I'm happy to join Kat and fellow Unravelers for the last Unraveled Wednesday of 2022, with a finished hat and some other knitting.
I did finish John's 1898 hat (ravelry link) on Christmas Eve, just in time for some sub-zero temperatures. He says he doesn't want to put it on so I can take a modeled photo, so you'll just have to trust me when I say that it's a warm and well-fitting hat. It's really constructed ingeniously, and some of my initial problems were due to my own overthinking. You first knit the garter headband portion and I kept wondering where the i-cord entered into the picture. But there is a 3-stitch knit portion in the middle of the double-wide garter stitch headband that mimics i-cord quite nicely when you fold the headband in half. After reading lots of helpful notes on Ravelry, I made a few modifications:
- I slipped the first stitch of every row purlwise with the yarn in front, then passed the yarn to the back before knitting the next stitch. This makes it much easier to pick up stitches for the crown portion.
- I also did a three-needle bind-off to seam the headband. My join is not invisible, but it is good enough and provides a way for John to easily tell the front from the back.
- Thanks to Sarah's recommendation, after picking up stitches, I knit the hat portion longer (7 inches) before I started the decreases (the pattern recommends 5").
- I also eliminated the knit rounds after round 6 of the crown decreases to make a less pointy hat.
I don't often wear hats (except for my Musselburgh) but I may knit just the headband portion of the hat for myself someday. This would keep my ears extra warm and that's all I really need in a hat.
I'm not sure what my New Year's Eve plans will include but I wanted to have a Hitchhiker I love on the needles (so I can begin as I mean to go on), so I wound two skeins of Wollmeise and have started a two-color Hitchhiker in a favorite blue (Vergißmeinnicht or Forget-Me-Not) and a colorful second skein (Koralle im Meer or Coral in the Sea). The photos don't look great since I took them at night indoors, but I'm going to go by Kym's rule of knitting © and give myself some more real estate before I make any judgments. I'm happy so far!
What are you making this last week of 2022?
The hat and your adjustments are brilliant! It looks awesome :)
ReplyDeleteAnd I am in agreement with Kym... knit a bit more, but I think this is a very promising start! As for me? Well, I cast on Gnoelle's brother, Gniclaus, yesterday!
I think that is a great looking hat and a lovely start to your next hitchhiker.
ReplyDeleteLove the hat (and I wish John would have modeled it...but I understand his desire to not!!) and I think your new Hitchhiker will be fabulous. Naturally I did not get the knitting done in TX that I expected to, but that is ok. I will definitely have something new on the needles for New Year's Eve (which I think will be a soaker here?) and New Year's Day so (as you) I can begin as I mean to go on (thanks for that reminder).
ReplyDeleteI have wanted to make that hat for years! I'm sure it would be perfect for Tom, and now you've given me the little nudge I need to give it a try. I also very much appreciate your list of modifications, Bonny. (I'm always grateful for those tried-and-true knitting tips.) I like the start of your New Year's Hitchhiker! I think I will be working to finish a couple of my projects (that blanket and that cardigan) as the New Year arrives. I think that means I must intend to . . . finish what I start . . . in the new year! XO
ReplyDeleteI think the hat looks wonderful -- John is going to have warm ears all winter! I have thought plenty of times of knitting just the headband portion but never actually done it. I like the Hitchhiker so far! I'm sure the colors are gorgeous in better lighting, too (because I know you always pick out beautiful colors of Wollmeise). I'm still working on my Recalibrate and a pair of socks for my daughter, whose feet have grown yet again. I am tempted to make this pair a little big so that they will fit her if her feet grow more in the near future and then, if she actually outgrows them, they'd fit me.
ReplyDeletewhat a squishy looking hat! love the details in the design. Also the color combo of the hitchhiker is stunning.
ReplyDeleteI love John's hat!
ReplyDeleteI am knitting some socks from La Bien Aimee sock yarn. Oh my word! Everything they say about that yarn is TRUE!
I sure like that hat. You made some good modifications too. Only little kids look good in pointy hats - IMO. I bet it feels like coming home to have that hitchhiker on the needles. Keep us posted on your progress.
ReplyDeleteNice hat! Ooh, you definitely need a bit more Hitchhiker real estate!
ReplyDeleteThat hat is ingenious! and headbands are my favorite way to keep my ears warm - you should definitely knit yourself one!
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