Malabrigo quickies: Maya
Happy October, yarn friends! It’s the quintessential knitting season and this week we have a Quickies pattern that is perfect for the chillier, shorter days. This one would also make a fabulous quick knit for the upcoming gift giving season, so you might even be able to get ahead on some gift making if you start now.
Designer Elisa Banfi created the Maya hat with one skein of Rios in Playa colorway. The texture of this pattern is perfect for showcasing the variegated yarn that the heart of what Malabrigo has to offer. The featured Honeycomb stitch is worked across 4 rows, providing an easy and effective texture that really lets the beautiful colors of the yarn shine.
Elisa was kind enough to answer some questions of this design for us.
1: What is your favorite part of your Quickies design and why?
Who doesn’t like a one skein project? One more reason to like this one is that it’s a fun one to knit, with a (slighty) challenging honeycomb stitch and a slipped stitch technique that makes every round different.
2: What should knitters pay attention to when working this pattern? Do you have any tips or tricks that will make knitting this pattern easier?
The honeycomb stitch might seem daunting when you first look at it, but once you get the hang of it, it’s actually very simple. I recommend making a swatch with a leftover yarn to get familiar with it, and start knitting the hat when you’re confident enough.
3: What does your design process look like?
I’m afraid it’s a trial and error process. I need to have a piece of fabric in my hands to really decide if I’m going in the right direction. Sometimes I even complete a piece and then discard it, or modify it heavily. But more often than not, the starting point is the yarn. When I see a yarn I like, I “see” the finished piece in it, and I have to transform it into something wearable.
4: Was there any particular inspiration you had when creating this piece?
I thought of movement. The color I chose is Playa, and it made me think of the waves, and the gentle rippling of the sand on a beach – that’s what “playa” means, as you know. Imagine wearing the hat and hearing the sound of the sea!
5: What is the one thing you wish people knew about you as a designer?
That I am just a knitter who tries and sometimes fails and frogs. It happens to all of us!
6: What beverage are you most likely to have by your side while designing?
With me being Italian, I suppose people would expect me to answer coffee or wine, but I am more of a tea drinker. I like black tea with a sip of milk in it. And cake, of course!
Be sure to check out the pattern here:
https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/maya-31
Social Media Profiles
IG: @thescalfiner
Ravelry ID: Elisa Bi
