Earlier this year, we spent New Years Eve in Santa Fe, enjoying the city and lights. That weekend we hiked the Chamisa Trail in Santa Fe National Forest. The trail is about 4 miles long, with around 1,000 feet of elevation gain, and it’s located just outside of Santa Fe on the way up to the ski area. It was a chilly day, but perfect for a winter hike. The trail was peaceful, and we were mostly surrounded by tall pines and some occasional snowy patches. It wasn’t too difficult, but definitely a steady incline. We took our time, enjoying the views and the quiet, which made the hike feel even more rewarding. Plus, I was excited to wear my hand-knit hat and mittens on the trail.
I knit the mittens using an Icelandic-style pattern by Mittens for Mimi, which was both fun and challenging to make. The design features a traditional colorwork technique that’s great for keeping hands warm in cold weather, and it was my first time trying this style of knitting. The pattern itself is simple, but it has a beautiful, repeating motif that I loved working on. For the yarn, I used a mix from Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair in color Edelweiss and Cascade 220 Superwash Wave in color Wildberry Sorbet. The wool is warm, with just the right amount of loft to make them feel cozy but not too bulky. After completing this pattern, I began to notice the inconsistency of the stitches, which led me to learning about color dominance. I hadn’t realized the importance of consistently holding the main and contrast color. There is a super helpful Brooklyn Tweed Color Dominance 101 video on youtube that I wish I’d watched before knitting this! Overall it was a great learning experience, and the mittens turned out as I hoped.
For the hat, I used the Main Sea Captain’s Hat pattern and Malabrigo Rios in color Ivy, which is one of my favorite yarns because it’s incredibly soft and warm. What I really love about this pattern is the folded edge. It makes the hat extra cozy on the forehead and avoids that itchy feeling that some hats can give. The fold adds a nice touch of structure, and the yarn has just the right amount of softness to keep it comfortable all day. The whole hat is perfect for keeping warm on cooler hikes.
On New Year’s Eve, we spent some time exploring Old Town Santa Fe. The weather was freezing, but the lights made up for it, and there was a live music that added a magical touch to the evening. We wandered around the plaza, enjoying the decorations, but definitely had to keep moving to stay warm. Before the celebrations, we went to see the Nosferatu movie at a local theater. It was the perfect way to get into the spooky mood of the evening. The whole night felt like a cozy, cinematic adventure, an unforgettable way to ring in the new year.
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