Little Red Cap

Fantasia is running an open classroom for August. Our first challenge is one based on the tale of Little Red Cap by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. This is one version of the Little Red Riding Hood story that comes from the oral tradition of The Grandmother's Story.

Challenge: Little Red Cap’s head covering is iconic in this story. Knit or crochet a cover for something. Spinners and dyers, make a red yarn. Consider exploring the nature of red, possibly through variations of shades or fibers.

I'm going to be exploring this idea in a number of head coverings (We will see what happens in a month. Ideally I'd like to do three.). The first is Reverie from Knitty, Spring 2009. I chose a beret style based on this illustration by Gustave Doré. The color is forest green not red because honestly I had Knit Picks Essential in Ivy Kettle Dyed on hand and green matches a pair of fingerless gloves I want to wear the hat with.

I'm really quite enraptured with the hat pattern itself. It is a great intuitive knit for working on while watching a movie or a baseball game (Started it for Stitch n' Pitch at Miller Park).

The yarn itself isn't thrilling me. I would have liked a bit more tonal variation and it seems to be fuzzing as I work with it. I think it will be ok as a hat but I'd be worried about how socks would look after a few wearings. And boy does it ever bleed. It took quite a few soakings, the last with vinegar added to get it fully rinsed.

In honor of Little Red Cap I've added a red velvet ribbon through the eyelets above the ribbing. I'm quite pleased with how it came out and expect I'll wear it often this fall.