A FO, for those not in the know is a Finished Object, in this case of the knitted sort.
I had been stealth-knitting a hat for Giles’ birthday, had triumphantly finished and successfully stashed it away, before realising that I couldn’t share it online at all in case he saw. Last weekend saw the hat presented, then unwrapped and it is enjoying an already well-travelled life upon Giles’ head.
The pattern that I used as a basis was Jared Flood’s Turn a Square, with some modifications made in respect of using a different yarn weight, the use and aesthetics of three colours instead of two and the closeness of fit that its recipient prefers in his hats.
I used Sublime Yarns Extra Fine Merino DK yarn and size 3.75mm dpns. It is a beautifully soft yarn which was, after warmth, the main consideration in choosing a suitable wool. You have to think about these things when knitting a hat for someone with less than a full head of hair – no itchy yarns for a sensitive scalp!
Although I made changes, I still did follow the pattern in most respects. Flood gives great instructions on using a jogless stripe (so visually there seems less of a step when changing yarn colours). For that technique alone I would recommend trying this pattern. It made a lovely hat which was a very quick knit – two days, on and off from start to finish.
You can see my project page here, and I will endeavour to have Giles model it for a photograph too, when he’s back from being an intrepid outdoorsman.