fashionable wine garb - a knitted hat & scarf

My post today is obviously not about food! :)  I'll explain what happened to all my new food photos next time.  In the meantime, since wine is the perfect accompaniment for many of us with our delicious foods, it's kind of ok to post...right? :)  I thought it would be fun to share some gifts I knitted this year (including the pattern), which will go along with my favorite homemade gift bags of biscotti for friends this Christmas.

While watching the Giada Christmas Special last season, she was in a relative's home in Colorado.  In the kitchen scene, there were wine bottles adorned with red and white hats and scarves, which I fell in love with!  I immediately paused the show (thank goodness for technology), and took a quick photo with my iPhone, so I wouldn't forget exactly how they looked. (see photo captioned below)

iPhone photo from the Giada Christmas Special I took from the TV screen. :)

My google search began for a knitting pattern that could replicate the charming wine bottle hat and scarf.  The pattern  I found was called "Chilled Wine Garb."  The adorable knitting pattern was courtesy of Lisa Valentino of Knitsburgh: where steel meets wool.  Although slightly different from the ones displayed on the Giada TV Show, I thought the set was just as lovely!  Actually you can achieve the look of Giada's by using a lighter weight yarn and a smaller size needle.

The only changes I made were to lengthen the scarf, and shorten the ribbing on the hat.  With the extra length, I could wrap the scarf in different ways, and since I didn't want to fold over the ribbing on the hat, I limited it to fewer rows.  You can choose the lengths you like, or follow the pattern as written...either way, it makes the cutest gift anyone would cherish!

Red and white traditional colors, pink and green girly/preppy colors, or your favorite sports team colors...there are so many possibilities to customize this fashionable wine garb!  For the fluffy mini pom poms, I used an extra small pom pom maker just like this one on Amazon.  You can find it at any craft or knitting store.

Hope you enjoy this impromptu post, and that all you knitters out there will find it a delightful gift to knit, not just for Christmas, but for any occasion throughout the winter season!  If you're not a knitter, maybe this easy gift idea will inspire you to learn how to knit! :)

Until next time...mangia...or in this case - salute (cheers)!!! xox

Carol

"Wine Bottle Garb" Knitting Pattern

Yields about 12 sets

Ingredients:

worsted weight or DK yarn (3 skeins - colors of your choice)
#6 / 4mm double point knitting needles
tapestry needle for sewing in ends

Create the Hat & Scarf:

PDF free download pattern found here from Knitsburg: where steel meets wool.