Brooklyn Brocade

It was 85 degrees in Seattle on Thursday. All the weather reports said it was to be the last warm day, we are in for more autumn-like temperatures from here on out. I didn’t want to waste the day sitting inside, but there was a KAL on my mind that I was determined to join. So I did what knitters do and I took my knitting to the park and enjoyed the sun while preparing for cooler weather.

This beauty is the Brooklyn Brocade by Adventuress Knits. Aleya very generously made the pattern available to those of us who signed up for her knit along. Inspired by the Brooklyn Bridge, it is a simple hat with a crosshatch pattern created by purl bumps on a stockinette background. This was a quick knit with an easy to memorize stitch pattern, perfect for sitting in the sunshine watching the boats on Lake Union. I knit it in simpliworsted by HiKoo. You can purchase the pattern on her website starting October 2.

The pattern itself is well written with clear instructions. The decreases are beautifully integrated into the stitch pattern. I added the pom pom because I can’t help myself (I just discovered pom pom rugs, how have I lived this long without one of those babies?), not because any sloppy decreases needed to be covered up.

The only thing I would do differently next time is to go one needle size down. I know better, but I didn’t check my gauge, and once I wet blocked my hat I realized it was going to be a little more slouchy than I would like. So I did a thing I wouldn’t normally do and threw it in the dryer. I know! The yarn is a superwash/acrylic/nylon blend (and sooooo soft) so I wasn’t too worried about my daring dryer experiment. My bad behavior paid off, the hat squished down to my ideal beanie size. I would never recommend putting your knits in the dryer, please don’t try it at home.