Fiber Arts Friday: Portland Frog Hat

I happened to see a post from PDX Knitterati on Social Media on Sunday, October 26, 2025 about her Frog Hat.  

With it being similar to the Pussy Hats from the first regime and the joy of the Portland Inflatable Frogs from the No Kings March on October 18th, I knew I had to make at least one of these.

I had suitable yarn in my stash and stopped by one of the Big Box Craft Stores to get some Googly Eyes.

I love this yarn so much.... it has a Hygge feeling for me... the color, the softness, the squishy-ness... mmm.  It was acquired from the Apothefaery in 2022 at the Estes Park Wool Market.

I did not figure out a good way to attach the Googly Eyes that wasn't far too fiddly while also being secure and washable.

So I stopped at a couple of local shops and picked up some felt and buttons as recommended in the pattern.

And ultimately just used the buttons, which are wood so they will air dry.

I am ready for the next demonstration.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Oak Beanie, part 2

 At last post, I had just returned with a second skein of this pretty pinky-purple, super bulky yarn that was miraculously the same dye lot as the first skein...

At the half-way point... 24 of 48 rounds complete, I have 106 g of 200g in the first skein remaining.  I may not need the second skein, but as I said last time, it's going to be close.

The hat is currently 5.5 inches tall (12/19/24)

It's always interesting how the color changes when the light changes... the first photo is more purple and the second photo looks a bit orange.

I completed the hat with 25g remaining in the first skein.

I forgot how the cables tighten up the fabric.... so this may have to be remade, but for now, it is complete.

I also added a cute rabbit pom-pom...

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Oak Beanie

I agreed to make a hat for a friend.  She pursued Ravely and chose this pattern.  We then went to a few yarn stores and she chose a pretty pink-ish, single-ply, bulky(!), Merino.

Since she's from a warmer climate, the goal was to make a very warm hat with few holes.

So I'm knitting this yarn on much smaller needles (US7-8) than the suggested (US15-17).

I got the brim completed on US 7... and ordered a set of US8 for the body, which took a couple of weeks to arrive.

Once the US8 needles arrived, I started on the cable.  Then quickly realized that I might not have enough yarn to complete the hat.  The pattern calls for 115 yards of a much smaller gauge yarn and my skein is 109 yards.

So at my first break in the day, I took a sample from the tail end and the ball band to the LYS we bought the first skein from a few weeks ago...  would you believe that they not only had another skein in the same colorway, but that it was also the same dye lot?!?  My Lucky Day!!

After returning home, I did a little math.  At 14 rounds completed + the cast on and 60g used thus far, I should plan that each round uses ~4g.  

At a total of 48 rounds for this project * ~4g per round = ~192g total for the project.  There are a couple of increases and some decreases to come... and all but two rounds thus far was using a smaller needle, so this really is just a rough number.

Each skein is 200g.... so it is possible that I worried for no reason, but it will be very close with one skein.  Therefore, it is better to be safe than sorry with a few rounds to go at the end.  :-)

Stay tuned and Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Cattitude, part 4

As of last time, all of the pieces were made but nothing had been blocked yet...

I've blocked the pieces, but still find them more fiddly to stitch together than I am willing to work with.  So I have decided to scrap the yellow inner ear and just tack the ears down to finish out this project...

Starting first with a quick reminder on how to do the Mattress Stich:

I did finally get the pieces stitched together and tacked down.  This hat is a little big for me, but the double layered brim should be quite warm.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Cattitude, part 3

So as of last posting, I had just completed the crown of the Cattitude Pussy Hat.

I am starting this post with determining where the ears go... by placing two pairs of removeable stitch markers.

After letting that sit for a week or so, I picked up the 14 stitches for each ear.

Having been sick with Covid for early September, the initial part of the ear pattern was not making sense to me... It states to pick up 14 stitches, then first row has two increases resulting in 14 stitches, then the next couple of rows have short rows, which are normally fine but the abbreviation/name doesn't make sense.... so I need to have clarity of mind before I progress.

...

...

...

Then, finally on a beautiful and chilly first day of Fall, September 22nd, I spent some time reading through the ear instructions again and figuring out where the stitch counts were incorrect...

