Thursday, October 18, 2012

A Hat for my husband...will it happen?

My husband kept saying, "I will need a hat soon". And I kept saying, "I can help you look for your hat from last year." 

It took me a while to figure out that he wanted a knitted hat! I'm a bit slow sometimes. 

So, I found an easy hat pattern and started to knit. I did not read the directions closely and now I am trying to figure out how to "creatively" finish the hat by making up part of the directions myself. This has happened before, so I am sure I can come out of this one smiling too:)

OK, so this is a simple skull cap type hat. It has a strip or two in it, totally open to the wearers discretion.

I casted on well. (I have been working my way through TKGA Basics Basics program. It has been great to fill in some gaps in my knitting knowledge. Especially since I don't always read directions thoroughly and end up finding my own way to the end of a pattern. It's not that I can't read directions, I must love the thrill of only relying on myself once I veer off the beaten path.) Anyway, I used the long tail cast on for the hat. I casted on to my circular needles and started to knit and knit.

Then I realized if I wanted to turn up the hat, for two layers of warmth over my husbands ears and for design purposes, my hat might be inside out.

Here is what I realized...

My very nice outer edge was so smooth, and the inner edge was a bit bumpy, because this is what happens with the long tail cast on. One of my favorite tid-bits from the Basics Basics class!

So here is the hat a bit further along with a few stripes...
And then, yes half way through knitting the hat, it hit me...If he wants to turn up the edge of the hat it will be half right side out and half inside out!

Of course, I will request that he turn up the beautiful, smooth edge so it shows on the outside. (Not sure he cares as long as the hat is warm, but I pridefully might care!)

I hope I am describing this well. You can see in the picture the bottom half, the turned up half, was the outside. However, the green peeking out of the top, is becoming the outside, which was the inside on the bottom half of the hat.
 Here is another view of the turned up edge showing the whole stripe.
OK, now I feel better, talking this through with visual aids. It looks very easy to start decreasing and finishing up the top!

As a knitter, I think it is good to walk through what has happened, review the situation, and then try to weave your way back to the paved path.


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