Maple Seed Hat
The spiraling columns on this hat remind me of the spinning trajectory of a falling maple seed, and if you look closely at the columns, the shape of the maple seed’s wing will emerge.
And no, maple seeds aren't usually red, but rather a pale green, or a light brown after they've lain around in the street for awhile. But maple leaves are often red, especially in the fall, and I love the fall (scroll down to the bottom of the linked entry for the photo of gorgeous Mt. Auburn Cemetery in October) and especially maple trees in the fall. And there are already several patterns called "Falling Leaves," which is what I originally thought I might call this hat, and then Acer, the genus name of the maple, is a cool name, but I was afraid people would think I named this hat after Ace Young, that American Idol contestant with the penchant for wearing knit hats (and the wide-eyed puppy gaze that got downright creepy after awhile).
Can you tell I've been up at 4:30 a.m. for four mornings in a row now? That jet lag can be insidious.
Anyway, Maple Seed used one ball* of Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran, a wool/silk/cashmere blend (and a lovely, lovely yarn) in "Merlot". You could try substituting Lamb's Pride Worsted or Classic Elite Bazic (both wool), or even Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran Cotton (which I used for Beaufort), Blue Sky Cotton, or Classic Elite Four Seasons Cotton. If you want to see the two hats side by side, click here; although they are obviously related, changing that SSK to a k2tog causes the crisp spirals of Maple Seed to morph into the softer swirls of Beaufort.
Oh yes, and thanks to the TS (Twentysomething Stepdaughter--Happy Birthday!) for modeling.
*Edited to add: I knit the smaller size which used almost all of one ball; the larger size requires 2 balls.
A very nice hat with a very nice colour. great job!
Posted by: Angela Wu | June 21, 2006 at 02:22 AM
I really like that hat. Thanks for the pattern.
Posted by: Persnickety Knitter | June 26, 2006 at 10:13 AM
Just a quick comment to say that some of the red-leafed Japanese maples definitely have red seeds so you're on the mark with your beautiful red hat!
Posted by: Ryan | June 27, 2006 at 03:05 PM
Cute hat! I have to try it. Thanks!
Posted by: Liz | April 19, 2007 at 01:56 PM
I saw this pattern on Craftster and I love it! Unfortunately, I can't seem to open the file, it says it is damaged??? I'm not sure if that means on my end or yours. Thanks so much for sharing the pattern. I'll try it again soon to see if it works.
Thanks,
Kelly
Posted by: Kelly | April 20, 2007 at 09:36 PM
This hat is gorgeous -- kudos for a lovely design, and blessings to you for making it free! :-)
Posted by: Mary | July 19, 2007 at 12:04 AM
What a fun pattern! I made one over the weekend (in the Silk Road Aran which, BTW, I had never used before and was lovely) and couldn't stop so I now have an extra hat to fill in as a as a "last minute" Christmas gift! The pattern has a nice rhythm after the first couple of repeats and looks so special. I definitely recommend the larger size for any adult head.
Thanks for the fun knitting!:)
Posted by: AL | December 03, 2007 at 09:29 PM
I also get the message "file is damaged and can't be repaired". Suggestions?
Posted by: suzy | September 05, 2008 at 12:03 AM