I must be crazy.

I was trying on all my hats last night (I do this a lot). I have 2 finished versions of the Glaistig hat, one I knit on US 9's and one on US 8's. I knit the one on 9's first, decided it was too "floppy," then knit the second one, which I loved. Now I try them on again last night, and I love the first one! It doesn't seem "floppy" at all, and the other one is too tightly knit! They both fit fine, since the hat is so stretchy, but I like the fabric of the first one better. Not to mention the row gauge - the second hat is shorter, and I like the longer hat. I'm going to give it a week, try them on again, and make my final decision.

I've got the pattern all written up, and I've decided where I'm going to submit it. The only thing left to do (other than decide which hat to use!) is to take photos. I'm trying to get my brother to talk his wife into modelling for me, since she is considerably cuter than I am.

Well, I did it.

I ripped out the disaster, and re-cast on. I don't think it's twisted this time. (Why is it SO freakin' hard to tell, even with a few rounds knit?)

Some time ago I ordered a blocking board and a set of wires. They arrived Friday. I've been procrastinating on the shawl (and on everything else, rationalizing that I can't work on THAT because I really should be working on the shawl) because I had no way to block it once it was finished. Now I need to get my butt in gear and finish it, so I can block it Friday night while the Wibbles spends his weekly night at my in-laws' house.

The hat experiment is not conflicting with the Big Projects, though, since it is portable while the others are not. I work on the shawl at home, and the hat on the bus and occasionally on my lunch break.

In other crafty news, I bought the cheesiest sewing machine ever. It's from Target, and it's handheld and looks like a stapler. I have no intention of making any clothes or upholstering any furniture or anything, so presumably it will suit just fine. I'm hopeful that it will last long enough to crank out a couple throw pillows, and maybe a duvet cover and set of shams. If it's still around after that, I might even make bed canopies.

Successes!

I needed a quick success this past weekend, firstly as a break from the Big Projects I'm working on, and secondly to take my mind off Friday's crushing defeat. The crushing defeat involved an experiment for a hat (of course) with a unique construction. I didn't get to see the results of the experiment; I'll have to retry as soon as I muster the resolve to rip out the disaster. The disaster being: 324 stitches. K1, p1 ribbing in the round. Over TWENTY rows in before I notice the twist.

Anyway, on to the good stuff. I decided to try out a quick and easy hat design that's been floating around in my head, a Barbara Walker stitch pattern in a bulky yarn. I loved how it came out, so I decided to share the pattern here. E-mail me if you make one; I'd love to see how it turns out!





Wavelet Hat
3 skeins Karabella Aurora Bulky in color #22. (That's right, 3 skeins. This yarn has the worst yardage EVER!) 100% merino wool, 54 yds/50 g per ball.
47" Addi Turbo circulars in US sizes 9 and 10.5 (I use the Magic Loop technique. Obviously you can use 16" circulars, and a spare circ or set of dpn's in size 10.5 if you prefer).
Gauge: 20 sts and 23 rows in Wavelet pattern, knit circularly with larger needle

Wavelet Pattern knit circularly (this is my name for the stitch pattern; I can't remember what BW called it but I think it might be "Little Cables" or "Cable Fabric" or something like that):
Multiple of 6 sts
Rounds 1-2: Knit.
Round 3: *Slip 2 sts to cable needle (cn) and hold to front, k2 from left needle, k2 from cn, k2, repeat from * around.
Rounds 4-6: Knit.
Round 7: *K2, Slip 2 sts to cn and hold to back, k2 from left needle, k2 from cn, repeat from * around.
Round 8: Knit.
Repeat rounds 1-8 for pattern.

Hat:
With US 9, CO 56 sts. Join into round, being careful not to twist. Work 5 rounds in k2, p2 ribbing. Switch to US 10.5 and work one more round in rib pattern.
Work increase round: *K4, m1, k3, m1, repeat from * around. [72 sts total.]
Work 32 rounds (4 full repeats) in Wavelet pattern.
Work decrease rounds:
1. (K10, k2 tog) around [66 sts total].
2. (K9, k2 tog) around [60 sts total].
3. (Slip 2 sts to cn and hold to front, k2 from left needle, k2 from cn, k4, k2 tog) around [54 sts total].
4. (K7, k2 tog) around [48 sts total].
5. (K6, k2 tog) around [42 sts total].
6. (K5, k2 tog) around [36 sts total].
7. (K4, k2 tog) around [30 sts total].
8. (K3, k2 tog) around [24 sts total].
9. (K2, k2 tog) around [18 sts total].
10. (K1, k2 tog) around [12 sts total].
11. (k2 tog) around [6 sts total].
Cut yarn and thread onto tapestry needle. Pull yarn tail through remaining sts and pull to close. Weave in ends.

Sizing notes:
1. The hat will stretch. Right after knitting, it was 8.75" tall and only 15" in circumference. It was uncomfortably tight when I first put it on. After wearing it for 20 minutes, the height stayed the same but the unstretched circumference had increased to 18" and the hat was comfortable to wear. I wore it on and off for an additional 3 hours, but there was no more stretching.

