Opus Spicatum Hat

I started this hat on in the middle of December (2010), and because it was such a fun knit, with an easy to memorize chart, it didn't take me long to finish it. In the end, this is my new favorite hat. I love it!

I have been wearing it non-stop since I finished, and even got a chance to see how it did in the snow.  It was perfect!

I didn't block it, because I actually liked it a little better as a beanie than the beret it should block too.  After reading several comments about this pattern on Raverly, I decided to make some modifications of my own.  Here is what I did.

I cast on 96, and then increased to 130 sts.  I omitted the color change on the brim (for no particular reason other than I liked it all gray), I used size 6US needles for the brim and then switched to size 8US needles for the body of the hat.  I also repeated rows 16-19 twice, to give a little more length to the hat (I'm really glad I did this, it makes the hat less squishy on my head, and if I choose to later on it will block perfectly).  And I repeated first row of CC on decreases to get to correct amount of stitches in the end.

 

The yarn I used for this is Aslan Trends, Royal Alpaca, and I must say...I AM IN LOVE!  This yarn is a dream to knit with.  So so so very soft, very warm, lovely stitch definition, and comes in a great variety of colors. I even have enough left over that I am thinking of making some mittens or maybe a cowl. Overall -  Another successful project!

Raverly Link
Pattern: Opus Spicatum by Kelbourne Wollens
Yarn: Aslan Trends Royal Alpaca in Grey and Curry
Needles: US6 (brim) and US8 (body), US 8 DPNS
Date Started: December 15, 2010
Date Finished: December 23, 2010