So the Gift-A-Long has begun! It started at 1am this morning UK time and even I'm not dedicated enough to be up at that hour of the night (!) so my first GAL cast-on will be waiting until a more civilised time. However, I know exactly what my first cast-on is going to be and that is Badlands hat by Kathryn Folkerth.
Photo © Kathryn Folkerth
The hat is designed for fingering weight yarn and, even though the pattern picture shows it made up in a solid coloured yarn, the stitch pattern is brilliant for multicolours. The reason I know this is that I was lucky enough to be allowed to test knit the co-ordinating Badlands mitts pattern, which is also available in Kathryn's Ravelry store. The hat and mitts form part of a pattern collection, Handmade for the Holidays, along with boot toppers, a cowl and mittens.
Here is a sneak peek of the mitts, and the yarn they were made from which will be used to create a matching hat, so you can see just how well-suited the design is for those multicoloured sock yarns that can be so hard to work with.
Here is a sneak peek of the mitts, and the yarn they were made from which will be used to create a matching hat, so you can see just how well-suited the design is for those multicoloured sock yarns that can be so hard to work with.
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This is Kathryn's first time participating as a designer in the GAL so I asked her some questions about what she's looking forward to most, and about her designs too.
Me: How and when did you start designing?
Kathryn: I kind of fell into designing. I wanted to make a specific blanket for my son but couldn’t find a pattern for anything close to what I was picturing in my head. I ended up putting it together myself and in the process discovered that I really like the process of designing so I’ve kept at it.
Me: Which is your favourite design, and why?
Kathryn: It’s usually whatever I happen to be working on at the moment.
Me: What was the inspiration for your Badlands hat and mitts?
Kathryn: The inspiration for the hat and mitts was the yarn (The Fibre Company Cumbria Fingering in Cumbria). I originally purchased it together with a lovely grey thinking that I’d use it for colorwork, but the more I looked at it in the hank the more I fell in love with it by itself. I wanted to really showcase it’s beauty while using every bit of it possible. I came up with a subtly textured hat and mitts to use everything left over.
Me: This is your first time participating in the Gift A Long - what are you looking forward to most?
Kathryn: I’m really looking forward to knitting other people’s patterns. There are several eligible patterns that have been in my queue since they came out (Starshower, Beacon Hill, And She Was, Fireside Pullover) that I’m ecstatic to finally get a crack at. I’ll definitely get the Starshower in and probably draw lots for which sweater I go with.
Me: Are there any upcoming design plans you can share?
Kathryn: I have a few kids’ patterns in testing right now. They’re all in my project pages if anyone wants to peruse.
Me: Thanks for answering my questions, and for letting me test your mitt pattern. I'm really looking forward to creating the matching hat! Have a great GAL!
Me: How and when did you start designing?
Kathryn: I kind of fell into designing. I wanted to make a specific blanket for my son but couldn’t find a pattern for anything close to what I was picturing in my head. I ended up putting it together myself and in the process discovered that I really like the process of designing so I’ve kept at it.
Me: Which is your favourite design, and why?
Kathryn: It’s usually whatever I happen to be working on at the moment.
Me: What was the inspiration for your Badlands hat and mitts?
Kathryn: The inspiration for the hat and mitts was the yarn (The Fibre Company Cumbria Fingering in Cumbria). I originally purchased it together with a lovely grey thinking that I’d use it for colorwork, but the more I looked at it in the hank the more I fell in love with it by itself. I wanted to really showcase it’s beauty while using every bit of it possible. I came up with a subtly textured hat and mitts to use everything left over.
Me: This is your first time participating in the Gift A Long - what are you looking forward to most?
Kathryn: I’m really looking forward to knitting other people’s patterns. There are several eligible patterns that have been in my queue since they came out (Starshower, Beacon Hill, And She Was, Fireside Pullover) that I’m ecstatic to finally get a crack at. I’ll definitely get the Starshower in and probably draw lots for which sweater I go with.
Me: Are there any upcoming design plans you can share?
Kathryn: I have a few kids’ patterns in testing right now. They’re all in my project pages if anyone wants to peruse.
Me: Thanks for answering my questions, and for letting me test your mitt pattern. I'm really looking forward to creating the matching hat! Have a great GAL!
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