Fleur-de-Lys Hat

One of my favourite places in the world is New Orleans. I am thinking about moving there when I'm done with school, since it will make getting to the Fabourg Marigny easier than from where I am in Boston. My friend JP has, like me, a passion for the fleur-de-lys, the symbol seen most frequently in and around New Orleans. JP asked me to make him a hat with a fleur-de-lys on it, and I thought that learning duplicate stitch would be far easier than learning intarsia for this project. Besides, I was told that intarsia has to be done flat, and I prefer to knit hats in the round. On a trip to New Orleans in January, 2010, I went to Quarter Stitch*, a yarn store in, where else? the French Quarter, and got a cross stitch pattern for a fleur-de-lys, and Lucy adapted it to our own craft.

So, with some help from the fabulous Lucy of Mind's Eye Yarns (http://www.mindseyeyarns.com/), I learned duplicate stitch. I'm pretty damn dismal at duplicate stitch, so Lucy did the lion's share of the fleur-de-lys design on JP's hat.

This is JP's hat. He wanted a brown hat with a yellow design. The yarn is Berroco Ultra Alpaca.

This is JP wearing his hat. I think he looks quite stylish and handsome in it.
And thank you, Lucy, for your help in the duplicate stitching. I couldn't have done it without you!


*The Quarter Stitch does not have a website (which is why it does not appear on my list of favourite stores), but its information is:
630 Charters St
New Orleans, LA  70130
504-522-4451