The Wrapping and the Turning...

For my classes, I try and find small projects that are technique based. Something that would be fun and easy to complete and drive a technique into your brain. Then, the student can go on and know these techniques when the come across them in other patterns or when they make up their own! Easy gauntlets to learn 4-needle techniques, a picot edge or different cast on method for an easy cowl and, the feature of this post, The Ameila Earhart Aviator Cap which is all about wrapping and turning. These techniques together are all you need to make socks, for example. They are also projects that are easy to complete and easy to get a great head start on in a 2 hour class.

In my random internet searching for fun knitting patterns, I came across a website called Head Huggers. It is a site full of free hat patterns all suitable for people undergoing chemo or that have lost their hair due to surgery or other health problems. A very cool site! I found the Aviator Hat pattern on it and just thought it was so amazing. I made one using Louisa Harding Grace in this beautiful silver/blue/indigo colour way. The construction of the hat, the shaping and the head-hugging qualities were so amazing. It's all about W&T - it helps you master the W&T and shows you how to seamlessly shape this head hugging creation.

I contacted the operator of the site to ask if I could use the pattern for a class and she sent back a very nice email saying she'd be delighted. I asked about the designer and was told that all she knew was that she had been living in South America.

Because of the vintage style, it wasn't a very popular class. I was bummed because it's such a fun knit and you learn so much from it. I though later that I should have advertised the class maybe a little better. It could be used as a cap for under your bike or ski helmet, as a fashion statement (which I use it for), or, for the intention on the Head Huggers site, for someone who has lost their hair.

As an aside, I was wearing it one day and someone mentioned it looked like a Pilgrim hat. Now every time I wear it, all I can think of is the Crucible and Winona Ryder screaming, "I saw Goody Good communing with the devil!!!"