hats are my favorite thing to knit, and my daughter’s favorite knitted thing to wear. Please count me in.
Wow. All of those patterns are so nice! I’ve seen some of the projects other places and they all look so great. I’m just starting to think about knitted hats for the winter and some of those look like they would most definitely keep the snow out!
I am just getting into hats, and that book looks great!
I would love to win a copy of the booklet! I love Wooly’s patterns, they are so innovative.
My favorite is the Camden. It would be great to receive this, and it would be just in time for the holiday knitting season!
I would love to win a copy! Thanks so much for such a generous give-away.
I really want to knit Camden. Every time I see it I want to more.
Oooo, I love that first brimmed hat. Thanks for the giveaway.
I’m drooling of this. I want to make them all! Thanks for the opportunity to win a copy.
Hats! What could be better this time of year? Fingers crossed!!
There are 2hats I want to knit. I’d love to win this book.
I love wooly’s patterns. Would love to win this!
I LOVE knitting hats! This book looks like it is full of great inspiration – and thanks for the inspiring yarn suggestions as well
Nice! I see at least 3 hats I’d like to make and just from the ones you featured on your post!
Just when you thought you had seen it all. It’s so amazing how she can come up with such new and imaginative twists on old favorites. I send my sister and her family a box of knitted goodies (lots of hats included) for them to pick/choose/fight over every Christmas. This book is a must have for the Christmas undertaking.
Ooh, I would love to make the Camden Cap! Thanks for a great giveaway!
I wish I could cast on Karenin and Sumner right now, even though where I live I rarely need a hat (but I do have relatives who live in colder weather and appreciate handknits…). Thank you both for the giveaway!
What a great collection! I agree about that last hat, that I don’t know if I could pull it off.
Oh my – that last hat is gorgeous! I may have to try it as well!
Great post! I loved seeing how you matched your stash with the patterns. I would be thrilled to win this book!!
I love knitting hats. I love the stash yarn and comparison. I knit most hats for my husband whom is blind since it lets him know I’m always thinking about him. Thanks for the post!
Perfect for me-small projects. Great hats, one for everyone on my gift list, but the last hat would be for me. Thanks for the chanc to win!
I have to admitt Hats are not my thing.
But I have a friend going through chemo and trying to find something for her that’s not your usual “chemo cap”
The “stash” could be doing with overhaul.
Love the hats and l.o.v.e. the yarn!
These are really great hats! Thanks so much for the chance to win.
I would love to have this book for my shelf!! Please pick me!!
I love all the examples you showed. I have yet to finish a hat for myself although I have made several for others. I think I would try either the second or the last or both. Why not have several for yourself?
I would love to try my hand at those gorgeous hats.
What a delightful post. The hat designs are so creative and I love it when you share your extensive knowledge of fibers and their characteristics–it is so helpful and thought provoking. it probably goes without saying that I’d love to win a copy of the pattern book.
P.S. I am still looking forward to your coming out with a video on swatching!
All of her hats look great!
So many cute hats. Wooly Wormhead is so creative. I love that she uses many different types of yarns. The look can be so different depending on the yarn used. Hats are a terrific way to try out a new yarn. Thanks for the enlightening post.
Such a nice mix of patterns. Thank you for the yarn recommendations.
Really cute hats! I can’t wear them, but my daughter would look beautiful in any of them. I think that last hat would be a good option for someone undergoing chemo, if it was made in a soft blend. Thanks for the contest!
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