Winter Bobble Hats

I had so much fun knitting these cosy little bobble hats - there's no better way to keep warm in the winter weather and impress your friends at the same time!

'His' and 'hers' winter bobble hats!

Hey everyone! I just thought I'd share these lovely little bobble hats with you - having only ever really knitted scarves and blankets (and other square things!) I was pleasantly surprised by how easy they were to make. Knitting is such a lovely past time for the winter, particularly if you curl up by the fire with a blanket and a film at the same time...

Method

The 'Stocking Stitch Beanie' pattern I followed was found in the Rowan Cosy Merino brochure (free to download online). Simply vary the colours to make 'his' and 'hers' bobble hats; you can even use graduated balls of wool to create a colour-fading effect. I'd highly recommend this brochure if you'd like to get started with some simple but professional-looking projects - there are some lovely ideas for hats, scarves and more. See if you can find a Rowan exhibition for even more inspiration (they're often at the Knitting and Stitching Show in London!).

My advice would be to ensure you knit up a tension square before starting, just to make sure you're not knitting too tightly. This pattern was designed to fit a medium-sized head, but I find that it comes up slightly small so you may wish to add a few extra stitches. Rowan wool is great quality and also stretches slightly when worn if needed. The pattern begins with rib stitch and moves on to stocking stitch - don't worry if your knitting doesn't look too neat at first, because you'll be very impressed with the overall effect at the end!

This pattern only requires between one and two balls of wool to knit up, so it isn't too expensive. The main expense comes with the pom-pom - you can find these in lots of shops but I think Rowan's own is so soft and fluffy - it really is the pom-pom to end all pom-poms! I used Cosy Merino Glacier and Charcoal balls of wool for my 'hers' hat and Brushed Fleece Rock and Peat for my 'his'. By my third hat, they were only taking a day to knit up.

Materials:

- Rowan 'Stocking Stitch Beanie' pattern

- 2 x 50g balls of Rowan wool (any colours)

- 1 x fluffy pom-pom (or make your own out of leftover wool)

- 6mm knitting needles

- Scissors and a wide needle (to sew up at the end).

I'd love to see any knitting projects you embark on - leave me a picture in the comments!

Amy x