In Which the Pirate Finishes Dad’s Hat.

It took just under a month to finish my eighth project of the year, a hat for Dad’s Chanukah gift. Knit from Cascade 220 in a charcoal grey that almost looks brown in some lights, it should keep him nicely warm in the wintertime. I used the basic hat formula from Mielke’s Fiber Arts, the fifth time I’ve made a hat with their pattern. It’s so simple, it really can’t be beat for plain toques. And that’s what Dad said he wanted – no patterning, no nothing. Just a plain stockinette hat. So that is what I made. (I will make a more interesting one for myself soon.)

It didn’t really look so great flat, so I tried modeling it to get a better picture. It’s a little too big for me, and so’s that shirt I’ve got on, but I think you get the idea. I made the ribbing long enough to fold over properly; one hat I made long ago had shorter ribbing that was too long to wear unfolded and too short to fold. Lesson learned: it is better to have longer ribbing than shorter. What matters is the distance between the top of the hat and the point where the ribbing folds over. For an adult man’s hat, that should be about seven inches.

One thing that I noticed while working on the hat is that I’m no longer as fond of the Addi Turbos as I once was. They have many great features – they’re slick, pointy, flexible, and the join from the cable to the needle is quite smooth. But I’ve gotten used to a longer needle that I can brace in my hand, and I missed that when I was working with the shorter needles on the circulars. Probably if I knit with the Addis more often, I’d get used to them again and it wouldn’t be an issue. I’ll just have to come up with some projects that call for them. (Like the other half of Napramach, perhaps? I haven’t forgotten you, crazy colourwork!)

Due Date …… Project
10/3 ………… Angie’s gifts
11/1 ………… Second Fleep, hand section
12/1 ………… Mom’s sock #2
12/1 ………… Dad’s hat
1/1 ….………. Gift for Janis’s baby boy
2/1 ………….. Mitten tops and thumb caps on Fleeps
2/1 ………….. Jacob Hat
3/1 ………….. Twins’ sweaters