Yesterday afternoon I was lamenting my lack of finished items for the week. Then I got thinking… what is stopping me from creating and finishing something TODAY?? The answer was obviously nothing. I went through the run down of a quick project requirements. Small-ish finished size, available yarn, medium to large hook/needle size. But I also wanted it to be something new AND interesting. This hat checked off so many boxes: Small, had the yarn but no planned project, medium hook, I hadn’t designed a crochet hat yet, I loved this stitch pattern when I used it in a CAL last month.

I set off to create armed with an idea, a hook, some yarn, and my trusty pencil and paper for calculations. After a few false starts, I was off and crocheting like a flash (a frequently interrupted flash). With about 5 hours of stitching, my hat was complete on Friday evening around 11 pm (local time). I have dubbed the hat: Wintery Mix Slouch Hat. The yarn color: Sleet, the snowball looking pom-pom, and today’s forecast: sleet and freezing rain, were all name inspiration.

The V-Puff Stitch is a total YARN PIG. I was pensive that I would need to use a second ball so it would be long enough. After 14 total pattern repeats, the hat has just a touch of slouch, which is EXACTLY what I was going for. Because of the severe gather at the crown, I wouldn’t work this up as a shorter beanie. I also highly recommend the pom-pom; it adds enough weight to the hat that it slouches and doesn’t stick up like a sad-elf toque. This hat is moderately warm I was able to wear it around the house for a while without overheating. Winter Precipitation isn’t a hat I would reach for on a frigid, windy day. Unless, of course, you want to put a fleece liner in it, I won’t stop you and would love to see how that works out. I would say this hat is more for style than functionality.

I had been wanting to try Lion Brand Yarn’s Re-Tweed for some time, and I caught a good sale. I like the yarn. It is firm, doesn’t split, and has amazing stitch definition. I wouldn’t call it soft, but against the skin it is not itchy. I like the slightly rustic feel, the structure, and the eco-conscious bend. This hat was the right application, I wanted slouch without much drape. If you want a finished product with a lot of drape, this may not be the right yarn for you.

As far as pattern release goes: hopefully this week! I have a test-crochet out on it now. When its finished and any errata is taken care of it will be available on Ravelry for download. EDIT: The pattern is released and is available HERE!!