Versa Style Cowl/Hat to knit

Versa Style is a project I started in the fall. When I was working on the Crazy Quilt Sampler Blanket, I found this really cool mosaic look stitch pattern. I kept thinking there should be some way for me to use this stitch for another project.

I decided to knit a cowl. Thought about making a matching hat and hated to decrease out the top and interrupt the stitch pattern. So I came up with a different way to turn this cowl into a hat. Here is a picture of it laid out flat.

Knit in the round from the bottom up, the side strap can be buttoned at the side as trim on the cowl, buttoned over the top to turn the cowl into two different hats, or pulled around the cowl to pull one side down for a different look. For the hat, if you pull the strap over and button it you will get a cat-eared hat. If you tuck in the sides before you button the strap, it will look more like a turban. It's a very versatile accessory, hence the name.

You'll need 200 yards of worsted weight yarn, size 7 (4.5 mm) and 8 (5 mm) 16" circular knitting needles, and two 3/4-1" buttons. I've given options in the pattern if you want to make a longer cowl, want a closed top hat, or don't want the strap added. I used a single skein of Patons Classic Wool in Aquarium for the sample and two silver buttons.

The pattern is available in my Ravelry pattern store.

Have fun with this one!

For more information, visit my Ravelry pattern store to see all my available designs, current pricing information, and purchase pattern downloads.

So glad 2014 is here!

The end of 2013 was a really bad time for me. I ended up in the hospital and had a really bad skin drug reaction. My dad died two days after I came home from the hospital. My cat Solitaire died on December 2nd. Then on December 7th, my aunt Maxine (my mom's sister) passed away unexpectedly. I was in no mood to be jolly and happy for Christmas or New Years Eve.

It's taken me awhile to pick up the pieces of my life that had been blown to smithereens and start moving forward again.

My skin is nearly back to normal. It's taken almost 3 months to get to that point. I was happy when I felt like picking up knitting needles and crochet hooks again. My design mojo has come back stronger than ever so watch for some new designs to debut very soon.

If you are a member of the Holiday Mystery Group on Yahoo, I'll be introducing a CAL afghan project on February 1st. It's a one piece, center-out design that is a twist on a traditional afghan. Everyone has been instructed to raid their scrap basket for leftover worsted weight yarn and make a magic balls of them using the magic knot method to tie to pieces together. I've been using magic knot for several months and I love it. No ends to weave in! There may be a surprise for anyone who participates. I'm just saying...