The hat renaissance I wrote about last post continued into this week and I’ve learned a thing or two.
First of all I made a hat for Sean earlier in the week. It’s Stephen West’s Windschief, a hat I’d never seen before but apparently nearly 2000 people on Ravelry have. So I’m a bit slow on the hat uptake! I used some leftover Cascade 220 in the gorgeous Mallard colour.
It was a fun, quick knit. A few bus trips and an evening and it was done. Two days in fact. There were lots of comments on other projects about having difficulty getting length right. That’s because the rib section ends up much longer than plain section at the back and determining which part to measure is a bit of a bugger.
Truth be told it is a bit long for him and could have stopped a good half inch before the crown shaping. But he likes it and I’ll know better next time.
Then, knowing Sean’s dad was coming for the weekend to help us with some yard work (and eat and drink with us! Something we always do well together) I buckled down to make him a hat. I almost repeated the windschief but decided to try something else. This time it was The Boy Hat, another popular pattern and a freebie. It’s a nice 4×4 rib pattern that ends nicely on the crown. I really like the way it all flows to the finishing point. This is also Cascade 220. Great hat yarn!
I really had a feeling my father in law had a small and not particularly long head, which I still think is true now that I’ve put the hat on him but it could have been a bit longer. I’d been afraid of repeating the ‘too long’ problem with Sean’s hat and so erred on the side of caution and his dad’s hat came out a bit too short.
He said he liked it but I think when I saw him working out in the freezing temps yesterday wearing a hat I made him about seven years ago, which is paint splattered and dusty but sits down well over his ears, I knew that if I make another one for him it’ll need to be longer.
It may look like they’re both dozing in the sun but actually they were trying their hardest not to crack up at the idea of being asked to pose side by side. There were wise cracks galore and much pretence that this was embarrassing and silly, but actually I think they enjoyed indulging me.
After I worked all week on their hats (and cooked big, hearty meals for them) it was the least they could do!
Bells
Val I think the Hat are great I have been knitting Small beanies for the Northern Hospital for new borns, also Knitting Bigger Beanies all sizes for S,E.S bright Orange Sorry to say my are only ver PLAIN nothing as good as yours
congratulations for the good job
Great hats Bells!:-)
both look great, despite your reservations on the lengths! I’m sloe on the uptake too it seems, never seen the Stephen West pattern. Looks like a good one to knit.
I love that side by side shot of them! Nice work getting two hats done in short succession.
Length is tricky for hats. I think its good for them to cover at least the tops of ears (if not the whole ear) and I guess if they are too long they can be folded up. Although the fold up is not particularly elegant, heh!
I haven’t thought about c220 for hats, i guess I thought it might be a bit scratchy. For some reason I can wear it on my arms next to skin, but i think my head is a bit more sensitive or something. Might have to try it and see!
Hats are tricky! I’ve been known to calculate the length of the decrease portion and go from there. Top down solves the problem, but I don’t like that fit as much (plus it doesn’t help if you want to do a particular pattern, either). I do like how easy it is to modify that side-to-side hat I’ve knit for the boys a couple times each now–just adjust the number of cast on stitches and it’s all set.
I agree, decreasing in ribbing is hard to do in an elegant way, and that hat looks very nice right through the decreases.
Thought I was the only one with that problem. My husband has a long head. Not as long as I think though, because they always end up down around his eyes in front. One day I’ll get it right.
I just finished the Whistler hat for Paul, which had to be ripped out because he noticed some dropped sts on it, but also because it was too short. From now I am taking measurements of width of head, and also length from the centre to the bottom of ears for people I knit hats for. At least then I will be close to the actual size they need. Your hats turned out great and it if it too short you can always make it longer!
I really like the Windschief – there are such great hat patterns around at present, but I think you’ve chosen well.
Hats can be tricky like that! I’m glad they saw the funny side of “posing”!