Manhattan, Mixed Drink #1

Manhattan Mixed Drink #1 Slouchy Lace Hats

What Is Being Made

The Manhattan Mixed Drink #1 is a collection of slouchy lace hats designed through a collaborative partnership between BabyCocktails (Thea Colman) and Savory Knitting (Amy Christoffers). This is the inaugural design in a series of Mixed Drink collaborations, where each project focuses on a specific design element interpreted by two different designers. The slouchy hat silhouette combines relaxed, comfortable fit with refined lace detailing, creating pieces that balance casual wearability with sophisticated craftsmanship.

Design Inspiration and Collaboration

The Mixed Drink series celebrates the distinct design philosophies of each collaborating designer. Amy Christoffers of Savory Knitting is known for her expertise in Aran cables, detailed lace, and traditional design elements such as shawl collars and leather buttons. Her signature style emphasizes the combination of slouchy silhouettes, delicate detail work, and classic construction. The slouchy hat format was selected as an ideal vehicle for translating these design principles into a collaborative first project, allowing both designers to explore how their individual aesthetics could enhance this accessible garment form.

Techniques and Stitches Used

The Manhattan hats feature lace knitting as the primary decorative technique. Lace patterns in knitting are created through strategic yarn overs and decreases that form openwork motifs while maintaining structural integrity. The slouchy construction requires shaping techniques that create the characteristic relaxed, gathered crown while maintaining the definition necessary for detailed lace patterns to read clearly. Traditional knitting methods are employed throughout, consistent with the classic design aesthetic that defines both designers' work.

Materials

The hats are knitted using Cormo yarn, a fiber specifically selected for its ideal characteristics in this project. Cormo wool provides the right balance of drape and softness with sufficient definition for detailed motifs. The yarn weight is 4-ply, which offers versatility for creating both the lace openwork and the structured shaping required for slouchy hat construction. The choice of Cormo fiber was made after visiting yarn booths at Rhinebeck, ensuring the yarn's performance would support both the aesthetic vision and functional requirements of the design.

Skill Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, reflecting the combination of lace knitting techniques with hat shaping and construction. Knitters working on this project should have foundational knitting skills and experience reading lace charts, as the detailed motifs require attention to yarn overs, decreases, and pattern repeats.