Handmade Christmas Gifts II: The Foxy Whiskered Gentleman

A couple of weeks before Christmas someone in my knitting group asked what 'extraodinary project' I was making for my boyfriend's brother this Christmas. This is following on from the amazing knitted trousers I made him two years ago and slippers made the following year. It was a very good question, as the gift I had been working on is truly fantastic.

Some months ago I was given 'The Knitting Book' as a gift, its a fantastic 1980s volume which was found in a charity shop. Some of the patterns are quite extraordinary, for example the baby outfit suitable for 'cold weather outings', with the enticing title 'Calorific Comfort'.

Yes, the outfit designed to make your child look like the Michelin man

I unwisely left this delectable volume lying around when my boyfriend's brother could find it, he immediately pounced on it, and picked out his favourite pattern. Thankfully, not the Michelin man suit, which would be difficult to scale up for a 26 year old, instead he picked this hat.

The project presented me with two problems; scaling the hat up from the largest size in the book (for a 6 year old) and finding mohair in the right colour. I couldn't get a perfect match on the mohair, and it is a bit light, but the final outcome is clearly a fox. The sizing was more difficult, as its not a normal hat shape but it more like a fox balaclava. It took a couple of attempts and some patience but I did finally manage to produce a passable fox hat in time for Christmas.

 

I think you will agree, it is quite a beauty, and as ever the recipient was extremely pleased. He really is a pleasure to knit for. I know most of my Tuesday knitting group don't believe he wears the trousers I made him (he does, we have even had discussions on how the next pair could be improved), and no doubt they will have the same reservations about his wearing the hat. However, I am reliable informed he has been wearing it around the house over Christmas, and here is the photographic proof.

Yes, the perfect Stephen's Day outfit, hand knitted trousers and slippers, topped of with a fox hat. I just need to make him a jumper and he will be entirely in à la mode HazWool.