I guess I still have hats on the brain. I’ve been trying to finish a lovely lace shawl, but it’s a little slow going, and I got sidetracked on Wednesday. It was James and my 14th anniversary, and I wanted to make him something even though he’s not here. I’m leading a knit-along next week on Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Maltese Fisherman’s Hat (from the Knitter’s Almanac), and I thought it would be good for me to have made one before helping others through it, so I chose to make that for James. (Shh… don’t tell!) It is a bit of a silly hat (I’m kind of a fan of silly hats), but quite warm and practical around here with the ear-flap-neck-warmer. And, everyone in town who’s seen it so far has wanted one, which either says something about the weather here or our collective taste in head-wear. Or both.

Here’s my friend Erica modeling the hat.

Maltese Fisherman's Hat (Elizabeth Zimmerman) - 6

The hat is constructed beginning with the ear-flap neck warmer piece, which is shaped with short rows. Then you cast on a few extra stitches for the front and start working in the round.

Maltese Fisherman's Hat (Elizabeth Zimmerman) - 2

Elizabeth calls her instructions pithy, and they are. Hardly line-by-line, they take up about a paragraph. I love this about EZ patterns-you still get to think a bit.

Maltese Fisherman's Hat (Elizabeth Zimmerman) - 3

I made the hat in the pattern gauge, but in the knit-along I’ll teach how to make it using any weight of yarn, figuring a new cast on, short-row details, etc.

Maltese Fisherman's Hat (Elizabeth Zimmerman) - 7

The pattern ends, “make the tassel of your dreams.” That’s about my favorite knitting instruction ever.

Make the Tassel of Your Dreams
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