Read other entries in this series here as they are available.

Pattern name: Calorimetry (Knitty link)

Designer: Kathryn Schoendorf

Yarn: Calorimetry 1: Madelinetosh Tosh DK in Curiosity (light purple), Calorimetry 2: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes (I think) in neon blue and black   Calorimetry 3: Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool in Oatmeal

My Favorite Thing about This Hat: It is so practical! I was a newly minted Knitty devotee when this pattern ran in 2006 (I don’t think this is the very first Knitty pattern I made, but it’s probably the second or third). As you might have guessed from earlier discussions about how my hair affects my hat fit, I instantly recognized that  a fully adjustable headscarf that had room for a big ponytail would be perfect for me.

Various versions of this pattern have been my go to late fall/early spring headwear ever since. My current one is my cold weather running headgear, since it keeps my ears and forehead warm but doesn’t smash my ponytail down the way a hat does.

What I’d Change about This Hat: Honestly, nothing. There definitely is a point when it gets cold enough that I need a full hat, but I’ve also worn it *under* hats when I wanted a little more ear protection during windy winter weather.

Would I Knit it Again? I’ve knit it three times so far! My original version (pictured below) was sadly lost but only after 10 years of wear.  The second one (which was knit hastily after the original was lost), never quite worked for me (I tried adding some colorblocking that I ended up hating), but my third version (in the same yarn as my original Shinko), has served me well for the last five years. The buttonholes are starting to get a little loose, though, so version number four may be in my near future.

This Week’s Charity: Since its founding in 1980, the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless has been an advocate for people experiencing homelessness in Chicago, providing both direct outreach and support services as well as advocating for legislative and policy solutions.  The Coalition produces an annual estimate on homelessness in Chicago (PDF link) that attempts to identify all forms of homelessness someone may be experiencing – for example, identifying people who may be staying with others rather than sleeping on the street.

Since 1997, CCH’s Law Project has provided comprehensive legal aid services to students, unaccompanied youth, families, and single adults living doubled-up, in shelters, or on the street. Law Project staff represent clients with varied legal needs including educational rights, public benefits, housing, family law, criminal records relief, and accessing identification documents.

Youth Futures, a mobile legal aid clinic, was opened in 2004 to better serve students and unaccompanied youth through age 24. A college scholarship program for students who have experienced homelessness was opened the same year.

You can support the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless through this link.