Good morning … it’s a SNOW DAY here today (yippee!) so I’m able to post this design that I’ve been working on. I mentioned back at the beginning of January that one of my goals this year is to re-read all Elizabeth Zimmermann knitting books; further, I set myself a “dare” to create a monthly design from the corresponding chapter of her classic, Knitter’s Almanac — I actually own TWO copies of this work: the original that my parents got me back in the 80s and the commemorative version … and both are such fun to read!

Here’s my January design: EZ suggested making an Aran sweater … but I didn’t want to spend that much time (altho I am currently working on a jacket that would qualify) … but I needed a cap in case the National Right to Life March was a tad nippy (last year, with wind-chill, the March was about 10 degrees!). So I opted for a loose tam … with a band knitted in a strip and then the crown of the cap done in the round.

I had such fun making the tam … and working with the travelling cable design … that I decided to make a watch cap, working the decreases into a cool “cathedral window” crown design.

Notice how the stitch patterns are identical: the band on the tam is a single diamond … but looks quite different vertically on the watch cap (with its double-diamond). I love knitting for its great versatility with such a simple stitch pattern.

The design, which includes both styles of caps, is available in my Ravelry store as well as on Craftsy. For those in Europe, the design will soon be available on my Love Knitting site.

BTW, I have already finished reading EZ’s The Opinionated Knitter and am about half-thru re-reading her Knitter’s Workshop (I like the newer version of this as Meg Swansen has edited and updated the information contained therein).

Enjoy!