Here’s my version of the Shining Star hat. It might be hard to see but there’s a star on the crown with lines radiating from the sides.

Kate mentions in the pattern that she uses 6 double point needles but I decided to use the “magic loop” since I only have one circular needle in the correct size. While the “magic loop” can be a little cumbersome to handle at times, I happy to make due with one needle.

The start was a little challenging. Although the pattern doesn’t mention that the hat is knit from the top, I quickly surmised this bit of info from the small number of cast on stitches. The biggest puzzle was how to cast on with so few stitches. It took a little thinking but I finally remembered the figure 8 cast on that I learned in a sock class with Sarah Hauschka. She mentioned that this cast on could also be used to start lace patterns from the center.

Once I figured out the cast on, my needles started flying and after a couple of hours I got half way through the pattern. Kate’s innovative approach to color coding the stitch counts is ingenious. This pattern comes in six sizes and each size is denoted by a different color to easily keep track of which size is being knit.

For more information on the figure 8 cast on check out The Magic Loop or Wendy’s article (with double point needles) in Knitty.