Fire Whirl Hats Kit!

It was really exciting to find out that Interweave has made a kit out of my Fire Whirl Crochet Hat pattern! It is a unique hat because it looks quite different if you pull it down, or if wear it in a more relaxed way, pushed up so the ridges are more defined. The pattern is suitable for men, women, and children. I personally like it worn a little off to the side, as in the photo below. I really like the defined ridges, so I blocked the hat flat, with the ridges sitting in concentric circles. It is a great project to practice the Invisible Fasten Off Technique. Once you start using it, you will wonder how you ever fastened off in the round without it!

There is something fun about getting a kit, and there are a limited quantity of these kits on sale now in the Interweave online store. The kit has enough yarn to make 2 hats, in the same beautiful yarn and colors that were used for the magazine sample. 

First Photos from Crocheting Clothes Kids Love!

Now that the book has been printed and the advance copies are coming soon, Ellen Gormley and I have been given the green light to show actual photos from the book! It has been hard to keep the details of such an exiting project a secret for so long! I didn't know what to show you first! I decided to reveal the Rochelle Hat today, because I especially like how they styled it to be suitable for different ages. It looks very sweet on a little girl and stylish and cool on an older girl. The hat is designed to fit a 20-21" (51-53cm) head, but it is very forgiving in size as it stretches well (the same hat sample is being worn by the two models). This is important to know if you are making the hat for a gift, since you don't always know the exact head size you are crocheting for.

A scarf can be woven through or a very wide ribbon. The size of the hat is easily customizable for any size. It would also be a nice style for adults! If you add or subtract stitches from the first round, you can change the size. All of the other instructions remain the same. Each stitch added or subtracted, alters the finished measurement of the hat by about 1 1/4” (3cm).  I used Universal Yarn's, lovely Uptown DK. It has a nice sheen, is non pilling, soft, and machine washable. The actual amount of yarn used is approximately 120 yds (110m). This is great news, because that means you could make two hats out of one skein. Two hats for $6.00!   

I knew I wanted to accessorize the hat with a scarf, and it was quite an adventure to find just the right print! In Kuwait we have a marvelous fabric market with rows and rows of fabric and trim shops. You are sure to find what you want there, but it takes some time. I wanted to find a silk print that was suitable for a child. It was hard for the salesmen to grasp that I wanted silk for a child. I wanted something more interesting than just regular polka dots or flowers, and something that didn’t look too adult. I peaked too early... after going in 20 shops I bought the first one I liked, then 2 shops later I found the perfect fabric for 1/2 the price! It was all part of the amazing process of writing a book! I hope you like the first real look at one of the projects in the book, and I look forward to showing you more and more!

The Actual Fabric I used for the Scarf

The First Fabric I Chose