Repetition kills… Creativity
Last Christmas I made a white pompom version of the Star Anise hat for my brother’s girlfriend Virginie, and my step mom Carole was so enthralled with it that she asked me to make her the SAME hat in the SAME color. Hm.
Now I must say I love making knit garments for my loved ones, but never have I been asked to make the EXACT same thing twice (in a row!). As much as I wanted to please her, after receiving that request I just couldn’t bring myself to start anything and kept dreaming of hundreds of hats or patterns or projects that have been on my mind for a while, and how much fun they would be to try.
So after a little pondering, I decided to follow my heart and cast on a hat – not a Star Anise hat, and certainly not white – I opted for a soft pink, slightly slouchy version of the Tiima hat by the lovely Lilja Palmgren. And you know what? I’m in love.
To make it more personal, I changed the border a bit from the original pattern, ditched the (time consuming) beads and the ribbon and added a pompom. I used Jade Sapphire’s Silk/Cashmere 2-ply yarn in color “Pinksicle” and I LOVED every stitch of it. It is perfectly soft, fluffy & yummy, the only downside is that it’s a very fragile yarn that tends to break easily – so be careful when working with it.
The hat turned out much bigger and slouchier than I was expecting looking at the pattern pictures (this is partly my fault for using larger needles for the main body), but as it turns out, I LOVE this version – and most importantly, my step mother does, too.
I think sometimes, people think they know what they want but their decision is only based on partial knowledge – because they simply don’t know what ELSE is out there, and how much better for them something else would be.
I chose a white Star Anise hat for Virginie because I thought it would be perfect for her, and I chose a pink Tiima hat for Carole because I knew it would fit her perfectly – and I think it’s good once in a while to take a guess and follow your instinct, because sometimes that’s the best way to find THE present that your loved ones will go crazy for.
Crafty Effie 
February 1, 2016 at 7:45 pm
This is a gorgeous pattern, and so pretty in pink!
February 1, 2016 at 7:56 pm
Thanks! Tiima really is a gorgeous, gorgeous pattern!
February 1, 2016 at 9:29 pm
The hat turned out lovely! Last winter I knit two Skyping beanies for my brothers and my sister liked it so much she requested one as well. Let me tell you, knitting 3 (THREE!) of the same hat (in slightly different shades of grey) doesn’t make for interesting knitting. Luckily it was so mindless I could do a lot of TV watching.
February 1, 2016 at 9:34 pm
Three (!!) times the same hat! You have more drive than me, for sure. The Skyping beanie IS simple enough to be considered mindless knitting, but it’s also textually interesting so that’s good.
February 2, 2016 at 7:49 pm
I do hats for newborns of a local hospital. I find myself casting on the same old same old because I already have the pattern in my head, or just because. This year I am trying to knit new patterns or change up the look of old ones. Thanks for the reminder that all that sameness was killing my knitting spirit! Lovely hat, it’s just gorgeous.
February 2, 2016 at 7:59 pm
Thanks! I’ve noticed that sometimes, just a few changes can really make a big difference in both, your motivation and dedication to the project and the look of the finished object. So let’s change things up and have fun! 🙂