Pressed Leaves

This post might seem a little inappropriate for May seeing that it's all about a very Fall beret, but just bear with me.

I really love fall colors, a lot. I also really love leaves. I especially love watching the leaves change colors. The amazing shades of yellow, burnt orange, red, green and brown are just perfect. Mid-September through mid-October is my absolute favorite time of year. It's no surprise then that I was instantly drawn to Alana Dakos' Botanical Knits. A knitting book inspired by leaves. Knitting and leaves - talk about a match made in heaven!

I am totally smitten with Pressed Leaves, a beret pattern with a gorgeous leaf motif. I perused my LYS in search of the perfect yarn for it, knowing that I wanted to make it for Mad May. I found a skein of Tosh DK in Magnolia Leaf and knew it would be perfect. Those colors!

I caked my skein in anticipation of May 1st, and anxiously awaited casting on. I sped through the ribbing and quickly moved on to the chart. I have to admit, I was thoroughly confused for the first few rounds. A lot of the stitches were new to me and I was struggling. By round 5, it all kind of clicked and suddenly it just made sense. I could see the leaves emerging in the pattern.

From then on, it was smooth sailing. You can read more about my project notes here. I am really thrilled with my finished hat and am sad to tuck it away until the fall. But I know my perfectly autumn-inspired hat will be waiting for me when the leaves start to change.