Candy Sky
By Corrado Lark

The Backstory:

Remember the “wonder ball”? It was a chocolate shell filled with little toys and sold wherever candy bars could be found. Many of us 90’s kids were all about it because the commercial was so memorable. Catchiest tune ever!

I’ve been working with skeins of the dip-dyed “Sprout DK” for this hat design for a while, trying to get it to replicate the exact pooling I got in my original blue sample using “Partly Cloudy” without going to extreme measures. After much trial and error, I’ve come to accept it: perfectly planned pooling is not for me.

But this yarn creates such a cool hat regardless if you’re into perfectly planned pooling or not. It wears beautifully and the saturation is incredible. And if you can embrace irregularity and enjoy whatever pooling you get, go with it. In the purple sample with the colorway “Pure Imagination”, I used the reverse stockinette side as the right side.

If you know how you want the hat to fit and find a color combination you like, pick up a skein and enjoy. It’s an incredibly fun ride to see what you’ll get.

Oh, and no disrespect meant to those who love to work with stitch count/gauge to get exact planned pooling. Check out https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/depth-hat to see what else this yarn can do!

Techniques/Stitches Used:

Twisted stitches, Kitchener stitch with written instructions and a diagram.

The Needs:

US 5 (3.75mm) 16” circular needle.
US 6 (4mm) 16” circular needle.
8 assorted DPNs around US 4-8 (3.5-5mm). An interchangeable needle set or even pencils can be used.
A darning needle and a stitch marker.

1 skein of The Fiber Seed Dip-Dyed Sprout DK yarn (250 yd/100g).

Gauge:
(Smaller needles) Ribbing: 22 st. and 30 rows per 4”, blocked.
(Larger needles) Stockinette: 22 st. and 30 rows per 4”, blocked

Finished Dimensions:
Adult Regular: 8 1/2” wide by 9” length.
Adult Large: 9 ½” wide by 11” length.