Misprision (plus giveaway)
If you’ve been around for a while you know I’m scared of proper colorwork. The sort where you use two (or more, eep) colors in one row. But I don’t want to be left out of all that multicolored fun, so I’ve started playing with ways to use two different yarns, but keep it to one yarn per row. Misprision is one of the results of my experiments (and through Friday, it’s 10% off with the code POMPOM)!
It’s also more fun than it has any right to be. The background is just lovely, mellow stockinette (can’t ask for anything easier than that). All the action comes from the magic little nubbly bits. They’re easy (you only work with one color per row), you’ll feel clever while you’re making them (half the look comes from some judiciously placed slip stitches, and I always love how such a simple technique can look so impressive), and if you’re anything like me, you’ll zip through it because you really want to knit just one more row of the doobly bits!
And then of course, there’s the pompom. Now it’s optional, I promise. The hat works just as well without the pompom as with it. But oh my am I ever taken with it! (If you want to check out my inexplicable descent into pompom madness and see how this one came together, you can follow the whole process over here…don’t judge).
To make this one, you’ll want two yarns. I used Tosh Vintage in an imminently respectable gray (smokestack) for the background, and Tosh Merino Light in a much more enthusiastic pink (alizarin) for the contrast. This is the perfect way to play with color if you’re a bit wary of it (that would be me). You can pick something fairly wild for the contrast and the structure of the stitch will help it look amazing. Just keep the background mellow and you can go crazy on the stripes!
I’ve been loving the Madelinetosh yarn combos for this one, so I’ve got a set of the yarns I used here to send off to one lucky knitter. I want to know how you feel about pompoms. Love them? Think they’re ridiculous? Haven’t tried it yet but find yourself oddly intrigued? There’s no right or wrong answer, I just like to know how you feel! Leave a comment and someone will get a happy package in the mail!
And for everyone I can’t send yarn to (I’m just not cool enough to get yarn to everyone, sorry!), I’ve got a coupon for this pattern. You can use the code POMPOM to get 10% off the hat between now and Friday. Just put Misprision in your ravelry cart, click on the ‘use a coupon code’ button, and type in the code POMPOM. You’ll see the change in price reflected right away.
Oh, and if you like this pattern, you might like Entrapment, too. It was the first in this set of colorwork-without-the-work experiments and uses some of the same ideas!
Comments left between now and the end of the day (eastern time) Friday, May 5, 2017 will be entered to win. I’ll pick a winner, contact them to get their addresses, and arrange to send yarn their way. Be sure to use a real email address so I can contact you if you’ve won (I won’t do anything with those email addresses besides notify the winners). If I do email you, I need to hear back from you within 72 hours or I will pick a new winner and contact them. Sorry, but I can only ship physical prizes to US addresses.
I find my opinion on pompoms to be contradictory with itself. I love them, but I have absolutely no desire to wear them. My daughter’s hats have huge pom-poms, lots of art projects use them (ex: Halloween spiders we hang from the ceiling), and I often use pom-poms instead of bows on presents. I love them because they are ridiculous perhaps?
I bought all the sizes of pompom makers a few months ago, haven’t used them yet. The 2 color pompom! Terrific hat 💙
Sometimes they are just THE THING to make a hat look more complete and fun. Othertimes they are the one item that needs to be removed before you walk out the door. But mostly I like them.
Pom poms do create a rather retro look, which can be good on certain 70s-leaning designs . . . I especially admire the sew-on angora ones!
Love poms!! Super fun to make and they look good on 90% of hats.
I am kind of neutral about pompoms, actually. Sometimes I love them, sometimes not. That said, making them is always kind of magical. And on another note, I have been so taken with your designs on Instagram — I can’t wait to actually knot one of them! Thanks for your lovely work!
I don’t like pom poms for myself, but I put them on projects for little people 🙂
I love the look of Pom poms, but I have never tried to make one. I watched your progress on instagram with interest. I may have to try a pom pom soon.
I love making pompoms and the tightly packed pompom is so alluring to me (as a crafter). On hats that I may wear, I don’t mind pompoms, but tend to shy away from them. But if I do have a pompom on a hat I’ll wear, I prefer a big fluffy one.
Love both of them. Guess I’ll have to brush up on my Pompom skills!
I actually love them. I didn’t expect to, but they’re so fun to make! I admit to owning more than one pompom maker.
As a kid who ice skated, I loved pompoms on just about everything – hat, scarf, and of course skates. Now, not so much for me.
I recently saw pom poms on some knitted slippers and thought they really made the slippers interesting. There is definitely a place for pom poms in my knitting.
LOVE pom poms. Mine never seem to come out quite as nice looking as yours. I do need to make more to practice, I think.
Pompoms are cute and fun to make (though I sometimes go overboard with trimming, trying, trying to get them more spherical) but I don’t really like wearing them–nor do my kids!
Bought a couple of pompom makers this past winter but haven’t used them yet. Am waiting for the perfect hat/pom pairing. Maybe this is it?
In general, if I like something, I like it forever. Pompous are the exception. I like them sometimes; they are so happy and cheerful. At other times, they seem to be too much. Pompous are always wonderful for kids though!
I have not made them but your pictures make it look fun. I don’t own anything with pompoms but I think they could be a cute addition to knitted items.
These are the most adorable hats. They look so easy but interesting to knit. Kudos!!
I love the pompom, but I admit that mine never turn out just right so I usually leave them off. I absolutely love the colors in the Misprision and the Entrapment!
I LOVE POMPOMS!!!! To me they are always happy and remind me not to take life so seriously.
I love these hat patterns – such a great idea and so pretty! Pompoms – great for kids things. I’m a pretty simple, non-bling person. I really enjoy your blog and watching you play with yarn and color in such interesting ways. If I didn’t have a full-time job I would be right along side you with the experimenting!
Pompoms are something that — rightly or wrongly — I associate with casual (lounging?) footwear or cold-weather sports headwear (like ski hats or ice-skating toques) or pretty much anything for preteen children (often, in abundance, fringe-like around the edge of a garment or at the end of a tie string). (I also think of smaller pompoms as part of some heavier all-white bedspreads.) I don’t see pompoms as particularly functional — those are frogs or toggles. I do know how to make pompoms but have not done so in years … My personal style is more tailored.
My love of pompoms is equaled only by my love for beautiful crown decreases! It can be such a hard decision to pompom or not. These hats are fantastic- can’t wait to cast one on for each person in my family!
I am pro-pompom! And this one is very cute on top of that hat!