The Story behind The Marshmallow Beanie

The story behind the Marshmallow Beanie

A year ago, I would never have guessed I’d be writing knitting patterns.

Now it has become a complete and utter obsession.

I think it’s the mix of yarn, maths, colour and the constant stream of ideas in my head. I’ll see two yarns together and immediately want to know what they would become. Or I’ll knit something, someone will ask what pattern I used, and I’ll have to admit that I mostly made it up as I went along.

That frustration has slowly turned into Stitch Parade.

A lot of the ideas I’m working on are sweaters and cardigans, but I’ve quickly discovered that doing those properly takes time. They need testing, grading and a lot of checking before I’m happy to release them.

So some of those bigger ideas are appearing first as beanies and accessories.

They give me a chance to test the yarn combination, gauge, texture or construction on a smaller scale. They also give you a chance to play with the idea before the larger pattern arrives.

The Marshmallow Beanie began with one question: could I create the warmth and texture of a super-chunky beanie without making it heavy?

(Here's a link to the free pattern)

If you want a PRINTED pattern sent to you... it's here

I held Crucci Nimbus 12-ply mohair together with Crucci Pure Wool DK and got exactly the fabric I was hoping for. It is dense, soft and very warm, but it still feels light to wear.

The pattern also gave me a chance to work out how to make a thick folded brim sit neatly against the rest of the beanie, without creating a bulky ridge. I added a small amount of slipped-stitch texture through the body too. It gives the yarn a little definition and lets you try something new without making the pattern feel complicated.

The smaller size uses one ball of each yarn, which keeps the total yarn cost under $30. The larger size uses one ball of Nimbus and a little of a second ball of Pure Wool DK.