My top hats.....

I looked up the collective noun for hats but could only find some joke suggestions such as a millinery of hats or a brimful of hats.  Maybe it should be a box full of hats because that is what I nearly have now after finishing this latest quartet.

They are all knitted with Aran weight wool.  So they are very warm and will probably end up being sent to Operation Orphan which is an organisation that distributes clothing to children in Eastern Europe.  These are all roughly toddler or small child size.

Sometimes I knit the same pattern several times.  This time I felt like knitting a variety of hats.   My theory is that heads come in all shapes and sizes, so hats should too.

The bright red hat is from this pattern  and is a real favourite of mine.  I have knitted it many times in the past and will in the future as well.

The maroon and cream hat is my version of the above pattern but I used seed stitch for the main part of the hat.  It all went swimmingly until I reached the decreases at the crown and I had to wing it a little.  I just about got away with it.

The aqua and cream hat is from this pattern  The visible colour joins are part of the design.  It can be two or more colours and is great for using up oddments. I originally found the pattern on  Ravelry.  The beauty of  Ravelry patterns is that you can read comments from other knitters.  Most people said the hat turns out too big.  So I followed their advice and cast on 80 stitches instead of 96.  I also used a smaller needle for the brim to keep it tighter.  I will definitely knit this pattern again.

The cream hat is from this pattern  You may need to log in to Ravelry to see it.

I found the perfect box this afternoon and will soon be able to post off a pile of knitted and crocheted items.  I probably enjoy posting them even more than making them.