this entry sponsored by the letters h-a-t

Hats. They are turning my head this week. The plan was for mittens but they weren't fated.

That oddly shaped purple hat I was making to go with the fingerless mitts gift last entry, well, when it was done I thought to myself "huh, that's a weird one" . Plopping it on my own head, went to the mirror for a good laugh and discovered that Libby and Lee-Ann were right - they both commented encouraging things about it- its totally wearable. Maybe even stylish.

I then had to grab me some other bumpy yarn and cast on to replicate my mistakes & odd moves clever design for a Cirque du hat to keep. I've definitely got the flume part down. I'm hoping I can fake the move that made a ridge. FYI its not gigantic, thats a baby pumpkin and size 8 needles.

By the morning light, now I've got ridge. The hat is looking more Suess than Cirque.

More hats: both Sons Who Don't Wear Wool took an interest in having a hat knit for them. This is a startling turn. The younger one felt some cashmere and said he wouldn't mind a hat made from it. Umm...... no. I'll pop for some merino. The older one asked for "something I can wear mostly at home to, y'know, squoosh down my hair so it won't be puffy when I go out".

There is no puff in his hair. But I know better than to debate hair with a 15 year old. I played it cool and said in as close to a monotone as I could, "well..since we'll be in Northampton on Saturday, we can stop by Webs and I guess you can pick some yarn out." Inside? I was jumping up and down, chattering with exclamation points. Anyway, I'd already planned on dragging him & his cousin to Webs before we left town , now I had an excuse they could relate to. He hasn't asked me to knit anything since a purple sweater with penguins on it in kindergarten. I hopped right on that one too. I don't think that's what put him off wool...it saw a lot of action. Really.

My traveling companions in Noho - please try not to be distracted by the hair that so obviously needs squooshing on the right- were way into the food and the used CD store so we got to Webs just before it closed. Can I just say? How lucky is MamaCate to have this as her local yarn joint? I always get overwhelmed by choice there. So much yarn, so much space to look at it in, that whole back garage warehouse full of discounted yarn and all those cones. I needed more time, we left with 2 skeins of Debbie Bliss WoolCotton on sale half off for the squoosh hat.

Every winter I try to make close fitting 2x2 rib hats that don't have wonkiness in the decreases or top shaping. Still haven't achieved it. Fortunately these hats are worn by people taller than me, so I don't have to look at the wonk daily. Including the Squoosh, shown here drying with an assortment of What Was on The Counter today. Thus documenting my wonkiness level as well as why we are the place you want to come to first on a scavenger hunt.


Thanks for the comments on the ribbon and laceup mittens. Blogger makes all the comments anonymous, I often can't figure out how to find your blogs or email to write back. Just know I appreciate every word. And if you feel so inclined, leave your blog address in the comment.