Introducing Allerton and Hadleigh

There are two Hats to mention today!

Allerton is a skater style slouchy Hat that features columns of slipped stitches against a garter stitch background. The pattern also includes notes on how to customise the columns for a truly unique Hat whilst still maintaining the Hat's structure. Although it may appear to be a classic square top finish it isn't; there is a gentle shaping to the crown which creates a unique drape.

The Hat is named for Chapel Allerton, where the Baa Ram Ewe shop is located. I feel in love with this skein of Manos del Uruguay Alegria when I was there teaching earlier on in the year, and was keen to take on the challenge and design something with it!

Hadleigh is possibly one of my favourites in this collection - it's proportion, the use of slipped stitches, it's sideways brim, that cheeky pixie point - lots of things to love about this one!

The yarn is a hand-dyed skein I purchased at the Swiss Wolle Festival, when I was teaching there last year. The dyer, Bilum, is a new to me dyer from Hungary and I really loved the way the shades were layered within the skein. It's a sports yarn that reminds me of Wollmeise with it's softness and twist.

The naming for this one is a little more abstract that some of the other designs. It reminded me of a bottle neck junction that we used to travel along all the time on the A13, on our way to Southend. The junction that takes you through Hadleigh, and that joins as you head out of the main high street, is visually very similar to the way that the slipped stitches travel up the Hat and converge at the point of the crown. Hadleigh is one of the lesser known towns along that stretch of the A13, and with an historic castle and lots more to explore than meets the eye. Hadleigh is in the borough of Castle Point, which seems so apt for this Hat!

That's all from me today, but do keep an eye out for updates to your Ravelry library as I release each pattern - I'm about a day or so behind in blogging about them all.