Nonpareil Hat

When I was little, my mother kept a generous supply of confections stashed away in a kitchen cabinet. During the winter holidays, we would push aside the spice jars stacked at the cabinet’s front and unearth sugar crystals of every color, chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, and multi-colored nonpareils, which we would shake out over sugar cookie shapes before sliding them into the oven. These hats, sprinkled with puffy dots of variegated yarn, remind me of our marathon cookie decorating sessions, and the many nonpareils, sprinkles, and sugar crystals that spilled across the baking sheets as we haphazardly scattered them about. Nonpareil is a simple bottom-up beanie with an interesting stranded stitch that adds character and texture. For best results, choose a complimentary color in a yarn weight that is heavier than the main color. The reverse stockinette stitch background helps the polka dots to stand out even more, but the hat can be worked entirely in stockinette.