2014 the year of the hat

Anyone read the lovely Liesl Made blog? Liesl has recently been doing a self challenge to make 12 hats. Anyone who visits here regularly will know that I am a big fan of the hat. I haven't set myself any real crafty goals for this year but I thought giving myslef a hat challenge would be just the thing.

So I am officially declaring 2014 the year of the hat.  I think 12 hats might be a bit ambitious so I've decided to give myself a target of 6. One every couple of months I think should be doable and if I manage more then all the better.

I'm happy to say that my challenge is already off to a flyer.  Two weeks in to the new year and I've already finished my first hat woohoo.

I picked out some yarn from my stash.  I purchased this way back in summer 2012 on my first trip to Yorkshire with plans to make something else that never quite came to fruition so I figured it was time for it to get used.

I picked a nice simple pattern from this lovely book.  A recent thrifty find at the bargain price of £2.  It never ceases to amaze me all of the good quality things that people give away.

A couple of lovely relaxing knitting and reading sessions over the Christmas break later and .......

....... voila one brand spanking new hat. And my first crafty finish of the new year.

Now don't get me wrong I like how it turned out and love the effect of the simple panels of alternating stocking stitch but I don't love it.  In the book the pattern is called 'ochre hat' and is made with a lovely ochre shade of yarn.  I just can't get over how lovely the one in the book looks and how for me, mine doesn't quite live up to that.  And it's nothing to do with the dreamy yarn I used I loved every minute of working with it.

I'm sure the hat will grow on me.  I'm not giving up on it and have worn it out a couple of times already so despite not falling for it yet it won't get shoved to the back of the cupboard forgotten and unloved.  After all I've never met a hat I didn't like .........