On many Michiganders’ bucket lists is a trip to the Upper Peninsula, but the drive from metro Detroit or the effort it takes to plan a vacation in the U.P. often keeps people away…much like Fair Isle knitting. The technique may be on your knitting bucket list, but fear of the unknown keeps you away from the beauty that lingers just beyond that learning curve.

This hat was designed as part of a class to teach Fair Isle knitting. As such, I truly think of it as a gateway into the technique. The hem makes it a bit unique, but asyou work through the pattern, you’ll see that it gently takes you from simple, repetitive repeats to more complex patterns. By the time that you hit the snowflake motif, you’re comfortable working with two colors and can devote your attention to the chart more fully. Many students have used this to expand their knitting skills and have never looked back.

In much the same way this pattern welcomes you to two-color knitting, St. Ignace welcomes you to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It’s a sleepy little town that is often overlooked by the tourists who stop in Mackinaw City and never cross Big Mac, as we affectionately call the Mackinac Bridge. Once in the U.P., a whole new beautiful world opens up to you. Majestic waterfalls, colorful sandstone cliffs, natural forests, and three of the Great Lakes all wait for you if you’re willing to make the journey. Take a trip over the bridge – I’ll meet you for coffee at Java Joe’s and I’ll recognize you by your hat.