Free Pattern: Casitas Springs, or, The Emergency Hat

A few months ago, I found myself in a knitting emergency. It was a Saturday morning at the office, and I was about to walk into a mandatory three-hour training session. There was just one problem: in my rush to get out the door that morning, I’d forgotten my knitting project at home. 

Luckily, I kept emergency supplies on hand for just such a situation. There was a ball of yarn under my desk and a spare set of circular needles in my purse. I grabbed my back-up gear and trotted downstairs for the meeting, ready to sit quietly and listen intently while my hands stitched away. 

And stitch they did. By the end of that meeting, I had finished a wonderfully cozy, thick, plush hat. I realized I couldn’t keep this precious thing to myself, so I finally got around to writing up the pattern and making it available. You can find it by clicking this link here or by clicking any of the photos in this post. 

Because the stitch pattern is related to the pattern I used on the Matilija Mitts and the Sespe Socks, I decided to name this hat after another place where Matilija poppies grow in abundance: the little town of Casitas Springs. Alliteration is starting to get a bit tricky now, though, so sorry friends – this is probably the end of the road on that one. 

This is a quick and easy knit, with just enough texture to make it interesting and fun. It will keep you cozy on a cool day, but is small enough that you can work on it during summer without overheating yourself (nobody wants to make an afghan in July, amirite?). 

I hope you have fun with this one, and please, if you have any questions or comments, let me know! You can drop a comment here or use the contact form on the contact page of this site. You can also find me on Instagram or Facebook.