I picked up and knit 14 stitches of the outer ear, then made two stitches for 16 (not 14) and continued as written, with a few other corrections.

It looks a bit like Pikachu or a Viking Hat right now.

Hopefully the ears will widen out after stitching together and blocking.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Cattitude, part 2

I completed the joining of the hem during the last day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC)

Since I did not leave a marker at the beginning of the round upon casting on, I spent some time marking the first stitch with a handful of removable stitch markers... Once that was complete I joined the hem by stitching the two sides together... I did a few stitches using a short dpn, but then moved over to a leather stitch holder which worked better.

I finished the crown at the end of August (August 26th)

I only have 11g of the full skein remaining... but I also have 25g remaining from another skein and another project (Emotonal Support Chicken and Yarn Fest Homework)

Next step is to figure out where there ears should go.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Cattitude Pussy Hat

Well, I really don't need another project on my plate... but if you know me, you know some things just need to be done.

With the Republican attacks on child-free women recently (here and here)... I, along with many women like me, have been incensed.

One, I follow on Threads, took it further and wrote a (free) pattern for an updated Pussy Hat.  This one is angry and has her ears folded back... full-on Cattitude.

With the addition of Tim Walz to the dem ticket, I feel much more positive and fighting FOR something, than AGAINST something.

So while I was vacillating between including one of the phrases on  the brim, I decided to leave it word-less.  :-)

My hat is still green... though mine is much darker than the BRAT green suggested in the pattern. :-)

At this point, the first day of the DNC, I am ready to join the brim...

I should have done two things when casting on this project...

• Marked the beginning of the round and
• cast on over a lifeline.

Sigh.... picking up these dark stitches will take some patience, good light, and good glasses.

Until next time, Happy Fiber Arts Friday.

Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat, part 6

 At the end of Part 5, we were here...

While doing some unpacking/organizing/looking-for-something-else I found this Needle-Felted Flower that I made in a class several years ago, when we were new to alpacas.  It needs to be finished a bit, but I think this might be a good way to complete this hat.

So after weaving in the ends, I pinned the flower in place and tried the hat on multiple ways, to settle on its final location...

  

and I don't love it.

So I decided to go ahead with crocheting a brim-edge.  I like this a lot better, but I still don't care fore the dark red "v" at the front.

  

So I wove in the ends and fastened down the flap with the minty yarn, while aligning the dark-red section.

  

I like this a lot(!) better.

I am still debating whether to add a small embellishment to the peak of the flap, but for now I am of the mind that less is more.

So I will live with it for a while and call this one good, finally.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat, part 5

Part 5?  Who would have thought that such a simple pattern would have so many things to talk about?  Not me... but here I am, with Part 5.  :-)

As a reminder.... I was contemplating accents at the end of the last post.

I knit a couple of rows with the gold and decided I didn't like it.  Then I knit the remainder out with the dark red-wine color (because it has matching blue flecks in it) but did not bind-off or join, because I was still not certain I liked it.

I sat with it for a few days and shared the above photo with a friend... and the more I looked at it, the less I liked it.  So I set it aside.

This is why color can be so challenging for me and why I generally prefer to work with un-dyed fibers!!

After letting it sit for several weeks, and growing impatient with the number of nearly-complete projects I had, I decided to bind-off with the wine-colored yarn over the Independence Day Holiday.

At this point, I don't hate it.  But I don't love it either.

The pattern calls for a button to hold the flap in place and, of course, the ends still need to be woven in.  

My current plan is to crochet a brim-edge in the wine-color and then likely add other embellishments.

So, clearly there will be at least a part 6 to this project.  Stay tuned.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat, part 4

Since last time, I have been contemplating what to do with the last inch of my Dutrieu Hat....

I went thru my stash of wool yarns and pulled out the close-to-sport weight.  Then kept out the few yarns that appeared to coordinate with the hat...

with undyed Targhee

with the white used for the
Provisional Cast-on

with unknown wool - gold and wine

While the hat sat with the potential stash members, I also took a snip of the yarn with me to the Estes Park Wool Market and happened to find an interesting coordinating yarn from ModeKnit Yarn, of Saint Paul, Minnesota.