2. I have a biggish head (22.5") and this hat fits very snugly, which is how I like it. Kids don't usually like tight hats, so you can probably use the same stitch count for a kid size, and just make the hat shorter by working the Wavelet pattern for 24 rounds instead of 32. If you have a superbig head, or just a big head but like a looser fit, try adding 4 (or 8) stitches to the ribbing and 6 (or 12) to the main body. You will need to redo the math for the increase round so the increases occur evenly around the hat. Also, there will be 1 (or 2) more decrease rounds to work. I can't guarantee that the cool flower effect will be preserved, but it will probably be similar enough.

On seeing a picture of a turkey

Me: (pointing) What's that?
The Wibbles: Tah-keee.
Me: What does a turkey say?
The Wibbles: Boggle!
Me: (collapses into hysterics)

That was my big laugh for the week. My big laugh for last week was when TBS was airing "Old School." The commercials for it were all making fun of the Da Vinci Code and were hilarious. There is a secret ode-cay....

Not much going on.

I've made some progress on my MIL's shawl. I've just started the fifth out of seven balls of Bazic, so hopefully I'll be ready to block this weekend. And boy, will I have to block the life out of this thing. I'm knitting it from the point up (uh, not sure if I already mentioned this, so I'll say right now it's a triangle), and increasing one stitch per row, but the stitch pattern is allover ribbed cables so it draws in A LOT and looks WAAAAAAY too skinny for its height. I'm going to stretch it horizontally as much as I can during blocking, and hopefully it will stay stretched. This will be the first item I have blocked (I don't block scarves or hats), so we'll see what happens.

I finished the second try on the Glaistig cloche and I love it love it love it. And hey, maybe it will be cold enough in about 5 months so I can wear it!

In Secret Pal news, I finally mailed a package to my spoilee last week. Everyone I'm close enough with to give a gift lives here in NY, so this was the first package I've ever mailed. And what a nightmare it was. How much of a weenie do you have to be, exactly, before they let you work at the post office? I won't go into details, except to say:
1. I was at the post office for a total of 40 minutes, only 10 of which involved waiting on line.
2. The package was sent in a padded envelope. I would have liked a box. Next time I'll box it myself and then take the box to the post office. Lesson learned!
3. I was literally quivering with rage when I left the post office. Since I was on my lunch break, and had to go back to work, the only way I could get past it was to bring four (that's right, FOUR) slices of pizza back to my desk with me and scarf them down in about 10 minutes. Can you say "stress eater?"

My Wrap Style arrived. I don't know what was up with my math when I was looking at this in the bookstore, but I don't quite have the yardage in my SP gift yarn + stash Cash Iroha to make the Shadow Dance capelet. I do have enough to make a very generous scarf in that same stitch pattern, though, so I think I'll do that instead. The two yarns do go really well together.

WIPs Gone Wild!!!!!

I've had a bad case of startitis lately, and have accumulated a rash of WIPs and UFOs. What's on the needles:

1. I got the Koigu I ordered two days ago for my second stab at the cabled cloche (aka the Glaistig hat). I've just completed the brim section. I am now loving the fabric, now that I've switched to a size 8 needle.

2. I started a shawl I promised to my mother-in-law. It's a triangular shawl in a reversible cable pattern, my own design. I'll post photo and pattern here when it's done. This one is in Classic Elite Bazic, also on a size 8 needle.

3. I was attempting a cabled hat with some Cash Iroha that I bought recently. However, I hate it. I love the yarn and how it feels, but I've learned that I don't like silk for hats, even when it's blended with wool. Not enough elasticity. I hereby promise myself that I will never knit another hat out of anything other than a) 100% wool, or b) the cashmere/merino/microfiber blend found in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino and Rowan Cashsoft. I'm going to frog this, combine the Cash Iroha with the Silk Garden I got from my Secret Pal, and make the Shadow Dance capelet from Wrap Style. As soon as my book gets here, that is. I just ordered it from Amazon.

4. I also started a hat in Chevron Rib using Naturwolle. The yarn is variegated and a bit fuzzy, and you can't make out the chevrons at all. Another one destined for the frog pond. Perhaps I will get 8 more skeins of this and make that brioche-in-the-round sweater of Ann Budd's from IK. Fall 2004 or 2005, can't remember which.

5. The Koigu capelet that I have yet to do the finishing on.

6. My languishing Silk Garden shrug.

7. The pentagons. I currently have 4 pentagons knit. I'm pretty sure this dodecahedral hat/experiment will not fit me. I hope it will fit the Wibbles. If not, I can always knit one more pentagon, get some pillow stuffing, and make him a ball.

8. Swatching for the Asymmetrical Cardigan. I joined the Knitting Nature KAL, so you can see more about this there. Besides the swatch I show in the previous post, I have several ribbing-only swatches where I was trying out different COs and BOs. I was unable to get a good match, so I've decided to stop the knitting before the ribbing on the back starts, then knit the ribbing separately and graft it on.

And that's it! (Unless I'm forgetting some poor abandoned thing, which is entirely possible.)