Mom: It's going to be cold today. Wear that stripey sweater today.
Daughter: What stripey sweater?
Mom: They one I made you last year.
Daughter: Oh, you mean my Noro sweater?
...you get a new hat just in time for the first snow of the winter
Pattern: the ubiquitous We Call Them Pirates
Yarn & Needles: Cascade 220 (red), Plymouth Encore (black), Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino (lining) from (you guessed it!) the stash, US3 needles
Mods: To size down the hat, I knitted at a tighter gauge (about 7 spi) and only did two repeats of the skull motif.
I made a poor choice when I decided not to decrease in the lining. I thought the difference in the weight of the yarns (worsted vs. fingering) would make up for it, and I didn't want the lining to pucker. Well, it flares, dammit! It flares! I did EZ's sewn bind off for the lining for stretch, and then meticulously sewed it down beautifully. I was not about to pick it all out and redo it, so I threaded some elastic in the brim, and it snugged things nicely.
Notes: This was my first colorwork project ever, and it's some pretty craptacular knitting. However, this was knitted as a more of a learning and practice piece, so my expectations were pretty low. Plus, Pepe desperately needed a new hat. And despite some puckering and lack of crispness in the colorwork, Pepe has gotten tons of compliments on it, and I have managed to impress many non-knitters.
I am working on picking comfortably, and have some work to do keeping my floats even. Despite that, though, it was a relatively quick project, knitting up in a just a few afternoons.
9 comments:
pepe looks adorable!
congrats...and no one will notice the "craptacular" knitting!
Seriously? For a first foray into stranded knitting, I think you did a great job. And honestly, I don't think your son is going to complain one bit.
Craptacular my ass. It's great. As usual.
*sigh*
;o)
And can I tell ya, I love Rosebud's Noro comment. Well done, Liz. Well done. You are educating your progeny well.
Assimilate the young before they know any better, that's what I say!
Pepe's hat is fantasic and in no way craptacular! This seems like a not so easy colorwork pattern to begin with, so kudos to you!
Pepe's hat looks fantastic and should keep him nice and warm. And, I really love the Noro comment!
Wow - if that, your first colorwork project, is craptacular, then I can't wait to see when you're good at it!! It looks perfect.
I love that hat - my son told me a girl in his class told him, "Wow - I love your hat - did your mom make it?" Kudos from 7-yr-olds!! I'll take 'em!
From the mouth of babes! Awesome.
Kudos on your first stranded knitting. Pepe's Pirates rock.
Aw, go on! I'm impressed. And Pepe looks pretty darned happy.
Now that's a child of a knitter! Great hat - I don't think it's craptacular!
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