In Which the Pirate Starts Something New.

At this point I really don’t need more hats, but I’ve been having so much fun knitting them that I started a new one anyway. This one will have a snowy theme, and Michael helped me chart it out so I’m doubly excited to knit it.

Like the other hats, I’m knitting this in Cascade 220 with a 220 Sport lining, but unlike the other hats I’ve started with a provisional cast-on. It’s something I’ve never done before, but my mom (who, by the way, has test-knit both the Crossing Trails and Hollis Hills hats) suggested it as a way to avoid the annoyance of having the lining curl up into the work while you’re trying to knit.

The funny thing about that is that the provisional cast-on is even more in the way, as the chain is fairly loose… oops? Have I done it wrong?

I looked up several variations and decided to try the one where you crochet directly onto the needle and go from there, rather than attempt to pick up the stitches from a long chain. Once I had all the stitches I needed on my needle, I chained a few more before cutting the yarn and pulling it through the last chain. That will make it easy to “unzip” when it’s time to knit the lining.

My goal is to have this hat knit and the pattern written up for publication before it starts warming up too much. I’d love to wear it on one of our snowboarding trips this winter!

(On that note, I keep seeing these gorgeous – and expensive – Dale of Norway sweaters in the ski shops. I might just have to knit one for myself. And then there are the doubleknit hats, another technique I haven’t yet tried… and the cowls… so many ideas, so little time!)