Why we stash
In all honesty, I tend to add to my fiber stash because I have a low threshold when it comes to resisting beauty, and yarn senses this weakness in me and preys upon it. As a result, I have drawers full of lovely moth bait currently serving no purpose except as fodder for dreams and receiving no attention besides the occasional petting. But because they exist in my house, I can, upon a whim, decide to make a Star Wars hat for my little cousin Sam’s seventh birthday. Look here! Black alpaca from a Spiders swap two summers ago. And here? A ball of pewter grey RYC silk/wool I bought to swatch for a corset top (I ended up using Cathay instead.). How about some white for the six little R2D2s? Yep; the hat I’ve planned out of Cascade 220 will never miss a few yards. I thought I was stymied when I got to R2D2’s blue bits, but sure enough, in the very back of the worsted/DK wool drawer, was a lone ball of Mission Falls in the perfect shade. Now, light saber colors: here’s a bright heathered red skein of Cascade 220 from the swag bag I got on the yarn cruise around Manhattan. And lo! A whole sack of ancient Thorobred scheepjeswol Brushed Wool in powder blue, inherited from Mr. Garter’s mamma. Someday it will be a nifty ’40s-inspired cardigan, but right now a few yards will give the blue light sabers that potent fuzzy glow. And in a galaxy not so very far, far away, a hat is born:
[Note to self: Dude, next time take a picture of the front of the hat that doesn't show the join, eh genius?] And it just happens that my little cousin’s name lends itself to Star Wars font, so of course I had to take advantage of that:
It’ll blow his mind, if it fits his wee blond head. Cross your fingers for me that his noggin isn’t bigger than 19″ in circumference, okay? I have to say, this was fun. There may be another of these in my future, because Mr. Garter has been drooling over it. Time for more stash diving!
Note: The charts are free here; there’s really no other pattern for the hat. I worked it on US#3 needles, figured six repetitions of the chart would make a boy-sized hat, and threw in some double decreases at the top between motifs. I worked the letters under the brim upside-down, used a row of purl sts as a turning round, and sewed down the cast-on edge to the inside of the hat at the very end.
Posted: September 7th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
that hat is way rad. sci-fi geekiness to the max. your cousin is too lucky.
Posted: September 7th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Awesome. It’s so much fun to blow a 7 year old’s mind with the perfect handmade gift - helps set their priorities, y’know?
Posted: September 7th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Truly amazing! That would make any boy’s birthday, whether he’s 7, 17 or 37!
Posted: September 7th, 2007 at 9:11 pm
J’adore le (la?) hat! What a lucky nephew!
Posted: September 8th, 2007 at 3:59 am
That is an awesome hat! I love it! What a lucky cousin.
Posted: September 8th, 2007 at 4:12 am
Fabulous! Now that’s a great reason to have a yarn stash.
Posted: September 8th, 2007 at 7:49 am
Awesome hat! You just created this little pattern as you went along?? Fabulous. Lucky kid!
Posted: September 8th, 2007 at 8:52 am
Wonderful hat. I know a few boys/men in my life that would love it. Might you be adding that to your patterns page?
Posted: September 8th, 2007 at 8:56 am
Can’t believe that hat; it’s truly a work of art. Really puts stashing into perspective, huh? When you think of all the really bad things we could throw away our filthy lucre on, yarn seems pretty benign.
Posted: September 8th, 2007 at 10:44 am
That hat is so much fun! Very pleasing indeed. I’m off to eye up my own stash and see what I could put together…
Hurrah for sci-fi knitting! (well, I would say that, having knitted a whole Wonder Woman jumper…)
Posted: September 8th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Love it!
Posted: September 8th, 2007 at 11:51 am
How awesome! What is it about guys and Star Wars? My hubby wears the one I knit for him all the time!
Posted: September 8th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
that just made my inner 12 year old squeeeeee! i liked it so much that i posted about the charts on the daily chum (www.limenviolet.com/blog) using your picture as illustration. and i gave you credit for the link and the pic. thanks!
(now i’m contemplating knitting a geek flag!)
Posted: September 8th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
That’s awesome! I’m sure your nephew will love it. The “force” was with you on this one.
Posted: September 8th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
Ms Garter and I don’t always see eye-to-eye about the yarn stash. I swear it is procreating when no one is looking and spewing out of closets like The Blob. Then again, Ms. Garter says the same thing about all the computers around the house. BUT I am now changing my tune for good, and it is in writing, less I forget.
I covet this hat, and if Sam wasn’t such a great kid (plus I have a gigantic cranium), I would never let this hat out of my sight. Sam would never have known of its existence.
Ms. garter, can you add a picture of the TIE Advanced x1 Starfighter that you knitted next to Sam’s name? It is smoke’n.
Yes, I am a 29 year-old, but this lusting of star war hats will cease in 2 months, when the dial moves to 30
Posted: September 9th, 2007 at 5:53 pm
That hat is so cool! My husband (who never seems to be impressed with anything I knit anymore) happened to walk by the computer while I was reading this post and felt the need to comment to me on its coolness.
Posted: September 10th, 2007 at 5:48 am
what a great hat! I love that you added his name!
Posted: September 10th, 2007 at 7:56 am
Oh, he is going to love that! What great yarn stash improvisation as well.
Posted: September 10th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Great hat! A co-worker had actually stumbled across these charts a few weeks ago and I loved them! Nice to see a real project done with them and the name inside was a really nice touch!
Posted: September 11th, 2007 at 5:37 am
I’m sure I had clever and insightful things to say about stashing, but now all I can think is OOH! AWESOME HAT!
Posted: September 11th, 2007 at 4:19 pm
oh Sarah, you are so talented and clever and accomplished!
you inspire me to keep knitting in hopes of getting as good as you in some very distant future
Posted: September 11th, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Wow. Mr. Kninja sits beside me, and he looks and says, “Wow. Make us something like that, Kristen.” Apparently you’ve found a way to justify knitting to male nerds. The tone of slight annoyance in his voice was indicative of the fact that I never do anything useful with my sticks and string, like knit Star Wars motifs.
Beyond that, yowza.
Posted: September 12th, 2007 at 5:08 am
wow! i’m totally impressed and blown away. a thoughtful, delightful gift.
Posted: September 12th, 2007 at 10:51 am
That’s nifty! I wouldn’t worry about the fit, but I have a pretty small head (a 19 inch hat fits me). My hubby would like one if he didn’t enjoy Hufflepuff so much more.
Posted: September 29th, 2007 at 6:21 am
How cool is that! Great hat.
Posted: October 1st, 2007 at 3:35 am
[...] Why we stash [...]
Posted: October 23rd, 2008 at 9:31 am
[...] R2-D2 and crossed lightsabers come together in the pattern on this cozy-looking beanie by Sarah at Blue Garter. [...]
Posted: October 23rd, 2008 at 10:16 am
Hi! I just wanted to let you know that I featured your hat in an article I write for Fandomania.com. You can read it here. =)