First finished knit of the year!
Ravelry project page can be found here.Â
Pattern: Take Heart, by Fiona AliceÂ
Yarn: Briggs & Little Heritage in ‘Magenta’
After all the great feedback on pom pom colour from this previous blog post, I went with what seemed like the popular choice- the light brown pom pom, which seems like a sophisticated pairing with the Magenta, the way it doesn’t quite go but yet totally does.
The Briggs & Little Magenta is such a fun colour (And I hear it comes in about 8 of their yarns), it feels like I’m thumbing my nose at winter. Â This colourway can be tricky to photograph, the same way red sometimes is. The bright is so wonderful to the eye, but it’s hard for a camera to sort out depth in a bright colour. Fortunately, there are lovely cables to give it a hand:
I rarely wear lipstick, but when it is freezing cold and the wind is whipping around and you are wear a bright magenta hat, why not go full throttle and wear a magenta lip that matches your hat exactly? At least, that’s what I did. Wearing a bright lipstick reminds me that I actually do like lipstick, but I spend so much time kissing my children’s chubby cheeks that I just don’t wear it anymore. Maybe when they start saying, “Ewwww!!! Gross, mom!!” I’ll start wearing it again. If for no other reason just to leave marks when I do eventually get my target! 😉 It looks a bit darker and more true to life above than it does in the photo below, I assume a trick of the light because the photo below is much cooler but perhaps I just didn’t take the brightness down to counteract when the sun decide to pop out briefly.
I really enjoyed the pattern, but I officially declare that if I knit this again (and I would knit this again) I would do the deep folded brim as a knit 1, purl 2 ribbing instead of the twisted ribbing, which is in the pattern and shown here.  While I like the texture and the depth of the twisted ribbing, the brim isn’t as warm as it would have been if I had just done a normal ribbing. So if this is in your queue and you want warms ears, take heed.
I have another skein, so I’m planning on making some mittens to match. I’m on the hunt for the perfect pattern- my top criteria is that they need to be warm, my second criteria would be something with a bit of cable. It doesn’t have to be the same type of cable, but a similar texture would echo the hat design nicely. I’ll have a look on Ravelry (and if you know of a perfect pattern, please share!), but if I can’t find it, I might just make up my own. We’ll see.
Oh, and I’ve run out of potential Modification Monday projects, so if you know of any wonderful mods, I’d be grateful if you could send me a link!
Oh Julie: I love this hat and it looks so great on you! This hat is in my queue so thanks for the brim advice.
Hi Christine,
So glad that the brim advice for Take heart is helpful! I really enjoyed knitting the hat overall, but I remember looking at the brim while I was still knitting and thinking it looked a bit too airy. I wish I had followed my instincts!
Cheers,
julie
What a cute look! The pompom and yarn colour (and lippie!) pairing is perfect.
Hi Val,
Thanks so much! And I loved your recent round up on your blog of your gift knitting, you made such beautiful things, I bet all the recipients were overjoyed. And how hilarious about the bath bombs!
Cheers,
Julie
I’ve never been much of a lipstick person. Think it’s a combo of the taste and always needing a mirror to reapply frequently. Maybe I just had cheap lipstick? Plus my Hubby refuses to kiss me when I’m wearing lipstick. So that right there sealed the deal for me.
At any rate I’m loving lip stain with lip balm over it. And my Josie Maran stain has a matching gloss or “shine” on the other end of the tube. I get to use that when I go out and my Hubby isn’t with me.
Hi Celeste,
Lip stain is such a great alternative to lipstick, I agree! I don’t wear much of either these days, but who knows what 2017 will bring. And thanks for the compliment on my hat and pom pom combo!
Cheers,
Julie
Forgot to mention, love the brown pom pom with the hot pink hat! Very cute knit that certainly does stand up to winter’s monochrome color scheme.
LOVE. What a great color and those cables are perfection. Love the matching lipstick too! I may have to knit myself one of these.
Hi Katie,
Thanks so much! I love a good cabled hat, but what sold me on this one was the double brim, so that I could fold it over and have extra thickness over my ears. I find that normal hats often don’t give my ears enough wind protection, unless they are stranded or double-thickness.
Cheers,
Julie
Why not use TinCanKnits’ World’s Simplest Mittens? You could then hack them and add the same cable as your lovely hat. 😀
Hi Sophie,
That’s a great idea!! I’ll check out the pattern!! Thanks for the tip.
Cheers,
Julie
You are beautiful and so is your hat finish. I always wear a bit of lipstick. Im older than YOU!! It brightens my face a bit. I love your pussycathat idea!
Hi Kathy,
Thank you so much! And hooray for the a bit of lipstick, I feel like in the winter when I’m even paler than usual, it definitely feels like a pick me up.
Cheers,
Julie
Love this hat! The color is awesome and that pom goes perfectly with it! It looks great on you!
