CCC Hat - still working on it!

I have reworked the hat (Hat Mark 2), drafted the pattern ready to send over to Robynn and taken photos of family and friends modelling (larking about in) both versions! I'm not quite ready to show you pictures as I still need to tweak the pattern. Hat Mark 2 is definitely a hat but it seems to have a slight 'nipple' at its tip which I need to sort out. Actually, I quite like it as it gives the top of the hat some character but I suspect that hat purists will feel that it is a fault in its design!

Robynn has seen a preview picture (of some friends' children trying it on a week ago) and suggested that I create an optional knitted accessory for it. I am happy to oblige but the photos that I have taken so far don't include one!

In the meantime, for your post Easter viewing pleasure see left for a photo of a family member in oversized Hat Mark 1!

Please bear in mind that I didn't bother to do any finishing on this hat which accounts for its lack of shape and possibly, the odd end dangling down - trust me, she is sooooo going to kill me for posting this!

CCC Hat - The First Attempt

Although it had a promising start, it is fair to say that my first hat attempt was not successful!

You see, I did not follow any of the usual rules:

Rule 1 - Make Notes: I knitted the swatches for the hat in bed at about 2am. Well, trust me - it all made absolute and perfect sense then! Oh, there's no need for me to make notes - I'll remember exactly how I did this later...

...oh yeah, right - ho, ho ho! Robynn still had my entry when my yarn arrived. Did I wait until I got it back to look at my samples and annotations? Did I heck! I was so enthusiastic about making a start that I found myself peering at the photos of the hat page on the Purlescence website (honestly), trying to make out my notes and the needle size I needed...yes, bonkers!

Rule 2 - Read the Ball Band / Make a Swatch: despite being separated from my swatches, I convinced myself very solemnly that I didn't need to knit more - and why would I need to refresh my memory by looking at a ball band?

Both of the above two points might help explain why I cast on with the wrong sized needles, couldn't remember the shaping instructions that I'd thought out nor remember which type of increase I'd chosen, leading to 1.5 rounds of little holes!

Rule 3 - Check Gauge / Do the maths: This is really where the gung-ho demon dug in its talons and urged me to get cracking! Did I check gauge, did I do any maths? Nope, skipped this bit - completely. I did a random check of a simple DK hat pattern to see what sort of ballpark Ineeded for the cast on and set off with my yarn and needles, spirits very high...

..kept going...

end of ball one (how exciting, must take photos!)

...kept going...

end of ball two (hmm, no end in sight)

...kept going...

halfway through ball three (good grief, still not finished)

...Just stop!

What needles am I using? How many stitches did I cast on?

Oh. Okay. That might explain why this is a three ball hat.

At that point, I tried it on and texted a picture to a friend:

Text Caption: "I am not sure that this is what Robynn had in mind!"

It's okay, I did incorporate all necessary adjustments into Hat Mark 2...