Pattern Release: Fiery Searcher Hat and Mitts

One fine morning in September, Betsey ran away to Hank’s Meadow beach at the Quabbin Reservoir.

Wearing her Fiery Searcher Hat and Fiery Searcher Fingerless Mitts, she searched high and low for Hank.

Pattern: Fiery Searcher Fingerless Mitts, by Bonnie Sennott

Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight, in the Cozy Fierce and Dirty Orange colorway

Needles: US #2/2.75mm dpns

Pattern: Fiery Searcher Hat, by Bonnie Sennott

Yarn: Valley Yarns Charlemont, in the Whipple Blue colorway

Needles: US #1/2.25mm 16-inch circular needle, US #2/2.75mm 16-inch circular, and US #2/2.75mm dpns

The Fiery Searcher Hat and Fingerless Mitts are now available on Ravelry, Etsy, and Craftsy, both individually and as a set.

They’re named after the kind of beetle Sam used to make earrings for Suzy in Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom. I was delighted when I saw a trivia question about the beetle at Amherst Cinema. “Fiery Searcher” sounded like a great name for a beetle and seemed pretty perfect for my orange mitts, too. After finishing the mitts, I got inspired to design a matching beret.

Worked in fingering weight yarn, the Fiery Searcher Hat and Mitts feature a cable-and-lace stitch pattern. The cables transition neatly into knit-purl ribbing on the palm, making the mitts quite stretchy and comfortable to wear. The cables on the two hands are mirrored—they cross right on the right mitt and left on the left mitt. On the hat, the cables cross both right and left.

The patterns are written for one size, a women’s medium. To make either project larger and smaller, you can substitute finer or heavier weight yarn and vary the needle size accordingly. 

Stitch patterns are provided in both written form and charts. Explanations are given for cables and other stitches that might be unfamiliar.

While she waited for Hank, Betsey passed the time by reading a book …

 …  and danced to “Le temps de l’amour” from the Moonrise Kingdom soundtrack.

Unfortunately, due to an asthma attack brought on by seasonal allergies, Hank was unable to join her.

It was too bad, but it couldn’t be helped. So Betsey gathered up her things and set off across the meadow, in search of her next adventure.

Credits:

Tech editing provided by Katherine Vaughan. Whether catching typos or checking math, Katherine plays a crucial behind-the-scenes role in quality control here at Blue Peninsula. I am grateful for her sharp eye and helpful suggestions.

Earrings crafted by Cheryl Sholund of ArtArtifice. I bought these postage-stamp beetle earrings for the photo shoot, then decided not to use them. I really love them, but they were one visual element too many and so ended up on the cutting-room floor. Be sure to check out Cheryl’s Etsy shop—she’s got all kinds of cool earrings with exotic flowers, butterflies and moths, lobsters, coffee plants, and more.

Above all, many thanks to the model, my clever and creative sister Betsey, who gave up part of her Labor Day weekend to drive out to western Massachusetts for the photo shoot. It was so much fun! She looked fantastic, a brilliant blend of Suzy Bishop and Margo Tenenbaum. I loved that she played the Moonrise Kingdom soundtrack on her iPhone during the shoot—and the suitcase could not have been more perfect.

 

Ready for Adventure, by Betsey Sennott

Thank you very much for reading.