My oldest son is 10 years old and I can still sneak a kiss in here and there without him thinking it’s gross – I just can’t over do it 😉
Hi Michele,
So glad to hear that 10 year olds still like a kiss from their mom now and then! James has been learning to give kisses, but it mostly means he slobbers open mouthed all over my cheeks. No wonder I had his cold all through Christmas. 😉
Cheers,
Julie
I love that hat! I agree, that pompom works so well with the bright magenta 😀 Such a great, cheery color for winter! I can’t wait to see what you decide for the mittens 🙂
Hi Kat,
It’s been a tough call trying to decide on the mittens! I want to make sure that they are knit at a tight gauge, so that they can keep the wind out Some winter accessories are knit at a sweater style gauge, which is way too loose for something that needs to keep the elements at bay!
Cheers,
Julie
That’s a gorgeous hat Julie. Hats like that don’t suit me, I always feel they look odd with short hair! The lipstick looks lovely too, I’m a great fan of a bright lipstick.
Hi Sam,
Some hat styles don’t suit me either- I don’t know many people that can wear any style of hat! I have a tiny head, so anything that get’s too snug on the head overall makes me look like a child. For me, the cables add some much-needed visual bulk!
Cheers,
Julie
I was thinking Antler mitts by Tin Can Knits!
Hi Heather,
Oooh, Antler Mitts! I will check those out, I remember really liking the look of those…. thanks for the recommendation!
Cheers,
Julie
Both the hat & the lipstick look great on you! My 2-legged children are way too old for kissing anymore but luckily the 4-legged ones still like smooches. They constantly have pink lip prints on top of their heads. We call it having ‘lipstick head.’
Hi Jeannie,
haha, lipstick head!! that’s so cute, and thank goodness for fur babies!
Cheers,
Julie
I was going to suggest a Tin Can Knits pattern too. You could hack the simplest mittens ever. Or I’ve always liked the look of their Antler mittens (like Heather suggested). Question though: don’t you find handknit mitts cold in the winter? The only ones that I’ve ever found that work were boiled mittens from Sheep’s Clothing in Nova Scotia. They manage to keep the wind and cold out and my hands warm.
I do like lipstick, and sometimes it’s the only make-up that I wear. I find that it instantly brightens me up. That magenta colour is perfect on you.
Hi MJ,
I don’t find hand knit mittens cold in the winter, but there is a trick to it- they MUST be knitted at a gauge a good bit smaller than the yarn would usually call for. So, I wouldn’t knit a worsted weight yarn on 5 mm needles and think that’s going to keep my hands warm. But worsted weight on 3.5 mm needles- that will keep the wind out. It also depends on the kind of winters that you get- if your winters are particularly damp, you probably need a lined mitten (like the Fiddlehead mittens, or a thickly stranded design). Then of course there is the ultimate in mitten warmth- thrummed mittens! Have you ever made a pair? I guarantee they keep your hands warm.
Cheers,
Julie
Julie, this is wonderful! I love the hat AND the lipstick on you! What a fun color – perfect to brighten up a winter day. Also looks like a very fast and easy knit! The only modification that comes to mind is my own Ocean dress, which I made modifying a tunic pattern from Vogue Knitting. Feel free to use it, if you’d like 🙂 http://giftofknitting.com/ocean-dress-fo-details/
Hi Alina,
Thanks so much fro the mod recommendation, I especially love it when people nominate their own knits- you know how much work went into knitting it! I will definitely send you a message to use this gorgeous knit. Thank you!
Cheers,
Julie
that is truly a perfect knit for Jan – so cheery and fun for these dreary weeks!! I love it, and I absolutely love the pom pom too – I need a bunch of those!!
Hi Wanda,
I got a bunch of the pom poms (and ordered more recently!) from Ebay- I did a search on faux fur pom poms, and the key chain ones were the cheapest. When they arrive, I just unhook the key chain bit, and then there is already a teensy little lop that is perfect for sewing on the pom to the hat! I recommend- as long as you aren’t in a rush! Those pom poms definitely take the slow boat over.
Cheers,
Julie
Julie, I love everything about this, the hat, the pom-pom, the lipstick, the photographs, the background! Just what one needs on a cold January day! No ideas for a Mod Monday post, but I will keep an eye out! Tincanknits have a KAL going about modifications made to their basic sweater and mitts patterns, that may yield some results 🙂
And I just realised that YOU are the one that pointed me in the Tincanknits KAL direction…LOL, a little embarrassing!
Hi Monica,
Such a great idea about the Tin Can Knits mittens! I love their patterns and their mods- their recent series on Flax hacks is so inspiring. In my neighborhood, I live in an area where there is a lot of street art and I love it- we can always find some interesting murals for photographs! Especially needed in the blah winter doldrums.
Cheers,
Julie
That colour! That pompom! Those cables!!! Simply a fantastic hat, I LOVE it!
Thanks so much, Tahnee! I love a good cabled hat, and the double brim helps keep my sensitive ears warm!
Cheers,
Julie
What a fun pop of color! I love the pink and the light brown pom pom is very cute. I don’t wear lipstick either; it’s such a pain to refresh. I’ll put on neutral lip gloss for a photo shoot.
