Grandma's Birthday Hat

Last weekend, Zach received a stuffed rabbit during our Lunar New Year dinner.  I am very fortunate to be able to celebrate with both my grandmothers and my grandpa, my parents, and my sisters, aunt, uncle, and cousin.  I was attaching Mr. Rabbit's eyes while waiting for dinner to arrive, and my dad's mom was sitting next to me, watching intently.  My dad was also intrigued by my bunny knitting skills, particularly since it was appropriate for Lunar New Year. Why?  Because this year we LOVE bunnies. 

Bunnies on the postage stamps....

Bunnies on the red envelopes (with lucky money inside)...

 and... knitted bunnies. 

Knitted bunnies? You can't just buy that in Chinatown.  So my dad had a thought.

Dad:  "You should knit your grandma (his mom) a hat."
Me:   "She has a hat, Dad. It fits."
Dad:  "Fine, never mind."

My grandma loves her hat.  It was crocheted by my aunt.  It's pink and beautiful.  Why would she need another one?  Then it hit me.  She didn't need a hat.  My dad just wanted me to knit my grandma a hat.  So, I went to the store to buy some yarn.  My grandma would want a bright color, and I figured, why not pick a different color?  So I went with Caron Country Berry Frappe.

I knit a size small version of Meghan Dougherty's Honeycomb Hat, which can be found on Ravelry as a free download. 

Just in time for her birthday this weekend.  Happy Birthday, Grandma!  My dad was happy, too.  Good suggestion, Dad.  Although, I will be knitting a pink version of this as well, because my Grandma prefers pink!  (Must consult aunt about colors in advance in the future...sometimes thinking others would like hats in different colors can backfire... and, must poll prior recipients of handknits whether they were ok with color choice.)  Making another hat in pink is completely fine and dandy with me, because I like the Honeycomb pattern and will have fun the second time around.  And, I have the satisfaction of knowing that there will be one more warmer head in the family!

And, the knitting requests keep coming!  Some who witnessed my grandma try on the hat also made requests for one.  Yay!  Into the Christmas queue they go.  Must get a head start this year!