Awhile back, I bemoaned my lack of warm winter hats, and vowed to do something about it. That, I did! I now have a dozen handmade winter hats to keep me warm this winter:
It’s hard to pick a favorite, but I really love this one that I dyed with turmeric then knit:
But I’m also very fond of the colorwork on this one:
…and I’m a sucker for black lace!
I really do like them all very much though.
I mean who doesn’t smile upon seeing a Pom Pom!
Although it seems obvious, it’s amazing what a little focused effort can do. Twelve hats!
I’d like to take this concept into 2016 for my hand knit socks. Right now, I have eight pairs. I think with a little focused effort, I can work up to twelve pairs at this time next year! Socks take much abuse, so it is really important to have a good amount in rotation. Some of my socks are heavily mended, too, and this will allow them to streeeeeeetch their lives by not being worn so much.
Best of all, I already have the yarn to make these socks, so no coupons will be spent (I should also mention that the hats I made were all from yarn I had on hand as well!).
First focused effort of 2016 — planned!
Verum Factum 
Lovely collection of hats! 🙂
Thank you! They were a joy to make.
What a gorgeous dozen! And I see, that like me, you favour the beret… I’m currently on that sock push. Socktober really got me going and whilst the autumn hasn’t been truly cold it has been damp, which always makes my extremities feel cold.
I’m really to see where your rationing/make your own project takes you in 2016. I’m mulling over next steps 😉
Right now, I know I need to get rid of tea coupons — they wound up being a way to spend more coupons on my other categories since I have my tea spending under control. I will keep toiletry and clothing coupons. I may up the toiletry coupons to 15 now that I have a skin issue to shop for 😦
I want to also focus my efforts on sewing at least two dresses, making two more grainline scout tees, and knitting two cardigans in 2016. I also have some shawls lined up for my happy gilding the lily knitting 🙂
I’m still mulling over whether to keep the rationing for next year, be it with some modifications. After three years many garments are completely threadbare and I really need to restock, mostly through my own making, I suspect. I am also seriously toying with adopting wartime inspired rationing on the food front. Not a carbon copy but an approximation based on environmental issues. Between my dissertation on environmental behaviour change and the coverage of many environmental issues, research, grassroots activities… in the run up of COP21 my brain is buzzing with ideas about consumption/wellbeing/environmental challenges & serious changes, and I’m very eager to explore moderation more rather than the extremes our society loves (carb-free, minimalism, paleo, vegan, by-nothing-year…) but which are rarely tenable long-term or unlikely to appeal to the large majority.
I bet your clothing rationing is so internalized that you don’t even need to keep track any more. Me – I still need that discipline 🙂
I will be an avid reader of whatever you do next!
Wow–when you put your mind–and hands–to something, you don’t fool around! The hats look wonderful-my favorite is the orange and gray colorwork one–it looks hard!
I was a little anxious when starting that one because I heard colorwork was hard, but I actually found it to be so fun. You want to see the pattern emerge, so you keep wanting to knit “one more row!”