Maple Seed Hat

The spiraling columns on this hat remind me of the spinning trajectory of a falling maple seed, and if you look closely at the columns, the shape of the maple seed’s wing will emerge.

And no, maple seeds aren't usually red, but rather a pale green, or a light brown after they've lain around in the street for awhile.  But maple leaves are often red, especially in the fall, and I love the fall (scroll down to the bottom of the linked entry for the photo of gorgeous Mt. Auburn Cemetery in October) and especially maple trees in the fall.  And there are already several patterns called "Falling Leaves," which is what I originally thought I might call this hat, and then Acer, the genus name of the maple, is a cool name, but I was afraid people would think I named this hat after Ace Young, that American Idol contestant with the penchant for wearing knit hats (and the wide-eyed puppy gaze that got downright creepy after awhile).

Can you tell I've been up at 4:30 a.m. for four mornings in a row now?  That jet lag can be insidious.

Anyway, Maple Seed used one ball* of Jo Sharp Silk Road Aran, a wool/silk/cashmere blend (and a lovely, lovely yarn) in "Merlot".  You could try substituting Lamb's Pride Worsted or Classic Elite Bazic (both wool), or even Jo Sharp Desert Garden Aran Cotton (which I used for Beaufort), Blue Sky Cotton, or Classic Elite Four Seasons Cotton.  If you want to see the two hats side by side, click here; although they are obviously related, changing that SSK to a k2tog causes the crisp spirals of Maple Seed to morph into the softer swirls of Beaufort. 

Download maple_seed_hat.PDF   

Oh yes, and thanks to the TS (Twentysomething Stepdaughter--Happy Birthday!) for modeling.

*Edited to add:  I knit the smaller size which used almost all of one ball; the larger size requires 2 balls.