This original design taught me to listen to my knitting. I wanted this project to be an embroidered blanket, but after several unsuccessful attempts, I realized that it wanted to be a hat! The inspiration for this project began in Scotland in early 2016, where I became obsessed with photographing Celtic motifs on gravestones, wanting to translate those intricate designs into knitted cables. After charting my favorite two of the complicated motifs, I started this project at the center of the top. The top features a circular pattern that I found to be quite a challenge to reproduce in knitting. As I worked my way down the sides of the hat, I introduced the second motif, which is more angular in nature. Upon reaching the lower edge of this motif, I realized that this wasn’t going to be just any hat – it would be a formal Top Hat! The hat band is delineated using knit-in I-cord, which can also be seen along the edge of the brim. Geometry came heavily into play as I worked increases to create the upper brim, and opposing decreases for the lower brim. Once the knitting was complete, the hat was blocked, and then embroidered using fingering weight yarn that I hand-dyed for this project. The embroidery features Bullion stitches in the roses and butterflies, as well as Daisy, Chain, Straight, and Stem Stitches, French Knots, and a variety of 06/0 silver-lined glass beads on the brim. The hat was finished with an internal structure made from plastic sheeting, and is lined with fabric and heavy elastic for the internal band. Yarns used: Knitters Brewing Company Sock-aholic Brewski (100% merino), and Old No8 (90/10 merino/nylon). More construction (and gravestone) photos can be found on the project Ravelry page: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/socalknitgirl/embroidered-top-hat