Knitting Pattern 'Review' # 4:

Twilight Eclipse Bella's Green Striped Knit Hat :

( I should really call these knitting and yarn reviews...)

We love Twilight around here, and so, I was commissioned to try and make a 'Bella hat'. The one from Eclipse ~you know, the mountain /tent scene?
I did some searching around online and found a few patterns on Ravelry.
I decided to go with one by Nancy Fry because after much 'studying' (lol )~her hat pattern had the 2 green rows after the k1p1 ribbing. And that looked the most authentic to me...
If you have a Ravelry account you can see it-and it's a free download : )

Notes about the pattern:

The hat is very simple and could easily be one of your first knit hat patterns to try.
The striping and yarn choices are what make it "Bella".
I don't think I changed anything about the pattern besides possibly adding an extra row of white somewhere where I didn't think it looked wide enough...I think it just depends on the gauge of the yarn.

Notes on the yarn:
I went to the LYS, and planned to buy a wool in olivey green and creamy white tweed, to get as close as I could to the original look, but after many trips around the shop, and trying to decide if I should mix yarn brands and types, I decided to go with a brand that had both colors I needed, even if they required smaller needles.

Isn't it always like that? -if you need a certain gauge, colors or fiber-you can only get one of the colors or the gauge is wrong, or it's cotton instead of wool...

I used o~wool's Balance in 'Malachite' and of course I've lost the tag for the white skein (again) but apparently it's the 'Natural' color.
I did have to double the yarn ~ as the pattern called for 7 and 8 sized needles, (and my yarn was for a 5-7 size needle & I usually tend to need smaller needles than patterns call for anyway).
Because the yarn was doubled it was very hard on the hands and wrists, I must say.
I also had to buy an extra skein of the green but only for a couple of yards maybe, so I have a bunch left to possibly make another hat, in a one strand version this time thank you.
Because of the doubled yarn, mine came out looking a little thicker than in the movie/pattern. Come Winter, that'll be great here though!

And my models were most cooperative ; )

Anything I'd do differently?
I know I've seen a 'Jogless stripe' knitting technique somewhere -I'll have to look that up and try it out on the next one. I'll post that if I find it and you're interested.

Overall, we love it. I will definitely be making more of these hats-I already have another request!

I'll just be doing it in an all wool tweed next time, in the right gauge :0