Determined as I was to get my WIP list down to a sensible level, I took advantage of all the extra crafting time the Christmas break has afforded, and finally finished Jamie's hat!
Pattern: Ribbed Watchman's Hat by Channah Koppel
Yarn: Patons UK Wool Blend Aran in olive green (less than one skein)
Needles: 4.5mm dpns
This was a really simple pattern to work, but the endless rounds of k2p2 ribbing got on my nerves after a while! I was so fed up by the time I neared the end, I finished the main part half an inch early, knitting to 9 inches instead of 9.5. The decrease rounds flew by, but I'm not too keen on the way they switch from rib to plain stockinette for the last few rounds, it looks a bit odd.
I had a bit of a hard time starting out with this hat, because I initially cast on the 96 stitches as per the pattern., but the combination of yarn and slightly smaller needles meant it wasn't big enough. So after knitting somewhere between three and four inches, I had to rip it all the way back and start again with more stitches! I didn't think ahead far enough though, reasoning that increasing in multiples of 4 was all I needed, to maintain the rib. So I added 12 stitches and started again. When I got to the decreases, I realised that increasing in multiples of 8 was actually far more sensible, so had to fudge one of the rounds to keep the stitch count right. So next time (if there is a next time) I will increase my starting stitches by 16!
It fits alright, needs to be worn a bit to stretch it out a little (I can't be bothered to block it). Here's a terrible shot of me wearing it - I haven't managed to get one of it on Jamie's head yet, although he has been wearing it. It's been pretty cold, wet and windy here of late, so it's seeing plenty of use already!
