I was so excited when Courtney from Tinderbox asked me if I was willing to pattern test for her again! She is the designer behind some other projects that I’ve had the honour of testing for, including the PIPPA Skirt and the EVELYN Poncho. This time, it was a very unique hat!

• 1 and 1/2 skeins of Caron x Pantone – a bulky weight (5) yarn (above: Provincial Lilac)
• Size J (6.0 mm) hook

Pattern by Courtney Clark at Tinderbox

Before this project, I had never seen the spike stitch before, so I was really excited by the unique look that it lent to this hat! The gentle rise and fall of the spikes gives the hat a lot of movement, and in my mind, helps with the fit and drape. As always, Courtney did a great job with her directions. All the steps were clear, and she even has pictures to help with the trickier steps.

I was also really excited to finally try out this Caron x Pantone yarn as I had heard mixed reviews about it. On one hand, some people love how soft it is (60% acrylic, 20% nylon, 20% merino wool). Others say that it takes too much time to wind each colour, and that it’s not quite worth the price point for the yardage (116m). Personally, I’m in the middle. I think that the softness of the yarn is enough that I would buy it again, as long as I had a 50% off coupon from Michael’s! The colour schemes are so gorgeous, and I love the idea of pulling a set of colours from a photo. Still, I feel like if you’re looking for a bargain, Caron Cakes are a decent alternative, as you get pretty colours, reasonably soft yarn (80% acrylic, 20% wool), and way more yardage (350m) in the bargain. Just remember that Caron Cakes are an aran weight (4) while Caron x Pantone is a bulky weight (5). My favourite bulky weight yarn is actually Red Heart Soft! Unfortunately, they seem to only do solid coloured balls of yarn, and not the ombré/colour fade style that Caron seems to love.

Anyways, if you’re looking for a cute toque to make to stay warm in this cold snap, I would definitely recommend this pattern by Courtney! She’s calling it the MYA Hat, and it’s a great one.

Until next time, happy crafting!