Celebrating the colourful world of sock yarn blanks, Charlotte Lee’s Lighthouse Hat project is a fabulous idea for showcasing every last bit of gradient colour. Listed below, we’ve included the project instructions to help with creating your own special Lighthouse Hat project. As well, you can find further inspiration for either creating or working with these fun hand-dyed hues.
WHAT ARE SOCK YARN BLANKS?
The machine-knit stockinette stitch tubes of sock yarn blanks provide a perfect backdrop for applying hand-dyed colour. They allow dyers to create a gradient of hues that flow seamlessly from one shade to the next. Working from them alleviates the need for weaving in multiple ends at the end of your project. Simply enjoy the fun of unraveling the gradient, and recreate it into projects for knitting, crochet or weaving. Learn more about how to use a sock blank at the School of SweetGeorgia »
FURTHER SOCK YARN BLANK INSPIRATION
You can see another crochet + knit hat idea at Charlotte’s Glas Hat project page. With this hat, the gradient sock blank used is highlighted beautifully showing each of its bright and vibrant colours and colour transitions. The Glas Hat pattern, part of Tabetha Hedrick’s Mastering Gauge online workshop, is another wonderful option for working with sock blanks.
At the Handwoven Colour course, Felicia Lo teaches all about working with these gradients while weaving beautiful Sock Blank Scarves. (Weaving pattern and instructions included in Episode 3.)
If you are interested in learning how to create and dye your own, Felicia Lo covers the different techniques that can be used in module six of Dyeing Complex Colour.
Note: the Dragonfruit Limeade colourway used in Charlotte’s Sock Yarn Blank Lighthouse Hat, as well as the Lighthouse colourway for the Glas Hat project above, are both now discontinued. However, you can find a range of gradient sock blanks options to work in its place at the SweetGeorgia shop »
Sock Yarn Blank Lighthouse Hat
Equipment
- Crochet Hook G-6 / 4mm / JPN 7/0
- Knitting Needles circular or double pointed in size US 8 / 5mm and US 10 / 6mm
Materials
- 1 sock blank SweetGeorgia Yarns Tough Love Sock in Dragonfruit Limeade
Instructions
- To knit the Lighthouse Hat, download a copy of the pattern which is available from Alexis Adrienne / Cold Comfort Knits on Ravelry (link to pattern below).
- Prepare your sock blank by either working directly from the blank (unraveling as you go) or by winding the sock blank into a cake/ball.
- Using your crochet hook, create a long length of chain stitches from the entire sock blank. Wind this into a ball as you work the chain stitches.
- Using your chained length of yarn and your US 8 / 5mm needles, CO 72 sts and follow the Lighthouse Hat pattern until the last round of ribbing.
- Change to US 10 / 6mm needles, and follow knitting based on the pattern instructions until 7 inches from the cast on edge.
- Work the decreases and then finish off the top of the hat.
- Make a pompom (optional) using the leftover yarn and attach to the hat.
- Weave in all ends and block the finished hat.
Notes
Link to Pattern
Link to pattern