Yes, my husband’s a total nonfiction reader with an occasional fantasy or sci-fi Kindle book. He’s a tough book rater with the stars; he either gives five or one, LOL.
Hi Stefanie,
i think my favourite lip products are tinted lip balms- those add a bit of colour if I feel like I’m getting super pale and ill looking, but not quite into full lipstick territory (which I agree, can be a pain to refresh and you have to keep thinking about it). I do love bright winter accessories, especially after Christmas when it feels like we still have months of winter ahead of us!
Love! The light brown pompom looks so wonderful with that bright magenta color. Beautiful cables too. I have this pattern and will definitely take your suggestion on the ribbing. I love the graffiti background on these photos btw.
Hi Tien,
Thanks so much! In our neighborhood in Toronto, there is a lot of street art, and I appreciate it so much- I’ll happily take lots of bold colours and interesting swirls over grey concrete any day of the week. There is a stretch of major road near us that has 26 panels, each depicting a letter of the alphabet in a really artistic (read: Sometimes hard to figure out) way! I’m a big fan. Who wants grey, industrial looking concrete when you could have colourful art?
Love these photos and the hat! So cheery and bright when Winter can be so gray and white!
Hi Jessica,
I so agree- once we are into January and February, I feel like I crave a bit of colour after so many grey-sky days!
cheers,
Julie
Love a bold lip for days when the kiddos aren’t around! Otherwise, totally agree, those chubby cheeks are just way too kissable for me to resist. Hack a mitt pattern to add that cable!
High fives on the bold lip! Loved your recent photos of you wearing a matte bright colour, too! I think matte lipstick has come such a long way- in this one I’m wearing an NYX matte lip creme, and I love it. I find I can wear it less bright by just using a tiny amount. Makes me feel a lot more polished on these dull, grey January days!
Cheers,
Julie
you are absolutely adorable! and so is your hat! xx
ps… just getting back into the lipstick thing. stopped for the same reasons you did! and perfume, too! i never wanted anyone else’s kids to smell like me!
Hi Leslie,
Me too! I hardly wear perfume anymore for the same reason! I stopped when Lila was a baby, thinking that it probably wasn’t good for her to be around it anyway. Funny how much of a make-under we give ourselves when the kiddos are little.
Cheers,
Julie
Looking great, both you and the hat. And yes the lipstick totally matches. Love the pompom !
Hi Agnes,
Thanks so much! I ordered a whole bunch more of those pom poms, some in grey. I think every hat I make is going to need a faux fur pom pom now!
Cheers,
Julie
I love this hat so much. You did a fabulous job! Adding to my 2017 to-knit list now. . .
Hi Veronica, Oh, I’m so glad you like it! it’s a great knit, I recommend.
Happy knitting,
Julie
I am suffering from a bit of hat envy here! And it even matches your lip colour! (I can’t wear anything on my lips, not even lip balm.) I’m still in love with my old hat but maybe a fluffy pompom will give it a nice little update.. Any colour suggestion for a matching pompom on a deep wine coloured knitted hat? 😉
Hi Kessa,
What a great idea to refresh a well loved hat with a new pom pom! I think white/cream would be a nice contrast to the wine colour, or maybe a grey? Ooh, or a light brown! I got mine from Ebay, they were very cheap but took a long time to arrive. I got faux fur pom pom key chains, then when they arrived, I just unhooked the key chain and the pom had a tiny loop that was just right for attaching it to the hat.
Cheers,
Julie
Beautiful hat! I’m really pleased you chose that pompom, it was my favourite.
Would you consider featuring my modded mitts for a modification Monday post? (https://felinityknits.wordpress.com/2016/12/29/finished-project-dads-knotty-inglis-mitts/) They are a combo of two patterns spliced together and I’m so pleased with them (and reports from my mum is that they fit perfectly and are super easy for her to get on/off my dad’s hands). I won’t be offended if they don’t make the cut, though!
Amazing, thank you so much for recommending your mitts or Mod Monday!! I love them, will send you a message to schedule it. 😀
Cheers,
Julie
Brilliant! Thank *you* 🙂
LOVE these hat pics – especially the matching lippy! x
Thanks, Becca! I totally bought it to match the hat, and now I wear that lipstick whenever I go out! I feel like it’s so cheery in the otherwise grey days of winter.
Cheers,
Julie
I think this hat in all it’s brilliant color stole my heart. That and the lovely bright lipstick.
Hi Andi,
It’s funny how bright colours can either be so perfect or too much! While I’d have a tough time reaching for a bright sweater every day, in the winter, I love bright accessories.
Cheers,
Julie
Such a great hat and that pompom is the perfect touch!! I’ve had this pattern in my to-knit queue for ages. Thanks for the tip about the brim.
Hi Preeti,
I do recommend the hat pattern! I love cabled hats. I have a small head so I need a little extra going on to help make it looks more normal-sized! And for sure you want normal ribbing on that double brim. I love a double brim on a hat- so much better at keeping the ears warm!
Cheers,
julie
What a cute hat with the contrasting pom pom.
So glad you like it! Thanks!