The Weekend Hat

21/NOV: Troubles (cast on, making mistakes, powering on)

I'm making Petite Knit's Weekend Hat for my mum for Christmas this year. I'm not a fan of the yearn, it's a great colour for her and I like that it's superwash merino but it's so thin for a dk! The one I have for the Best Vest is so thick compared to it and so the hat is being very gappy at the moment. I'm hoping blocking will even it out but I've never blocked before... so we'll see. I started it mid October in the M size but when I went home and she tried it on it was a little tight (perhaps cause it was the cast on and only a few rounds) so I'm using the L size for the width.

I'm fudging the height to have there be not much overhang in the back,, and because I can't be bothered to knit as much as the size wants. As you can see on the right I made a couple of mistakes below the double knitting (we ignore how inconsistent my tension is, I'm blaming the yarn). From doing the magic loop traditionally I picked up a stitch that I then had to undo. This has resulted in some extra yarn around this stitch. But! it was a good way to reinforce picking up dropped stitches as so much was wrong I let 3 sts drop. I'm now using my own version of the magic loop that makes these kinds of errors, including laddering at the divions, less likely.

Here's me wearing the hat, technically it's upside down as the construction means almost all of what is on my head will be folded over to be the hem(?) of the hat - beanie style... I really have to redye my hair (thinking a dark,, blue). The pattern will call for double pointed needles but I'm hoping to get away with the magic loop method. If not then I'll gain a new skill! I'm hoping to have it finished before my family and I go home for Christmas as to not spoil the surprise. But I'm not putting too much pressure on myself. As long I can give it to her on Christmas day, it doesn't need to wrapped or blocked... right?