Since my last post was about a not-so-successful project, I figured I should balance that with something positive. Matt, my husband, has long bemoaned the fact that he rarely benefits from my knitting habit. I should let you know, however, that I think this is mostly his fault. He has told me that he is not particularly interested in socks or a sweater and that he has too many scarves already. Doesn't leave one with much choice except for a hat, huh? Not only has he completely limited the type of hand-knit garment he is willing to wear, he is also very particular about his hats. So, here's the saga of Matt's hat.
Take 1:
I thought this hat turned out quite nicely. I made it very early in my knitting career, so it's quite basic and has a couple of mistakes that I still notice but didn't fix at the time because I didn't know how. This hat fits Matt perfectly, but unfortunately the yarn I used (Lopi, I believe) is way too scratchy for him. I've thought about lining it, but I really hate sewing.
Take 2:
I love this hat! This was after I had a bit more experience, so there are no big holes or mistakes to bother me. The yarn is so soft (I can't remember what it is) and I love the pattern - not too stripey, but just stripey enough. Unfortunately the fit on this hat is not quite right. For one thing, it's not tight enough around his head, so it doesn't keep him completely warm. Secondly, and this is completely my fault, it's a really odd length. It's not quite long enough to fold up, but it's a little too long to wear without folding. If he folds it up he looks like Joe Pesci in Home Alone and it makes me laugh!
Take 3:
Didn't ever really get beyond an inch or two on the needles, thank goodness. Matt saw the
Sock Monkey Hat from Knitty and decided he had to have it. Adorable? Yes. Practical? No. I thought he would never wear it and therefore didn't want to waste my time making it for him. I'm not sure that he's completely forgotten about it, but he's given me a break for now.
Take 4:
Do you see how ridiculous the pattern in this yarn is? I found this yarn at Michael's (it's one of the new cheap 100% wool brands that they're selling in the craft stores now) and thought it would be perfect. I'm not really sure what you could use this yarn for, perhaps a scarf, but certainly you could never use it for a hat. I tried knitting in the round and ended up with a hat divided into four colored quarters. I tried knitting it flat and look what happened! Craziness!
And finally...success with Take 5:
This hat is the perfect fit, it's made out of very soft yarn (some type of Rowan that I think is discontinued), I love the color, and to top it all off the yarn came off the clearance rack at the local knit shop. I made up the pattern as I went (it fits like a beanie hat) and finished just in time for our vacation to NYC where it will definitely be put to good use. Yea for knitting successes!