So now, I have four-ish options that are marinating...

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat, part 3

So, last time I was just beginning the last panel of this six-panel hat and expecting to play a game of Yarn Chicken.

Soon after writing that post, I found the few grams remaining from my Minty Mitts...

While I am feeling a little better about my supply, I'm not confident that I have enough of this Possum-blend yarn to complete this hat.

I got ~25% into the last panel with the remainder of the first skein...

And another ~50% with the remainder of the Minty Mitts Skein.

Which means I have ~25% or 10 rows plus the bind off and join remaining to complete this hat.... AND that I lost at Yarn Chicken twice!  ;-)

So my mind has been turning toward my stash, wondering if there's something suitable to compliment the end of this project.

The ending stripe will be about 1-inch wide.

Do I go with white and drive a summery feeling?  Do I go with a natural, undyed color for a more cozy feeling?  Or something completely different?

I'll be pondering these questions for a while...

In the meantime, I hope you are having lovely weather and Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat, part 2

Last time I was just beyond 50% complete and now after a couple of  Dog Shows, this project is nearly complete...  I have just begun the last panel, and it looks likely that a game of Yarn Chicken is in my near future...

Stay Tuned and Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Dutrieu Hat

In looking for a simple project appropriate for waiting for services, I settled on Dutrieu by Wooly Wormhead.

I previously mentioned that I have wanted to make one of their patterns for quite some time.  I have also wanted to make a Cloche for several years.  Add in plenty of yarn left over from the Minty Mitts, and this seemed like the right one.

In searching the interwebs for how to pronounce Dutrieu, I learned that this is for Hélène Dutrieu, a Belgian Cyclist, Stunt Woman, and Aviator.  Very cool, indeed!

My French is not very good and my Flemish is non-existent, but at least I can hear the pronunciation in my head, even if I can not actually say it correctly.  :-/

This is an interesting construction, as is typically the case with Wooly Wormhead designs.  You can see the crown is starting to be shaped at the top of the piece, and the flap is beginning at the bottom.  There will be a total of 6 panels when complete.

I did take the opportunity to upgrade my tools in this size... I'm surprised by how much I don't like working with my original wood- and bamboo-tipped tools.

And with my new tools, I'm much further than I expected to be at the end of Memorial Day Weekend... currently just beyond 50%.

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!

Fiber Arts Friday: Twisted Rib Stocking Cap, part 2

As of last time I was about half-complete with The Twisted Rib Stocking Cap... and I had been working on nothing else for 16 days and it was starting to feel like a slog...  So I took a short break of about two days to set the plan and finish the Button Band on my SOS Sweater, which I posted about last week.  It's amazing what a small break can do for energy and productivity.  :-)

As I was getting close to the end of the tube.  I added the blue marker to help judge the time and length remaining..

My intent was to do the crown decreases in 4 sections, but I decided that I liked the top of the my recent Heel Stitch Hat better, so once the length was complete, I finished the top of the hat...

I divided the hat in half, then did a double-decrease at each end, with a 3-Needle Bind-off from the inside to make the top closure.

I really love this yarn.  I should have enough for a pair of mitts now that this hat is complete... but on to some other yarn for a little while.  ;-)

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!!

Fiber Arts Friday: Twisted Rib Stocking Cap

I can't seem to keep it down to one active project for very long... As I was working on the Button Band for my Save Our Sheep Sweater, I had another urgent hat project come up.

I thought I would make the Principessa Hat with the information I learned in making the Baker's Hat, but again something is not making sense between the brim and pattern sections.  I'm going to have to try this pattern with a yarn closer to the intended gauge.

So I've made a pivot and improvised a plan... I'm calling it the Twisted Rib Stocking Cap.

The current plan is to knit the entire hat in twisted rib, then work the crown decreases in four sections.

I knit during the Colorado Kennel Club Dog Show over Presidents' Day Weekend...

and more while spending much of another day in a waiting room...

At this point, I think I'm about half-complete with this hat.

I hope you have a nice Fiber Arts Friday.  Be Well.