A while ago, my friend Meghan, a knitwear designer came up with a new cowl pattern she needed test knit, followed closely by a matching mildly slouchy hat.  Seeing how I needed a hat quite badly (I am one of the worst examples of the shoemaker’s kid going barefoot when it comes to hats and mitts) I figured I’d take care of two things at once.  I grabbed a skein of Tanis Yellow label and cast on.

This plan, gentle readers, did not work so well for one main reason,  If you reference my post of earlier this week, hats (beanies especially) and I do not get on.  This hat was the final illustration of that most disappointing truth.

Additionally, I seem to have somewhat of an issue with left and right twists as they pertain to knitting charts, and instead of Meghan’s lovely leaf pattern she designed, my hat has diamonds.  Pretty diamonds, but diamonds nonetheless.  I went out and purchased a set of highlighters for any future chart work.

In the end, I did three repeats instead of two, hoping the slouch would make the hat suit my very round head that much better.  I am sad to say, it did not.  It looks adorable on everyone but me.  Witness my friend, Caryn:

Isn’t she cute?

My friend, Atoy, for whom I have knit two different hat and cowl sets has laid claim to this one, too (it looks pretty nice on her, too!).  I fully expect for her to ask for the matching cowl, but she will have to buy the yarn because this slouchier version took up over 2/3 of the skein!

Pattern: Etched by Meghan Jackson (not yet in Ravelry).

Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Yellow Label DK in Garnet.  This colourway is very pretty…lovely red tonal.  In fact, I will likely never buy Poppy again.

Who Was It Made For?  Me originally….but it did not work out.

Were There Changes Made To The Pattern?  One that was intentional (I added a third repeat) and one that was not (the leaves became diamonds).

Did I Learn Anything New?  I learned that I need to pay WAY more attention to charts where twists are concerned, but no new skills.  On the plus side, now that I have picked up the cowl again, languishing in my WIP pile since Christmas, I know I will get it right.

Anything Else?  No.  Moves yet another skein of yarn into the Stashdown2013 pile, which is very happy-making.

Would I Make Another?:  I might, but sadly not for me.

I hate hats.  Let me be more specific…I hate hats on me.  Not the wide-brimmed, “sitting on the front porch with a mint julep, wear to a summer wedding” hats…those actually used to look nice on me.  But rather toques, or what my mom called my whole life, “stockin’ caps”.  Something you wear outside to keep your ears from falling off in 20 below temps.  Worst of all…beanies and the like (ie, hats without a brims) just look god-awful on me.  Make my head look extremely round.

Turns out, Mom and I have the same problem…beanies look atrocious on her, too….something we discovered after I knit her one and she thanked me quite carefully, before my Dad chuckled and said that it was not exactly flattering.

More than a year ago, I ran across the Rhossili Beach Watch Cap in a book and thought, “That a nice change.  Lace and a fold up brim!  This might solve our problem.”

So I knit her one, and before I mailed it off to her, I tried it on.  Huzzah!  Something that actually worked.  She called after it came in the mail and mentioned how much better it looked than the first one.  Success!  And I made a mental note to make one for me someday.

Fast forward to Christmas this year and my friend Val commented that she had started a hat for her but that she had frogged it because it just didn’t work out.  I was still trying to figure out what to make her so I thought, “I have a tonne of sock yarn.  Maybe a nice skein of fingering weight doubled would do the trick.”  I am happy to report that I received no fewer than five emails from Val, raving about how much she loved my gift.  As a knitter, there’s not much more happy-making than that.

But I still did not have one….until now.

Finally, I Get To Rhossili Beach!

Pattern: Rhossili Beach Watch Cap by Wendy D. Johnson

Yarn: indigodragonfly MCN Worsted in “Squid Vicious”.  I cannot say enough about how wonderful this yarn was to knit with and cuddle and pet and squoosh.  LOVE it.  And the colour?  So much more spectacular than it looks here.

Who Was It Made For?  Me, Me, ME!!

Were There Changes Made To The Pattern?  I made a few accidental changes to the length of the two sections, but overall no.

Did I Learn Anything New?  As this was my third time knitting it in just over a year, it’s safe to say no.

Anything Else?  No.  Moves another skein of yarn into the Stashdown2013 pile, which is very happy-making.

Would I Make Another?:  Cannot see why not.  I wish there were more hats along the same lines as this one.  It’s flattering and pretty…and I never get sick of knitting it.  I am likely to make more yet.