For this hat, I wanted to use the most luxurious fibers I could get my hands on and to let the yarn speak for itself by keeping the shape casual and the design simple. Jade Sapphire's 2 Ply Cashmere Silk answered the call. Doubled for the cuff and combined with a laceweight mohair (Rowan's Kid Silk Haze or Alchemy's Haiku) for the crown, the Cashmere Silk is one of Purl's gems. It is unbelievably soft and supple; it's beautifully hand dyed; its materials are of unparalleled quality; and it's surprisingly affordable. Whenever I knit with it, I spend as much time admiring what I've knit as I do actually knitting! 

If you've never knit a hat before, this is a wonderful place to start. You will learn to knit in the round (with circular needles), but can delay the dreaded double pointed needles because they're not necessary for this pattern. Even if you've knit hundreds of hats, this may be welcome news!

To get started, please visit my Simple Pleasures Hat Project Journal. If the yellow mittens are catching your eye, check out last March's EZ's Mitts entry - it's a great time of year to be thinking about mittens! -Whitney