credit: theknittingspace/Thelma Egberts

Winter is definitely upon us! Here in New England, it’s officially hat season – from now until mid-to-late April, mothers across the region will insist that their children cover their heads before going outside, which can either be a huge struggle or an easy part of the routine. One of the most straightforward ways to tip the balance to “easy” (and to brighten up a chilly grey day) is to buy or make winter wear that is FUN – like these fish hats!

These Dead Fish Hats crack me up, and are a good choice for a kid that would rather be “cool” than “cute”. Let the little rockstar pick out 350-400 yards (320-366 meters) of yarn in their favorite colors, and spend an afternoon whipping up one of these weird and funny hats – you can replace the Xs with black dots on each eye if you’d rather have a “live” fish. The pattern was created by Dutch knitter Thelma Egberts, and is available for free on her website, knitty.com, and available to download for free at The Knitting Space, a great blog that has tons of patterns and links, and an active online community.

And if knitting isn’t your thing, etsy has pages of options available – stay warm this winter, everyone!