Hats in Recycled Cotton

My copy of the summer ’09 edition of Interweave Knits came in the mail yesterday, quite unexpectedly.  (Time flies.)  For the first time in quite a while, I saw several projects I’d like to make.  I’m especially loving the “Forever Lace” and “Pearl Street” features.

The lace section contains the Oneshot Lace hat by Hana Jason, which I’m eager to start.  It just dovetails so nicely with my current obsession: cute hats knit with recycled cotton.

It started with the Spring Beret by Natalie Larson.  It’s a fantastic free pattern on Ravelry.  Just enough lace to be enjoyable and interesting, but not so much as to be frustrating.  It also includes a “slouchy” and a more fitted version.  I made the slouchy version and received so many compliments on it!

I used Knit One Crochet Too 2nd Time Cotton (in the “Stonewash” colorway), which came in recently at my LYS.  Since I got that first skein for the beret, I’ve become hooked on this stuff.  It’s some of the softest cotten I’ve had the pleasure of knitting, and I love the heathered, almost “worn” look to it — kind of reminiscent of stonewash jeans or those t-shirts that are made to look vintage.

Last weekend, I picked up three more shades: Claret, Artichoke, and Purple Haze.

Almost immediately, I cast on another of Natalie Larson’s beret patterns: Cuckoo.  (This one isn’t free, but it’s extremely reasonable at $3.49 for the PDF download.)  I’ve been working on it all week and enjoying it.  I tend to find cables very tedious, so I really appreciate Natalie’s encouragement throughout the pattern (“You can do it!”).

I’m hoping to finish it up tonight (I’m on my last half-repeat of the pattern chart, then the decreases) so that I can cast on the Oneshot Lace Hat.  I think I’m going to use my “Artichoke”-colored cotton for that, and save the “Purple Haze”-color for another Spring Beret!