When your pom pom has a life of it’s own, you know it’s the correct size.

Now, my regular blogging can begin. Now, that all of the hurricane clean-up/ moving my daughter is finished. Now that I have completed my first week as a BSF CL (doesn’t that sound important?) and feel more confident. Now that I am back to a semi-normal schedule. And now that podcasts are the new blogs. Now…now, I will be regular with this blog. Let the rambling begin, my friends:

Let me tell you how I soothed my stressed out nerves over the last few weeks. I joined the Any Hat KAL, hosted by Andrea Jimenez on instagram toward the end of the SSKAL. My first hat was her design, Buckalope. I knit one, then I knit another. This is so my answer to stress in life or stress in knitting. There is nothing more satisfying than casting on a bulky weight hat over the weekend and having it be finished by Monday.

I’ve never worked a cabled hat like this, so it kept me interested. But it’s also too quick a project to become boring. Then there’s that sprinkled colorway. This hat combines a few things I love- knitting hats between exhausting sweater projects, bulky yarn, fun colors, and giant pom poms. Who cares if there is sweat beading on my upper lip in these photos?! I love my giant woolly topper.

After finishing both versions of this hat, I realized that Andrea’s pattern only has a few FOs logged on Ravelry, which makes this perfect for Brooklyn Knitfolk’s Hipster KAL. I joined the KAL to focus on sweaters or shawls, but have found myself knitting hat after hat. I might as well include them. They are also really good patterns that I’d like to see getting more love on Ravelry and Instagram.

I loved Andrea’s version of this with the fur pom, but I think my giant, muli-colored yarn pom worked better for a speckled colorway.

Details: I knit this with US size 6 and 7 circulars and Red Sock Blue Sock‘s Big Squish base, in the Taste the Rainbow colorway. My husband looked at this, when I began, and actually said that it looked like Skittles. So, it’s aptly named. Guys, I love Red Sock Blue Sock. Recently, I realized I’ve been hoarding their yarn that’s in my stash, as if no project was good enough for it. I will remedy this weird compulsion, beginning with my big Skittles Buckalope.
I also used a bit of Knit Picks Hawthorne Fingering Kettle Dye in Compass.

I followed the pattern completely and loved every second of it. I didn’t think I had enough yarn for a really big topper without adding in a contrasting color, so I threw in some Compass strands. I love the effect. Plus the pom pom is so huge I can feel it rolling around up there, independent of my movement. When you’re pom pom has a life of it’s own, you know it’s the correct size.

Below, you can see my first version of this hat. It worked up beautifully in two strands of Madelinetosh Pashmina worsted held together, but there wasn’t enough yarn in the skein. I omitted one round and went down to tiny needles, but it’s just too small for an adult head. Bummer, because Fir Wreath is one of my favorite colorways.

Now, I have a few more of Andrea’s patterns I want to make. I really need a Regalo Messy Bun Beanie. My hair is getting to crazy cat lady length and I want hairdo options in the winter, especially when I run or ride bikes. I hate using elastics all the time, so clips and a bun are the way to go.

Okay, so the BKHipsterKAL has a secondary challenge going to take the most hipster-esque photo of your finished item. Tell me, friends, what is a hipster photo?

Is it Holga-like?