Web-Letter, Issue 105 – MinnowMerino Bow Tie Tube Hats Knitting for babies is a great way to give free reign to one of the pleasures of knitting—working with color. No need to wonder if you’ll ever wear an orange neck warmer or a purple hat. Babies love color. Jil Eaton knows this, and so does Laurie Kimmelstiel, designer of the sweet little hats we’re featuring as this week’s free pattern. Laurie drew on Jil Eaton’s lively MinnowMerino color palette to make her mini chapeaus. Creative Director
The Story: From Laurie: I knit everywhere I go. And I constantly try to create designs that allow me to knit and do several other things simultaneously: walk, listen to music, read, converse with a friend—sometimes all of the above. Most of the knitting for these hats can be done just as I have described above—mindlessly. The design for the hat evolved to meet the need to knit during our two hour drive to our country home in the Taconic foothills of upstate New York. I love all the colors in MinnowMerino. Because I had trouble choosing just two or three, I bought all the colors I liked to inspire my creative juices.  I loved mixing and matching the vibrant shades for powerful combinations—and who better than a baby to carry them off? These are happy hats that bring a smile to my face—even though I didn’t have to look at them much while I was knitting. Visit Laurie's blog. The Yarn: MinnowMerino 100% extra fine superwash merino wool MinnowMerino is a super-soft, machine-washable, worsted-weight yarn. The loose twist of this single-ply, extra-fine merino allows for quick knits that are cozy and lightweight. Laurie’s adorable hats show off a few of the kid-friendly, bright, clean colors in the MinnowMerino palette. Visit the minnowknits website to sign up for MinnowNotes—receive quarterly messages filled with MinnowInfo. The Stitches: Laurie’s whimsical baby hats are a quick, fun, and easy knit. You cast onto a circular needle, then join the stitches and work in the round to form a tube. After a few rows, you begin the simple Fair Isle pattern, then continue in the main color only. A round of evenly spaced yarn overs form eyelet openings for an I-cord tie which gathers up the crown of the hat with a tied bow. Here are some links that you may find helpful when knitting the Laurie’s baby hats: How to work Fair Isle. How to make an I-Cord. How to make a yarn over.	more photos The Pattern: Here is the free downloadable MinnowMerino Bow Tie Tube Hats pattern. If you have difficulty downloading or printing the PDF pattern above, try these: page 1, page 2
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	#220 Birthday Chapeau by Jill Eaton Ravel it.
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