“Millie” Heart Cable Hat

Just in time for last minute Valentine's Day gifts, I'm releasing my latest pattern.  This darling hat is a very quick knit. A simple four strand cable works its way into a heart and stands out on a reverse stockinette exterior. Instructions to alter the pattern for a stockinette exterior are included.  You can get the pattern HERE on Ravelry :)

Adult Stockinette Exterior

 Child Reverse Stockinette Exterior

Inspiration for this hat:
My oldest daughter, Maddie, saw a story on the news about a little girl named Millie suffering from Leukemia. She asked if we could do something for her. I was touched by the girl's story and proud that Maddie was thoughtful enough to want to cheer sweet Millie up.  We decided to send her a care package and included the first “Millie” hat as a chemo hat. I designed this hat specifically for her. There are four members of her family represented by the four strands of the cable, bound together, and the heart is a sign of their love for each other. Their story is blogged about here.

Maddie with some of the contents of Millie's care package.

Steps for blocking a hat to achieve smoother/more even stitches, a well shaped crown, & popping cables, in other words... fabulous results:

-Soak in slightly warm water, gently swish.
-Remove from water and gently squeeze water out (don't wring).
-Roll in a towel and step on it to get excess water out.  
-Blow up a balloon inside the hat until snug, but ribbing is not stretched.
-Smooth everything out.  You can actually pinch cables to shape.
-Set balloon on small bowl or cup to dry. (see pic)
-That's it!  But it can really make good project look great :)