Cast-on Monday: Now for something Completely Different

Honestly, the project itself is not completely different. It’s a hat. It’s a 2-color hat. It’s a 2-color hat knitted in fair-isle technique. The difference lies in the chart.

It was generated by computer using a program coded by designer Rianna Suen.

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/biome-hat

In her words, “Simplex noise is a clustered randomness algorithm. When translated into knit stitches, it produces a colorwork pattern with an organic look.” The upshot of it is that no two patterns will be alike. Each time you click on the link, the algorithm runs and displays a new chart. If you don’t like what you see, move a variable and run it again. Save a few runs and use the pattern that you like the most.

My chart looks hand drawn, because it is. I was unable to get a workable print-out of the computer-generated image. So, I hand copied it, just like the monks did in an era prior to the invention of printing. Ha, take that! 21st century.

Here are my yarns.

Ultra Alpaca is an old friend. I used it and loved it many years ago in making a skirt with a colorwork band at the hem. The beige skein I selected is natural undyed fiber. The forest green was selected by Henry, who will receive the hat when completed.

I’ve got the band finished.

It’s now ready for me to start working from the chart. I’ll expect that the work will go slowly. There is no pattern repeat that can be memorized. Each row is unique and there are 50 of them.

If you like to experiment with your knitting, check out the Biome Hat on Ravelry.