Hat #4: My Own Hat

Sorry for no posts Thursday and Friday last week y'all. I came down with a WICKED stomach virus and I couldn't do anything but lay on the couch, binge-watch Masterchef (I want to cook ALL THE THINGS)...and knit.

I made a whole hat, out of sock yarn, in just a few days. That's not including, of course, the two full days it took to wind up the hank of Malabrigo I used. As a friend of mine put it, Malabrigo uses drunken donkeys to skein their yarns, and I am pretty sure I agree. But it was so, so worth it.

It was a pretty, simple little hat pattern. I didn't want anything too spicy to re-introduce myself into the wild and wonderful world of "knitting things more complex than a square". But I think the effect is pretty nice.

Click "Read More" for more wonderful pictures. :)

I selected this lovely hat pattern from Ravelry: the Mizzle Hat (you'll need a Rav account to see that pattern - but if you don't have one you should probably get one because Ravelry is the best of the best websites ever).

I thought it seemed fairly boring but with the right yarn could look pretty awesome, and I was right!

I started off with this skein of Malabrigo Sock in Playa:

Those colors though!

I finished up the knitting faster than I thought I would:

Then I set it to block.

Now, I hate blocking. I am always petrified that I'm going to vastly screw up all of my hard work. In the past I've been moderately comfortable blocking flat things like shawls and scarves, but hats? Never. The pattern suggested I block it on a dinner plate, which I did...

It also warned that the brim might get stretched out a little, and recommended pulling a little drawstring with a contrasting yarn into the brim so it would retain some of its elasticity. So I did that:

THOSE. COLORS. THOUGH.

Anyway, the brim still got all stretched out of shape and although I like a good floppy hat, as I pranced around the house in it I realized that one good gust of wind (something a San Antonio winter is no stranger to) would rip this lovely creation right off my head.

So I improvised. I took a short length of the yarn, wove it through about three inches on the back, gathered it closely, and knotted it tightly. It's not ideal, but it'll do:

And this is what I ended up with:

I love the eyelet ribbing - it gives almost a lace effect without, you know, actually being lace.

And those concentric circles leading all the way to the middle? Shut. Up.



I can wear it back or lumped or slumped or sleek, or cocked jauntily to the side like a beret (probably my favorite way):

I'm in love with it! Weird little last-minute adjustments and all. :)

So that, dear friends, was hat #4 of 30 hats I'll be making before Christmas. Not all of them will be this complex, and not all of them will even be knitted. But I vow to make all the hats! I'll be giving some away to friends and family for the holiday, and the rest will be donated to a local charity that I have not picked yet. I'll let you know when I choose someone!

Love to all! It's only Monday, but that's okay - we'll make it through this week together.

XOXO