Until further notice, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to help those affected by the wildfires in Australia. Half the proceeds will be donated to WIRES Wildlife Rescue and half to the Fire Relief Fund for First Nations Communities.

Impromptu is a play on words. Everything about this pattern was impromptu, from the stitch patterns, which I ad-libbed when my original idea didn’t work the way I had planned, to the idea of musical impromptus, which lead to the writing the pattern in musical terms (overture, andante, staccato, coda, reprise). The idea of a hat and cowl set was also impromptu; I couldn’t decide which one I wanted more, so I decided to make both! I had two skeins of Shobha’s Vayu base available, so I designed this set to ensure that both pieces could be completed within two skeins of fingering weight yarn (yardage may vary by brand).

SIZES:
Cowl: One size, approximately 12” tall and 38” circumference, easily adjustable for length and width. Adjusting may require more yardage, so make sure to plan accordingly.

Hat: 19”, (21.5”, 24”) circumference. Sample shown in 21.5” circumference. Easily adjustable for length. You can make a close-fitting beanie or a longer slouchy hat, depending on your preference. Adjusting for length may require more yardage, so make sure to plan accordingly.

GAUGE:
Approximately 26 sts and 38 rnds=4” in body pattern on larger size needle. Gauge is not crucial for the cowl, but stitch gauge is important for the hat to ensure a proper fit. Gauge should be measure in the round. If you don’t want to do a gauge swatch, you can try knitting the cowl first. You can obtain gauge once you block the cowl and adjust needle size as needed for the hat!

MATERIALS:
16” circular needles in sizes US 2 and US 3 for the hat, or size needed to make gauge plus one size smaller for brim.

16” circular needle (or longer) in size US 3 for the cowl, or size needed to make gauge.

DPNS in larger size for the hat.

Stitch marker(s), tapestry needle for weaving in ends.

YARN:
Samples shown in Serendipitous Wool Vayu Fingering base in color Luscious (463 yds/420m per skein). I used 2 skeins to make the set. If you choose to use hand-dyed yarns, you may want to consider alternating skeins to avoid color pooling or striping.

This pattern will show best in a solid or semi-solid color, but feel free to use any color that makes you happy. If variegated yarn brings you joy, use it!