Edda Lilja and her 52 hat project is now up to week 37 and the hats are fantastic – a little quirky and quite original. Here is her website where you can see all the hat – just a few of my faves are pictured below.

The pattern for that cute elf/fairy hat is available here for a small fee

I don’t know that I’ll be making one of these anytime soon, but that doesn’t stop any of you guys. Link to pattern. via Craft Gossip.

HatHeads: 1 Man + 2 Knitting Needles = 50 Fun Hat Designs by Trond Anfinnsen (aka knitkid on flickr), published by Watson-Guptill (July 28, 2009).

In 2006 Trond starting knitting hats for friends and family and his friend Klaus photographed them all wearing their hats and so began a joint knitting project that has culminated in a beautiful and inspiring book. Trond also known as knitkid online, taught himself to knit with his own designer hats for friends, each one designed for the person who was to wear it, in this book he offers 50 of his designs along with the tools and advice to design your own gorgeous knitted beanies.

I first started following this project back in 2006 and so was doubly excited to see it all come to fruition and be able to read the full story – what a wonderful journey this book takes you on – through not only Trond and Klaus’s knitting project story, but into the stories of the people wearing the hats. 50 beautiful people are photographed, a brief but interesting story is told about them and the pattern and chart for their hat is available. Its a fantastic formula that works utterly and completely to fascinate and inspire.

And Trond himself comes through in the book as an interesting and eccentric character who has a lot of fun in life, is energetic and creative and motivated to gather these people around him and complete a project more than 3 years in the making, teaching himself to knit and design knitting projects along the way.

I don’t need to say, but I will, that I love this book and I am sure you will too.

Win a copy:
Leave a comment here to win a copy of a Trond original hand knitted hat, along with a copy of the book. Leave a comment here (open for 48 hours) to be in the running – let us know what your favourite hat knitting project has been (or is on your list to make)

BONUS pattern
Download the pattern/chart for this hat here.

Congratulations Megan – who won herself a copy of the book and a hand knitted hat – thank you all for entering.

Little bear preemie baby hat by Inkie Goijer. Free crochet pattern available at squishy chocolate.

this gorgeous hat pattern, by Kalurah, is available as a free ravelry download

This delightful hat pattern for a child is available only in Finnish in the online knitmag Ulla.

Sweet Spud & Chloe watermelon hat for the little people in your life. Link.

I simply love this unisex wide brim sunhat for kids – with snaps on the side for added style.

some fantastic hat patterns available online for crochet beginners.

1. chunky crochet hat for beginners
2. The Animator’s Hat
3. Peek-a-Boo Flower Hat
4. Polar crochet hat
5. not a hat but a crochet headband
6. Azzies skater hat pattern – make a custom fit beanie

Cthulhu Beard Hat by Nichole Verville is a free ravelry download (and reminded me and my daughter of the Oods from Doctor who).

Speaking of Dr Who and knitted soft toy aliens – check out the knitted Ood and related discussion on Counterfeit chic.