Belle beanie

Pretty and cheap to make, this hat is ideal if you’re making a mountain of Christmas gifts or want to make yourself something without breaking the bank. Designer Kirstie McLeod has used Stylecraft Life DK, a really good value yarn, to make it. You should be able to get two or three hats out of each ball of Life DK, or if you only need one hat you could use the remaining yarn to make a matching pair of mittens or gloves. “Life DK is a really nice yarn,” Kirstie says, “and the 20% wool content means it has lots of stretch and should be lovely and warm, even though the pattern is a lacy one.”