A Trip To the Fair(lea Hat)
My new Fairlea Hat pattern releases TODAY!!!
Hi friends!
I’m back this week with a yarn-filled post. Today is the day! My second independent pattern is available right now! Check out the Fairlea Hat! (And read to the end for discount info!)
I have knit this pattern many times—it makes a great easy-to-wear hat for myself. But it also makes a fantastic hat for kids, gifting, and charity knitting! The ribbing provides a generous fit and will suit a wide range of heads. The four sizes included in the pattern range to fit from newborn up through the largest full-grown head (14-30”/35-76cm)
If you would like to add some icing to the top, this pattern also includes instructions for a knit Pom! I have never been much of a fan of making traditional poms. The process of winding, tying, cutting off, and grooming a pom is quite a few steps that I tend to skip.
However, I adore knitting 3D objects and stuffing them! Just knit this pom, attach a few extra strands of yarn to tie it to your hat, and you’re done! No worrying about strands coming loose once you start wearing your hat.
(Plus, if you want an on-the-go snowball, you’re ready to go!)
The crown decreases create a lovely rounded shape, while keeping the crown tidy and carefully thought out.
The pattern has been tech edited and test knit (by some really awesome knitters💖). It includes clearly written instructions and video tutorial support.
The hat pattern is appropriate for beginners, and the Pom is appropriate for adventurous beginners. However, even seasoned knitters (like me!) love a straightforward, dependable hat pattern in their library—and this is it!
YARN!
The Fairlea Hat pattern includes instructions for either a fingering weight OR worsted weight hat, in four sizes. The sample yarn I used comes from lolodidit!
Only one skein of each base is necessary. You’ll need one skein of fingering OR worsted weight for the hat, and one skein of fluffy lace weight for the Pom. You should get 3-4 poms out of one skein of the sample yarn, Alpaca Fluff.
As shown in the pictures above, for the fingering hat sample, I used Lolo’s Favorite—a delightful MCN—in “Bourbon.” For the pom, I used Alpaca Fluff in “Anduin.“ For the worsted hat sample, I used Simple Worsted in “Anduin.”
This has been such a fun knit that I made more in the smaller sizes! I couldn’t seem to stop myself! These were all made from bits and bobs hanging out in my stash.
WHY “FAIRLEA”?
Now that I have all of the yarny details covered, I have to share with you why it’s called the Fairlea Hat. The State Fair of West Virginia takes place in Fairlea, WV. The State Fair is such a fun place to take the whole family, just as this hat is made for the whole family!
My crew loves going to the fair. As soon as we step foot on the fairgrounds during fair week, we blaze over to the donuts! They are only available at one stand for 10 consecutive days each year.
I’m about to make a really bold statement, I know, but the Best Donuts in the Entire World can be found at the State Fair of WV. IYKYK. Oh wow, my mouth is watering just thinking about the cinnamon sugar donuts that actually crunch when you bite into the middle hole section. Mmmmmm….
(Side note: One fair week, I watched a person carry out flat after flat of these donuts—they were headed to a wedding, and these donuts were the Wedding Cake! I’ve always wondered if they planned their wedding date around when these donuts would be available.)
After we have gorged ourselves on sugary deep fried goodness, we head into the West Virginia Building to peruse the quilts, crafts, arts, and baking competition displays. I could spend hours in that building, but the rest of my family is ready to head over to the various other buildings and displays throughout the fairgrounds.
The animals are a favorite of ours, too. We watch our step as we saunter through the open-air barns to visit the sheep, goats, pigs, cows, rabbits, chickens, and turkeys. Cows never look prettier than they do at the fair. They get so fluffy!
As you can probably tell, I have lots of great memories associated with the State Fair. And I feel like this hat is deserving of the title Fairlea.
DISCOUNT!
For this week, the Etsy listing will be automatically discounted 50% (through Thursday night, April 13th, 2023, at 11:59pm EST).
On Ravelry, use the code FAMILY for the same discount (and timing).
Check out the yarn I used from lolodidit.
Slàinte mhath and happy knitting!