“Earning your turns” in the backcountry is all about finding your own way up the mountain - there is a simple elegance to leaving an aesthetic winding trail in the snow as you climb. This sidewinder beanie pattern uses strategically slipped stitches to capture the effect of ski/snowshoe tracks and pole prints in the snow. The repeating pattern ...

The first snowflakes falling in a storm tend to drift and wander with the wind - this ear-flap hat pattern uses strategically slipped stitches to capture the effect of dancing snowflakes. It is written for super bulky weight yarns. Malabrigo Rasta and We Are Knitters The Wool are great choices here; the simple and elegant texture of the pattern...

This star stitch ear-flap hat pattern was inspired by the beautiful night skies of the Mackenzie Basin in New Zealand where I live. The area is part of an International Dark Sky Reserve and this hat design is a celebration of the dark sky and beauty of the stars.

The first snowflakes falling in a storm tend to drift and wander with the wind - this beanie pattern uses strategically slipped stitches to capture the effect of dancing snowflakes. It is written for both bulky and super bulky weight yarns. Malabrigo Mecha and Malabrigo Rasta are great choices here; the simple and elegant texture of the pattern...

This star stitch beanie pattern was inspired by the beautiful night skies of the Mackenzie Basin in New Zealand where I live. The area is part of an International Dark Sky Reserve and this hat design is a celebration of the dark sky and beauty of the stars.

This alpine huts beanie pattern was inspired by the unique mountain huts in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park in the Mackenzie region of New Zealand. The ‘windows’ of colour created by the slip-stitch/mosaic colorwork technique reminded me of the glimpses of colour you see through the hut windows.

This mountain beanie pattern was inspired by the rugged Mackenzie high country I live in and symbolises the turquoise glacier lakes of the area, which reflect the colour of the sky. The lakes are framed by jagged mountain peaks, capped with snow.

This cable beanie was inspired by the braided rivers running from the Southern Alps to the Pacific Ocean in the Mackenzie region of New Zealand. These rivers are an important habitat for many native bird species and were important trade routes for indigenous Ngāi Tahu Māori. The hat is a quick knit and a great introduction to cabled knitting. V...

I live in a small town in the Mackenzie region of New Zealand. This cable beanie was inspired by Lake Ruataniwha with the twin cables representing two intertwined serpents (in the Māori language: rua means two and taniwha means water monster). In the legend, the name Ruataniwha refers to the hills and mountains surrounding the lake. The hat is ...

This aviator / ear flap hat was inspired by the rugged Mackenzie high country I live in and is a super quick knit using a faux cable stitch (no cable needle required!). It is written with Lion Brand Wool Ease thick & quick in mind, but will work well with other super bulky yarns. Optional cords are quick to crochet (don’t worry if you haven...