J.Crew is pretty much hitting it out of the park right now with their winter accessories, especially the knitted goods. One of my favorites is this simple Chevron Hat. What I don’t like so much is the way the crown decreases interrupt the chevrons, or that it’s “viscose/nylon/lambswool/rabbit hair/cashmere.” (I’d love to know what the percentages are, but that adds up to “synthetic with a touch of animal fiber.”) Happily, those of us who knit can make our own. Kate Gagnon Osborn’s Opus Spicatum (free pattern) has a much more elegant decrease scheme. It’s designed for The Fibre Company’s Road to China yarn (65% Baby Alpaca, 15% Silk, 10% Camel, 10% Cashmere), and you could go with their Garnet and Cobalt to simulate J.Crew’s burgundy/navy version. To match the heather-grey and off-white version above, I’d suggest Quince and Co’s Lark (100% American wool) in Kumlien’s Gull and Frost.
ALSO: If you’re into J.Crew’s Zigzag Stripe Scarf, you might take a look at Jill Zielinski’s Empire State Cowl (free pattern) — just knit it as a tube scarf, with solid-colored ribbing on each end, rather than grafting it into a loop.
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