Central Ave Hat: Local Yarn & Local Designer

Hats, Hats, Hats! Who could ask for a better summer knitting project than a HAT or in my case SIX hats! Hats are a great traveling summer project! You need to knit only one, no partner is needed. Hats are small, and not hot on your lap. You can challenge yourself and learn a new technique on a small project instead of a sweater.  Need to learn and explore cables there is no short supply of hats designs with cables.  Want to learn color work, twisted sts, texture work . . . the list goes on and what better way to explore a new design/technique while knitting up a hat for yourself or a gift for some knit worthy fan.

Earlier in the summer I knitted two Coming Home hats. I fell in love with this great pattern for several reason.

I have a niece with three young girls who are all very knit worthy gals! They wear everything I have knitted to the point of almost sleeping in what I have knitted.  Not only do they wear all the knitted items, I get great photos with them wearing everything and truly using hats, fingerless mitts, and sweaters.  I am always after a great design to knit for up for them.

My favorite local yarn shop in Montana is really 4.5 blocks from my front door.  LUCKY--right!  The owner and designer (Aimee) is a great gal and this spring and summer she has been on a creative roll which means all her customers have been having a blast knitting up all her new creations. To add to all the fun of knitting a PDS pattern is the Knitting 'N Needle has an in house dyer.  Jennifer, has a great talent for colors and matching up colors with the local surroundings which I LOVE!  You will find yarns with local names such as: Fireweed, Beargrass, Huckleberry, Lupine, Winter Raven, Iceberg, Juneberry, Jewel Basin and the list of colors goes on and on!

PDS Worsted Great Northern

PDS Worsted Depths

PDS Worsted Inspiration

PDS Worsted Lupine

I just completed the last Central Ave Hat.  I knitted four of these beauties this summer. They were a great project on our trip north as it is an easy as can be pattern to follow while being the passenger on our trip.  Great easy knitting around the campfire while enjoying the view with a nice hot or cold drink.

Knitting away on the drive
north in northern BC.

Yukon camp site

Sunrise in the Yukon w/coffee and knitting

Evening time to relax

Making progress on the plane as we head back to the village

The last hat on the needles home in Alaska.

Lucky recipient of the first hat off the needles.  She was the last to get a sweater so she earned the first hat!