Baldosa Hat
This stranded colorwork hat combines merry and bright colorways for a modern twist on the holiday classic of red and green, as well as a textural element using baby suri alpaca/silk blend held double with an organic merino. It’ll be sure to keep you cozy while you celebrate the holidays!
Saturday Hat
This easy cabled hat is perfect for a kid on the go! Sweet tassels create a playful look while the simple cables create latticework and texture for added warmth.
For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure of meeting and knowing Tanis, we are pleased to introduce her through this Designer Spotlight.
What was the inspiration behind your patterns?
I have long admired mosaic flooring, which is the inspiration behind my Baldosa hat. When we went to Italy in my early 20’s with my family, everyone else was always looking up and I was always looking down at the incredible floors! This is my take on a mosaic floor and tessellating pattern with texture.
For my Saturday hat, believe it or not, playgrounds were the inspiration! We are lucky to live in an area with lots of incredible playgrounds. Searching out my kids in the winter while everyone is running around in bulky clothing can be tricky, but I can always find a tasseled hat and keep an eye on them that way!
The tassels on your Saturday hat are the sweetest little design element! Do you have any tips or tricks to share for the perfect look?
When I make tassels, I try and find a book, a deck of cards, even my phone, to wrap the yarn around before cutting. It creates consistently sized tassels that are much easier to trim once attached.
Also, a good blocking does wonders for a hat. It can smooth out any wonkiness, tame any flyaways, and ensure a proper fit. I always recommend investing in a head form (mine is an inexpensive Styrofoam one – nothing fancy!) because it makes a big difference blocking into shape rather than blocking on a flat surface.
What else is on your needles for fall/winter knitting?
Most of what I knit is future designs or top-secret projects! I’m working on a new book, and I have my eye on a few shawls I’d like to knit. I always wear a shawl wrapped tightly around my neck for the walk to school. It keeps me toasty! I live firmly in the camp of you can never have too many handknit shawls.
Also, my kids ask for a new hat each year, so I better get knitting!
Any special recipe you’d like to share as we prepare for the holidays? (Beverages included! 😁)
With 2 young kids in our house, we’re big on hot chocolate! We like to take traditional candy canes and put them in while the drink is still hot. They melt and give the hot chocolate a peppermint kick (and double as an excellent marshmallow stirring device!).
And, when it comes to desert, my grandma made the best pie with peaches from a tree in her yard. I’ve been bothering all my cousins, but no one seems to have the recipe, so I continue to search one out that tasted as good as hers! She was a master at cooking without needing a recipe, so my search continues…