I am a walker. I walk, rain or shine, snow or sleet, happy or sad, come hell or high water. I walk because I must; on beaches, through canyons, up mountains, along rivers, through fields and forests.  

Usually, I amble out the door with whatever tumbles out of the coat closet, pulling on jacket, mitts, scarves and hats as needed to facilitate the survival of this body I call home. In the fall, however, this casual approach falls short. If an ambler wants to maintain possession and function of her highest point, and I do, it is wise to top it off with a brilliant orange hat.  

Here is my most recent version, Fudd Redux, a free knit hat pattern.

The actual color is Neon Mango, but I think it’s pretty hard to miss, don’t you? The style is big and slouchy, with just enough contrasting color to make the knitting fun.

It’s built of simple stitches and basic techniques. If you’re new to colorwork, just remember to keep your carried yarn held loosely at the back of your work and don’t float it for more than three stitches. Plymouth Encore is a highly affordable, soft, and durable superwash blend of 75% acrylic and 25% of wool.

Go, go ahead. Knit one for yourself. Knit one for each of your amblers and hunters and walkers-in-the-woods. You want their heads to glow in the dark. And when you are done warming and protecting all the people you love, put on your hat and go for a walk.

Download Fudd Redux, and cast on!

—Susan