Do you knit? I’ve been knitting for a long time, ever since I got my grandma to teach me how one winter afternoon. I think it was around the time knitting had just started to get “cool” again. When I first started I knit all year long, but now I only seem to feel like knitting during the fall and winter months. Which is why this hat took me literally a year to finish. I started it last year, right around the time we were moving back to Portland from the East coast. And I actually nearly finished it in a few weeks. But despite diligently checking my gauge, it turned out way, way, too big. So I tore it all out and restarted with smaller needles, and then put it aside until the weather cooled down again. A couple of weeks ago I finally picked it up again and finished it, and I’m so glad I did. I think it’ll be perfect for keeping warm this year (and covering up bad hair days).

For you knitters out there, the pattern is Gretal, from Stitch ‘n Bitch Superstar Knitting. If you’re not quite ready to tackle a hat yet, but want to keep your head warm, you might want to try my free pattern for a knit headband/earwarmer.