Alpine Trail Hat

PatternAlpine Trail by Jill Zielinski

Yarn: TFA PureWash Chunky in Natural. The pompom is a recycled fur pompom kit by Harricana.  

Ravelry project pages here.

I've loved this hat since the very first time I laid eyes on it last year. I don't know what took me so long to cast on. It's really the perfect chunky, slouchy hat. I ended up making mine a hair shorter than the pattern recommends only because it meant that I could squeeze the entire hat out of a single skein of Chunky. It came down to the last yard, but it worked! 

I've had this pompom kit from Montreal company Harricana for a while just waiting for the right hat to top. It was a match made in heaven, I love it on this hat! I'm not sure that Harricana even makes these pompom kits anymore as I couldn't fine them on their website, but I don't think that I'll be rushing out to purchase more anyway. It's a kit, so you get the batting, the needle and thread and the recycled fur round to stuff and sew together and my fingers suffered their way through the whole thing. I should have had a thimble, it was rough work. But the pompom is cool and I like that I supported a Montreal company with an interesting mission. 

I would definitely knit this pattern again. Maybe I'll do it soon and stash it away in the Gift drawer because it would be the perfect gift for a number of people on my list. Is mid-January too early to start hoarding Christmas gifts? I always leave it too late... safe to say I'm not making the same mistake this year!