A Sheepy Hat

I decided that if I was going to be an Elizabeth Zimmermann reader/knitter then I had to try some of the Schoolhouse Press yarns which she wrote about. I ordered myself some Sheepsdown, a super-bulky, fluffy wool yarn in the colors of sheep. It was affordable and a good value, I think, considering I got a hat from one skein in about 3 hours of total knitting time.

The Brioche Stitch (or "Prime Rib" as EZ calls is) was a little wierd at first, but once I got past the first couple rows I got the hang of it. It's very stretchy and lofty, and combined with the fluffy Sheepsdown it makes a nice, warm hat. I thought it felt a little itchy at first, but after using it for a while, I realized that it is pleasingly scratchy, like a cute sheep in a meadow. It even had a faintly sheepy scent, and an occasional piece of hay embedded in it. I felt like a pioneer farm wife knitting a warm hat for my husband out of yarn fresh from the sheep. I'll admit, it's a little, tiny bit on the homely side, but it's a good hat nonetheless:
















I can't believe how much I can say about a boring, brown wool hat. I truly have a knitting obsession, I guess.