Hedgehog Knitting: Have Yarn; Need Hat Pattern...

Last spring I lost my Lorna's Laces hat in a cab. I don't remember exactly when it was, at some point where it was warm enough that I knew I could make it from the cab into my apartment building without my ears entirely freezing off, so it must have been late March or into April. Since then and anticipating another round of Chicago winter, I've been thinking about knitting a new hat.

I wanted something bright. Winter here is marked by everyone wearing black wool coats, so bright accessories are a must. I think it's one of the reasons we all leap for bright colors during spring and summer, we're all desperate for something after months of dark outerwear. And while I do have that ubiquitous black wool, I also need something to top the white down coat.

At Stitches Midwest, Yarns by Design was one of the last booths I stopped in. I'd started on the other end of the vendor market and had pretty well worn out my want-all-the-wool nerves. It takes rather a lot to do that.

But they were the first booth where I'd seen Mrs. Crosby's multi-color yarn in person. I'd seen her semi-solids elsewhere and I've got one skein here at home, of course, but now--in trunks even, here was playful color.

The yarn was laid out by base, and I went from one to another--picking up the same yarn over and over again. Truly, one of the ladies minding the booth even called me out about it.

But can you blame me?

Toucan is such a pretty and bright colorway. It shows up very differently on the other bases, lighter on the base with silk, darker here. It wasn't the only color I was drawn to, but there wasn't much of a question that I was buying this.