topo gigio

if you are a fiberholic you've probably clicked over to knitty plenty of times. it is an online candy store for knitters where your pennies aren't even necessary. patterns, articles and advice are all available for free! published seasonally, it is a great place to thumb through pages of inspiration and ideas. in fact, this chickadee has mined it mercilessly and struck gold on more than one occasion. most recently, the topographie hat made it to my needles and then to the head of one lucky little elf.

the pattern is deceptively simple. pick a pretty dk weight variegated yarn then pick out your favorite hue. highlight that pick by purling it instead of knitting when it shows up on your needles. that's it! the results are like a map with raised ridges interspersed throughout...hence the name. here's a detail of this chickadee's version. knit with one skein of colinette cadenza in copperbeach with the navy portions purposely purled.