pattern update: Dubliner Hat

So I have something very exciting to share with you today! This is my Dubliner Hat pattern. It was the first serious pattern I designed- the first one that wasn't a free tutorial via my blog that is. I worked so SO hard on this design and have always felt really proud of it. 

I originally designed this hat as a gift for my friend Simone. We picked the yarn together- a lovely green color that we both fell in love with. But the truth is that this yarn was not a good choice for the hat. From the very beginning, I never felt that it allowed the design to show through at it's best. 

Now let me make myself clear: I am not a yarn snob. While I love knitting with wonderfully, wooly yarns with a story (and would definitely hug a few sheep if I got the chance) I simply cannot afford to be always knitting with this kind of yarn. Nor do I want to be, if I'm honest. There are some big box yarns that I really enjoy working with (hellooo Patons Kroy sock!) and I'm not ashamed to admit this. Generally speaking, I quite like both the Lima and Nepal yarns from Drops but this hat was first made using Drops Alaska and I just gotta say... it wasn't what I'd hoped. 

Re-knitting this design has been on my project list for ages, and I had a skein of Cascade 220 Heathers kicking around in my stash left over from my Tamborine Cardigan. I decided to add a fold up brim to the design, but this is of course totally optional. At the very last minute, I decided to use the left overs of my Insouciant Fibers Jacob wool (after knitting a pair of baby Rye socks for C) to make a Pom Pom and I love the marled look of it! (I've seen online that there are marled versions of the Cascade 220 Heathers yarn that would also work really well for this, though I still love this hat without the pompom...)

So anyhow. I'm excited to let you know that the updated version of this pattern is now finished and available on Ravelry. If you've already ordered this pattern in the past, you should have already received your updated copy. And if you'd like to knit this design I'm offering 20% off until the end of October, just because. Use the code isleofskye16 (which is where these photos were, of course, taken) when checking out on Ravelry here to take advantage of the discount.

Happy Knitting!