Web-Letter, Issue 58 – Ariosa Colorful Cables Hat This week’s web letter project is brought to you by CEY’s summer intern, Pippa Eccles. Pippa is majoring in art history at Harvard and is especially interested in contemporary and fiber art. She’s been a knitter since she was twelve when she was ‘adopted’ by a yarn store in Lexington, Massachusetts. They got her going on an afghan and she was hooked from that point on. She loves to do color work and her most recent projects are an entrelac hat and a pair of improvisational fingerless mitts that reach to the elbow.   We’re delighted to offer you her Colorful Cable Hat in CEY’s lofty Ariosa.  And thanks to Pippa’s brother, Gordon, for modeling!
The Story: From Pippa: I fell in love with Ariosa the moment I touched it. This yarn’s soft and airy hand is incredibly appealing. The yarn is chunky, warm, and delicate at the same time.  I wanted to make something that would take advantage of its lofty texture and be fun and inventive. I’ve always been drawn to designs that are wearable but also slightly quirky. I love exploring color and think incorporating two different colors into a cable gives it a different, three-dimensional quality. I picked the richer, earthier hues that would contrast with one another and match the bravado of the hat’s design, as well as capture the richness of the fall season. It was clear that the piece needed to be finished in some way but I felt that a traditional pompom would distract from the hat itself so I came up with a  knitted pompom which I think compliments the light-heartedness of the design. The Yarn: Ariosa — 90% extra fine merino, 10% cashmere Ariosa is a light and airy blend of extra fine merino and cashmere.  Extra fine merino has a low micron count. A fiber’s softness is determined by its diameter—the smaller the diameter—micron count—the softer it is against the skin. Extra fine merino also has a long staple, a feature that adds luster and allows Ariosa’s relaxed twist to resist pilling. While garments knit in chunky-weight Ariosa will keep you warm, they’re light and lofty to wear. The Stitches: It’s thought that the word pom-pom was derived from the French “Pom-pon” which when translated means “ornamental sphere.” Pippa opted to make a knit and stuffed pompom, instead of the more traditional multi stranded, center tied version. A knitted pompom is worked by casting on a small number of stitches, then quickly increasing, working even for a bit, then decreasing the stitches as quickly as they were increased. Yarn is threaded through the remaining stitches and pulled tight to narrow the opening. Then the hollow knit ball is stuffed to keep it round and perky.	more photos The Pattern: Here is the free downloadable Ariosa Colorful Cables Hat pattern.
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