Oak Crest
I had a giveaway on my podcast for the Oak Crest hat pattern recently. I’m so glad the designer, Vanessa Townley, offered a copy to a viewer. Otherwise, I might not have realized this was one of her patterns from Pom Pom Quarterly Issue 14. I knit her I Heart Bees pattern a couple of years ago and loved it. I also enjoy Vanessa’s podcast and instagram feed, so I knew I wanted to knit this one for myself. I remember loving that little knotted top when I thumbed through my issue of PomPom. Also, I have all of these PomPom Quarterly magazines and have only knit a couple of patterns from them. That’s crazy and it needed to change.
I decided to make my first version of Oak Crest using Knit Picks Capra yarn in a camel color. This is the same yarn I used a few years ago to make a Go! hat for my daughter. I enjoyed working with it then, but have never used Capra for myself before. I suppose it’s not as hard wearing as 1000% wool, but I wear nothing hard in the winter so it’s all good. It is extra soft on the skin, too. Though it would make a perfect Christmas present, I’ve already claimed it for myself and worn it every I’ve had. I will make another one and maybe then I’ll be a little more generous.
Honestly, I’m just not knitting any Christmas presents this year. I may make some spontaneous extras for someone near the holiday season, but no expectations on myself. None! I’m exclaiming this more for me than for you. I seem to need forceful reminders. My chiropractor, and sometimes shrink, put a neon orange sticker on my cell phone that says “NO.” He said when I’m called and asked to do anything more I should say, “Hold on, let me check and see if I can do that…” then turn my phone over, read the sticker, and say, “No, sorry. I can’t.”
Here’s the details: I used US size 4 needles and a tad more than 1 skein of Capra in the Thicket color for my hat. This may be because I added about three rounds of ribbing to make sure my hat could slouch plenty on my head. Capra is a Dk weight yarn and this pattern calls for worsted. Personally, I constantly interchange the two in patterns, but that might make a difference to you.
That’s it. I did everything else as written and it was fun to work on. I enjoyed it so much that I didn’t feel a need for something else going in the background, but if the tv was on, it didn’t mess my knitting up.
Like the I Heart Bees socks, also by Vanessa, this is a fun stitch pattern. Cables are my very favorite knitting trick. However, it’s the knot on top that got me with this design.
Have you knit any of Vanessa’s patterns? And what have you knit from PomPom Quarterly? For me, it’s just this hat and Riverine. Shameful, I know.
